New To Reloading Need Beginner Help

Pheroze said:

I am relatively new too and the advice here is good. Just buy more than one manual, read them more than once and go slow . For example, with bullet seating you will read about seating it a certain distance off the lands for best accuracy. I found that for me I had to slow down the process a bit. I start by just seating to the COL listed in the specific reloading manual. after finding a decent load I monkey with seating depth. One thing for sure is that you will get to know your rifle very very well. have fun.

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I BOUGHT THE SABATTI 500 NE AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED RELOADING TOOK ADVISE FROM A PERSON FRIEND AND THE FIRST THING HE MENTION WAS DO WHAT THE GUNSMITH RELOADED TO ADJUST THE BARRELS THAT SIMPLE I HAVE RELOADE AND FIRED A GOOD 60 SHOTS WITH GOOD RESULTS
THE SECOND AND MOST IMPORTANT BE ALONE NO TV NO PHONE NO INTERRUPTIONS CONCENTRATION AND POWDER LOADS ARE A MUST I USE TWO SCALES ONE RCBS ELECTRONIC TO 1500 GNS AND A MECHANICAL FROM RCBS AND DO MY OWN QUALITY CONTROL THAT WAY WETHER I M RELOADIN G 20 OR 1 NO RUSH IT WILL PAY OFF WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR CARTRIDGES ARE CLOSE TO PERFECT RELOADS

Lots of good articles on ChuckHawks.com reloading page: http://www.chuckhawks.com/index2k_reloading.htm

Another good article: http://www.realguns.com/archives/103.htm

Best tip I ever received on reloading was to keep your reloading bench clean and organized. Have only one caliber and powder on the bench at a time, that way no potential errors with mixing componets up.

+1 That @375 Ruger Fan . Putting a fast burning pistol or shotgun powder into a magnum rifle cartridge can be mortal.

I started reloading several years ago, and have never looked back. As someone else said, you really won't save a lot of money per say.....at least not like you could many years ago (before I started), but the pleasure you get from harvesting an animal with a round you "handcrafted" is immensely satisfying similar to say, catching a trout on a hand-tied fly......

As far as manuals, the ABC's of Reloading by Chevalier is a great resource. I also really like the current Lyman manual, as it has a great section for beginners. Eventually, if you're like me, you'll own all of the reloading manuals form the major bullet and powder companies. I'm not sure you really need all of them, but I have them, and they are a great resource.

The nice things about reloading are a few things:

1) You can always have the cartridge choice you want, with the bullet you want, and not have to rely on what the factory ammo companies decide you need.
2) You can experiment with all sorts of brand choices (primer brands and styles, case brands, powder brands, bullet brands, style, and weight, etc.) as well as various parameters such as bullet seating depth, charge weights, neck reaming, case length, bullet crimp, etc., etc., etc., to find a load that works well
3) You can find a great combination of speed (not necessarily the fastest) and accuracy that will usually (not always) make your particular rifle perform better than factory fodder will do in most instances.
4) In my own opinion, you will learn, and appreciate what makes a firearm perform well far better than you would if you just slap a factory round into the chamber and fire
5) It's plain fun
6) As I said earlier, it's satisfying to take an animal, or shoot a great group with ammo you took the time to craft


As many have said earlier, be careful and go slow. Never reload in a busy environment because it can cause you to lose focus and do something stupid. Also, one of my rules (and that's just me) is that I never handload rounds for another person's firearm unless I can take their particular firearm, spend some time with it taking chamber measurements, shooting, etc., and in general do it the right way versus some generic load recipe that "should" function in all rifles of that particular cartridge. Even then, I only do it for people I know well, and who understand that hand loading carries with it certain inherent risks. I can think of very little that would be worse than causing someone else a life threatening or debilitating injury based on a stupid mistake that I made.....

When starting out, be careful with people's favorite loads posted on the internet. If there is ever a time to be skeptical, it is then. There are some great shooters, and handloaders out there with a wealth of knowledge, but there are also some goofballs that like to hot-rod loads well past the recommended charge weights. Couple that with the fact that not all rifle chambers are cut to SAMMI dimensions, and you have a recipe for disaster.

The best advice is to take it slow, use well researched data from factory, published reloading manuals or websites, be skeptical of data that sounds to good to be true, and overall have fun.

Spooksar said:

First thing buy a couple of good books. Hornady, ABC of reloading are really good lots of information. Also RCBS has a good video on reloading

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@dailordasailor Hornady is more for experienced reloaders. Speer 14th edition is currently the best for beginners. Lyman used to be very good. I read my 47th edition copy from cover to cover, at least twice before I started reloading but they cut out the text boxes and specifically orange colored text for the 48th edition, which I also have, for no apparent reason other than to save money. Compare the page counts before reading them both and you will see what I mean. The 49th is more of the same which is why I did not purchase it.

Tame reviewers, including an acquaintance of mine, who should know better, have ignored Lyman's conduct in this matter.

The Speer manual has far more useful info, including text boxes than the older Lyman manuals. RCBS do have some very good information in their manual but they fall short of Speer's standards and their contents pages need to be doubled before that data is easily accessible to new shooters.

I suggest that you buy the Speer manual, read it multiple times, annotate it to your heart's content, use it for several years and then supplement it, if you wish to do so,with either the Hornady, RCBS, Lyman or Norma manual, according to what you feel you need.

If you wish to know a bit about benchmarking your rifle's velocity potential with standard factory ammo, as a reference for reloading, send me a PM and I can point you to one of my earlier posts.

Have fun and wear safety glasses when priming your cases.

Use a chronograph! Unless you can measure your velocities, you're flying blind - even if you're loading perfect cartridges with the correct powder, charges, bullet seating depths etc etc.
Remember that you're dealing with a lot of variables in a very dynamic situation. Cartridge wall thicknesses vary, there are variances between batches of powder, free-bore length varies between rifles as does the chamber volume etc.

Looking at fired primers or size of groupings is not a reliable guide on pressure levels. Velocity is the best/sole measure of what's going on in your chamber when you fire your reloads. Stay within the manufacturer's guidelines - thumbs and eyes are not replaceable.

When you're just starting out, your mantra must be safety first, accuracy second.

I've been reloading for 35 years. The best book I've ever read on the subject is titled The Practical Guide To Reloading written by Nathan Foster. I picked up more "tips" from this book than all of the others combined. I tend to use Win. 748 for my 308 loads because it meters very consistantly through my Dillon 550 B press. Start off only brewing up a few rounds at a time. Make sure they can be cycled through your rifle's action prior to going to the range. As previously stated, start off using the C.O.A.L. listed by the manufacturer of the bullet you are using. Save the experimenting for later. Keep records on how each load groups. If you get as much joy and satisfaction out of reloading as most of us reloaders do, you can add additional equipment as your budget allows.

Haven't read replies (yet), but as I'm certain you'll receive excellent advice, and with the many good to great books on reloading, I'll just say my 2 cents worth is to check everything twice. Best of luck, going to read the replies now for my own info.

John Barseness is a great writer and has written some good books that may help you. Check out Deep Creek Press where his books are marketed.

There are many reloading references and recipes on other forums.

Reloading is fun and relatively easy if you pay attention and follow directions.

One more small note, buy the most current version of the reloading book of your choice. I have two or three versions of some of the book (Nosler, Hornady, Speer) and the load data does change from time to time. Mostly to add newer powders, but I have seen where the Max load has been reduced for the same powder. And never go beyond the Max Load listed....it is a Max for a reason. The companies use very sophisticated equipment to measure the pressures for their loads and do not rely "visual signs". Some people will load until they see "over pressure" signs....In my opinion, that is simply asking for problems.

Lots of excellent advice here, but I do question a couple of points. First, I've found I do have to crimp cartridges for my .300 Win Mag, which has a short neck that lacks enough tension to hold bullets securely in place. Several times before I took to using the Lee factory crimp die, I had bullets unseat in the magazine (damaging their tips), and have even had bullets drop loose into the case just from being carried in my pocket. Also, you should crimp rounds for heavy rifles.

I learned to reload from books almost forty years ago (and ever since), and what I've read warns against ever going below starting loads, which is just as dangerous as going over max loads. They're marked "starting loads" for a reason. Going below could cause hangfires or worse.

If you buy multiple manuals it won't take you long to notice there's significant differences in starting and max loads for the same bullet weight, even the same bullet. The differences represent different components and test rifles, and should serve as a warning against giving your reloads to others, unless you first borrow their firearm and work up loads for it yourself. I've found the Speer manual generally to be hotter (larger max loads) than the others. Several times I haven't been able to get much past mid-point on Speer loads, which taught me to go carefully when approaching max. Signs of excess pressure can be subtle and seemingly show up suddenly.

Buy a lighted magnifying glass so you can see what's going on to a few thousandths of an inch. You can use it to check your primer seating and case chamfering, but the main reason you want it is to check your fired cases for signs of excess pressure. You must learn to read what your cases are telling you as you work your way up from starting loads.

Forget about priming from the press. Spend fifteen bucks or so on a Lee hand-priming tool so you can feel the primer as it seats. Of course you could spend a lot more and get the Sinclair, but I've been content with my Lee. I do favor other brands of dies though.

As you gain experience, and if you want to load the best possible cartridges, better than the usual hunting rounds, I recommend you pick up this book: http://www.amazon.com/Sinclair-Inte...ng-Shooting/dp/B001EJDAH6/ref=pd_sxp_redirect or something similar. It appears the Sinclair manual is out of print, and used copies are going dearly.

@RolandtheHeadless makes sense. A point to remember about the pressure issues he mentions, is that if you buy a barrel from a maker who specializes in target barrels you could easily have pressure problems with anything other than short shank boat-tail bullets.

Another point about pressure, is that some of the hotter loads have been developed in well worn barrels. There is an Aussie gun writer called Nick Harvey who put something like 4-5,000 rounds through his Sako .222 Remington then had the barrel set back and rechambered for .223 Remington. He proceeded to develop plenty of .223 loads for the rechambered rifle, which is fine if you know the story of the test rifle BUT that information has never been transferred from his magazine articles to his published loading manuals.

I also agree with hand priming. I use the Hornady tool, partly because the Lee is a bit too small for my hands but Roland appears to be one of the many hand loaders who find the Lee perfectly suitable.

The most important thing with priming is to seat the primer either flush with the base of the case or recessed for SAFETY. The second most important thing, is to seat the primer against the bottom of the primer pocket for RELIABLE IGNITION and consistent accuracy. NB Use a bit of common sense in this aspect. You do not want to set the primer off by pressing too hard. Firm seating is sufficient.

A chronograph is mandatory in the reloading process, IMO. It's all about pressure.

When I started I found that the then current Lyman & Hornady reloading manuals helped me to avoid blowing myself up. Back when I started there was no such thing as internet so it was all "talking to those that knew"and reading magazine articles.
I have most of the current reloading manuals at present including the Lee Precision Modern Reloading Manual 2nd Edition. I found that to be an interesting book.
There was a thread that I started about a month ago entitled "Most embarrassing or potentially disastrous reloading mistakes that you have made?" that has some interesting stories. It lists a few things that one should not do when reloading.
Most "kits" now have almost everything you need to start basic reloading. I find reloading both rewarding & frustrating. It's rewarding in that you perfected a load that shoots really well for you, and frustrating in that no matter what you do your gun just wont "shoot" for you

One thing you'll need is a chronograph. If you're getting maximum load velocities and you are only at mid range loading you're probably at your maximum pressures. A chronograph is one of the most important pieces of equipment a reloader can own.

Best advise
Listen to knowledgeable people only
Do you research
Start low and work up.
All ways USE TWO CONTAINERS, start with cases to be reloaded in one container, lube resize and place in empty container until finished.
Prime same method.
Charge with powder AND SEAT BULLET.
Always SEAT BULLET after charging with powder this avoids double charging, spilling and other stuff ups.
Concentrate on the job.
If in doubt stop and seek advice.
DO NOT BE AFRAIDOF RELOADING BE CAREFUL
Enjoy you new hobby it becomes addictive working out loads and is a relaxing pass time

One thing new guys in reloading tend to do is to try and squeeze out every last FPS of velocity they can. If you're one of those guys who likes pushing the edge, that may be fun for you. If you just want to roll your own cartridges to get better precision than you can out of typical factory ammo, it's a waste of both time and money, and potentially dangerous.

The reason 100 or maybe even 200 fps doesn't make a lot of difference for me is because I sight my hunting rifles in for Maximum Point Blank Range for my given quarry. Using MPBR, nearly all modern, shouldered cartridges are "flat" shooting out to 250 or 300 yards; modern magnums can extend this to 325 or even 350 for bigger ruminants like moose and elk.

When working up a new load, this is the first place I start my research to figure out what it is I should be trying to accomplish: http://www.shooterscalculator.com/point-blank-range.php

We can start with one my pet loads for my 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser. Shooting Hornady ELD-X 143 gr, BC .625, at an 8" vital zone (white tail deer), I find that the difference between 2500 fps and 2600 fps is an additional 10 yards of MPBR, from 286 yards at 2500, to 296 yards at 2600 fps. Understanding this, when I started stacking bullets at 2500 fps very early in load development, I quit trying to improve velocity because it wasn't going to be any more accurate or lethal than what I already had.

Even more:

to reach a 286 yd MPBR at 2500 fps, I need to be 3.63" high at 100 yards, which gives me a far zero of 242 yards
to reach 296 yd MPBR at 2600 fps, I need to be 3.54" high at 100 yards, which gives me a far zero of 251 yards.

Heck, you might hit a mosquito in mid-flight which might deflect your shot as much as 9 hundredths. If you have a micrometer (should have one as a standard part of your kit), you'd still have a difficult time discerning the difference. The act of measuring your groups with a micrometer introduces a greater potential for variance that you'll get out of 2500 vs 2600 for this load.

Given that in any string of 20 cartridges you roll, you might get as many as 4 or 5 cartridges at exactly 2500 fps. You'll have a variance with the rest of them hopefully between about 2480 and 2520. Same thing if you were trying to hit 2600 fps. Bottom line is if one of your test strings hits the sweet spot for accuracy, then load development is over, and stick with that load. The best you can hope for if you keep testing is maybe another 30-40 feet on your MPBR. Sounds kind of silly to muck around with your load for a marginal improvement like that. If you were shooting Naitonal Match or F-Class or something similar, it might be worth it. For hunting, it just isn't.

Includes:
Breech Lock Challenger Press and one Breech Lock quick-change bushing.
Perfect Powder Measure
Lee Safety Scale
Powder Funnel
Lee Value Trim case trimmer
Cutter and Lock Stud
Chamfer Tool chamfers the inside and outside of the case mouth
Sizing Lube is included
Primer Pocket-cleaning Tool
Large and Small Safety Prime.

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To get started, you will need a caliper. I use the Hornady digital and have been happy. It is primarily for measuring case length and overall length at this point.

You will want a different scale or a check weight set. No way I’m trusting the Lee scale at face value. I’m not really knocking Lee, but the construction is very poor for the precision we are going after. Same thought on the powder measure. I would dump from it to the scale. You can trickle with a spoon.

You need to be able to clean brass, IMO. Th3 books say wiping is enough, but it is hard to wipe very clean, especially light scale.

Setup like this will be a slow and possibly frustrating experience, but you can learn well like this.

What caliber is first?

Lots of good advice so far. I noticed the common recommendation for using a chronograph. I’ll add my YES! to that. The simplest “Chrony” units work well and are very inexpensive. For most that use light sensors, set chronograph up about 15 feet from rifle. Make sure bore line is about 2” above and centered over front and rear sensor slits. Shade the sensor slits from direct sun. I use 3x5” index cards taped to side of unit or diffuser rods to hold cards in position to shade the sensor slits. I learned this by experience. It helps prevent erroneous readings!

Another tip about reloading techniques or methods is related to consistency and safety. Do ONE step at a time for all cases to be reloaded. This is how I load a hunting load, usually from 5 rounds up to maybe 40 rounds, either for testing or for actual hunting:

Use a loading block and arrange the to-be loaded cases in block. Deprime all cases. Clean all primer pockets. Clean all cases with acetone on rag. Brush all inside necks with plastic bristle brush with mica or inside case neck dry lube. Lube all cases by rolling on lube pad. Run all cases through sizer die. Clean lube from all cases with acetone on rag. Trim all cases if needed. Chamfer all case mouths inside and outside. Hand prime all cases. Set up powder measure to drop about 1/2 gr less than determined load. Use scale with hand trickler. Drop powder into scale pan and place on scale. Trickle to exact charge then pour powder into each case using over-mouth type funnel. Visually inspect each case for “proper” powder charge. Seat bullet in each case to desired seating depth determined by COAL. Use Lee Factory Crimp Die for each cartridge. Record load data and measurements in load log for that caliber/rifle.

Sounds like a lot of steps but it really isn’t in practice. Doing each step separately for all carts to be loaded, helps prevent mix ups. Completely doing all steps one cart at a time, increases odds of screw up.

fourfive8 said:

Lots of good advice so far. I noticed the common recommendation for using a chronograph. I’ll add my YES! to that. The simplest “Chrony” units work well and are very inexpensive. For most that use light sensors, set chronograph up about 15 feet from rifle. Make sure bore line is about 2” above and centered over front and rear sensor slits. Shade the sensor slits from direct sun. I use 3x5” index cards taped to side of unit or diffuser rods to hold cards in position to shade the sensor slits. I learned this by experience. It helps prevent erroneous readings!

Another tip about reloading techniques or methods is related to consistency and safety. Do ONE step at a time for all cases to be reloaded. This is how I load a hunting load, usually from 5 rounds up to maybe 40 rounds, either for testing or for actual hunting:

Use a loading block and arrange the to-be loaded cases in block. Deprime all cases. Clean all primer pockets. Clean all cases with acetone on rag. Brush all inside necks with plastic bristle brush with mica or inside case neck dry lube. Lube all cases by rolling on lube pad. Run all cases through sizer die. Clean lube from all cases with acetone on rag. Trim all cases if needed. Chamfer all case mouths inside and outside. Hand prime all cases. Set up powder measure to drop about 1/2 gr less than determined load. Use scale with hand trickler. Drop powder into scale pan and place on scale. Trickle to exact charge then pour powder into each case using over-mouth type funnel. Visually inspect each case for “proper” powder charge. Seat bullet in each case to desired seating depth determined by COAL. Use Lee Factory Crimp Die for each cartridge. Record load data and measurements in load log for that caliber/rifle.

Sounds like a lot of steps but it really isn’t in practice. Doing each step separately for all carts to be loaded, helps prevent mix ups. Completely doing all steps one cart at a time, increases odds of screw up.

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what he said except for crimping.
bruce.