Finally bit the bullet

[edward]

used to hand load,dont have the patients.factory for me,have a ton of it.j.m.o.

 

[ChrisG]

Well, I've finally done it after all these years. I'm beginning to reload. I bought a good ole one stage press and I'm going to town!

The below is my first bullet ever, so if y'all never see another post from me you know what happened.

View attachment 34814
I've learned several things already:

1. GO SLOW!
2. Pay close attention to the primer seating and make sure it is all the way in (I'm using the lee hand primer)
3. Measure and remeasure everything for now
4. Weighing out different charges is good practice
5. I already know that the lee hand case trimmer isn't for mass production! Great for seeing the process though
6. I see why people have as big of a bench as space allows - I got more spread out than I thought I would

Hopefully I will at least make it to the indoor range this week to see what happens, but won't be able to get outdoors for a bit.

Either way, I'm excited! And thanks to @tarbe for all of the guidance so far!

The bench:
View attachment 34813

Congrats! You're about to find out just how far down the rabbit hole goes! Literally, now that you reload, you're possibilities are virtually endless. You can make your gun do EXACTLY what you want. Plus, you never have to worry about whether you can find the factory fodder your gun is sighted in for. You just make it yourself!

 

[greyfox]

• GO SLOW!

• Pay close attention to the primer seating and make sure it is all the way in (I'm using the lee hand primer)

That's what she said......... LOL! Enjoy!
Love the Army travel mug!

 

[Shootist43]

Take your time when setting up your dies and use a good case lubricant, don't forget the inside of the necks. Trim all of your brass to the same size before loading it for the first time. That way your factory and or taper crimps (if used) will be uniform. As mentioned previously not all cartridges require crimping. Load a few rounds and make sure they work and group well before loading up a lot of ammo that may for one reason not be optimal in your rifle. Load only one caliber at a time, have only one can of powder open and or on the bench at any given time. Putting the wrong powder in a case can be very dangerous. Ask lots of questions, there are many reloaders on AH that will be more than willing to help you if the need arises. In time you will find that "tinkering" with loads to provide the most accuracy and or optimal velocity for each of your rifles will give you almost as much enjoyment as shooting does.

 

[ChrisG]

Lots of great advice so far. I loved going into my basement as a 9 or 10 year old kid and helping my dad reload for his deer rifles and handguns! When I started loading on my own 15 years ago, I had a healthy fear of what was possible if I messed something up. I have never lost that. The day someone becomes complacent, because they have done this a million times, that is the day that something bad happens. ALWAYS retain that healthy respect of what that little bit of Nitrocellulose and Nitroglycerin can do to you if you mess it up. I am not saying you should be terrified, but that should always be in the back of your mind as you load. So far 15 years and I still have all of my fingers. Hopefully I won't get lazy and stop paying attention and I will have my fingers for another 50 years. It it such a fantastic and fun hobby and I cherish the memories of doing it with my father as I sat in the basement next to him, with my feet freezing watching in awe as a .30-06 cartridge came together that would be used on a deer that fall.