Need help getting into reloading

[Chad Sagehorn]

Hi everbody I am new to this forum and new to shooting in general. I am looking into getting into reloading. Right now all I have is a 9mm, 12 guage and 22lr. I am needing your guys input before I start buying reloading equipment and supplies. There are a lot of different kinds out there and I didn't want to start off buying the wrong stuff. I would also like to know where you guys would recomend buying my supplies, I have found several places online but sometimes it cost more than buying local when you add shipping.

 

[drmitchgibson]

A lot of people will jump in and say "buy a Dillon". I'm one of them. That's because when I hear " I am looking into getting into reloading", I envision a person who is actually serious about shooting. It's not cheap to get started, but you only have to make about 4000 rounds for the press to pay for itself. It takes several hours to make 4000 rounds, but then you've paid yourself off in less than a day's labor.
For handgun cartridges you need a press, dies, scale, calipers, case gauge, and bullet puller. If buying Dillon, you do yourself a disservice if you don't get a Strong Mount and Roller Handle.
You should buy Dillon presses from Brian Enos, at this place: http://www.brianenos.com/store/dillon.html

 

[dennishoddy]

First of all, welcome to BoomerShooter!

As you will find, there are many different opinions on reloading, and what equipment to buy. Some buy according to their ability to buy whatever they want, and some have to budget by neccessity.

First of all, get a reloading manual from any of the major manufacturers of bullets and powders. Some are free for the asking by going to their websites, others have to be payed for. Some prefer Sierra, some Nosler, and I'm sure some others will chime in with their favorite manuals.
Pick one or two, study the heck out of it, and get your basic understanding of how the reloading process runs.
Those books are written by folks who reload day in and day out and have equipment that us mere mortals will never have to measure pressures, etc.

Never forget the lessons learned by these experts, as an overpressured round can cause major damage to a gun and the shooter.
Always check internet information against your manuals, and if there is any question, always call the Powder/bullet factory reps and ask questions.

That being said, there are folks on here that have been loading for 30+ years.
I'm one of them, and on occasion, pick up a gem for advice about equipment and loads from these folks. Nobody knows it all.

For my advise, if your going to be doing recreational shooting on the weekend, Pick up a nice single stage kit. Last month for a christmas special there was an RCBS rock chucker kit for $240.00 that gave just about everything minus a tumbler a person needed to knock out a hundred rounds in an evening. I've never used one, but Lee turret press is a nice low budget unit that gets a lot of good reviews.
When getting into more shooting in competition, or more family members starting to shoot in volume, you might look at a progressive. There are a couple out there that are popular. The Dillion has a great reputation for producing rounds and having great customer service. I've personally not loaded on one, but the first hand reviews are always good.
Hornady LNL AP is another good progressive with great customer service and reviews.
This is the one I use, and have been very satisfied with it for 3 years. Had one operator caused malfunction that messed up some guide rods. Hornady replaced them for free.
Dillion is just as good.
This is my generic review of how to get started. When you have more questions, be sure to check back in with us, and there will be answers by some very intelligent reloaders.

 

[KurtM]

Denis has just given you the very best advice ever written on reloading. The cool part is that if you ask he right way you can probably get to see a whole bunch of reloads and set-ups before you even decide on which press to get, but the "homework" Denis talks about is crucial.

 

[HackerF15E]

I agree with the advice to read before taking any action with your dollars. I think the Lee manual is written at a beginner's level and is very informative, although it quickly turns into a sales pitch for Lee's products. I also like the Lyman manual, too.

There are many reloading subforums on every conceivable firearms forum. I'd spend time reading there, too, before you decide to buy anything.

A lot of people will jump in and say "buy a Dillon". I'm one of them. That's because when I hear " I am looking into getting into reloading", I envision a person who is actually serious about shooting. It's not cheap to get started, but you only have to make about 4000 rounds for the press to pay for itself. It takes several hours to make 4000 rounds, but then you've paid yourself off in less than a day's labor.

The OP is 'new to shooting', so I don't really agree. He doesn't know how much he's going to even really shoot, much less how much he is going to have to reload to feed that habit. Nor does he know what kind of shooting he wants to do, so it is putting the cart before the horse to even really seriously discuss the details of reloading.

I would NOT recommend getting a Dillon progressive to start with, especially given that you are new to both shooting sports and reloading. This is like telling a new driver to just go and buy that Lanborghini, since you know EVENTUALLY you'll want it. It is more money and more power than the OP needs at this point. IMHO a new reloader needs to go slow and steady to learn the craft -- not exactly the type of experience he is going to get with a big blue machine.

I am a recreational shooter, and I load just fine with a turret press (and a backup single stage Pacific press I inherited from my grandfather). I have loaded multi-thousands each of 5.56, .45 ACP, .30-06, and .30 Carbine, and I still do not see any need to get a progressive press yet.

 

[Scott Hearn]

I'll throw my 2 cents worth in.

1st: As mentioned above go buy or borrow several reloading manuals and read them.

2nd: What you will need is dictated by what kind of shooting you are doing and how much shooting you are doing.
For instance if long range precision bolt guns is your primary interest with some pistol thrown in occasionally, you will be best served with a quality single stage setup. If the reverse is true you'll be better served with a progressive. I loaded for years on a single stage and the thought of loading 500 rounds of pistol is scary to me now that I have a progressive. But I was mainly loading rifle rounds for hunting so I was fine with it.

3rd: While learning on a single stage is the best route to take, it is by no means mandatory. You can load a single round at a time on a progressive quite easily. If you want to start slowly get the single stage because you are going to end up with one anyway for doing small runs and load development.

4th: H&H does reloading classes. That's probably the best route to take. You will see several different presses in action and be better informed when you jump in.

 

[The Antichrome]

Thank God I didnt try to learn on a single stage press. I would have quit.

 

[Spiff]

You'll never regret having a good single stage press, but man it takes forever for anything other than precision rifle. Mine still gets used for odd jobs though.

 

[Wall]

Thank God I didnt try to learn on a single stage press. I would have quit.

I would have quickly said "screw it, boxed ammo is worth the cost"

 

[dennishoddy]

I would have quickly said "screw it, boxed ammo is worth the cost"

Patience is a virtue.
Precision loads for long range rifle require a little more attention to detail.
Yep, single loads can be done on a progressive, but the last time I was on the firing line at the 1000 yd matches at cp perry as a volunteer, I didn't see a single dillon or hornady LNL on the firing line.
I will admit that was a few years ago.

 

[Chad Sagehorn]

Guys this is great information. Thanks for the input. I think I will go down to H&H and sign up for reloading classes that way I can see them in action and then be more educated in my decision plus get the reading material first before I go down there so I can ask the right questions
Love Boomer Shooter :vinsent:

 

[The Antichrome]

I didn't see a single dillon or hornady LNL on the firing line.

There would be reloading presses on the firing line?

 

[poopgiggle]

There would be reloading presses on the firing line?

I know that lots of rifle shooters have portable reloading benches so they can screw around with their loads at the range. IDK if they actually load their ammo at competitions.

 

[dennishoddy]

There would be reloading presses on the firing line?

Speciality loaders that do one round at a time.

 

[technetium-99m]

I've heard of people who do strange things like shoot groups with the same piece of brass the load over and over right there at the bench.

I started on a single stage and learned that the best way to load handgun ammo was to do one operation in mass quantity then move on. So you would size/deprime a few months worth of cases at once, prime them all at once, bell them, then keep them around for loading what you needed. I'd grab fifty in a block and charge them then seat bullets and crimp.

It all comes down to what your needs are, if you shoot a few hundred a month and like the process then a single stage is just fine. If you shoot upwards of 1K a month you really should be rocking a progressive. However I know people who bought guns in strange calibers so they could load ammo for them, some guys love loading ammo, I'm not one of them.

 

[nikatkimber]

So far, what everyone else has said as far as doing a lot of research, reading, and questioning before buying.

I enjoy reloading... on anything but a single stage.

I have 4 presses: Dillon 550, Lee Turret, RCBS Single Stage, and Lee Single Stage.

I started with the two Lee presses, set up like this:

Here's a pic of my current setup with the other two presses. (still have the two Lee presses, just not in the pic)

I used the single stage for rifle, and the turret for pistol.

I still like the turret, and still use it. It's nice for the ease of caliber change, low conversion kit cost, and low entry cost. It's also nice being able to switch easily from manual indexing to auto indexing. I currently load low quantity pistol rounds on it; IE, .44 spl/mag, .38 +p and .357 mag, .45 acp, 9mm hp.

The Dillon is far superior for loading larger quantities of single calibers. It's fairly easy to change, but requires more actions and an Allen wrench. Conversion kits are also much costlier. I load high quantity calibers on it; IE, 9mm bulk, .38spl, .223.

The single stage presses are reserved for rifle rounds, and cast bullet sizing.

If you research, and answer some basic questions honestly, you can buy something that you won't ever regret buying.

That may be a Dillon 650, or it might be a basic single stage.

 

[poopgiggle]

After setting up a Dillon 550 and getting it running, I want to say that a new reloader should have no problem getting going with one. However, I had a couple thousand rounds on a single stage at that point. After you've been doing something for a while there are certain things that seem obvious and that you forget you had to learn.

On the other hand loading pistol ammo in volume on a single stage is probably the most tedious thing I have ever done.

 

[jtischauser]

Welcome to the forum. I don't know jack about reloading but I would start searching for small pistol primers ASAP. In times if panic such as this they are the component that is hard to come by.

 

[foghorn918]

I've been surfing the web looking at reloading info on mfg sites like Dennis suggested and ran across a free software program called Reloaders Reference, anybody seen or used this?

I will probably go to Hastings this weekend to see what books they have as far as something for a beginner.

 

[dennishoddy]

I've been surfing the web looking at reloading info on mfg sites like Dennis suggested and ran across a free software program called Reloaders Reference, anybody seen or used this?

I will probably go to Hastings this weekend to see what books they have as far as something for a beginner.

I haven't seen the Reloaders Reference. Do you have a link?