New To Reloading - Tips, Suggestions, Tricks of the Trade?

[grunt]

Unfortunately, I picked the wrong time to get into reloading.
But I am a very determined guy and I am being optimistic that this madness will soon subside. Keep in mind I am trying to do this on the cheap.

I have purchased a RCBS Partner Single Stage Press,
Lee .44 Spl/.44Mag Deluxe Carbide 4 die with Factory Crimp
Lee .38 Spl/.357Mag Deluxe Carbide 4 die with Factory Crimp
2lbs of Ramshot True Blue.
And the Lyman 49th edition is on its way.

Still need a magnetic scale, brass, bullets, primers, primer tool -probably the RCBS universal. I am not in a hurry. I think I can get these things with in a month or two according to the wallet. Later in the summer I thought I might get a hold of a set of Lee .40SW die.

First I was going to try the 44spl with Nosler JHP 220g with the True Blue.

Any suggestions, tips, tricks, counsel would be great.
I also was going to try and find a NRA reloading course too.
Thanks in advance!

 

[contender]

Buy manuals & do a lot of reading.
More than one reloading manual is a necessity in good reloading.

 

[WESHOOT2]

Always wear eye protection.

When in doubt, throw it out.

Manuals are guides, not recipe books.

My gun (and tooling and components and operating environment) are different from yours.

Ask.

 

[SweetWilliam]

If you know anyone who reloads already have them help you get started.
Once you get the hang of it it's pretty simple.
And another vote for read as much as possible & ask questions.

 

[SweetWilliam]

You need a priming tool & here's one F/S
http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=176379
I'm sorry I should've read a little farther down, Ruger GuRu's got dibs.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I have found a tumbler and a set of accurate loading calipers very useful.

 

[slippingaway]

I would suggest getting a good dial caliper. Digital might be easier to read, but every time somebody hands me a digital caliper at work, the battery is dead. My dial caliper always works

 

[grunt]

Slippingaway and Jimbo357mag, thanks and yes I have a good dial caliper from when I mounted a compensator on my Beretta.

Sweetwilliam, as far as friends who also handload, none actually. Ive been helping out as range coach for almost a month now and I hope to befriend a few handloaders there.

The tumbler will be one of the later purchases. I have been researching countless cheap case cleaning methods from late night 24hr laundromats to soaking in soap,vinegar and salt, to modifying an old corded variable speed drill, with a small bucket, two caster wheels, lizard bedding with rice.

As far as the priming tool that brings me to another question, at first I was planning on using the primer arm on the Partner Press, I have been reading that one is not to handle the primer with their hands, but others have said as long as your hands are clean and dry this acceptable. I was thinking of modifying a pair of tweezers to transport the primer to the loading cup. Any thoughts for a beginner. I hope to get a hand RCBS Universal this summer.

Also has anyone used Ramshot's True Blue? I was hoping to use it for 38spl,357mag,40sw,44sw,and 44mag. Not exclusively but until I can get my hands on some Unique, True Blue is all I can find.

 

[slippingaway]

If your hands are clean and dry you'll be fine. You don't want to get any oil or moisture in the primer, as the can cause it to fail. Any time I have to handle them (flipping to load pick-up tubes, picking up dropped primers, etc), I try to avoid touching the open side as much as possible. Sometimes it can't be avoided, but I've never had a problem. I do have to be careful if I've been handling cases that have been lubed.

 

[grunt]

Slippingaway, thanks, and speaking of primers...I finally got to order 1k Federal Large Pistol Primers today!

 

[mikld]

First, toss the lee factory crimp die for handguns. If you reload revolvers, use a roll crimp die. If you reload for semi-autos get a taper crimp die.

An inexpensive priming tool (besides the one built into your press) is a ram prime tool. Lee has one for about $12.00 and a Lyman tool is $17.50 at Midway. I like the "feel" of a ram prime and am more accurate with it than other methods (I have used 3 different hand primers and often just use the press mounted primer tool, but I keep a single stage press set up with a ram prime).

And for me, most important, is to get load data from a published reloading manual only. The only exception for me is powder manufacturer's web sites, and checked against my manuals too. I pay no attention to load data offered by any forum expert, range rat, gun shop guru, gun counter clerk, or reloading web site (who monitors the data posted?). They may be trying to be helpful, but I have seen and heard some pretty wild and even dangerous "pet" loads offered on line or on the range. I have successfully reloaded and shot using data from manuals for nearly 30 years...

 

[grunt]

First, toss the lee factory crimp die for handguns. If you reload revolvers, use a roll crimp die. If you reload for semi-autos get a taper crimp die.

An inexpensive priming tool (besides the one built into your press) is a ram prime tool. Lee has one for about $12.00 and a Lyman tool is $17.50 at Midway. I like the "feel" of a ram prime and am more accurate with it than other methods (I have used 3 different hand primers and often just use the press mounted primer tool, but I keep a single stage press set up with a ram prime).

And for me, most important, is to get load data from a published reloading manual only. The only exception for me is powder manufacturer's web sites, and checked against my manuals too. I pay no attention to load data offered by any forum expert, range rat, gun shop guru, gun counter clerk, or reloading web site (who monitors the data posted?). They may be trying to be helpful, but I have seen and heard some pretty wild and even dangerous "pet" loads offered on line or on the range. I have successfully reloaded and shot using data from manuals for nearly 30 years...

Milkd, I know I am new to this, but I was under the impression the Lee factory crimp die for the 44spl/44mag and 38spl/357mag were a roll crimp. Guess I got a lot of learning to do...

But, I will take your advice on the ram prime tool, and using only loads from published reloading material and the powder manufacturer. Like Ramshot, which is were I was getting my first 44spl using a True Blue and Nosler 200 grn JHP load.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Milkd, I know I am new to this, but I was under the impression the Lee factory crimp die for the 44spl/44mag and 38spl/357mag were a roll crimp.

Hi,

They are. Use both of them quite often. And the FCD for the 9mm I use is a taper crimp.

That being said, any time someone tells you "Don't use this piece of equipment" or "That thing's a piece of junk," be sure to say "Thank you for your advice" then, if you're curious, go ahead and give it a try.

Why?

Reloading is somewhat akin to skinning cats: there's more than one way to perform many of the operations, yet the results will be quite similar. For example, I like Lee dies. My brother in law likes RCBS. Both have their pluses and minuses, and it boils down to personal preference more than anything else. When we compare those pieces of paper at the range, then measure the groups to find they're virtually identical, it's pretty hard to tell if the bullets from the green die cartridges did any better than those from the red die cartridges! Or was it my Savage is more accurate than his Ruger M77, but that doesn't mean much cuz his Leupold scope's better than my Bushnell, and it all averages out in the end? We can take most of this kind of stuff all the way to beer-thirty if we want!

Many aspects of loading are like that. Look around and you'll find sometimes dozens of different tools that do the same job. So please don't become too dogmatic about any of 'em until you've "got some miles" as it were, and have started to develop your own personal preferences. Even then, you'll make more friends if you say "I like Brand X because..." instead of "Brand Y's just junk!"

Rick C

 

[mr surveyor]

I guess the Lee Factory Crimp Die bashing will never stop

 

[Clovishound]

I've been reloading for about a year. I am still hand washing my brass. I find that either vinegar/detergent or citric acid/detergent work well. It is a little more time consuming than the powered methods, but I didn't get into reloading to save time. Get one of the primer pocket cleaner tools from Lee. They are only a couple of bucks and work very well.

 

[pbslinger]

I've been reloading for about a year. I am still hand washing my brass. I find that either vinegar/detergent or citric acid/detergent work well. It is a little more time consuming than the powered methods, but I didn't get into reloading to save time. Get one of the primer pocket cleaner tools from Lee. They are only a couple of bucks and work very well.

I have a nice vibratory brass cleaner filled with media I've never used. I like the vinegar and detergent washing.

 

[M'BOGO]

I guess the Lee Factory Crimp Die bashing will never stop

I've loaded literally thousands with them, no problems. Have knocked the carbide ring out of a couple with no ill efects, they are fine for jacketed ammo.