reload curiosity
- Thread starter dagus
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Iron Mike Golf
Blackhawk
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- Feb 15, 2010
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Did you read this sticky? http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=13543
Get a couple of manuals and read the articles in the front about reloading. Lyman #49 is a good one to get. Modern Reloading by Richard Lee is another good book It covers bullets and powders from many bullet and powder manufacturers and has good articles. Some data is online, like Hodgdon. Bullet and powder manufacturers publish manuals, too.
Gear: a press, dies, scale, powder measure, reloading block, calipers. You'll need a way to clean cases. Most folks use a vibratory tumbler. That needs media. Check out the kits of gear. Those will have most everything except dies (those are a set for each caliber) and a tumbler. Depending on the brand, it may have some of the case prep hand tools (like primer pocket cleaner, etc).
Use a notebook.
And, of course, you will need cases, primer, powder, and bullets. Get a 1000 or so cases each caliber. That lets you have several hundred ready to be loaded, several hundred dirty cases waiting for tumbling, and several hundred loaded for your next range trip.
There are scads of little tools that can make the task easier or more pleasant or more efficient. Wait on those until you load up a few thousand rounds.
Look at reloading as a way to shoot more for the same amount of money. I don't think anyone "saves" money by reloading. We do shoot a lot more by doing so.
Get a couple of manuals and read the articles in the front about reloading. Lyman #49 is a good one to get. Modern Reloading by Richard Lee is another good book It covers bullets and powders from many bullet and powder manufacturers and has good articles. Some data is online, like Hodgdon. Bullet and powder manufacturers publish manuals, too.
Gear: a press, dies, scale, powder measure, reloading block, calipers. You'll need a way to clean cases. Most folks use a vibratory tumbler. That needs media. Check out the kits of gear. Those will have most everything except dies (those are a set for each caliber) and a tumbler. Depending on the brand, it may have some of the case prep hand tools (like primer pocket cleaner, etc).
Use a notebook.
And, of course, you will need cases, primer, powder, and bullets. Get a 1000 or so cases each caliber. That lets you have several hundred ready to be loaded, several hundred dirty cases waiting for tumbling, and several hundred loaded for your next range trip.
There are scads of little tools that can make the task easier or more pleasant or more efficient. Wait on those until you load up a few thousand rounds.
Look at reloading as a way to shoot more for the same amount of money. I don't think anyone "saves" money by reloading. We do shoot a lot more by doing so.
Clovishound
Blackhawk
Start saving your range brass now, if you haven't already.
The great thing about 9mm is that I always come home from the range with more brass than I left with. I do have to weed out a few of those pesky .380s and .40 calibers. Not many though. I always ask the shooters next door if they save their brass. I don't want to be sweeping up another reloader's brass.
I started reloading earlier this year. I enjoy it. You don't have to spend a ton of money to get started, but you can't do it for $20 or $30 either. I was fortunate to have a buddy that reloads, and he loaned me a small hand loader. It isn't a long term solution for me, but it has allowed me to get the job done, and learn. I will be picking up a turret press in a few months. Keep an eye out for used deals. Aren't many out there, but they can be had.
To save money, I am loading cast bullets. We cast our own at first, but had too many problems. We buy hard cast bullets now. Still have a little bit of leading, but it cleans up easily at this level. I can still reload at about half the cost of factory target ammo.
The great thing about 9mm is that I always come home from the range with more brass than I left with. I do have to weed out a few of those pesky .380s and .40 calibers. Not many though. I always ask the shooters next door if they save their brass. I don't want to be sweeping up another reloader's brass.
I started reloading earlier this year. I enjoy it. You don't have to spend a ton of money to get started, but you can't do it for $20 or $30 either. I was fortunate to have a buddy that reloads, and he loaned me a small hand loader. It isn't a long term solution for me, but it has allowed me to get the job done, and learn. I will be picking up a turret press in a few months. Keep an eye out for used deals. Aren't many out there, but they can be had.
To save money, I am loading cast bullets. We cast our own at first, but had too many problems. We buy hard cast bullets now. Still have a little bit of leading, but it cleans up easily at this level. I can still reload at about half the cost of factory target ammo.
Cheesewhiz
Hunter
Clovishound, Widener's has IMI hard cast on sale ($145 for 3000) this week. Not a bad price.
http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=100000676&dir=
For the OP, I reload all my 9mm now, I've been doing it for over a year now. I use to reload about 30% of it but I got a press, a progressive Hornady, that is dedicated to 9mm. My outlay was rather high in cost but I load and shoot between 500 to 1000 rounds a week, so it paid for itself quickly. If you do or are going to shoot a lot, reloading is really the way to go.
http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=100000676&dir=
For the OP, I reload all my 9mm now, I've been doing it for over a year now. I use to reload about 30% of it but I got a press, a progressive Hornady, that is dedicated to 9mm. My outlay was rather high in cost but I load and shoot between 500 to 1000 rounds a week, so it paid for itself quickly. If you do or are going to shoot a lot, reloading is really the way to go.
Cheesewhiz
Hunter
dagus said:
There are some forums that do a pretty good job with reloading but they can get a bit noisy and insider like.
Do what Iron Mike Golf said get some reloading manuals (Lyman, Hornady) and read the chapters in the front, don't skip them and jump to the recipe portions. The important info and theory are in the forward chapters.
mohavesam
Hawkeye
If you can make coffee and fry an egg at the same time, you can reload!
My very first pull of the handle as on a Dillon 550 I purchased one week earlier. Read some manuals, understand burn rates and pressure warnings, and start low! If one is just wanting to make magnums from specials.... sooner or later they'll be testing the limits of their medical insurance.
Go slow and gather safety steps above all. No smoking, no distractions, and no TV while loading.
My very first pull of the handle as on a Dillon 550 I purchased one week earlier. Read some manuals, understand burn rates and pressure warnings, and start low! If one is just wanting to make magnums from specials.... sooner or later they'll be testing the limits of their medical insurance.
Go slow and gather safety steps above all. No smoking, no distractions, and no TV while loading.
Cheesewhiz
Hunter
Gregg1LE said:
Hickok45 has some very nice general starter's videos on his Youtube channel. There are some good detailed ones online and some bad as well. I'll put together some links later tonight. Hornady has some nice set up videos on youtube that show what's involved with getting a press up and running right.
bigboredad
Blackhawk
Gregg1LE said:
+1 on you tube at this point It can be a great place to see what is involved. Next if you really are serious about reloading buy every book and manual you can when you can and just read read and read then any questions ask. There are some great kits out there to get the new guy started. Just don't fall for the "you can make a bazillionrounds per hr" bs reloading isn't about speed and it's too easy to make a mistake when your concern is speed and not quality. good luck and happy searching
