help new reloaders

Haven't read all the posts but DON'T FORGET TO CASE LUBE BEFORE FULL LENGTH RESIZING! You'll be spending ALOT of time trying to dig out a stuck case without damaging the die.
 
I just read this entire thread. I was hoping to get some idea of what kind of equipment to buy to get started. There were a couple members that have recomended various products, and a few reloading manuals.

Where is a good place to shop for reloading supplies?

Are there any good kits to get a person started? Is more expensive kits better than some of the less expensive ones? Is a kit a good idea or should a person just buy the stuff seperatly?

If buying used eguipment are there anything to look for as far as condition?

I would like to reload 223 22-250 and 308

How do you decide what powder and bullets to use? From some manual?

If I shoot less than 40 rounds a year with my most used gun should I just buy it off the shelf?
 
I would recommend getting a reloading book first, such as "The ABC's of reloading. Read through it and see if this is an investment that is worth what you pay to get started. I Started with a Lee kit. As I reloaded more I just started buying items from the classifids and built my own kit that I use now. If you are only shooting 2 boxes of shells per year it may not be cost effective to invest $3-400 or more to reload. Good luck.
 
when I wanted to start reloading my father said buy a bible[hornady reloading book] and read it cover to cover and when i rolled my own i started with a lee classic loader in 223 it was slow but it worked started buying bits and pieces and bought my own dies for his old rock chucker and now i have a lee turret i make copies of the pages need for the loads so that the bible stays clean
 
Just read 5 reloading manuals. Everyone is VERY different because they use different standards. Sierra,Hornady, Nosler, Lee, and Lyman. They all have different bullets loads etc. No questions here as they've been studied. One thing that I will emphasize that my father has always done, is cross reference your loads. E.G.: Hornady 50 gr v-max in a 22-250. Both books have different loads. Different maxes and different starters.
You have to remember that every barrel, chamber, vibrations etc., are different in every rifle. Every rifle action, barrel etc, has had different loads factory, or hand rolled. Used in different temps, string of 20 shots in one, 5 in the other. Cleaning regimens,[beeep], even the same powders with different batch numbers.
It's not about speed, its about precision. Kind of like a blueprinted car and one with a bunch of bolt-ons. Blueprinted one may not even be faster; but in the end it will drive smoother, and last longer.
It's amazing what you can gather from a small amount of reading. Also, make sure you re-read the portions on semi-autos for port pressure. I have a Garand, a Rem 750 AND an Ar-15. They are very helpful and knowledgeable; and keep people from thinking you have a full auto rifle.
Don't rush in!!! Just like anything else, "getting into it" takes time. Get a bench, reload manuals, then research on what the best kit for you will be. Take your time and you could save a lot of money. Go one caliber at a time, and work up whats best. You want to do it all at once, but just remember what you are doing. Go one step at a time. It should never be routine.
Don't let anyone else con you into using your equipment while your not there.
And always follow step one : MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS ORGANIZED BEFORE YOU EVEN BEGIN!!!
 
Record keeping has been mentioned before and there is no way to express just how important this is in making accurate safe loads. The successful formula is important but just as important is good readable accurate notes about the gun and all things pertaining to the finished product including before and after pressure measurements and firing range results. The more you document the easier it is to reproduce accurate tested loads. A big part of my doing this is that I have been doing it sense 1976 and have collected a really large amount of data covering many calibers. The record data started out on a manual spread sheet, and once computers became a big part of my work and personal life it was all transferred to an Excel spread sheet one sheet for each rifle and each caliber plus inventories of powder, bullets primers and brass. It includes the following CASE, BULLET, WEIGHT, PRIMER, POWDER, CHARGE, BURN RATE, LOW VELOCITY, HIGH VELOCITY, EXTREME SPREAD, AVERAGE VELOCITY, STANDARD DEVIATION, OVER ALL LENGTH, BOOK VELOCITY, MEASURED GROUP, AND NOTES. To date there is information for 374 loads from 43 different guns. Each gun I own has a story to tell and it is all here in the same place. If I have done this right any one of you should able to pick up any rifle I own and from this information produce good safe loads. This spread sheet evolved and has changed many times over the years becoming more useful as time has passed, Some day god willing I get to go home. When this happens all of the toys go to my only son. Neither of my son in laws have any interest in hunting or guns so he got lucky. Two of my grand sons and a great grandson will share in the booty as well. I want them to enjoy what has given me enjoyment for years but most of all I want them to do it safely.
 
The guy who taught me to reload said "never load more than five or six rounds till you know how they are going to shoot in your gun". That advice has saved me a lot of grief.
 
Originally Posted By: GuzzyThe guy who taught me to reload said "never load more than five or six rounds till you know how they are going to shoot in your gun". That advice has saved me a lot of grief.

Must have taken a loooooong time to work up a load!
 
Originally Posted By: CatShooterOriginally Posted By: GuzzyThe guy who taught me to reload said "never load more than five or six rounds till you know how they are going to shoot in your gun". That advice has saved me a lot of grief.

Must have taken a loooooong time to work up a load!



I do 5 at each charge...not only 5-6 total. That seems silly.
 
Originally Posted By: Jack RobertsThe loads listed in a manual may not be safe in your rifle. Depending on lots of things but mostly weather your chamber is larger or smaller than average, max loads may be seriously overpressure. That's why you always have to work up loads.

Jack

Jack makes an excellent point about working up a load. On the flip side of getting too extreme, there are dangers in "under-loading" powders as well. Reloading manuals have a low and a high. Because of the powder shortage issue, don't get cute by going too far under where the amount of powder is LESS than the halfway amount in a casing that is turned horizontally as upon ignition, gases will build up in the empty space above the powder rather quickly and can easily blow your rifle into pieces. Had a friend experience exactly that with a new Savage Model 12 (.223 caliber) and he'd been reloading for more than 40 yrs. So you see, reloading can be lots of fun, but has some inherent dangers you must be aware of. Good luck and welcome to the world of reloading and enjoy.

Alex
 
One thing I do not think I saw here is case gauges. Case gauges not only measure the length of your case but the gauge will also tell you if your newly made round will properly chamber.

An early mistake of mine was to over expand some .45acp cases. I did not know any better until I got to the range and discovered the mistake when I attempted to chamber the rounds. Knowing about case gauges would have saved me a lot of grief.

I now own Wilson gauges for every caliber I shoot and every round is checked using them.
 
Originally Posted By: RobertSubnetOne thing I do not think I saw here is case gauges. Case gauges not only measure the length of your case but the gauge will also tell you if your newly made round will properly chamber.

An early mistake of mine was to over expand some .45acp cases. I did not know any better until I got to the range and discovered the mistake when I attempted to chamber the rounds. Knowing about case gauges would have saved me a lot of grief.

I now own Wilson gauges for every caliber I shoot and every round is checked using them.



That is not necessarily true.

In 2010, I restarted a local ammunition company that went out of business, with 80,000 rounds of 223 that was returned because it wouldn't chamber - every one of those rounds went through a Wilson gauge before it was originally shipped.
 
I have a Ed Brown match barrel in .40s&w on a Para Ordnance that will not accept any brass that was fired in an 'unsupported' chamber, such as Glock and a few others have and they have been FL sized in Lee dies and pass the commercial Chamber Check gauge test....So a check gauge is not always a viable method...In that weapon, I have to pull the barrel and use it as a check gauge unless I'm reloading brass that was previously shot in that firearm or one with a fully supported chamber...

My .204 AR has a custom cut chamber in a 'match grade' barrel and my check gauge for that one is cut from a piece of the same barrel stock and was cut with the same reamer at the time the barrel was chambered, otherwise a commercial .204 gauge will not work either...
 
A couple of things: First - STOP when unsure. If you think something is wrong, but can't quite put your finger on it; you're probably right. Go through everything from the beginning and don't load anything else until you find out what is bothering you. Sometimes it's important, and sometimes it's not, but check anyway. Second (but along the same lines) - pay attention to the sound and recoil level when you're firing. Most, I'll say the vast majority, of blown up guns are caused by perfectly good rounds that have the misfortune of being fired right behind bloopers that don't clear the barrel. If a round doesn't sound or feel right, don't pull the trigger again until you know why! It's just my habit, but I take a range rod to check the bore on my guns when I'm developing loads. A visual check will suffice if you can see down the barrel, but a rod is easier with autos and lever actions to me. Just use a soft one and keep it clean. A metal rod or a dirty rod can ruin your barrel crown in a hurry. Best wishes, Gary
 
With all the new powders being put in plastic containers I keep a can or two of static guard on hand. I get dry skin in the winter when I do most of my reloading. This can cause static discharge in the right conditions. I spray a light mist around the area before I open the container to start pouring.

I had a friend who was reloading and he said he was wearing a flannel type shirt and while lifting the 8 lb keg up to pour it he had a small static discharge right before he opened it.
 
not sure if this has been posted yet or not but it is a reality check to new and seasoned reloaders. Check and double check your powder. Keep only the powder your using within reach.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=553905

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i watched a friend (10+ years experience reloader) get a squib load in his 1911. Than before the end of day he shot another and before anyone could stop him, he pulled the trigger on a jammed squib. Blew his barrel up, but he walked away with no injuries. Another shoot i watched my same friend shoot a double charge out of his 1911. Not only having the experience and following your load books and records important but paying attention while reloading regardless of amount of time reloading. Seeing these things happen really put me back in my place when i reload. No TV, radio, or kids.
 
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