Reloading Newb

Garou_22 said:

The kits available from the major brands are more than adequate to get you started. A good kit will have the press, powder throw, powder trickler, scale, and a length measuring device (I prefer to use a precision tool manufacturer, personally. Fowler, Sarrett, Mititoyo, etc 6" Caliper, dial or digital is a personal preference, but it needs to read thousandths of an inch 0.001 fairly accurately and consistently). Dies and shell holders will be what the kits do not include. Nor will a case trimmer be in the kit, typically.

But data is, by far, the most important piece of the safety puzzle. The reloading manuals published by each bullet manufacturer provide the most comprehensive data for any given SAMI cartridge with all powders suitable for every bullet that manufacturer produces for that caliber. Many manuals have preamble sections outlining terminology, techniques, and safety. I find the Berger manual goes further into depth explaining techniques than "just the basics" as well as explaining the "why" of advanced technique which will allow you to decide how far down this rabbit hole you truly wish to explore.

The latest editions will include data for new powders as well as updated information for the "classics" who's formulas have been tweaked here and there over the decades. If you have powder that was made in the 1960/70/80's, you need a manual from those eras to be accurate with pressures, for instance. Bullet construction has also significantly improved, especially recently, as long range has become more and more popular. The hardness of the bullets outer jacket, or bearing surface, will be different manufacturer to manufacturer, decade to decade and this difference, minute as it seems, can have devastating impact on chamber pressures produced. My point here is: don't buy that old box of bullets or can of powder at your local show if you don't have the data from the time period they were originally made. Things have changed. 1960 IMR4350 is not the same as 1990's which in turn is not 2020's. Be aware. It is not the "screaming deal" it seems to be.

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Excellent point. Buying used is really only a good idea if you know about the original product.

Dang, I have to go to work now. We could be here all day!

Manual powder throw? Redding br, Harrels

I started out with a RCBS kit close to forty years ago, and still have the press mounted to my bench. I have a Forster Coax beside it I like a lot as well, but the RCBS has served me well, and helped keep my freezers full raising five kids and now a very large family that enjoys venison. It's hard to beat the convenience of grabbing components out of a cabinet and making whatever ammo you desire to whatever trip you're about to go on without wondering about availability elsewhere. Once you get a good stockpile it is quite satisfying knowing your ammunition problems no longer exist lol. Finding someone in your area that is an experienced reloader can save you much headache. You can learn it all on your own, I did, but having someone spend a few sessions with you could save you some bad experiences. Be meticulous, stay focused, before I start seating bullets I check and recheck my cases to make sure they all have powder in them. I have never seated a bullet in a case with no powder, and that can be a huge deal as a primer can lodge a bullet in your barrel, not good at all, but easily fixed if you know it's there. One time I charged all my cases with powder, but I had forgot to prime them, that was a mess as it was a ball powder. A good teacher would be very handy if you could find someone. Check your local gun shops, a gunsmith, local ranges. You might make a friend for life.

And build a "checklist"! No pilot would ever take off with out running through his checklist. (Actually several checklists from pre-takeoff to shutdown.) The more experienced one gets, the easier it is to become complacent.

I first started loading in the 1960s, I bought 2 lee loaders as shown in MMTBs post and developed a healthy respect for Lee's product.
When I restarted reloading centrefires again I bought Lee stuff, mostly second hand, and took it from there.
So my opinion is Lee is OK and for the money the best there is for hunting rounds.
I ended up with a lee turret press and, later, a lee hand press. I assume you have a bolt gun and for that type, in the field, that little hand press is the dog's danglies. I've put a picture of it somewhere.
The only thing I don't use it for is full length resizing as my wrists are now 80 years old and it's easier, if I want to full length resize, to do it in the press, otherwise I neck size for the 223 and 308 and the 357 has carbide dies.
30/30 and 22 sav are for lever guns so I do FL resize.
I use it for 223, 22 Savage, 30/30 Win, 308 win and 357 mag. I have a Lee hand priming tool, set of Lee powder scoops and a digital scale and I can load about 50 in an hour, tbh that's about it I don't need more.
I bought petersen brass for the 308, winchester and starline for the 30/30, S&B for the 223 and 357 and Federal 30/30 to resize to 22 savage. The resizing gets done in my press.
Other things you'll need are trimming dies, again I use Lee, priming set up, a good quality calipers, standard if you're up to reading it digital if you aren't. You'll need deburring tools, again I use lee, they work.
One tool I swear by is a cartridge checker see images, they are about $20 each iirc, one per caliber, if the loaded shell drops in here it'll fit the gun, believe me.

Other essentials are a powder funnel, if you're doing what I do, a spatula for fine tuning powder charges on the scales, cheaper and quicker than a trickler and a kinetic bullet puller for when you screw up.
I also use sharpies to write the load and bullet on the case and a hardback note book to keep a record. Sure you can put it in an app on your phone but a notebook isn't screwed up in the sun.
My basic set-up, s/h press, dies s/h hand loader plus breechlock inserts, scoops, scales, funnel, case lub (lee) and hornady case checkers plus the various things I've mentioned above cost me about $400 equivalent plus consumables, cases, primers, powder, bullets etc. on top.
One thing I WON'T buy under any circumstances is once fired brass, ymmv.

Beware! What started out as a way to produce my own ammo and possibly save a little $$, turned into this in a little over 3 years. I'm no where near being finished. It becomes addictive really quickly…..

MoLaird16 said:

Gents, new to the forum (so go gentle). I want to get into handloading, but am having a little paralysis by analysis. I saw BackFire TV has a good list to start out with. I don't want to go cheap initially and then upgrade and pay more in the end. But I'm also not going to pretend to know what I'm doing and buy the most gucci gear. So any tender hearts that care to toss a list of really good, not the best reloading kit/combos - fire away!

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I have a RCBS rock chucker, Redding progressive and a Forester Co-Ax, , the Co-Ax is my favorite , quick to change dies, and locking base, use their dies but have many others, Whitten products are great, and use them also, If I was just starting I would opt for the Forester Co-Ax , you'll love it. Watch some videos an you'll see what I mean,. like others said get a couple of reloading books, Nosler and Hornady are good one. but all are good, the Nosler show more info I think.

Powder comes in three basic structures: stick, flake, and ball. The consistent accuracy of any given powder throw, manual or auto, will be directly related to which powder structure you are utilizing. Flake and ball structures will inherently throw more consistently accurate charges than stick structures regardless of whose throw or what type of throw you are using. Yes, there are throw/scale "automatic" combinations that help reduce the need to measure every single powder charge every single time, because these combos are measuring every time, but you will spend almost as much for one of these powder throw/scale combinations as you will for your starter equipment kit. My suggestion: use what the starter kit provides and find out if reloading is an activity you wish to continue before potentially doubling your equipment investment.

Mark37082 said:

Beware! What started out as a way to produce my own ammo and possibly save a little $$, turned into this in a little over 3 years. I'm no where near being finished. It becomes addictive really quickly…..
View attachment 595643

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That's a pretty sight. I almost want to frame this picture. Looks very familiar!

Fullbore92 said:

Great cartridge. My personal choice for brand of dies is Redding. Their type S dies are what I use mostly but they aren't required. Any brand die is fine. Especially if you're using the 280AI for hunting only which I assume you are. I recommend getting a single stage press. Simple to use and produce great ammo. RCBS Rock chucker is a great press to start with. You don't need to spend a lot of money on the most expensive equipment to achieve the same results with the basics. Get yourself a published load data book before anything and read it. You will learn a ton of valuable and important information.

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I agree with Fullbore92. I started, back in the 60's with a Lyman tong tool, then in the late 60 moved up to the RCBS Rockchucker. That worked for Many years till I got into IPSC shooting and then got a Dillon 550 , in the late 80's. Again I needed more production in 45 ACP and 9mm and then got a Dillon 1050.

Start out with the RCBS and consider their package

It is on sale now and the only things you need to add are
1) a Powder scale and powder trickle
2) Dies
3) case lube
4) case trimmer
5) Calipers to measure the length of the case.
and Nice but not needed Priming tool

Mark37082 said:

Beware! What started out as a way to produce my own ammo and possibly save a little $$, turned into this in a little over 3 years. I'm no where near being finished. It becomes addictive really quickly…..
View attachment 595643

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Love it!

johngibbs222 said:

I first started loading in the 1960s, I bought 2 lee loaders as shown in MMTBs post and developed a healthy respect for Lee's product.
When I restarted reloading centrefires again I bought Lee stuff, mostly second hand, and took it from there.
So my opinion is Lee is OK and for the money the best there is for hunting rounds.
I ended up with a lee turret press and, later, a lee hand press. I assume you have a bolt gun and for that type, in the field, that little hand press is the dog's danglies. I've put a picture of it somewhere.
View attachment 595633 The only thing I don't use it for is full length resizing as my wrists are now 80 years old and it's easier, if I want to full length resize, to do it in the press, otherwise I neck size for the 223 and 308 and the 357 has carbide dies.
30/30 and 22 sav are for lever guns so I do FL resize.
I use it for 223, 22 Savage, 30/30 Win, 308 win and 357 mag. I have a Lee hand priming tool, set of Lee powder scoops and a digital scale and I can load about 50 in an hour, tbh that's about it I don't need more.
I bought petersen brass for the 308, winchester and starline for the 30/30, S&B for the 223 and 357 and Federal 30/30 to resize to 22 savage. The resizing gets done in my press.
Other things you'll need are trimming dies, again I use Lee, priming set up, a good quality calipers, standard if you're up to reading it digital if you aren't. You'll need deburring tools, again I use lee, they work.
One tool I swear by is a cartridge checker see images, they are about $20 each iirc, one per caliber, if the loaded shell drops in here it'll fit the gun, believe me.
View attachment 595638View attachment 595640
Other essentials are a powder funnel, if you're doing what I do, a spatula for fine tuning powder charges on the scales, cheaper and quicker than a trickler and a kinetic bullet puller for when you screw up.
I also use sharpies to write the load and bullet on the case and a hardback note book to keep a record. Sure you can put it in an app on your phone but a notebook isn't screwed up in the sun.
My basic set-up, s/h press, dies s/h hand loader plus breechlock inserts, scoops, scales, funnel, case lub (lee) and hornady case checkers plus the various things I've mentioned above cost me about $400 equivalent plus consumables, cases, primers, powder, bullets etc. on top.
One thing I WON'T buy under any circumstances is once fired brass, ymmv.

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This is great! Thank you!

After years of reloading for shooting competitions, I'm now just down to reloading for hunting. This is what I have kept and got rid of everything else.

Forster co ax press
RCBS 505 scale
RCBS powder thrower and trickler
A good set of calipers
Forster/ Redding dies
Lyman case trimmer

That's about it, plus miscellaneous tools a head space gauges. I prime brass on the Co Ax press.

rankin76 said:

After years of reloading for shooting competitions, I'm now just down to reloading for hunting. This is what I have kept and got rid of everything else.

Forster co ax press
RCBS 505 scale
RCBS powder thrower and trickler
A good set of calipers
Forster/ Redding dies
Lyman case trimmer

That's about it, plus miscellaneous tools a head space gauges. I prime brass the Co Ax press.

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I'm screenshotting this one!