Reloading Newb

Good Morning Mo!
I am a recent convert to rolling my own and have definitely found myself fairly deep in the Rabbit Hole. I spent a lot of time on this site trying to be a sponge. Great bunch of folks on here.
1. Jim's list on Backfire is a good place to start. Guys tend to be polarized on him but his advice on what you need to get started is pretty sound.
2. If you are a "Tool Guy" be prepared to exceed whatever budget you thought you had set.
3. Precision is a relative scale and is a slippery slope.
4. Like many technical pursuits, Speed, Accuracy, and Budget Friendly rarely all occur together.
5. Anticipate that what you thought was "good enough" will change with time at the reloading bench and at the range.
6. Go slow but at some point acknowledge that jumping in is all that is left to do.

After a few hundred rounds I identified steps in the process where variability was obvious and mostly due to my own hand or feel, or just the nature of a certain tool. I've spent my life doing a lot of building where a 35' tape measure, a Speed Square, and a level got the job done. Measurements down to .000 with calipers hurts my head and is stretching my brain. Definitely a case of an old dog working to learn a new trick.

As many others have said, reloading has turned into something I really enjoy. The time at the bench is therapeutic and when the rifles shoot well out in the field it is very satisfying.

Anyway, welcome to the Rabbit Hole.

When talking about scales and calipers I am reminded of the old saying "A man with one clock knows what time it is, a man with two or more has only a general idea." The thing about a beam scale is it is hard to fool gravity.

pavementends said:

When talking about scales and calipers I am reminded of the old saying "A man with one clock knows what time it is, a man with two or more has only a general idea." The thing about a beam scale is it is hard to fool gravity.

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Amen on the beam scale. I've got mine mounted on the wall at eye level behind and next to a RCBS chargemaster. The chargemaster is set to about half grain less than needed, moved to the beam and trickled to exactness. As quick and perfect as I need.

pavementends said:

When talking about scales and calipers I am reminded of the old saying "A man with one clock knows what time it is, a man with two or more has only a general idea." The thing about a beam scale is it is hard to fool gravity.

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Unless you are willing to pay a considerable bit more money for a PREMIUM digital scale, a standard reloading digital is not any more accurate than a beam scale. Maybe even less accurate. I'll put my beam scale up against a conventional digital scale any day.

UCzO___ said:

I have always liked the turret style press. I started my reloading journey with a Hornady LnL Progressive for pistol cartridges mainly. I did a little 223 loading, but mostly 9mm for local competition. When I got interested in rifle reloading, I picked up a Lyman All-American 8. 8 postion head. I usually have 3 calibers, a dedicated deprimer and mandrel expander. The latter 2 move from head to head with me. When I am Sizing, I can size, minus the expander ball and deprimer, flip the head to my mandrel and set the neck where I want it. YMMV, but this is my way.

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Have you tried the Creedmoor sports heads with your Lyman yet ? https://www.creedmoorsports.com/product/creedmoor-sports-enhanced-press-head-lyman-all-american

MarkInPA said:

Unless you are willing to pay a considerable bit more money for a PREMIUM digital scale, they are not any more accurate than a beam scale. Maybe even less accurate. I'll put my beam scale up against a conventional digital scale any day.

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No way! My A&D will detect the weight of a single grain. Using a beam scale it can be off up or down depending on how you view the pointer. That can't happen with a premium digital scale. So I RESPECTFULLY disagree.

Rick Richard said:

No way! My A&D will detect the weight of a single grain. Using a beam scale it can be off up or down depending on how you view the pointer. That can't happen with a premium digital scale. So I RESPECTFULLY disagree.

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Go back and re-read what I said. You just agreed with me. I did re-word it slightly to hopefully make it more clear.

MarkInPA said:

Go back and re-read what I said. You just agreed with me.

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I am saying NO WAY is a beam scale as accurate as a premium digital scale.

Rick Richard said:

I am saying NO WAY is a beam scale as accurate as a premium digital scale.

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And I agree with you. A premium digital scale is more accurate than a beam scale. I agree and you pay a premium price for that premium scale too. If you are talking about the more conventional digital scales that most of us are going to be able to afford, no, I will take my beam scale every time.

MarkInPA said:

And I agree with you. A premium digital scale is more accurate than a beam scale. I agree and you pay a premium price for that premium scale too. If you are talking about the more conventional digital scales that most of us are going to be able to afford, no, I will take my beam scale every time.

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OK, I am talking PREMIUM like A&D as I stated in my original post.

The OP has not really stated a budget for getting into reloading. There is no debate when it comes to some premium tools such as scales. If you want to subscribe to buy once and cry once, open your wallet and don't look back. There are a few things that are worth the price of admission in this great world of reloading. The two that come to mind for me are A&D FX-120i and Garmin Xero. You may think a chrono is not critical, but it changed the game for me.

M1A1ABRAMS said:

Have you tried the Creedmoor sports heads with your Lyman yet ? https://www.creedmoorsports.com/product/creedmoor-sports-enhanced-press-head-lyman-all-american

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No. I have 4 of the OEM heads and have had no issues that make me want to change.

I bought plenty of second hand tools for reloading on here in the classifieds. And went to quite a few estate sales. Buying reloading manuals at auctions just can't be beat. I paid $40.00 for a new Hornady 11 th manual. And at auctions I spent less for 6 other manuals with practically the same info. Or sometimes with more info (375 Win). On calibers that are old & obsolete. They may not list them in a new manual. I have gotten primers, powders and bullets for pennies at estate auctions. Just know what you're buying and how much it's worth to you. You'll find most of the used stuff will be like new, but for a used price. As far as a scale. I have picked up a few beam scales for more or less nothing. Because I was buying something else in a box lot. The scale is brand new in box. I keep them for backups should I need them. I think a scale is one thing you shouldn't really skimp on, if going digital. And there's nothing wrong with a Labradar. But if you can swing it, go Garmin.

RogerPA said:

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.

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Checklist-- Yes!!!
I have a checklist I typed on my computer years ago, and modify it whenever I refine my technique.
When I start a new batch of loads, the cases (20-40) are placed in a case tray and stay together until completion.
Also, on that tray is a small (2"x2") post-it note that says what steps on my checklist has been completed. That way I can walk away for a week or two, and when I return to my bench, know exactly where I left off.