Reloading

[misterc01]

And I might add - make sure you are comfortable and not crowded at the reloading bench/table. Try for surface level higher than a standard desk top (30") so you can easily look down, or lean over, to look at things straight on. Adequate lighting - from both sides of the bench helps . I might also suggest something comfortable to sit on - you can get a padded stool that swivels fairly cheaply. If you are constantly squirming and moving around to get comfortable, you are not concentrating on what you doing.

 

[crkckr]

I will toss in my .02 cents worth as well. Probably the very first thing is learn how to use a scale (I'm guessing one came in your kit? If not, get a decent beam scale for now and move to a digital later... but don't ever pack that beam scale away, they are infinitely reliable as opposed to electronics! I love my Dillon digital but I calibrate it often and cross check it with my beam scale as well. The all scales should be zeroed *every* time they are moved or even bumped hard!
I would also suggest skipping the automated tools for a while. Doing things by hand allows you time to see what you're doing in increments instead of grinding things to a nubbin (this may include your fingers!)

Get several reloading manuals. Hodgdon is online while Alliant and Western have downloadable PDF's for their powders. Sierra, Hornady and Lyman offer good manuals that have a wealth of info. There are several others as well. With multiple manuals you will also be able to see how different components, firearms and barrel lengths can effect a given load... the difference between each manual can be extraordinary!
When you're reloading make sure you have no distractions. No kids running around, no TV, etc. It's not particularly dangerous but reloading does take some concentration. I listen to music but that's the most distraction I can handle.
I am not one to talk about this but do try to keep your reloading bench tidy (mine looks like a tornado went thru my basement! But I know where everything is, so it works for me). I currently have 22 bottles of pistol powder and about the same number of rifle powders on or near my bench... but only one at time goes on the actual loading side of the bench, where my scales live. This is mainly because I'm still doing a lot of load development and I'm too lazy to be constantly getting up and running to the refrigerator (an old dead reefer I use as a powder magazine). It all gets cleaned up every few years!
Keep records! Details for every group of ammo loaded... powder charge & type, case, primer and bullet, seating depth, date and anything else you can think of! Keep different loads seperate (or marked with a felt pen) so you know what you're testing at the range. There's nothing worse than shooting a little group and then not being able to duplicate it because the data was lost. Don't ask me how I know this! I have multiple 50 round boxes for each caliber and keep slips of paper with the data noted for each load. Just make sure that little slip doesn't blow away at the range.
Reloading is not rocket science but there is a little voodoo involved. Your life will be much easier if you're meticulous about your reloading. Then, once you get proficient then you can start worrying about sorting and prepping brass and all the other goofy things we do to try and eke out the most accuracy possible. It can easily become an addiction. But it's a good, clean fun one!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[crkckr]

Hmm, maybe that was more like 2 bucks worth!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[Old Rooster]

Money well spent crkckr.
A wealth of knowledge here.I started in the late 60's with hand reloading tools.
It took at least 5 to 10 minutes to make 1 30/06 reload and being young I loved the exercise my hands got but in 1973 I bought my first press,RCBS Partner press and later a Rock Chucker press and I still have it mounted on my bench.
For every bullet manufacture have a reload manual for that make and never substitute different bullet makes and load values.
There are Tangent ogive bullets,Secant ogive bullets and Hybrid bullet's,only use bullet manufactures load data and don't substitute Tangent ogive bullet load data for Secant ogive bullets.
Hybrids like the Berger's VLD require load data designed for that bullet.
When you are not sure just ask and many seasoned reloader's knowledge are at your finger tips.
Also beware of max loads and always start at mid level load data ands work up.
I have found some rifles shoot their best at loads way lower than max.
My 2 cents,Old Rooster

 

[Orange Dust]

Here is another tip I started doing years ago. I will often be working up loads for more than one rifle. 3 rounds of this 5 rounds of that etc. I put each load in ziplock sandwich bags. When shot the cases go back in their bags and results recorded on the bags with a sharpie. Transfer everything to a book when I get home. Not well written but you should get the idea. They can get spilled in cartridge boxes ruining everything. When I load in boxes they are full all with the same load

 

[crkckr]

OD, I do pretty much the same thing. Sometimes ziplocks, but usually cartridge boxes. The brass gets put back into the same slot it was taken out for later look-see. Only thing that ticks me off is when I lose brass out an auto loader. I literally shoot out of my basement door on the patio when using the chronograph and it drives me up the wall not finding them!

Rooster, I too started out using the Lee "basher" kits and loaded over 10,000 rounds of .38 Spcl, .357 Mag. & M1 carbine ammo before I was finally in a position to get an actual press... not too many places to mount a press in an apartment! Currently I have loaded well over 1 million rounds of ammo on hand presses... but then I ran a commercial operation in Tucson in another lifetime. I had 2 Dillon 1000 (now the 1050) presses, one for small primers and one for large. I still have dreams sometimes of pulling that handle for hours on end!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[Rem7mm08]

A 3 ring binder is great for data entry. You can print your own targets (you can find free downloads and load data sheets online) and secure the targets with your data sheets for later reference. I have some from thirty+ years ago.
I'm still using the RCBS Rock Chucker kit I purchased when I fist started. The only thing automated on my bench is a 1/2" cordless drill for trimming cases and chamfering.

 

[crkckr]

I just use loose leaf paper but keep the info on each firearm in a seperate manila folder. Only time it's a pain is when one slides off onto the floor and spreads it's contents all over the place! I also have made up different forms for things like load data, test results and such. I have designed and print my own targets. The center circle is .5" and the inner part of the diamond is 1.0". Outside, tip to tip is 2". One of these days I'm going to go to print shop and get 500 of them made on fairly heavy paper... printer cartridges are expensive!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[slv hunter]

I don't think anyone said anything about powder. Powder can change from lot to lot meaning you can buy a 1 lb. jug work up a load with it, run out of it buy a new one and it's not the same. Lots of great advice from previous post.
Have fun learning. No question is a stupid question always ask and save yourself time, money, and aggrevation.

 

[Doug Herold]

Get ready for a wild, frustrating, wonderful ride where there are few absolutes and a seemingly endless array of options. Above all, have fun, welcome to the club , and enjoy your new disease.

QUOTE="One shot wonder, post:

1589097, member: 109442"]so I am new to reloading, my wife bought me a hornady lock and load kit. After much research and reading posts on forums I found that the hand tools it comes with can be replaced with motorized like the lyman caseprep express and the lyman case trimmer. I went with redding dies. a lyman tumbler, they seem to clean better than corn cob. A friend sold me a auto trickler powder throw. I have once fired black hills ammo and new norma brass .308. Br-2 primers, Varget powder. So I feel im ready to load, my one hang up is there are many videos on u tube about how to set up and use the dies but they all seem different.. Can someone direct me in the right direction.. or recommend someone they like[/QUOTE]

so I am new to reloading, my wife bought me a hornady lock and load kit. After much research and reading posts on forums I found that the hand tools it comes with can be replaced with motorized like the lyman caseprep express and the lyman case trimmer. I went with redding dies. a lyman tumbler, they seem to clean better than corn cob. A friend sold me a auto trickler powder throw. I have once fired black hills ammo and new norma brass .308. Br-2 primers, Varget powder. So I feel im ready to load, my one hang up is there are many videos on u tube about how to set up and use the dies but they all seem different.. Can someone direct me in the right direction.. or recommend someone they like

 

[misterc01]

On setting up the die - I thought the answer was in the thread, but your best direction is to read what the manufacturer of your die says to do. AND read it all the way through at least twice!. Usually it is raise the ram with the shell holder inserted, turn die down to contact the shell holder, lower the ram and turn down some amount - usually 1/4 turn or so. Their directions get you to your starting point, YOUR experience with YOUR specific press, die, etc will guide o you on any changes from there. DOCUMENT IT as well! When in doubt about ANYTHING – call the manufacturer! They are so incredibly helpful. For example, when I was concerned about the level of powder in my cases and did not want to over-compress the powder seating the bullet, I called the bullet manufacturer. Turned out their load data was a bit hard to find, and it differed from the powder manufacturer's data. They immediately e-mailed me their data while we were talking on the phone in fact, and I got the velocity I was look ing for with less powder and a comfortable seating depth. IF something seems "off" then stop and get answers!! Over-pressure is our enemy! I prefer to stay on the conservative side of thing - powder compression, bullet case seating depth, bullet seating depth from the lands, etc. Also, one nice thing about the internet – you can get some realty great IMAGES of what over pressure signs are. Remember – we are having fun!!

 

[TAJ1911A1]

As my Youth advances, I find more details becoming slippery. What I am instituting in my regimen is to label, keep notes, use memory joggers as to what I have done, loaded up (e.g. what primers in which tubes when a session is interrupted or times out for that day). Such as taking brass and priming w diff primers ahead of time for eventual load work up.
Many things will become wisps in my recent history - those that I thought would be so extremely rudimentary, ain't always any more. :/

 

[crkckr]

Taj, that is a very good point. Between interruptions from the wife/phone/whatever, it's very easy to leave things in a state you're certain you couldn't forget and then not be able to make it back to the loading bench for a couple of days... then have no idea what it is you were planning on doing with the stuff laying out! The one thing I absolutely *never* do is leave powdered cases open. Especially if they are test loads with different charges. That is something that I simply must finish before I get up. I may save the crimp operation for later but I leave myself a note so nothing is left out. I keep a stack of little slips of paper on the bench just for that purpose (and to note loads that end up in ziplock bags. I also use masking tape on the outside as insurance. Primed brass gets the same treatment, in fact any brass that is dedicated for some specific purpose is usually put in small containers (pint or quart plastic containers with lids). If there are enough of them, the containers or bags will end up in a box, just to keep things together. I'm actually a lot more organized than it might appear just looking at what might seem like total chaos on the face of it!
Cheers,
crkckr

 

[Jared2700]

Where are you living? If you were close enough I'd be interested in showing you the ropes. Been reloading for over 30 years. Started with my dad and worked my way up. I think its a good idea to start with the basics and work up from there. Reloading can be dangerous especially when using faster burning powders. Pistol especially can be dangerous as you could get several charges into one case. Reloading can become a addiction. I hope it will be a labor of love for you! God Bless!