Hat's off to the guys that have consistently supplied all of the help. It's been about 15 years since I started reloading and this would have been a nice thread to read.
As I read through all of the posts I had to laugh at how overwhelming this all must seem to be. I remember that every time I turned around there seemed to be some kind of widget or doo dad that I "needed". I've since refined my "needs" to "conveniences"
and I'm good with that. All in all it's been an enjoyable, ongoing learning process
My "thoughts"- good or bad...
Every time I buy a die for a new caliber, I buy an RCBS Precision Mic Gauge for checking / setting O.A.L and case length. The Mic used with Forster benchrest seater dies makes setting bullet seating depth a breeze.
I finally learned that if I buy good brass I don't have to neck turn (most of the time). I still check the neck thickness variations and kick out the rounds that are over .002" in variation. By kick out I mean send them to the fouling round box. That said, I still neck turn from time to time (more for neck tension than anything else).
Checking concentricity of the brass before loading is not a bad idea if you are looking for the nth degree of accuracy. It takes a lot of other things to be right to get to that point.
As much as I like my digital scales and gee whiz powder dropper / scale combo my old balance beam scale is still the one that I trust over all of the rest.
Flash hole deburring is easier to do while sitting in front of the TV. Don't get shavings on the carpet or there will be severe consequences from the second highest authority in the universe. But I think it's one of the important one-time steps.
Primer pocket uniforming is a must do. Using a power source makes it go faster.
FWIW- The only bullets that I crimp are my pistol rounds and those get the least that I can get away with.
I love my Forster Co-Ax press and dies.
Harrell powder measures kick tail... but I still weigh every round and re-dump it if I'm loading rifle. Not so much with pistol. Some powders just don't measure worth a crap so a little caution doesn't hurt. FWIW- The Harrell typically drops a perfect charge every time with everything but stick powders. I don't think anything drops those consistently.
A good set of digital calipers is pretty handy to have.
If you're prepping 200 cases a power center makes life easier.
I have two Sinclair priming tools. One for large. One for small. I also have shell holders installed in extra heads so caliber changes are as easy as installing a new head.
H-338 is hilarious to shoot in the late evening
Especially at a "city" range. The one that I occasionally go to is usually pretty crowded. Invariably someone will come ask me what I am shooting (because of the muzzle flash). I think the ports in the VTR make it especially spectacular.
Sierra made a DVD called High Power Rifle Reloading with G. David Tubb. It's pretty good for someone just getting started. Some of the info may be dated but all in all I thought it was a good DVD.
For every type of powder there are 10 more that I want to try.
For every bullet that I've loaded there are 10 more that I want to try.
For every caliber that I own... you get the picture. Reloading is a disease
The world would not need psychiatrists if everyone reloaded.
