I need help with reloading

[runamuk]

I need some help......I want to learn to reload and do not know what I am doing or even where to start.  So if there is anyone who can explain what I need and how to do this as if you were talking to a 2 yr old  I would seriously appreciate it.

[jdb]

pick a good manual and read it cover to cover.

[Huntbear]

Run,

First thing you will need to do is read everything you can get your hands on in regards to reloading.  Most of the manuals, (and you will end up with a  lot of them   ) cover most of the basics.

You can get starter kits from many places like Cabelas, Sportsmans, etc...- (the Rock Chucker kit) that will give you everything you need except dies (you will need a set for every caliber you load for), and your components (bullets, powder, primers, brass).  Then you get to start experimenting with diff. bullets, and powder, to find what you or your gun likes best.

You will need a very sturdy/strong bench to work on and bolt your press to, as well.

Then be very safe and double check everything you do, so you do not make a "fatal mistake"

There are enough of us on here that reload, that any question you have can be answered, quickly and easily.

Welcome to the club, it is addicting though

[runamuk]

Thanks guys.....hubby has a great bench in the shop that he never uses so    I will get a manual and read it......

I am realizing the standard ammo might not be the best for what I want to do....and I figure reloading for my current gun "might" be cheaper than buying another gun  (for now)....

Which manuals would you suggest for a complete newbie?

[woodswalker]

Runamuck,

I'd start with Lyman's big manual, then look at either Speer or Hornady.  Its a pile of reading..but good for all that.  I'd reccomend several manuals...there are differences in the components used for the tables. 

PM me if you want to borrow some equipment to get started.  Its HIGHLY probable that i have 80% of whats needed.

Watch out...its addicting.

Woods.

Welcome to our addiction...

[littlebuf]

i wish you would have said something yesterday, i reload for all my shooting and i have a pretty nice set up. i personally believe the rcbs rockchucker kit is a great place to start. when i got into it thats what i bought and i had no one to help me learn the ropes, its real beginner friendly and comes with a good manual for the basics and getting started

[Rgrady35]

Lee for me. It's good, and I can afford it.

[yorketransport]

I bought the Lee Aniversary for myself on my 17th birthday. I still have it after loading exactly 9675 rounds (good record keeping is important so that you know this sort random fact about your loads ). While it's not as easy as buying a start up kit, you could mix and match brands and buy all of the equipment seperately. I found that I liked some products from RCBS, Hornady, or Lymman than the Lee equipment. You may save money in the long run by buying the good stuff from the start.

Like some of the others, I taught myself to reload by reading everything I could get my hands on. That works, but if you know anyone who can come help you set up the equipment and walk you through the first couple of loads it's a big help.

I just helped a friend get started loading and I believe that we got him all setup to load his first 100 rounds of .223, including dies, and components, for $275. This was buying the Lee Aniversary kit. The initial setup cost can get pretty high. If you don't shoot that often, it may make more sense to find a reloader near by who will let you use their equipment. Then you would only need to buy the caliber specific components like dies, brass, bullets, powder and primers.

[runamuk]

Thanks everyone found someone nearby who can help me out...yay another new addiction    who's brilliant notion was it for me to quit smoking.....   my new addictions may be healthier but they are getting expensive 

[Gutpile]

Sure wish you were closer, I'd run you through it. It's actually very easy. I've been doing it for about 10 years I guess, the best part is just the improvement in accuracy. When I started I just read every reloading book I could finf and that was it. These days just finding components is a pain in the ars but it's worth it.
 

[Ghost Hunter]

Reloading isn't less expensive.   It's cheaper per shot.

[littlebuf]

Reloading isn't less expensive.   It's cheaper per shot.

absolutely true, dont tell the wife

[Huntbear]

Reloading isn't less expensive.   It's cheaper per shot.

absolutely true, dont tell the wife

Quit telling our secrets,,,,,, 

[runamuk]

Reloading isn't less expensive.   It's cheaper per shot.

absolutely true, dont tell the wife

Quit telling our secrets,,,,,, 

hmmm.... but I am the wife 

[shoot-em-dead]

I bought my re-loader and made up about 350 rounds. Then I landed my job and have been having lots of trouble just finding time to get out and shoot so everything is just sitting there.

[littlebuf]

hmmm.... but I am the wife  chuckle chuckle


i guess your just going to have to live in denial is the only way i can figure that problem 

[WA Redneck]

Where are you located?

[NRA4LIFE]

When I first started, I bought a kit that included almost everything you needed to get started (except your dies).  I went with the RCBS Rock Chucker kit.  The press is heavy duty and very powerful (needed for larger cases).  Never regretted it.  I think they run around $300-$350 or so.

[runamuk]

Where are you located?

I am in Elma

and I already had someone help me work up some loads...now I need to get out to the range to try them out....  

and it was fun I think it could become a terrible obsession this whole reloading thing   just what I need another obsession....

[Rob]

Prepare for some frustration...

I started buying my reloading gear in late Feb, and was not able to load a single shell until April.  Seemed like I was always missing one thing.  I would have primers powder and dies for the 338, but no shell plate, or shell plate, dies and primers for the 30-06 but no powder.  Drove me nuts.  1,000 bucks worth of equipment, bullets, brass, powder and primers, but no combinations of anything I could load!

Finding equipment and components can be tough. you will find that you are hitting every store in your area, every time you are out, in every city you pass through trying to get stuff.  Primers are tough.  Powder is tough but getting better.  Dies are not too bad, but some are hard to find as are certain shell holders.  If you get a progressive press, shell plates are hit and miss.  I bought a Hornady AP lock n load and I have had a heck of a time finding the dang shell plates.  It is getting better though.  I actually have had better luck in the small shops in smaller towns than I do in larger shops or in big cities.  As of last Friday, I have all the plates I need.

Get use to being laughed at (Me:  "Hello kind Sir, do you have any small rifle primers in stock?"  Clerk: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!").
The powder game is nearly as good:  (Me: "H 4895?" Clerk: "Go Fish"  Me: "Varget?" Clerk: "Go Fish", etc etc)

It is now July and I think I finally have everything I need except for one set of dies (30/30) and they are on back order.  My Hornady AP progressive came with an offer for 1,000 Interlock bullets for 20 bucks in shipping.  Those arrived about a month ago so I am set with 308 cal interlocks now!

I probably went all in a bit more than most folks though - I set myself up to load for 7 different rifle loads and 6 handgun loads.  I feel like I am ALWAYS looking for something though.  Right now it is more small rifle primers.  

I'm having a hoot tracking the results from my re-loads.  I load it all into excel and then run pivot tables on the data so I can see what is working and what is not.  That is my favorite part.
  

[Huntbear]

Rob, you and I think very much alike with using excel to track performance on our data... I do the same thing, and it has become my own personal reloading guide, for anything I load for.  As soon as I get the money, gonna order Quick Loads software.  Does even better.

[runamuk]

Well so far I only have the one rifle so only one caliber......check back with me in a couple years that may change 

and I hate to admit this but I never have figured out how to use excel stupid software just confuses the crap out of me...if someone else creates it I can use it but I cannot make anything from scratch  its too much like math and just doesn't make sense to me......

[BLKBEARKLR]

Runamuk, get with Michelle. I am dropping baby girl off on Mon and Weds at daycare starting on 3 Aug. You can both come over see how I have mine set up. I can show you what you are doing talk you through things. But I will not participate. You can use all my gear. But if something was to happen and I was helping I can be liable so I will stay a mere 5 ft away talk and assist you, have a 6 ft board in my hand in case you mess up I can reach out and touch you. So the offer is there. I agree about reading manuals but the best teaching/ instruction is HANDS ON

Joe

[fishcrazy]

Reloading is a great hobby!!  Ijust wish I had fewer great hobbies. I amlucky if a spend 4 hrs. a year at my bench now. I'm hoping that will change as my reloading room is moving out to the garage to make room for the next lil monster in January.

After you get the hang of reloading you might wanna have a custom wildcat rifle made. That will open up an entire new addiction. LOL I actually did it in reverse. I had the wild cat biult and had to learn to reload just so I could shoot it.

I tried to teach my wife how to load her own loads. After a few days she didn't see what was so fun about it!! She don't have the patience to sit and trim brass and use that lil "slider stick thingy that never gives the same reading 2x"

One word of advise. Habits will make it safer. I never charge a case without putting a bullet upside down in the case after and before I touch anything els. It will keep you from double charging a case. Not a problem with most rifles but hand guns can be easily double charged!!! BANG yer dead.  Always double check everything!! even what you read. before you load read it again to make sure you read it right the first time.


Kris

[Rob]

and I hate to admit this but I never have figured out how to use excel stupid software just confuses the crap out of me...if someone else creates it I can use it but I cannot make anything from scratch  its too much like math and just doesn't make sense to me......

You are not alone in finding Excel confusing.  I’m happy to help anyone who is interested learn how to use Excel to record their information.  It can be kind of difficult/intimidating at first, but if you learn a few of the rules/tricks it gets really easy.

I follow three basic steps:
1.  Before going to the range I set up a sheet in excel.  Across the top I put the type of info I want to collect.  The info I want to collect goes in the rows.  One row per shot set.
2.  At the range I record data on a sheet of paper all the pieces of info that I am interested in.
3.  When I get home, I enter the info into my Excel sheet (top to bottom by inserting new rows rather than adding new rows of info to the bottom.  I do it this way to keep my reports working)

That is all you really need to do.  Once you have this, you can poke through your info and learn from your experiences at the range.

The real power of Excel is found in using it to sift through and report on the info you collected.  I like to use pivot tables to organize and view my stuff.  This is really helpful as once you start to get a lot of info it gets harder and harder to look for trends.  For example, I have 8 trips to the range logged into my sheet now, and that has generated 160 rows of shot set info.

I find lots of folks do not like Pivot tables because they look complicated.  Again, there are about 3 tricks you need to learn and then you can really make Excel dance for you!

To give you an idea on what I have done, below are three picts.  The first two are of my excel sheet (took two pictures as there are 30-40 pieces of info I want to collect).  The last picture is a screen shot of a pivot table for my 30.06’s.  I can use that view of my info to look for trends in my load data.

Like I said, I am more than happy to help anyone who is interested in Excel learn how to use it.  I’m not a pro, but I use it everyday at work so I’m comfortable with how it works.  I’m happy to:
-E-mail my excel sheet to anyone who would like to look at them
-Trouble shoot other folks excel sheets if they e-mail them to me
-Meet anyone over coffee who is in the greater Seattle area and use a laptop to help create one from scratch.

[Rob]

Rob, you and I think very much alike with using excel to track performance on our data... I do the same thing, and it has become my own personal reloading guide, for anything I load for.  As soon as I get the money, gonna order Quick Loads software.  Does even better.

I'll have to take a look at that SW.  I love pouring over the data after a day at the range.  I guess I'm sick that way.

[uncoolperson]

ooo... think I just found my winter programming project.

reloading software


I'm still pretty new to the game of reloading, but if you want some dumbed down help throw a PM my way (I use words like "thing", "measuring dohicky", "stuff like that", "abouts", and "smidge").


Also, you excel guys, if you want some help creating functions I can offer that up in trade for some insite into what should be collected and compared, and how would be best for my winter project (see above).

[Huntbear]

Rob, you and I think very much alike with using excel to track performance on our data... I do the same thing, and it has become my own personal reloading guide, for anything I load for.  As soon as I get the money, gonna order Quick Loads software.  Does even better.

I'll have to take a look at that SW.  I love pouring over the data after a day at the range.  I guess I'm sick that way.

Quick Loads will let you input any powder, bullet, case and primer info, along with gun info, and will let you know what the pressures will be, an approx. velocity, etc.... and will also pull other powders data and let you see how that bullet will perform.