Reloading, where to begin?

[Eggysrun]

I'd like to get into reloading but don't know where to begin. Anyone got some sites or advice? Gonna be fishing around the forums for reload equipment people are selling here.

Right now I'd like to reloaded .308 and .223

[El Caballo Loco]

I'm sort of in the same boat you are. I shoot .308, 9mm, and 5.56.

I picked up a couple books, read through them, then started buying quality used pieces here and there.

I think doing it a piece at a time is a bit funner.

[SideShow Bob]

Start off with getting "the A,B,C's of reloading. Then start searching the internet for all the reloading gone wrong pictures and videos you can stand to look at. then if you still want to reload, remember Pay Attention To The Details ! Reloading is not for the wandering mind or those with short attention spans. And then start off with pistol calibers before getting into rifle ammunition.

[DocMedic]

Check out http://www.three-peaks.net/reload.htm

[Byte Stryke]

the only thing I Have to add is to get a single stage press FIRST.
you will thank yourself for it later.

[DocMedic]

the only thing I Have to add is to get a single stage press FIRST.
you will thank yourself for it later.

I would have to disagree, if I started with a single stage press I'd probably quit and never continued to reload. Their are affordable multi-station reloaders out there, but if ur serious about reloading sometimes the "cry once buy once" really comes to play, All though if u don't find reloading your thing reloaders seem to hold their value really well so u could get back as much u put in or get very close.

[gnihcraes]

the only thing I Have to add is to get a single stage press FIRST.
you will thank yourself for it later.

I'd agree.

[Byte Stryke]

The single stage I bought taught me so much about the importance of each step and the peculiarity of each stage. Exactly what should happen and to what dimension, specification, and tolerance... as well as why.

I find that my tolerances in the progressive press tend not to me as exact.
powder goes from EXACTLY 4.3gr to 4.3 +/- 0.2. my OAL goes from 1.275 to 1.265 +/- .01

it might not be a big deal to some, but I think it helped me allot.

[nathan0259]

The single stage I bought taught me so much about the importance of each step and the peculiarity of each stage. Exactly what should happen and to what dimension, specification, and tolerance... as well as why.

I find that my tolerances in the progressive press tend not to me as exact.
powder goes from EXACTLY 4.3gr to 4.3 +/- 0.2. my OAL goes from 1.275 to 1.265 +/- .01

it might not be a big deal to some, but I think it helped me allot.

I wish I would have started on a single stage for this exact reason. I love my dillon 450 but I wish I would have gotten a rock chucker kit to start. I also think the odds of something going wrong or being missed by a novice reloader go way up on a progressive or semi-progressive.

[DocMedic]

lol, I think You guys are crazy for wanting to start on a single press. I know for me when I started to reload I was shooting somewhere around 400 to 500 rnds a week, so a progressive made sense to me even though it was a steeper learning curve. Now, I probably shoot somewhere 800 to 1000+ rnds a week between matches practice and load development. Hell the only way I can keep up with that is upgrading to a Dillon1050 from a 550b. I couldn't even imagine what loading even 300rnds a week would feel like on a single press [Mad]

[Irving]

I shot for the middle and got a turret press.

[gnihcraes]

I started with the Lee O press, was frustrated, but upgraded to the Lee Turret, was frustrated more. Gave up. Speed was an issue, but also the learning curve. Gave up for a few years on reloading because the time vs. money saved wasn't there. Few years ago, got back into this, new frame of mind, Used Rock Chucker and have been happy ever since. Lee quality of the stuff I had just didn't seem to cut it for me I guess.

Sure I'd love to get more rounds made per hour, but I'm shooting for quality and not that often to need 1000's of rounds per month. I've slowly built up my stash and have plenty to keep me shooting during the months I can reload and build it back up.

Even if I had a bigger, fancier Dillon or similar, I still need the RC press for small jobs or adjusting something else.

just my story.

[nathan0259]

I'm not saying a single stage is the one press everyone should start with but I think its the best way to learn the fundamentals for someone that is shooting 300 plus a week.

[Danimal]

It also depends on what you are shooting. If you are shooting for accuracy then single stage is the way to go. If you are going for high volume then you will eventually need a progressive. I reload all the same calibers and I am so glad that I went with a single stage first. I got the Rockchucker Supreme master reloading kit to start, and it taught me a lot. I now have a couple progressive presses too, but I use them only for pistol ammo because the setup is easier. I still use my single stage a lot when I am developing a load, or building accurate loads for bolt guns. You wont want to build more than 50 - 100 rounds on a single stage at a time, but you will always have a use for it even if you get a progressive down the road.

[Byte Stryke]

I shot for the middle and got a turret press.

have you put it together yet?
I want to come over and videotape you throwing stuff around and teaching the kids new words.

[ROFL1]

[Byte Stryke]

You wont want to build more than 50 - 100 rounds on a single stage at a time, but you will always have a use for it even if you get a progressive down the road.


ABSOLUTELY
because pulling 80 rounds of ammunition would SUCK
I have had to pull 20 and I thought that sucked... I cannot imagine pulling hundreds...[Bang]

[Zombie Steve]

ABC's of reloading is a great first step.

I started (and still use) a single stage press. It might have been different if I only loaded one or two things, but I load for a dozen cartridges.

Also - I wrote this one not long ago...

http://glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1343188

Hope it helps.

[roberth]

I shot for the middle and got a turret press.

That is what I did, works great too. The beginning wasn't all roses but I thought I got the hang of it.

Then I screwed up about 150 rounds of 45ACP which I had to undo and rebuild.

Now I'm more careful.

[CO-Exprs]

Nothing wrong with starting off single stage. You will learn quickly why doc uses a progressive, especially if you shoot any sort of volume. Cool thing is, you will always find uses for the single stage, so when you decide to go progressive it won't be a waste. The biggest time consumer is the case prep in rifle. Even then, I don't like to resize cases in progression on my press, so I do it seperately. I also prefer to hand prime my rifle brass. So the only thing I actually do progressively is powder and bullet seating. An alternative to a progressive, that will still give you the same intentional learning curve as single stage is to run a turret press.

[4gunfun]

Turret press all the way. I started with a redding t7 turret and still like it. Lyman has a nice heavy duty turret too. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Lyman-T-Mag-II-Turret-Reloading-Press-/140619021445?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20bd8bfc85