Starting out Reloading

[scarletvw]

So I was at Cabelas and I was going to cheap out a get a small hand loader and some supplies but my wife told me to just get what I could use for a long time.

I picked up a RCBS Explorer Kit, cabelas vibratory cleaner, hornady 9mm die set, a box of berry's 9mm 124gr RN, and CCI 500 primers. I didn't understand that it didn't come with a shell holder so I need to pick one of those up and some powder seeing as cabelas didn't have any in stock. I'm going to try to find Accurate powder to load and depending on exact powder I will load to their start load after checking some other books to verify the loading is correct.

I also bought a small table to mount the press on and tonight I will clean all the dies and get ready to deprime my 9mm brass I've been saving so I can clean them.

I've been thinking about reloading my own brass since I started shooting and I also want to work out some time to take a class or two wheter at somewhere or with Oldman. For now I'm going to deprime and clean all of my brass and then go from there with sizing, priming, and loading.

Any suggestions for someone starting off loading?? I plan to measure each powder charge with the included digital scale from the kit and reprime using the hand primer it came with. I've been reading everything I can and I think I have a pretty good knowledge base for starting off reloading.

[Ron Burgundy]

1) buy a chrono
2) go see Oldman -- it's worth it
3) get started

I've been reloading for almost 1 year after taking a class with Oldman. It's a lot of fun. Be smart and get started - you'll love it.

[dupa]

I don't usually pipe up much around here.. but since only it's only been suggested once I'll add my 2cents and your going to hear this a ton.. but go see oldman. I had relaoded shotshells for years and thought it an easy transition and all that shotshell reloading did was give me a false confidence in my abilities. glad i spent the time with oldman, he's a very patient instructor and will answers all your questions and give you a ton of background as to "why" you need to do something. just from reading his posts and sams on here i've managed to keep all my fingers and have no "kabooms".

[scarletvw]

So I just got back from Fleet Farm. I got the shell holder I needed. But they have no powder that will work for me. I'd like to use Accurate #5 but we'll see if I can even find any

Ohh well, I'll start de-priming and worry about powder after.

[Kelor]

I don't shoot much, but I find the idea of reloading fascinating. It involves 2 things I like. Math and near immediate sense of accomplishment.

That being said, would it be ridiculous for someone that doesn't shoot much to get into the hobby of reloading?

[scarletvw]

I don't shoot much, but I find the idea of reloading fascinating. It involves 2 things I like. Math and near immediate sense of accomplishment.

That being said, would it be ridiculous for someone that doesn't shoot much to get into the hobby of reloading?

Not shooting much is subjective. If you don't mind spending a bunch of money to not use the equipment, than sure, go ahead.

but how much would you say you shoot and what are you shooting?

[hard h2o]

I have a couple of suggestions.

Get a few manuals. Check and double check them.

Start off with a plan. At first factory duplication and improvement on accuracy and then, after you are confident and experienced, you can look at other benefits reloading brings you. Most of the time, with my reloading, I am just looking to produce accurate hunting ammunition with a bit more oomph than factory loads. That is a pretty modest and attainable goal.

Again, check and double check your recipes in multiple sources.

Be methodical. Complete one process, double and triple check, then move on to the next.

One thing at a time. One caliber at a time. One bullet at a time. One powder at a time. Do not have multiple canisters of powder on the bench at one time. Only what you are using for the task at hand. Be methodical to reduce the possibility of errors.

Mark everything so that you know where you are and what you did. A finished batch should be marked and the label should stay with that batch until it is consumed.

Do not stop in the middle of a process and come back to it unless you have a system set up so you can pick the job up again. I try to allot time to a job. If I have time to prep a bunch of cases I will dive in and finish. Then there is no question what is sized and chamfered and what is not. I do not prime cases unless I have the time to do the whole batch. I do not dump powder unless I have the time to seat and crimp bullets int he whole batch.

Get the manuals.
Read the manuals.
Double check your recipes.
Double check your components.
Double check your setups.
Be methodical.
Make sure you have the time.
Do not reload when tired.
One thing at a time.

Have fun. It makes shooting and hunting a bit more enjoyable when you squeeze the trigger, you hear a bang then an animal goes down, a hole appears on paper, or a steel target rings and you can say you did it with your own handloaded ammunition.

[OldmanFCSA]

I have powder to get new reloaders started.

I have two new reloading students coming out on Saturday.

For students that show care and respect of equipment, I do allow you to use my equipment until you decide what to get yourself.

[Kelor]

I don't shoot much, but I find the idea of reloading fascinating. It involves 2 things I like. Math and near immediate sense of accomplishment.

That being said, would it be ridiculous for someone that doesn't shoot much to get into the hobby of reloading?

Not shooting much is subjective. If you don't mind spending a bunch of money to not use the equipment, than sure, go ahead.

but how much would you say you shoot and what are you shooting?

In the summer - 200 rounds per month.
In the winter - 50 rounds per month.

We have a range set up at our cabin, and in the winter I go to an indoor range occasionally.

[wrench]

Congratulations on coming over to the wonderful world of reloading!
Components can be hard to find, but the Gunstop updates their list of powders and primers pretty frequently.
Check them out: http://www.gunstop.com/news/powderprime ... 1115-10am/

[andrewP]

For now I'm going to deprime and clean all of my brass and then go from there with sizing, priming, and loading.

I find it works out better to clean the brass and then deprime it; that way, you don't end up with cleaning media getting stuck in the flash holes, which you then have to remove later.

[scarletvw]

For now I'm going to deprime and clean all of my brass and then go from there with sizing, priming, and loading.

I find it works out better to clean the brass and then deprime it; that way, you don't end up with cleaning media getting stuck in the flash holes, which you then have to remove later.

But if you deprime after cleaning how do you get the primer pocket cleaned? With my first batch I didn't have much problem, out of a couple hundred brass I only had 1 case with media in the flash hole. I inspected all the cases after word so if I have to poke out a couple pieces I don't mind.

[JJ]

For now I'm going to deprime and clean all of my brass and then go from there with sizing, priming, and loading.

I find it works out better to clean the brass and then deprime it; that way, you don't end up with cleaning media getting stuck in the flash holes, which you then have to remove later.

But if you deprime after cleaning how do you get the primer pocket cleaned? With my first batch I didn't have much problem, out of a couple hundred brass I only had 1 case with media in the flash hole. I inspected all the cases after word so if I have to poke out a couple pieces I don't mind.

Primer pocket cleanliness is of minimal importance. i only bother to clean primer pockets on my match prep 6mmBR cases. Secondly, vibratory cleaning processes generally won't get the pockets clean at all, as the media isn't small enough to get cleaning action in the primer pocket.

If you are anal, and want the primer pockets clean, you will need to move over to a wet tumbling system with SS pins, or use a primer pocket brush to clean the pockets.

[andrewP]

Primer pocket cleanliness is of minimal importance. i only bother to clean primer pockets on my match prep 6mmBR cases. Secondly, vibratory cleaning processes generally won't get the pockets clean at all, as the media isn't small enough to get cleaning action in the primer pocket.

Yup, the only primer pockets I have that are clean are the ones that I've had to ream the crimps out of. It's really not worth the time and effort unless you're loading match grade rifle ammo.

[scarletvw]

Well I guess thats good to know. I'll just clean my brass then and not worry about depriming first.