I'm looking for some help. I shoot a lot, a whole lot and I'm religious about policing my brass, however I've never reloaded anything beyond .357 Magnum with an old manual kit from lee, it's older than I am. I'm not just interested in reloading my handgun ammo. I want to develop loads for my rifles too. I've looked around and I'm just not sure where to start. What pieces do I need to begin. Luckily this has been a good year and I've got a lot of money from my cabela's club card and I've decided I want to spend it on getting started reloading.
- Thread starter mark112278
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Take a look at the thread:
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...eloading-101-reloading-basics-new-reload.html
A lot of information there.
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...eloading-101-reloading-basics-new-reload.html
A lot of information there.
"The ABC's of Reloading", great book.
There are a lot of folks out there that would like to acquire once fired .357 brass...
There are a lot of folks out there that would like to acquire once fired .357 brass...
One newbie to another, get new manuals and read the snot out of them. Watch videos, read posts over and over that are stickies here. Digest the info, try to talk with and see other people set ups and processes.... Learn as much as you can before you buy any equipment.
"Newbie" or not, that is excellent advice.
As others have said, read the stickys and read on here. YouTube is also a good resource (depinding on who makes the video).
I started with pistol, then moved to rifle. I found a large difference in brass prep compared to pistol. I have found it very rewarding though to make a quality rifle load (in addition to saving money compared to factory match ammo).
It may seem like common sense, but I would suggest to sticking to a single stage press for rifle when starting out. (You did not mention if you were running a progressive for 357).
Take your time, and compile multiple sources for a load to get a good baseline, then work up.
I started with pistol, then moved to rifle. I found a large difference in brass prep compared to pistol. I have found it very rewarding though to make a quality rifle load (in addition to saving money compared to factory match ammo).
It may seem like common sense, but I would suggest to sticking to a single stage press for rifle when starting out. (You did not mention if you were running a progressive for 357).
Take your time, and compile multiple sources for a load to get a good baseline, then work up.
Loading for rifle has a steeper learning curve than pistol. I tell people who want to get into reloading to load at least 1000 pistol cases successfully, then graduate to rifle.
The important thing about reloading is to ask questions. Ask as many dumb questions as needed until you get a full understanding of what is going on. This stuff is not very intuitive, and simple things are obvious when pointed out, but hard to find yourself. Talk to people and keep posting questions.
The important thing about reloading is to ask questions. Ask as many dumb questions as needed until you get a full understanding of what is going on. This stuff is not very intuitive, and simple things are obvious when pointed out, but hard to find yourself. Talk to people and keep posting questions.
When you get reloading manuals, make Lyman 49th one of them, and read the first half of the book--not just the data reference.
And get the paper version, that way you may still have a reference when the lights go out and we lose all these modern gadgets...
And get the paper version, that way you may still have a reference when the lights go out and we lose all these modern gadgets...
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I personally feel that the RCBS Starter kits are a great way to get all the basics in a fair price range. I'm not a huge fan of the scale, and would highly recommend a digital scale.
Thanks for all the info, especially about getting paper books. I'll be the first to admit I've fallen into the digital hole and would be in a lot of trouble if I was ever not able to charge my iPad. I've loaded .357 loads by hand for years, probably 10 years at least. I've learned through some serious errors and one of my first purchases will be a digital scale, I know that much. Yet I now have a new question, not so much about just reloading but cleaning in general. Who has an opinion or any experience with hornady's sonic cleaner hot tub, not just for cleaning brass which looks like a breeze but also cleaning gun parts.
It is a little anxiety producing at first, but if you do a little homework and do things methodically and carefully, you'll find that it is pretty easy to be safe.
Just make sure to check manuals and the manufacturers website for max/min charges before starting...start low and work your way up. Don't just take someones recipe from the internet and run with it.
Just make sure to check manuals and the manufacturers website for max/min charges before starting...start low and work your way up. Don't just take someones recipe from the internet and run with it.
I have to 'ditto' this. Fantastic publication, read & study it front-to-back. Just bear in mind that some of the articles are dated (post-WWII) so the pricing analyses will not be up to the current market.
Reloading is a great hobby and extends the shooting experience. It is also rewarding when you see your results compared to factory ammo.
Rifle is much different than pistol reloading, due to the case prep that needs to be done.
I suggest you do some reading, get the abc of reloading book, read online, and then look at our gun collection and what you shoot the most.
I started with 223, 308, and 300blkout. I chose my equipment based off those calibers with the plan to expand to others and to handgun ammo.
You can also do this on a limited budget, or as expensive as you want. I chose to spend more now, then buy twice or three.
I was hooked before I shot my first reload, but after comparing my first reloads to factory I was really hooked!
Rifle is much different than pistol reloading, due to the case prep that needs to be done.
I suggest you do some reading, get the abc of reloading book, read online, and then look at our gun collection and what you shoot the most.
I started with 223, 308, and 300blkout. I chose my equipment based off those calibers with the plan to expand to others and to handgun ammo.
You can also do this on a limited budget, or as expensive as you want. I chose to spend more now, then buy twice or three.
I was hooked before I shot my first reload, but after comparing my first reloads to factory I was really hooked!
