Beginner Reloading for Dummies?

[camper4lyfe]

Meke, your level of knowledge on reloading and ballistics is mind-numbingly awesome.

[Jackalope]

My first reloading set-up was the ultra simple Lee Loader in 9mm. After purchasing the loader kit, I just had to buy a mallet, some powder, some primers and some projectiles. Later, I bought a bullet puller, a scale, and a powder measure. Ultimately went with a couple of different single stage presses. The nice thing about the Lee Loader it is cheap, easy to use, and I can load on almost any table or bench, or even in the woods. The downside is the speed.....super slow, but it works. It's one way to go if you're on a limited budget.

[Meketrefe]

Meke, your level of knowledge on reloading and ballistics is mind-numbingly awesome.

Thanks man but I feel somewhat I know little and I need to keep learning. I wish I knew as much as some others I know including a mentor of mine.
For whatever reason I enjoy ballistics and firearms not for fashion or to show and tell but for what they are that sometimes involves amazing accuracy.
But what I know I am willing to share and learn also from you. That is what I like. I keep learning from everyone.
I believe we only stop learning the day we die.

[SPIKER]

To me, just the priming stage alone is worth it on a progressive. I can prime 30 rifle rounds way faster than having to use a single stage.

[usmcveteran]

Progressive stage is what I have looked at a little bit in the past to get more done faster.

[Meketrefe]

To me, just the priming stage alone is worth it on a progressive. I can prime 30 rifle rounds way faster than having to use a single stage.

Unless one is reloading in one cycle and from a case feeder there is no much difference with a good priming system, even a manual one. Let me explain...
for best results one is going to run two cycles. One for depriming and resizing the brass (also great in the progressive)
and another for priming and the chargin and seating the bullets + crimping if needed. In between one might be trimming and preparing brass but in any case
one is going to be cleaning primer pockets and washing the brass. Some folks might not do this but it is not the ideal. Also for quality loads and long term storage
two cycles are mandatory.
So after the brass has been run in once cycle (no much difference in a turret, again, other than the auto feeder) the brass might be primed using a hand primer.
Nothing is more reliable than a quality tube system but if one was to set a nr. of cases for priming via tray and hand primer that person would be close to being
done with 100 cases when another would be still picking up primers with the tube and you still need to put the cases through the press for the 2nd cycle.
Overall there is not beating the progressive but the turret is not going to be very far in a 2 cycle deal that is something we must do in many situations.
For pistol plinking so so ammo then one can do one cycle. In this case the convenience of the case feeders and bullet feeders is amazing but at the same time
it is a substantial investment for quality equipment and with the turrent one would be able to leverage both world while learning more. If one is not set in quality
rifle and want a budget progressive in the end a well tuned rcbs piggyback might do just as well as any other would do. I am telling you from experience with all these
setups and not from online opinions.

[thughes]

Agreed. I deprime, size, trim, and chamfer. Then tumble and inspect. At this point I may just package up for a rainy day or I may reload immediately, regardless it is a distinct 2 stage process....prep first, then reload.

[Meketrefe]

Agreed. I deprime, size, trim, and chamfer. Then tumble and inspect. At this point I may just package up for a rainy day or I may reload immediately, regardless it is a distinct 2 stage process....prep first, then reload.

I thnk it goes in picking up a rythm. while I sonic clean or wash a couple of batches I have two already dried and prepped ready to go on the press whatever press they go through. I do a lot of progressive including some pretty accurate rifle loads but I also do single. I think there is a strong case for the turret because it can be used also as single. specially for those learning.
I met so many people that spent thousands in expensive setups only to find out later that reloading was not their thing, progressive or not.

[thughes]

Single stage loader here, mostly 30 cal stuff (30-06 Springfield, 7.62 NATO, 7.55 Swiss), not for accuracy so much but consistency. Drill press for case prep using Lee trimmer and deburr tools. Just started reloading .45 and 9mm for the pistolas, can see where I'm going to need a progresive for that (target loads). Baby steps......

[Glockdude]

Reviving an old thread...I got a lee classic turret and will be starting up soon. THis reloading stuff will be fun. Need to figure out best powder and load data etc.

[thughes]

Get a few books.

[thughes]

Shot my first .45 reloads last week. I can advise not to mix commercial ammo and handloads in the same mag! Apparently that's what I did at the Tuesday night shoot, I was afraid my gun was broken or I had a squibb: the first few rounds were a sharp "pop pop pop" (commercial) and then the next round made a dull "thump" (the low starting grain handload), kind of freaked me out. Need to dial up my recipe a bit...or just enjoy the low recoil handloads for practice and not mix loads in the mag. 230gn plated ball, 3.6gn 700x. Thinking I'll go to 4gn and see how it feels.

[Liberty's Teeth]

Rock Chucker guy here. I load a lot of ammo but speed is less important to me than concentricity and COAL. Only use Redding competition dies, never use the deprimer in the sizer die, set up a small Lee press for deprime. Always seat your bullet then index the case 180 degrees and run it through a second ram cycle.
Oh, if you don't have your own teenager, you can rent one cheap and have them help. Girls are better as they pay attention to detail!!!

[gtnorry]

I'll be selling my Lee 4 Hole Turett Press. I have separate die/powder setups for 9 & 45. Also 223 dies that I haven't used yet

[Morts]

Being a Noob reloader I pondered exactly what you are looking at right now. I decided to start on a progressive press, there are a TON of people that say you must start on a single stage which is BS. You cannot rush at first and have patience to learn, start slow and watch every youtube video out there for tips and tricks of the different presses. I went progressive because I knew that is eventually what I wanted and did not want to sell old equipment down the road. My teenage son likes to shoot as well so I will give him this set up when I am too old or lose interest. I am in about 1K so far with 3 calibers (.32,.380 and .45) that is with a bunch of powder and supplies. I think the main thing is your budget to start, you do not want to go broke and have no money to buy supplies when needed. I went with all Hornady products from the Lock N Load AP to their Custom Dies, if you load multiple calibers its a very nice set up for quick changes, with the Hornady press and dies you have an empty station on the press which you can use for different things like their Powder Cop if you are concerned about a double charge or not enough powder. EvilD sold me on this press and I am glad he did. I just pumped out a ton of 380 and 32 last night. In a progressive I think the LNL AP is tough to beat and the lifetime warranty helps.