help ,reloading advice

When I first started reloading I didn't have anyone to help show me and that would have helped a lot. I picked up a Lee reloading book and read it several times before even setting up my equipment. I would take a highlighter and highlight everything in the manual that I thought would be absolutely necessary for quick reference once I started the reloading process. The whole book was highlighted when I was done. After reading it I got a better understanding of equipment that I would need that I didn't have. I dont know what comes in the kit you got but a case trimmer will probably be needed shooting those rifle rounds. like Jakemak24 said, a neck sizer will get a lot more life out of your brass. If you are going to hand prime you might need a different shell holder for the hand prime. the Lee handprime uses a different shellholder than the press, but I dont know about RCBS. Tumbler might be wanted but not necessary. If you can find someone who has been reloading for a long time they can probably show you more in an afternoon than you will learn on your own in months. Pick up a primer pocket cleaner to clean the pockets of shot brass. Case lube if you dont have carbide dies. There are all kinds of reloading manuals, pick up one or two and start reading is the best advice I would give someone. In your manual look at your caliber info and try to make a good decision as to what powder you would like to use based on pressure and velocity, I personally dont push the envelope. Thats the fun part, trying different powders and bullets to find something that shoots the best. Good luck. I am not the most exerpienced person at the reloading bench by far, just telling you how I learned and got started, some might disagree. You might also be able to call some powder manufacturers and see if they recommend a particular powder for your two calibers.

Welcome to the world of reloading. I am a newbie at it also. Bought all the stuff to do it, then it sat there for a year until I had the nerve to make up my first rounds. It was exciting the first time I shot one off, and at the same time a little nerve racking.

I am now 3 years into it and have taken many a game animal with rounds I have loaded myself and will never look back at buying factory ammo again. Read, read, and then read some more. I found a lot of very helpful people on here that answered a lot of questions I had. I had several people offer to let me come over and watch them reload, but I never did. I did watch a lot of youtube videos though. But be careful as there are a lot of crazy people that like for others to see their crazy ways.

Common sense goes a long ways. Its a pretty simple process, and there is a reason why they call load data "recipes". Its like baking a cake, follow the directions and it turns out great. Don't follow them, and it can be pretty bad. There is so much information available these days that someone cannot say "I didn't know".

What I found to be the best approach to being "safe" was to pick out the bullet I wanted, and then call them for advice on how to load it. You'll be ecstatic the first time you put a round in and pull the trigger. Above all, never think you know it all. Each time I get some time to read and research, I do it. There is a lot to learn about cases, primers, powder, bullets, seating, etc. The list goes on and on.

As far as beginning, just read the directions that come with the specific equipment you bought. Then try to find some videos that also use the exact equipment you bought. Always start at the low end of the suggested powder charges and work your way up. If you do that then its 'almost' fool proof. Work with 'factory' published loads, and stay away from "personal pet loads" for now. Get used to your equipment and how it works. I loaded a lot of "dummy" rounds before ever loading a live one.

Above all, have fun.

Lots of good advise so far. I started loading over 10 years ago with no help from anyone as well. I also bought a manual and started reading and loading. Another important thing I think is to read the manuals that come with the dies to ensure you get them set up the way the manufacturer suggests. As for load data most of the powder manufacturers have tons of load data on their web site. That is where I get my data to start load testing and when I start ladder testing. Another thing is "TAKE YOUR TIME". I started out on a rock chucker also but I recently upgraded to a auto progressive press. I found myself not taking my time while loading on the new press and I started making mistake after mistake. It's not worth it to save some time compared to double charging or under charging a case. Reloading has been fun for me as a hobby bc I like to see what I can make and see what it can do out of my rifle. Just be safe and use your brain. If it doesn't seem right then it prolly isn't. Have fun with it also.

tdf said:

Pick up a primer pocket cleaner to clean the pockets of shot brass. Case lube if you dont have carbide dies.

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Get the case lube. You won't find carbide dies for bottle necked cartridges, those are for straight walled cases.

A pair of safety glasses are also a must. Primers should not be taken lightly, they can be dangerous if you get careless and losing an eye might take away the reason you are reloading in the first place.

A powder trickler is handy when starting the load development process as it doesn't require setting the powder measure for a charge you only need to throw 5 or 10 times. Pick a load from the manual for the bullet you've chosen and reduce it to 8-10% less than the max load shown for that bullet/powder combination and load 5-10 rounds and mark the box or bag they're in well with the load recipe. Then go up on the charge a half grain and load another 5 or 10. Repeat the process in half grain increments until you reach the max load and stop there. Take them out and test them to see which is more accurate and examine the brass looking for pressure signs as explained in your reloading manual.

Get a small notebook for each gun you're reloading for and keep meticulous records of each and every load you try in each gun. Not only will you want to reproduce a load that works well, you'll also want to eliminate repeating experiments that didn't work out so well. Trust me when I tell you that you will never be able to remember what you think you will and remembering wrong can have disasterous results.

Midway USA sells rolls of reloading recipe labels that I find very handy. One measurement that is important to record is over-all length. Not only must a round be able to fit in the gun's magazine, it is also the measurement that determines the distance from the bullet (in battery) and the rifling. Too much distance leads to poor accuracy and too little can either cause excessive pressure or may stick a bullet in the rifling if you eject a loaded round.

Reloading is a fun and cost saving hobby (once you pay for the equipment) and has given me over 25 years of enjoyment. Just remember; while there are items you can buy to save time at the reloading bench, there are no shortcuts when it comes to safety measures.

Like posted above don't forget eye protection. Just found this pic. The small silver dot and the small black dot is an actual primer from a 50bmg. A guy pulled some bullets and powder from several 50bmg cartridges to make bottle openers. While he was cutting a primer ignited and the primer flew out of the primer pocket and into his abdomen. It went in about an inch and curved over another couple inches. It passed through a blue Jean shirt and a pair of overalls. So I could only imagine what a standard primer could do to ones eye.

A few newbie tips that would have helped me when I was starting:

1. Don't get distracted. Load for only one cartridge at a time, e.g., don't have .44 magnum and .44 special going on at the same time. Do not stop in the middle of a session. Get your loading finished and then clear everything away before changing loads or cartridges. Don't watch TV or try to do something else simultaneously. Pay attention to what you're doing and nothing else.

2. Keep your brass clean and dry. When using case lube make sure you wipe it off the brass before shooting. Lubrication in your chamber will cause pressure problems.

3. Adjust your dies properly. Follow the directions, go slow and make small adjustments. I ruined a fair amount of brass over the years trying to rush things.

4. Use a proper box and mark your loads every time. MTM or similar ammo boxes are invaluable. Don't stick your handloads in old factory paper boxes. Get a proper storage box and write down the load including all components, date of loading, what gun you intend to use them in, and any comments after shooting a few. Ammo lasts a long time and you'll be glad you documented things a few years from now when you're wondering what load is in the green box.

5. Follow the manual. Don't try to cook up your own loads until you have more experience. This one should be at the top of the list.

One quick horror story to make sure you pay attention. In the early 80s my friend had a Thompson Center Contender single shot pistol (kind of the forerunner to today's Encore) with a .45-70 barrel. He was loading some ammo and watching Star Trek at the same time. He had his loading manual open to .45-70 and loads for the Ruger No. 1 were on one page, and loads for the 1873 Trapdoor Springfield were on the opposite page. He intended to load about 10 percent below the max for the Trapdoor Springfield, which is a notoriously weak gun. These would have been perfectly safe in his pistol. On the other hand, the Ruger is one of the strongest actions ever designed. Distracted by the TV, you can guess which page he pulled his loading data from. Suffice to say, the Contender is not meant to handle the same pressures as the Ruger No. 1. When he touched it off it the gun turned into a grenade, blowing apart into dozens of pieces. It smashed his hand against the bench, cut his face with shrapnel (thankfully safety glasses were in use), and blew parts across the yard. He could have easily been killed. He found a part of his Leupold scope just a few years ago while doing yard work. It had flown more than 30 yards and been lost in the bushes for over 20 years. He said it was quite the attention getter. I can imagine setting off a bomb in your hand has that effect. He still has to work to overcome a recoil flinch to this day. He wired the pieces to a board and it's still on display in a Colorado gun shop as a don't do lesson.

Not intending to scare you off; loading is a lot of fun. Just make sure you pay attention.

"One quick horror story to make sure you pay attention. In the early 80s my friend had a Thompson Center Contender single shot pistol (kind of the forerunner to today's Encore) with a .45-70 barrel. He was loading some ammo and watching Star Trek at the same time. He had his loading manual open to .45-70 and loads for the Ruger No. 1 were on one page, and loads for the 1873 Trapdoor Springfield were on the opposite page. He intended to load about 10 percent below the max for the Trapdoor Springfield, which is a notoriously weak gun. These would have been perfectly safe in his pistol. On the other hand, the Ruger is one of the strongest actions ever designed. Distracted by the TV, you can guess which page he pulled his loading data from. Suffice to say, the Contender is not meant to handle the same pressures as the Ruger No. 1. When he touched it off it the gun turned into a grenade, blowing apart into dozens of pieces. It smashed his hand against the bench, cut his face with shrapnel (thankfully safety glasses were in use), and blew parts across the yard. He could have easily been killed. He found a part of his Leupold scope just a few years ago while doing yard work. It had flown more than 30 yards and been lost in the bushes for over 20 years. He said it was quite the attention getter. I can imagine setting off a bomb in your hand has that effect. He still has to work to overcome a recoil flinch to this day. He wired the pieces to a board and it's still on display in a Colorado gun shop as a don't do lesson.

Not intending to scare you off; loading is a lot of fun. Just make sure you pay attention." ______________________________________________________

I'm glad someone made this point convincingly.

The best reloaders (both safety & results wise) are anal retentive, analytical, meticulous people, who pay attention.

Lots of people I know drink a beer or two while reloading, multi-task with entertainment, BS with their buddies ("now where was I?"), and just don't give it proper attention.

The first time you come back to the bench & realize you left a powder measure full of powder, and you aren't absolutely sure which powder it is, you will realize the need for a regimented approach and your full attention being applied.

Good luck with it....may you never need it.