The Definitive "New to Reloading" Thread

[ButlerFord45]

At least once every two weeks someone ask for new to reloading advice and the replies depended on the day of the week (who's on line).  If the topic remains up for a full week, the gambit ranges from a Lee Loader to a Dillion 650.  We all understand that what the new reloader intends to do makes a difference, maybe, so lets address the subject with the following stipulations: Want to shoot More, Better, Custom Tailored ammo for Less money (We'll leave the really cheap shooting to the cast bullet forum).  Rules are going to be simple: No bashing, statements like "Lee's junk" don't get it, if you don't like Lee's C press because it isn't strong enough to form 223 brass out of 458s then say so.  Along the same lines a particular brand doesent make it the right one either, Dillion's 550 doesen't auto index which allows the possibility of a double charge.  Comments about how you started, what changes you made and what you'd do if you were going to start over are most welcome!  Feel free to continue as you have time, most of us don't have the time to write a reloading manual in one sitting.

I'm willing to start.  Probably the ONLY time everyone will agree, the first thing needed is 1 good reloading manual.  More will be needed as things progress but to start with, 1 good manual.  Now the differences will begin.   
In my considered opinion, the Lyman (what ever edition is current) is the best place to start.  They don't sell powder, primers or bullets so they have no axes to grind or products to push.  Their "How To" is excellent and easy to understand  They provide a wide selection of bullets, powders and primers for most cartridges to include loading for cast bullets.  I like Richard Lee's new manual but not for a new reloader.  There's a boatload of information in there that I've never seen any where else, but leaves a lot to be desired in it's organization.  Supplemental loading information can be obtained from the individual powder manufacturers web sites.  Bullet manufacturers want to sell you their manual and they are specific to their bullets so we're back to "The best first manual is the current Lyman".

[jhalcott]

  since I started reloading ammo with my grand pop,i do NOT remember what manual I got first.Now I have shelves full of them.Thinking about what you said about bullet makers does make sense. I always look at 2 or 3 manuals to decide on a starting load and Max loads. Sometimes I let the gun tell me "enough".I f we don't help these new guys,they will quit at the 1st snag they run into. We "old guys" can't support the bullet, powder and brass makers on Social Security.So they'll quit too.

[LAH]

I'll take a turn. First I totally agree that the Lyman Manual is THE one to start with. See we can get along.

You narrow the scope when you say: "Want to shoot More, Better, Custom Tailored ammo for Less money." But you make the rules and that's fine.

Since I started my loading life with straight walled  sixgun cartridges I chose a turret press. BTW I had no help nor knew anyone who loaded. I used my press as a turret and not as a 4 hole single station press. Down side 1, I could double charge, 2 the press wasn't really strong enough for full length sizing of bottlenecks like the .22-250 & .30-06. It would however turn out 150 each 38's per hour.

Now that I know how simple loading is I would start over with a Dillon 550. It's the press I suggest for anyone just starting. Many will disagree but that fine. I think the 550 is very simple to operate. No majic here. In fact the 550 is as simple as loading ammo. Progressive if you want, single stage if you want. Did I say it's a simple machine? One of the main factors of being able to shoot more is time. So if it's sixguns, don't consider anything else. Yes I'm ducking as you throw. HEE HEE

When I picked up the rifle habit it was purely for hunting. First groundhogs, then deer. For the amount of ammo I required a RockChucker was purchased. It did all I required. Plenty strong and easy to manage. Downside: The front of the press is in the way when seating the bullet. If starting over with the same objectives I would buy the Redding Ultra Mag, open in the front. It's pretty to.

Since the purpose of this thread isn't a new book I'll hush after this. As I read threads such as this, I find WE tend to overload the new comer so I think we agree again. We say you need this, you need that, be careful, stop stop, don't don't, quit quit, well you know how it goes. I have only a 12 year education with poor reading skills. Yet with NO HELP but for my 45 Edition Lyman Manual I learned to load ammo and cast bullets. When I say no help, I mean no help. I've yet to fire anything dangerous that came from my shop.

What am I trying to say? Loading ammo is very, very simple and we should say so. Anyone one who can read and cut their toenails properly can load ammo. It's much easier than learning to shoot. Please, let's have mercy on the beginner and not make this thing sound so hard. One other thing, I'm no fool and fully understand, as some people should never be allowed to sit behind the wheel of a vehicle, some people should never pull the handle on a press. My two cents. God Bless...........Creeker

[beemanbeme]

I agree with the Lyman book.  And I very much agree with the post that we shouldn't load the newbie up with esoteric "stuff" that may be nice-to-have but really isn't needed in order to load good ammo.  And finally, I think many more folks would be tempted to try our hobby if they knew that they could make ammo that was competitive or superior to store bought for under $100.  They didn't have to risk the kid's college fund for something they might end up not even liking.
And I'm not even gonna get into the "mine cost more so it must be better" BS.   
In the FWIW department, I have been reloading for forty some years.  I have never owned any Lee equipment.  No particular reason.  Last year I bought a Lee challenger press (I think they were on sale) for no reason other than to see how they were made.  Well, it seems pretty tight to me.  And a fellow would have to be a much better shot than me to tell any difference between the ammo I make with with my several other presses and the Lee.   

[stimpylu32]

Dido on the Lyman , i still have and use the one that i started with 25+ years ago , it has a little more duct tape than when i got it tho.

The one thing that every new reloader must have is a good scale , and after getting VERY upset with the Lee that came with my first kit , to the point that i smashed it aginst the far wall of my reloading room .I went out the next day and got a RCBS 5-0-5 and still use it to this day .

 I am a firm beleaver that all new loaders need to start with a single stage press or one that can be used as a single , just for the fact that it makes you do one step at a time amd you learn what each step consists of and what is involved with each step .

Just my ,02 worth

[Lead pot]

The best thing you can do for a newbie is give him straight facts with no BS!!
If you don't know -don't answer or tell him you don't know.
Don't tell him something you read some were on the INTERNET that you don't know is fact.
As far as tools, they all get the job done. I started with a Lyman Ideal.

Kurt

[kyote]

hmm.I heard so much about the lyman book on this forum I bought one.the 48th ed not as impressed as I thought I should have been.and I found that most thier better data was for their cast bullets and the copper bullets were lacking I thought.  I have a host of the older ones (Lyman, when I was casting they were the good to have).to make the statement that it is the best for the 1st time reloader.is not very well thought out in my mind.to say other manuals make loads only for their product is well down right nonsence.lets take sierra for example.you can use the 30-06 infor for nosler bullets. I can load 150gr nosler bullets with the data from the sierra manual and I do.and they fly out my barrels to make itty bitty groups at 100 yards.my nosler manual will load other brand bullets and they shoot fine.heck I even goes as far as using primer they did not test.I think the A- square manual would be a better choice then the lyman.but really any manual will do for the new be.and if they are serious  about their new endevor.they should own more then one.
so are you a lyman rep??
as for bashing other reloading stuff.yea not the place for the newbie reloader.just facts and help.

[LAH]

so are you a lyman rep??

The Lyman was what I started with and if I was to start over, I'd chose it again. It was a used one. Seems to me that the 45th used a lot of Sierra bullets? Never seen an A-square manual. Sounds interesting though.

[quickdtoo]

I found this article to be very helpful in what's needed and what's not...see Tools of the Trade and Tools pages 2 and 3.

Tim

Necessary (and unnecessary) equipment for reloading by Dan Newberry


Updated 7/13/2008

[jack19512]

I am relatively new to reloading myself.  This is just my own personal opinion, when I thought about getting into reloading I took the first steps as most do and started asking questions.  To be honest I didn't think I got real good advice from most of those that replied to my questions simply because most of the respondents answered my questions with replies that fit them instead of me.

I know some might take this the wrong way but it isn't meant to be taken in the way it might sound but it seemed to me the longer someone bragged about being into reloading the worse the info seemed to be meant for me as a beginning reloader.

I think reloading is something that should be eased into for a lot of reasons and not just jumped into with both feet.  I think learning to reload should be a slow process to start with and you should be willing to take your time and accept the idea that reloading is a learning process and that making some mistakes is an important port of learning to reload.

As a newbie to reloading I was totally turned off by those that offered their opinion with such statements like "buy Dillon to start with and not regret it" or "get the best you can afford" etc...etc...

Contrary to a lot of opinions I got I started with the Lee Anniversary kit but in a short time moved up to the Lee 4 hole turret press only because it made it so easy to change to different calibers without having to fool with the dies and adjustment of them.

Me disregarding most of the advice on buying reloading equipment was a good move on my part because I have no regrets on my purchases because they have worked out great for me.  I load some very accurate ammo, I like to take my time and just enjoy the fun of reloading.

I still use every item that came with the Anniversary kit.  I keep my RCBS bullet puller(which I really like) installed in the press that came in the kit and believe it or not contrary to what I have read about from others about the Lee scale I still use it and have no problems with it.

The best advice I could give from one newbie to another would be to just keep it simple and be willing to take it slow and just reload for the fun of reloading.  Then as your skill, knowledge, and desire grow then let your equipment grow with you.   

[LAH]

Jack said: I think learning to reload should be a slow process to start with and you should be willing to take your time and accept the idea that reloading is a learning process and that making some mistakes is an important port of learning to reload.


And I think you said it very well. Equipment purchased should be according to what you need/want. I needed something faster than a single stage so my first was a turret & I'm not sorry.  I would have begain with a 550 if I could do it over and a 550 was available then. Of course the web wasn't around then either and I wonder what advice I'd received if it were?

[Coyote Hunter]

The question of equipment and manuals always arises for prospective new reloaders.  A good mentor, however, can be far more valuable than any manual and the equipment is less important than learning the safety aspects of reloading.

Here are a few random thoughts, in no particular order:

1. Get as much data as you reasonably can.  Hodgdon, IMR, Accurate, Alliant, Winchester and other manufacturers have data online that can be obtained for free.  There is no reason not to have this data.  The Hodgdon Annual Manual has 5,000+ loads, including many that are not available online, and costs about $8.  You should try to have data for the specific bullet you are using as well, usually from the bullet manufacturer.  Gun shows are a good place to find used reloading manuals at costs below those for new manuals, but don’t bother getting manuals that are really old – try to stay with current manuals or manuals that are no more than one edition back.

2. The press is probably the most critical piece of equipment. A progressive is something I only recommend to newbies if they are getting into reloading because they burn a lot of ammo shooting competitively.  For others I recommend a single-stage like the Rock Chucker.  My Rock Chucker was purchased in 1982 and after 10’s of thousands of rounds still works like new. These days I reload for 4 pistol cartridges and 8 rifle cartridges and the Rock chucker does just fine.  A powder dispenser, case trimmer (modified to run off my electric hand drill) and case tumbler (to clean cases and remove sizing lubricant) make life much easier.

3. Safety is critical and should ALWAYS be the primary consideration.  Do not reload if your mind is elsewhere.  In other words, if you are distracted for any reason, on medication (including common cold remedies), have been imbibing in alcoholic drinks or using recreational drugs, have just had a fight with family members, or whatever, DON’T RELOAD.  Go play golf or kick the cat instead.


More later gotta get to work…

[Don Fischer]

Huh! I've got a Lyman mannul but have never used it for anything other than cast bullets. You are really right about information being given to new people. It can get real confussing real quick. Big problem is to much injecting personnel preferiences of one product over another. Or as was said, bashing one product for whatever reason. Some guys, on all sites, seem to bash Lee for a hobbie and I doubt many of them ever used a Lee setup. That is not an endorsement of Lee. The Lee mannual is great, reminds me of an old Herter's catalog! But the information seems accurate.

Imagine if a guy that never reloaded went out and bough a Dillon 650 for his first press. I had one once and never did figure out how to set that thing up. Good press I'm sure but to much for me. I sold mine and never made the first round with it.

[Questor]

Butlerford:

Are you going to edit these posts occasionally so that the results are to the point? It seems to be a bit off track from your original idea.

[THE DOC]

Started with the Speer reloading manual , and so as not to disagree , also got the Lyman , only stated to reload after I had read the " how to do it " instructions 5 or 6 times . First press was a Rockchucker but then whether to get a turret stopped me , the solution was to get 2 more single stage presses and have a production line type set-up . Not everyones solution but its worked for me , now with 5 presses its even easier : which goes to show us Brits are peculiar .

[Graybeard]

This is not a completed work by any means. It's just something I worked up long ago when I "thought" I was gonna write a book but decided I really wasn't in the mood so it's an incompleted work but what's here is I think pretty good info.


Reloading Tips and Hints

THERE ARE OLD RELOADERS AND THERE ARE BOLD RELOADERS BUT THERE ARE NO OLD BOLD RELOADERS!

A good friend called me today (4-13-01) and told me this page was badly out of date. I was reminded that what I’m doing today isn’t really the same as what I was doing when I first wrote this section back about ’96 or ’97 for the first time. I really hadn’t thought too much about it until that call. I visited it today and ya know what, she was right. So I have now revised it to reflect what I’m doing now as opposed to what I was doing back then. Procedure wise I haven’t made a lot of changes since I wrote it but equipment wise I sure have.

The process of reloading one’s empty hulls to create new ammo for firing in your guns has many advantages to recommend it but it can be fraught with danger if you don’t pay close attention to detail and do things correctly. Below are a few tips and hints that I have learned in my over 30 years of reloading to make your efforts a bit safer and the ammo more consistent.

Before you buy your first piece of reloading equipment or the first supplies do yourself the biggest favor you ever can in learning to reload ammo. Buy yourself at least two reloading manuals. No, I didn’t say buy a reloading manual. I said to buy two or better yet more. I think the Lyman Manual has arguably the best reloading data section of all the manuals I own and I own a lot of manuals. Read and understand the data section and reloading how to before you even buy your first equipment and supplies. I feel the minimum number of reloading manuals you should own if you are going to reload ammo consists of the Lyman Manual, the manual by the bullet maker you plan to use most (if you plan to use more than one bullet brand then get the manuals of all you plan to use), and the manual by the maker of the powder you plan to use (if you plan to use more than one brand of powder then get the manuals by all of them). Yes, that is potentially a lot of manuals and yes I do own them and feel you should too. All the powder companies put out free brochure manuals you can get and I recommend you do so. Many of them also have online manuals you can use from your computer. There is no such thing as too many reloading manuals. When the new editions come out buy them. Using old data can get you in trouble. From time to time the manufacturers do change the characteristics of their powders and the only way to know this change has happened it to have new manuals.

Avoid distractions and load only when you are in a good mood and feeling rested. Don’t allow other people especially your wife/husband or children in the loading area while you are reloading. If others are present and talking with you sooner or later you are going to make a mistake that can prove dangerous or even deadly. Once in my early days of reloading before I learned this lesson my wife walked into the reloading room and asked me some question. I was in the process of charging .45 acp cases with Bullseye powder at the time. I was using my Powder Measure to meter the charges into the case. The interruption was enough to allow me to double charge two cases in the loading block. A double charge of Bullseye in a .45 acp case was probably enough to cause the gun to come unglued since I was already using a maximum charge.

This brings up the next tip which I had already learned at the time luckily. After dropping charges into cases in a loading block always tip the block to allow you to peer inside each case in turn using a good light source. If any of the cases don’t look the same then dump the ones that don’t look right and dispense those charges again. How did I learn that trick? I blew up a TC Contender .44 magnum barrel. Yep, I said blew it up. I was loading a mixed lot of brass using a maximum charge of W296 powder. One particular case with an S&W headstamp didn’t look right. It appeared to have too much powder. I dumped the powder and dropped another charge into it. It still didn’t look right so I weighted the powder. The charge was correct. I made the mistake of not throwing that case away right then. I loaded it and fired it later at the range. At the explosion the Pachmayer forend on the TC came off and flew about 20 feet in front of me and the barrel dropped to the open position. The barrel was bulged upward at the screw holes for the rear sight and permanently damaged. To their credit TC replaced that barrel at no charge even after I told them what happened.

That brings us to the next tip. If after you verify that the charge in the case is correct and it still doesn’t look right distort and dispose of the case so it never finds its way onto your reloading bench again. Take a pair of pliers or a vise and mash the mouth closed so you and everyone else who might ever see it knows not to use it.

I use a Hornady Lock-N-Load powder measure to dispense just about all the loads I develop. (Why the Hornady? Because it is as accurate as any I’ve tried and has the available option of the Lock-N-Load Drain Metering Insert which with the push of a button lets you remove your metering insert and install an instant drain insert to empty the powder tube with zero hassle. This feature alone puts it head and shoulders above all the others in my eyes. I also have both the Rifle and Pistol Micrometer Metering Inserts and highly recommend them over the standard metering insert that comes with the measure.) I don’t spend my time weighting powder charges into the brass. The bench rest crowd are satisfied with measured powder charges and so am I. Now some stick powders don’t meter very well throughout some measures and you may have to weight them and trickle the final charge into them. If you must then you must. I don’t even with the coarse stick powders unless I am loading a near maximum charge where a little more might be TOO MUCH more. I haven’t found the small variations that dropping charges from a measure makes a noticeable difference on the target unless you have guns that shoot sub half inch 100 yard groups. If you do then you already know more about reloading than I’m going to tell you here.

When using a measure to dispense powder I always put all my primed hulls into a properly fitted loading block. As I drop the powder charge I count the cases. When I get to the end of a row if the number I’ve counted doesn’t equal the number of cases I know the block holds I stop immediately and see what is wrong. The count continues from row to row until all the cases in the block have been charged with powder and the final count must match the number of hulls in the block. If not, I stop and recheck everything to see what is wrong. These steps can prevent you from double charging or not charging a case and loading it without power. I began the counting procedure after finding a loaded shell that didn’t have powder. I was firing an S&W Model 19 .357 Magnum revolver using relative light charges in .38 special cases and using full wad cutter bullets. So recoil was almost non existent. I had on hearing muffs so the noise was quite muffled. I had the misfire that resulted when only the primer fired with no powder in the case. The bullet was stuck part way into the barrel and froze up the action so it couldn’t cycle to fire the next round. Just think what could have happened if the bullet had gone forward into the barrel and I hadn’t realized it. Not a pretty thought. After that I began to count every time the handle is pulled on the measure and the number has to match the number of cases in the loading block. I also implemented the procedure of peering into the cases to double check that all have one charge and only one charge in them as stated above.

I like RCBS equipment. Their warranty is as good as it gets, as is their product quality. I have damaged RCBS equipment through my own negligence and still they replace it at no charge. What more can you ask of a company? Nowadays however I am moving toward more and more Hornady reloading equipment.  I have sold my tired old RCBS JR press to a new reloader at a cheap price and am now using the Hornady Lock-N-Load Single Stage Press exclusively. I personally could do without the L-N-L feature as I don’t really ever get in a hurry with my reloading but you might find it to be the cat’s meow. It can speed up the time required to change out dies but the down side is the need for an L-N-L insert for each die. If you don’t have them then you save no time. I have probably 30 or more die sets and don’t have enough L-N-L inserts so I use them on some of the most frequently used dies and for the others I just use an insert in the press and screw the other dies in as with a conventional press. You really can have it both ways. One thing I’ve really changed on lately is the dies I use. In the past I almost always bought RCBS dies. When I got my .358 JDJ barrel SSK send Hornady dies. To be honest I was disappointed they weren’t RCBS. But then I used them and low and behold I decided I kinda liked them. The more I used them the more I liked them. The one feature I like most is the bullet seater die. It is easily adjustable without a wrench unlike most as it comes from the factory but if you’ll get the optional MicroJust Seating Stem you have the best seating die I’ve run across. It is my favorite of them all and I hate to seat bullets without it these days.  Now when I get a gun in a caliber that is new to me and I don’t have a set of dies already on hand for it the first thing I do is get on the phone and order me up a set of Hornady dies for it. There are other good companies in the business but I have come to trust and rely on  Hornady and RCBS for most of my reloading equipment above all others. One exception to this is the Lee Auto Prime tool. In my opinion this is the best of the tools available for the job of priming cases. I haven’t put a primer in a case without using the handy little Lee Auto Prime in over 20 years. This one is a keeper folks. Now I’ll admit I haven’t tried the new Hornady or RCBS tools now on the market that do this function similarly to the Lee Tool. To be honest I just don’t like the looks of the RCBS and ain’t gonna try it probably because of it. I don’t like the idea of the strips the primers go in either. I like a tray I can just dump 100 primers in, jiggle them around a bit to get them all correctly oriented and start priming. Now just looking at the photos of the Hornady tool it looks like it just might do this as well as the Lee with the added benefit of not requiring the special shell holders. This one I need to try so I can report on it. Before I leave this subject let me mention a pet peeve of mine and that is the size of the trays primers come in these days. Most of them look like they are trying to prevent shop lifting by making the trays too big to hide and get out of the store. I use and recommend mostly CCI primers because they haven’t fallen for the oversize tray yet. I can easily dump 100 primers from their trays into the Lee Auto Prime tool or any other standard size primer flipper tray without spilling any. Can’t do that with most of the others and Federal is the worst offender. Now I’m not saying one brand of primers is superior to another. Nope I really haven’t noticed any real different in the primers themselves. All are really good. I make my decision on which to buy based on the packaging and what’s available to me locally. I can usually find Winchester everywhere, Federal in some places and CCI in most places. The others are hardly ever seen in my area.

Since I’ve talked about primers lets talk bullets a minute. A long long time ago when I first started reloading there was one and only one place to buy reloading components or equipment locally. Mr. CC Gauldin’s shop was that place. CC carried Hornady bullets, Pacific reloading presses, Remington guns and primers and Hercules (Alliant), Dupont (IMR) and Hodgdon powders. How I ended up with a MEC shotshell press and RCBS centerfire press I don’t even remember but I had to have gone elsewhere to get them. Bullets I always bought there and that meant Hornady as that was all he had. Ya know it wasn’t a handicap at all. They worked! And still do. I’ve probably loaded and shot more Hornady bullets than all other jacketed bullets put together, partly because of that early start and partly because I find them to be competitively priced, accurate and they work when the bullet hits the game. I’ve probably used fewer Speer bullets than any other. Not because there is anything wrong with them but just that hardly anyone locally carries them and so I just don’t see them that often. I sure do like their TNT varmint bullets however. I’ve used a lot of Noslers and still do. I like them a lot too. Sierra bullets are probably second behind Hornady in the number I’ve used. Of them all I can honestly say that when I used a bullet for the job for which the manufacturer intended it to be used I never had what I’d call a bullet failure with any of the brands.

If you are going to reload centerfire ammo you really need to clean the cases. For a more professional look to your loaded ammo you should also polish them. There are several ways to do this. IOSSO makes a kit with a liquid for the purpose for those who deal in real small quantities and don’t want to get a tumbler. If you reload  a lot thought I’d suggest a case tumbler and these days that almost automatically means a vibratory tumbler. I have two I use. The older one is a Midway which is filled with walnut media with red rouge polish. I use it for the initial cleaning and polishing of really dirty cases, especially those fired with cast bullets. The other is a Hornady  which I don’t see in their latest catalog so I’m not sure if it is still in production. In it I have corn cob media without rouge. When I size a case using the spray lube which is the only kind I do use, I then toss it in the Hornady tumbler for the corn cob to remove the lube for me. I end up with good clean cases that look like new and are easier to load and work with.

I’ll add more later but for now I’ll close by saying that as time rolls along I seem to try more new products and often find that I like them even better than some of the old tried and true stuff. Don’t always mean one is better but it does mean that what I’m using today is what I find the most favor with right now. You too will no doubt find your preferences will change from time to time as you try new products or brands.
Reloading Equipment List



What equipment is needed to do your reloading is dependent on the stage you are in your reloading career. A beginner just starting out can get by with a minimum of equipment and still turn out some good quality and usable ammo. But as you progress in your reloading hobby you will find that more and more equipment items become absolutely necessary to your happiness. This listing will take that into consideration and therefore has a first section listing the absolute minimum equipment needed by a beginner and then follow on lists to add as you progress in your loading career. If you are to the stage that you are using straight line arbor presses and bench rest techniques then you are way too far along to need my help and I won’t get into that aspect of reloading. I could probably take a few lessons from you if you are a bench rest shooter.

The beginner’s list:

-Two or more reloading manuals
-Loading bench or somewhere solid to mount press
-Press
-Dies and shell holder
-Scale
-Powder dippers or better a powder measure
-Deburring tool
-Lube pad with lube or better spray lube
-Dial caliper

That is a real bare bones list but it should get anyone started reloading their own ammo. It won’t see you through for long before you want/need to start adding more items but it does contain everything needed to make those first few shells.


After you have been reloading for awhile you are going to find the items in the beginner’s list just don’t answer all your reloading needs. If you are reloading bottle necked cases you will find they tend to grow in length and will need to be trimmed periodically. You will add calibers to the list you load for and will need to add more die sets and shell holders. You will want to speed up the process and to make it easier. When this happens you are ready to move on to the next stage and will then need:


The intermediate list:

-Case trimmer with shell holders and pilots
-Vibratory case cleaner
-Media separation equipment
-Primer pocket cleaning tool
-Case mouth cleaning brushes
-Digital scale—if you didn’t start with one
-Scale check weight set
-Powder trickler
-Stuck case removing tool
-Primer pocket swaging tool---if you use military brass
-Flash hole uniformer
-Primer pocket uniformer
-Powder measure— if you didn’t start with one
-Bins and trays of assorted sizes
-Loading blocks
-Inertia bullet puller
-Data log for reloading records


After getting all of the above items you are a pretty well equipped reloader and should by now have a good bit of reloading experience under your belt. You are now ready to branch out into new areas and expand your reloading knowledge base and experience and are wanting to work up the best and most accurate reloads you can for a multitude of calibers.  Good for you. You are now ready for:

The advanced list:

-Storage cabinet and/or shelves
-RCBS Trim Pro Case Prep Center
-Stoney Point OAL Gauge
-Bullet Comparator
- Power Case Trimmer
-Chronograph
-Ballistics software program
-Progressive reloading press



The above lists aren’t intended to be all encompassing.  There is always another gadget or tool that you’ll see and just can’t live without. Are you ready now to begin making your own bullets? If so most folks start out by casting bullets. To do this you will need the items on:

The bullet caster’s list:

-Melting pot
-Bullet molds and handles
-Lubricator/sizer
-Sizer dies and top punches
-Leather gloves
-Safety glasses or face shield
-Mold knocker
-Ingot mold
-Ladle or spoon to stir the mix
-Flux
-Bullet alloy
-Bullet lube
-Gas checks if bullet requires

[kyote]

Dang! did you type all that GB??thats a lot of work.thanks..

[Graybeard]

Dang! did you type all that GB??thats a lot of work.thanks..

Well yes I did but not at the time of the post. I have it as an MS Word file. As I said I have put together a bunch of stuff that I was going to turn into a book but decided I just really didn't wanna do it. So I have the various files that were to be chapters on my hard drive and from time to time I'll copy and paste some of the info here as folks ask questions that it seems to answer.

[ihuntbucks]

Dang! did you type all that GB??thats a lot of work.thanks..

Well yes I did but not at the time of the post. I have it as an MS Word file. As I said I have put together a bunch of stuff that I was going to turn into a book but decided I just really didn't wanna do it. So I have the various files that were to be chapters on my hard drive and from time to time I'll copy and paste some of the info here as folks ask questions that it seems to answer.

Isn't tech. wonderful? ;DWell done Bill.I salute..........Rick

[Dave Allen]

WOW...what a great thread !! exellent work !! i'll throw in my two 'bits' i have reloaded about a year now..& agree 100% on the lyman manual...i have & read other's i really think the lyman is a must have...good day...

[Buckfever]

I am just starting to get into reloading, before I just looked over the shoulder of a friend.  I found this thread to be very helpful and calming to me.  The questions about what you really need were really addressed very well.  I have 4 reloading manuals I have read and used to speculate about loads and future firearm purchases. I think this thread was a great idea and a wonderful source of information for newbies like me.  Just thought you might want some feedback.  Buckfever

[MnMike]

I think that as a newcomer you should think about what you are doing. Are you commited to reloading or are you trying it out? If you are just trying it out, are you well off?

If you are well off or are commited to reloading, buy the best on the market - I will let the others tell you what that is.

I am a casual reloader with not a lot of bucks. I bought Lee. Some of their stuff is a bit frustrating at times. All of it works for accurate loads.

You can always change some things later.

JMHO mike

[nasem]

I bought a RCBS rockchucker supreme set about 6 months back, but I got so busy with work and what not I never got the chance to actually "learn" how to reload lol.

Its still sitting in my apartment and now I am looking for a local instructor just so he can show me some dos and donts.  Btw Im from the Sterling Heights Michigan area

[jh45gun]

Speaking of Lee's book I like it too for the other info he covers but never use it as a loading guide as he does not cover really any of the powders I use.

[williamlayton]

HOW I DONE IT!!!!
Now this is just me---everbody is different.
When I got kinda interested in this stuff I went to the very beginning of this forum and I read every article I could decipher on equipment. Everbody has an opinion.
I would think I have read almost every piece of material written on this forum about it all before I started.
Then I went to the web and looked at everybody's equipment.
I asked a few questions and got some good thoughts from folks that I respected or felt that they were worthy of it.
This whole process---for me---took a couple of years. I just doan do things quickly. I wanted to be sure I was up to the task.
Now I doan trust inexspensive. Again, just me. I bought what I thought would do the task well. In my case I took GB's advice and got the Hornady L-N-L classic. Do em one at a time. got a GOOD electronic scale. Got good dies.
I may have spent too much money but I will never know and that is how I like it.
Blessings

[LAH]

Very good read William.

A word about the Lyman Manual. I can agree with others that it's not necessarily the best for loading data. The reason I suggest it to the beginner is the "how to load" material is simple and straight forward teaching even me...........Creeker

[BRL]

I tought myself, not knowing anyone who loaded, how to reload on a Lee Pro 1000. I bought it used and found that it was easy to set up, adjust and use. I loaded .45 ACP for about 2 years after that...my last 2 years of college. I sold the press when I graduated from college. 3 years later, I was lucky enough to get a Dillion Square Deal B for Christmas. I was very excited. I set it up that night, went to the gun shop to buy some supplies and loaded 200 rounds of 45 ACP. I think that press is very user friendly too. After a few years, I had to pack up the press due to a move and haven't unpacked it since. That was 7 years ago.

I am at a place in my life now to where I can afford to start loading again...on a regular basis (and shoot more often). However, I don't have a room in the house to use solely as my loading room, nor would my wife like a reloader permantly set up in our living room. My question is, and maybe a lot of beginers have this question too, how do I go about setting up a temporary loading bench? One I can use to load 200 - 300 rounds and then put it away. I was told to set up a permanant bench in my garage. But, I live in S. Florida where humidity is very high. I thought that might negatively effect my loads to where it might be dangerous. I don't know.

I know this wasn't really a Q&A thread, but I thought I would ask this question here as I see there are a lot of usefull information. Any comments?

Thank you!!

[Graybeard]

Mount your reloader securely to a piece of plywood and then C-Clamp it down to a convenient table. It might be a coffee table in the living room or the kitchen table or even a bar if you have one. The size of the plywood will have to be matched to the place you will be clamping it down. Remove it and store in a closet out of the way when not in use. Or if you have a garage set up a small permanent bench there.

[jack19512]

I don't have a room in the house to use solely as my loading room, nor would my wife like a reloader permantly set up in our living room.

I had the same problem.  My wife and I compromised.  She promised she wouldn't say anything about my little reloading bench in the corner of the living room and I promised I wouldn't say anything about her scrapbooking junk, I mean scrapbooking things in our bedroom.   

[BRL]

Thanks for the tips guys. I would rather use a permanent bench in the garage. I think I'll try that and see how it works. I was just concerned with the humidity. But, I'll keep the components inside. It sounds like I shouldn't have a problem there.

Thanks again.