Excellent way to start reloading, I started that way myself in the early 60s with a 30-30. The bottle neck cases don't require any case lube but with the .38 you will need to lube the cases. The Lee case lube works fine and does pure lanolin found in most health food stores. I end up lubing longer case necks like the 30-30 and '06 anyway. Cleans off readily with a paper towel.
A couple other tips;
Get;
One of the larger MTM storage boxes, one with an internal tray, as it will hold all your reloading stuff.
A plastic headed mallet. These are available at most hardware/lumber yards.
Some 0000 steel wool to clean the outside of the neck. A small tuft wrapped around the neck and twisted does a quick job. May also be used with discretion to clean the outside of the cases.
A clean 7 mm cal bore brush on a small pistol rod to clean the inside of the necks. Push it straight in and slightly twist pulling it out. Usually one pass cleans the carbon and debris out pretty well.
A small screw driver to clean the primer pocket but the Lee primer pocket cleaner is inexpensive and works well.
A Lee chamfer tool for chamfering the inside of the case mouth and the outside if necessary. A small knife blade will do also for the inside.
The Lee hand priming tool is almost a must unless you want the be-jesus scared out of you when a primer pops tapping them in. See that you have one so good to go there.
A Lee powder funnel, works much better than pouring through the sizer.
A tapered punch can be used to flair the case mouth if you are loading cast bullets but Lee makes a small tool for a modest cost. If GC'd cast bullets are use I've not encountered any problems. I have encountered some problems with very soft cast plain based bullets. The case neck actuall sizes them.
A loading block to hold the cases that you've put powder into.
Nice, or next to have;
Lee's powder dippers (you already have them).
A good powder scale.
A powder trickler.
At least one good reloading manual. I always suggest Lymans as it covers a lot of cartridges, different bullets and cast bullets also plus a lot of very good reloading information and "how to's".
A dial caliper.
All the above will fit into the MTM box.
Most of the above will also be required when you advance to a single or progressive press.
Larry Gibson
