Help please!! I want to learn to reload!!

[Flash]

This thread has gone from giving you advise to personal topics between members  Just as you are inquiring here for information, you'll certainly be doing it again once you reload your first round. This is why it is important to know what you want from the start regarding financial investment, expectations from your ammo, will you load volumes, etc.
Ask yourself as many questions about your individual type of reloading and get a COUPLE good manuals and spend a few weeks reading. One thing to be sure of and this should absolutely not be taken lightly. Since you will be among friends that will be greatly impressed that you reload, the temptation will be great to reload their ammunition. DO NOT DO IT! A mistake can cause serious injury and the liability is tremendous. Since you are a minor, you really should get your parents involved in the process so they can support you.

[kombi1976]

Flash is right on the button. Read and read and read and then and only then begin to reload.

If your friends show an amazing interest in your reloading lend them a manual and encourage them to take it up themselves. If you blow up your own rifle (Heaven forbid!) or worse it's one thing. You don't want to inflict a blunder upon them. You'd never forgive yourself and their legal council wouldn't either.......

In fact, buy a kinetic bullet puller so if you think your own loads are questionable you can unload them. It leaves you with primed brass and no potentially dangerous loads. Remember that in the heat of the moment when you reach into your pocket refill the magazine after an adrenilin-filled period shooting you're hardly going to be concentrating on whether it's a 150gn HP or a 200gn RN, especially at night. One guy was hunting a bear and accidentally put an FMJ in the mag. Surprise, surprise, Yogi got hit but got away, fortunately with a superficial wound and lived to fight another day. And fortunately he didn't charge the knucklehead who shot him.

Also, be careful of your charging your rounds. Ball powder is fairly safe but other types of powder needs to be carefully measured for each round and can be up to 2 grains plus or minus using scoops, very dangerous when you're approaching maximum loads. A powder scale is a much safer bet although it sometimes drives you nuts. Powder throwers are effective and faster and fine mostly but anyone who rushes when reloading is asking for trouble.

No TV!!
No distractions, fully awake and generally relaxed. I find a quiet room with good lighting and a couple of lamps and flashlights (1 big & 1 small) is the best.

By the way, a piece of equipment I've found brilliant is the Lee Autoprime. It takes a lot of the fiddle out of priming & I believe was the original that all the more expensive companies based theirs on (correct me if I'm wrong).

Oh, and Sierra bullets are top value. The Game Kings and Varminters have served me brilliantly since I first realised I would be forced to reload because my only centerfire is a wildcat (.25-303).

Good luck and enjoy.....but most of all play it safe. The hotter loads don't make an animal any deader than the lighter ones. Plus, your shoulder will thank you.