Reloading: getting started

[davidlt89]

I am gonna post this and see what you guys think. I found this and it was already in order. since I know squat about reloading, please let me know what you think. God bless.
 
Equipment

Manual
First and foremost, make sure you have a good manual to refer too for all your loading inquiries.
 
The basic piece of equipment for handloading is the press. A press is a device that uses compound leverage to push the cases into the dies that perform the loading operations.[4] Presses vary from simple, inexpensive single stage models, to complex progressive models that will eject a loaded cartridge with each pull of a lever, at rates of 10 rounds a minute.

Presses
Presses are often categorized by the letter of the alphabet that they most resemble: "O", "C", and "H". The sturdiest presses, suitable for bullet swaging functions as well as for normal reloading die usage, are of the "O" type. Heavy steel completely encloses the single die on these presses. Equally sturdy presses for all but bullet swaging use often resemble the letter "C". Both steel and aluminum construction are seen with "C" presses. Some users prefer "C" style presses over "O" presses, as there is more room to place bullets into cartridge mouths on "C" presses. Shotshell style presses, intended for non-batch use, for which each shotshell or cartridge is cycled through the dies before commencing onto the next shotshell or cartridge to be reloaded, commonly resemble the letter "H”.
Single stage presses, generally of the "O" or "C" types, are the simplest. They perform one step on one case at a time. When using a single stage press, cases are loaded in batches, one step for each cartridge per batch at a time. Batches are kept small, about 20-50 cases at a time, so that a batch is never left in a partially-completed state, as high humidity and light can degrade the powder. Single stage presses are commonly most used for high-precision rifle cartridge handloading, but may be used for high-precision reloading of all cartridge types, and for working up loads (developing loading recipes) for ultimately manufacturing large numbers of cartridges on a progressive press.
Turret presses, most commonly of the "C" type, are similar to single stage presses, but permit mounting all of the dies for one cartridge (or sometimes two cartridges) simultaneously, with each die being installed and correctly locked in position with lock rings onto the press at the same time. Batch operations are performed similar as to on a single stage press, but to switch dies, the turret is simply rotated, placing another die in position. Although turret presses operate much like single stage presses, they eliminate much of the setup time required in positioning individual dies correctly.
Progressive presses handle several shells at once, with each pull of the lever performing a single step on all the cases at once. Progressive presses hold all the dies needed, plus a powder measure and a primer feed, and often also include an additional station where the powder levels are checked, to prevent over or under charges. Progressive presses also often feature case feeds that will hold hundreds of cases to be loaded, and all the user has to do is hold the bullet in place over the appropriate case mouth, and pull the lever.[5]
Shotshell presses are a special case, and are generally a single unit of the "H" configuration that handles all functions. Shotshell reloading is similar to cartridge reloading, except that instead of a bullet, a wadding and a measure of shot are used, and after loading the shot, the shell is crimped shut. The shotshell loader contains stations to resize the shell, measure powder, load the wad, measure shot, and crimp the shell.[6] Due to the low cost of modern plastic shotshells, and the additional complexity of reloading fired shells, shotshell handloading is not as popular as cartridge hand loading.

 
Dies
 
Dies are generally sold in sets of two or three dies, depending on the shape of the case. A three die set is needed for straight cases, while a two die set is used for bottlenecked cases. The first die of either set performs the sizing and decapping operation. The middle die in a three die set is used to expand the case mouth of straight cases, while in a two die set the entire neck is expanded as the case is extracted from the first die. The last die in the set seats the bullet and may apply a crimp. Special crimping dies are often used to apply a stronger crimp after the bullet is seated.[4] Progressive presses sometimes use an additional "die" to meter powder into the case (though it is arguably not a real die as it does not shape the case).
Standard dies are made from hardened steel, and require that the case be lubricated, for the resizing operation, which requires a large amount of force. Rifle cartridges require lubrication of every case, due to the large amount of force required, while smaller, thinner handgun cartridges can get away with alternating lubricated and unlubricated cases. Carbide dies have a ring of tungsten carbide, which is far harder and slicker than tool steel, and so carbide dies do not require lubrication.
Modern reloading dies are generally standardized with 7/8-14 (or, for the case of .50 BMG dies, with 1-1/4x12) threads and are interchangeable with all common brands of presses, although older dies may use other threads and be press-specific.
Dies for bottle neck cases usually are supplied in sets of at least two dies, though sometimes a third is added for crimping. This is an extra operation and is not needed unless a gun's magazine or action design requires crimped ammunition for safe operation, such as autoloading firearms, where the cycling of the action may push the bullet back in the case, resulting in poor accuracy and increased pressures. Crimping is also sometimes recommended to achieve full velocity for bullets, through increasing pressures so as to make powders burn more efficiently, and for heavy recoiling loads, to prevent bullets from moving under recoil. For FMJ bullets mounted in bottle neck cases, roll crimping is generally not ever used unless a cannelure is present on the bullet, to prevent causing bullet deformation when crimping. Rimless, straight wall cases, on the other hand, require a taper crimp, because they headspace on the case mouth; roll crimping causes headspacing problems on these cartridges. Rimmed, belted, or bottleneck cartridges, however, generally can safely be roll crimped when needed. Three dies are normally supplied for straight walled cases, with an optional fourth die for crimping. Crimps for straight wall cases may be taper crimps, suitable for rimless cartridges used in autoloaders, or roll crimps, which are best for rimmed cartridges such as are used in revolvers.
There are also some specialty dies worth mentioning. Bump dies are designed to move the shoulder of a bottleneck case back just a bit to facilitate chambering. These are frequently used in conjunction with neck dies, as the bump die itself does not manipulate the neck of the case whatsoever. A bump die can be a very useful tool to anyone who owns a fine shooting rifle with a chamber that is cut to minimum headspace dimensions, as the die allows the case to be fitted to this unique chamber.[10] Another die is the "hand die". A hand die has no threads and is operated - as the name suggests - by hand or by use of a hand operated arbor press. Hand dies are available for most popular cartridges, and although available as full-length resizing dies, they are most commonly seen as neck sizing dies. These use an interchangeable insert to size the neck, and these inserts come in .001 steps so that the user can custom fit the neck of the case to his own chamber or have greater control over neck tension on the bullet.

 
Shellholders
A shellholder, generally sold separately, is needed to hold the case in place as it is forced into and out of the dies. The reason shellholders are sold separately is that many cartridges share the same base dimensions, and a single shellholder can service many different cases. Shellholders are also specialized, and will generally only fit a certain make of reloading press, while modern dies are standardized and will fit a wide variety of presses.[4] Different shell holders than used for dies are also required for use with some hand priming tools (e.g., Lee Autoprime tool.)
 
Scale
 
A precision scale is a near necessity for reloading. While it is possible to load using nothing but a powder measure and a weight to volume conversion chart, this greatly limits the precision with which a load can be adjusted, increasing the danger for accidentally overloading cartridges with powder for loads near or at the maximum safe load. With a powder scale, an adjustable powder measure can be calibrated more precisely for the powder in question, and spot checks can be made during loading to make sure that the measure is not drifting. With a powder trickler, a charge can be measured directly into the scale, giving the most accurate measure.
A scale also allows bullets and cases to be sorted by weight, which can increase consistency further. Sorting bullets by weight has obvious benefits, as each set of matched bullets will perform more consistently. Sorting cases by weight is done to group cases by case wall thickness, and match cases with similar interior volumes. Military cases, for example, tend to be thicker, while cases that have been reloaded numerous times will have thinner walls due to brass flowing forward under firing, and excess case length being later trimmed from the case mouth.

 
Priming tool
 
Single stage presses often do not provide an easy way to prime cases. Various add-on tools can be used for priming the case on the down-stroke, or a separate tool can be used. Since cases loaded with a single stage press are done in steps, with the die being changed between steps, a purpose made priming tool is often faster than trying to integrate a priming step to a press step. A purpose made tool is also often more consistent than a model that fits on a single stage press, resulting in a more consistent primer seating depth.

 
 
Powder measure
 
Beginning reloading kits often include a weight to volume conversion chart for a selection of common powders, and a set of powder volume measures graduated in small increments. By adding the various measures of powder a desired charge can be measured out with a safe degree of accuracy. However, since multiple measures of powder are often needed, and since powder lots may vary slightly in density, a scale accurate to 0.10 grain (6.5 mg) is desirable.

 
Bullet puller
 
Like any complex process, mistakes in handloading are easy to make. A bullet puller allows the handloader to disassemble mistakes. Most pullers use inertia to pull the bullet; they are shaped like hammers, and the case is locked in place inside. A sharp blow on a hard surface will suddenly stop the case, and the inertia of the heavy bullet will pull it free of the case in a few blows, trapping the powder and bullet in the body of the puller. Collet type pullers are also available, which use a caliber-specific clamp to grip the bullet, while the loading press is used to pull the case downwards. It is essential that the collet be a good match for the bullet diameter, because a poor match can result in significant deformation of the bullet.
Bullet pullers are also used to disassemble loaded ammunition of questionable provenance or undesirable configuration, so that the components can be salvaged for re-use. Surplus military ammunition is often pulled for components, particularly the cartridge cases, which are often difficult to obtain for older foreign military rifles. Military ammunition is often tightly sealed, to make it resistant to water and rough handling, such as in machine gun feeding mechanisms. In this case, the seal between the bullet and cartridge can prevent the bullet puller from functioning. Pushing the bullet into the case slightly with a seating die will break the seal, and allow the bullet to be pulled.
Primers are a more problematic issue. If a primer is not seated deeply enough, the cartridge (if loaded) can be pulled, and the primer re-seated with the seating tool. Primers that must be removed are frequently deactivated first—either firing the primed case in the appropriate firearm, or soaking in penetrating oil, which penetrates the water resistant coatings in the primer.
Components pulled from loaded cartridges should be reused with care. Unknown or potentially contaminated powders, contaminated primers, and bullets that are damaged or incorrectly sized can all cause dangerous conditions upon firing.

 
Case trimmer
 
Cases, especially bottleneck cases, will stretch upon firing. How much stretch is based on load pressure, cartridge design, chamber size, and other variables. Periodically cases need to be trimmed to bring them back into proper specifications. Most reloading manuals list both a trim size and a max length. Long cases can create a safety hazard through improper headspace and possible increased pressure.
Several kinds of case trimmers are available. Die-based trimmers have an open top, and allow the case to be trimmed with a file during the loading process. Manual trimmers usually have a base that has a shellholder at one end and a cutting bit at the opposite end, with a locking mechanism to hold the case tight and in alignment with the axis of the cutter, similar to a small lathe. Typically the devices is cranked by hand, but sometimes they have attachments to allow the use of a drill or powered screwdriver. Powered case trimmers are also available. They usually consist of a motor (electric drills are sometimes used) and special dies or fittings that hold the case to be trimmed at the appropriate length, letting the motor do the work of trimming.

 
Primer pocket tools
Primer pocket cleaning tools are used to remove residual combustion debris remaining in the primer pocket; both brush designs and single blade designs are commonly used. Dirty primer pockets can prevent setting primers at, or below, the cartridge head. Primer pocket reamers or swagers are used to remove military crimps in primer pockets.
Primer pocket uniformer tools are used to achieve a uniform primer pocket depth. These are small endmills with a fixed depth-spacing ring attached, and are mounted either in a handle for use as a handtool, or are sometimes mounted in a battery-operated screwdriver. Some commercial cartridges (notably Sellier & Bellot) use large rifle primers that are thinner than the SAAMI standards common in the United States, and will not permit seating a Boxer primer manufactured to U.S. standards; the use of a primer pocket uniformer tool on such brass avoids setting Boxer primers high when reloading, which would be a safety issue. Two sizes of primer pocket uniformer tools exist, the larger one is for large rifle (0.130" nominal depth) primer pockets and the smaller one is used for uniforming small rifle/pistol primer pockets.
Flash hole uniforming tools are used to remove any burrs, which are residual brass remaining from the manufacturing punching operation used in creating flash holes. These tools resemble primer pocket uniformer tools, except being thinner, and commonly include deburring, chamfering, and uniforming functions. The purpose of these tools is to achieve a more equal distribution of flame from the primer to ignite the powder charge, resulting in consistent ignition from case to case.
 
 
Materials required
 
 
The following materials are needed for handloading ammunition:
 
*Cases or shotshell hulls. For shotshells, plastic or paper cases can be reloaded, though plastic is more durable. Steel and aluminum cases do not have the correct qualities for reloading, so a brass case is essential (although nickel plated brass cases, while not as reformable as plain brass, can also be reloaded)
 
*Smokeless powder of an appropriate type. Generally, handgun cartridges and shotshells use faster powders, rifle cartridges use slower powder. Powder is generally of the "smokeless" type in modern cartridges, although on occasion the older "black" powder more commonly known as "gunpowder" may be used.
 
*Bullets, or shot and wads for shotshells.
 
*Primers
 
Case lubricant may also be needed, depending on the dies used.
 
Reloading process
 
The operations performed when handloading are:
 
-Case cleaning (optional, recommended for fired cases)
 
-Case inspection (Look for cracks or other defects, and discard visibly imperfect cases. Bent case mouths may be repaired during resizing.)
 
-Lubricate cases (Carbide dies do not require lubrication.)
 
-Size/Resize the case (For previously fired cases, primer is pressed out in this step with most die sets.)
 
-Ream or swage crimp from primer pocket (reloading military cases only), or mill the primer pocket depth using a primer pocket uniformer tool
 
-Measure and trim the case length (as needed; rarely required with handgun cases)
 
-Deburr, ream case mouth and size case neck (optional, as-needed; trimmed cases need to be deburred); some bench rest shooters also do outside neck turning at this stage, to make the cartridge case have uniform thickness so that the bullet will be released with the most uniformity
 
-Clean primer pocket (optional; primer pockets will have deposits from combustion) and do flash hole uniforming (optional, generally, only bench rest shooters do this)
 
-Expand or chamfer case mouth (not required with boattail rifle bullets)
 
-Clean the lubricant from the cases
 
-Seat a new primer (primer pockets often become loose after multiple loadings; a lack of effort being required to seat new primers indicates a loose primer pocket; cases with loose primer pockets are usually discarded, after crushing the case to prevent its reuse)
 
-Add a measured amount of powder (critical step; incorrect powder charges are extremely dangerous, both underweight as well as overweight)
 
-Seat the bullet in the case for the correct cartridge overall length (OAL) and for aligning bullet cannelure (if present) with case mouth
 
-Crimp the bullet in place (optional; some may hold the bullet with neck tension alone)
 
-Cartridge inspection
 
 
When previously-fired cases are used, they must be inspected before loading. Cases that are dirty or tarnished are often polished in a tumbler to remove oxidation and allow easier inspection of the case. Cleaning in a tumbler will also clean the interior of cases, which is often considered important for handloading high-precision target rounds. Cracked necks, non-reloadable cases (steel, aluminum, or Berdan primed cases), and signs of head separation are all reasons to reject a case. Cases are measured for length, and any that are over the recommended length are trimmed down to the minimum length. Competition shooters will also sort cases by brand and weight to ensure consistency.
Removal of the primer, called decapping, is usually done with a die containing a steel pin that punches out the primer. Berdan primed cases require a different technique, either a hydraulic ram or a hook that punctures the case and levers it out from the bottom. Military cases have crimped-in primers, and decapping leaves a slight ridge that inhibits seating a new primer. A reamer or a swage is used to remove this crimp.
When a cartridge is fired, the internal pressure expands the case to fit the chamber in a process called obturation. To allow ease of chambering the cartridge when it is reloaded, the case is swaged back to size. Competition shooters, using bolt action rifles which are capable of camming a tight case into place, often resize only the neck of the cartridge, called neck sizing, as opposed to the normal full length resizing process. Neck sizing is only useful for cartridges to be re-fired in the same firearm, as the brass may be slightly oversized in some dimensions for other chambers, but the precise fit of case to chamber will allow greater consistency and therefore greater potential accuracy. Some believe that neck sizing will permit a larger number of reloads with a given case in contrast to full size resizing, although this is controversial. Semi-automatic rifles and rifles with SAAMI minimum chamber dimensions often require a special small base resizing die, that sizes further down the case than normal dies, and allows for more reliable feeding.
Once the case is sized down, the inside of the neck of the case will actually be slightly smaller than the bullet diameter. To allow the bullet to be seated, the end of the neck is slightly expanded to allow the bullet to start into the case. Boattailed bullets need very little expansion, while unjacketed lead bullets require more expansion to prevent shaving of lead when the bullet is seated.
 
Large Rifle primersPriming the case is the most dangerous step of the loading process, since the primers are pressure sensitive. The use of safety glasses or goggles during priming operations can provide valuable protection in the rare event that an accidental detonation takes place. Seating a Boxer primer not only places the primer in the case, it also seats the anvil of the primer down onto the priming compound, in effect arming the primer. A correctly seated primer will sit slightly below the surface of the case. A primer that protrudes from the case may cause a number of problems, including what is known as a slam fire which is the firing of a case before the action is properly locked when chambering a round. This may either damage the gun, and/or injure the shooter. A protruding primer will also tend to hang when feeding, and the anvil will not be seated correctly so the primer may not fire when hit by the firing pin. Primer pockets may need to be cleaned with a primer pocket brush to remove deposits that prevent the primer from being properly seated. Berdan primers must also be seated carefully, and since the anvil is part of the case, the anvil must be inspected before the primer is seated. For reloading cartridges intended for use in military-surplus firearms, rifles especially, "hard" primers are most commonly used instead of commercial "soft" primers. The use of "hard" primers avoids slamfires when loading finished cartridges in the military-surplus firearm. Such primers are available to handloaders commercially.
The quantity of gunpowder is specified by weight, but almost always measured by volume, especially in larger scale operations. A powder scale is needed to determine the correct mass thrown by the powder measure, as loads are specified with a precision of 0.10 grain (6.5 mg). One grain is 1/7000 of a pound. Competition shooters will generally throw a slightly underweight charge, and use a powder trickler to add few granules of powder at a time to the charge to bring it to the exact weight desired for maximum consistency. Special care is needed when charging large capacity cases with fast burning, low volume powders. In this instance, it is possible to put two charges of powder in a case without overflowing the case, which can lead to dangerously high pressures and a significant chance of bursting the chamber of the firearm. Non-magnum revolver cartridges are the easiest to do this with, as they generally have relatively large cases, and tend to perform well with small charges of fast powders. Some powders meter (measure by volume) better than others due to the shape of each granule. When using volume to meter each charge, it is important to regularly check the charge weight on a scale throughout the process.
Competition shooters also often sort bullets by weight, often down to 0.10 grain (6.5 mg) increments. The bullet is placed in the case mouth by hand, and then seated with the press. At this point, the expanded case mouth is also sized back down. A crimp can optionally be added, either by the seating die or with a separate die. Taper crimps are used for cases that are held in the chamber by the case mouth, while roll crimps may be used for cases that headspace on a rim or on the cartridge neck. Roll crimps hold the bullet far more securely, and are preferred in situations, such as magnum revolvers, where recoil velocities are significant. A tight crimp also helps to delay the start of the bullet's motion, which can increase chamber pressures, and help develop full power from slower burning powders.

[davidlt89]

I will edit the case trimmer picture and take the scale out!!!!

[22hornet]

Where did you find this? Was it on THL?

[gitano]

Great stuff David! Just what I was thinking about. I've been busier than a one-armed-paper-hanger every since this site got started, so I haven't been able to do any editing so far. I think I can get to everything today. (God willin' and the creek don't rise...)
 
Paul

[davidlt89]

Where did you find this? Was it on THL?

Glad you asked 22. I did not get this format from THL. I searched the reloading forums but there were only "bits and pieces" of getting started and some stuff would have had to have been added anyway. Lots of questions on "what press to get", etc.. I know nothing about reloading so I looked at it from my view. What information would I need to "get started". I pulled this from wikipedia since it was all formatted with pictures. Now it can be edited if needed. Anyone, even yourself can make suggestions at anytime about any of the info posted here. In fact, I believe there was a post encouraging people to do so if they wanted. If I remember correctly, you are a reloader and may have something to offer or can tell me something to change, if you so desire.
This would probably just be a small piece of the "reloading" reference part of the library. This thread will inform people of what they need as far as equipment and may take them through the process of reloading a shell. they are many other things to be covered, especially in advanced reloading. eventually things like "accuaracy tips" or "load tuning" can be covered. Subjects like those are definately in the archives of THL somewhere. RJ did a post on reloading safety with some good tips on storing powder and primers, could maybe have a section for just "Reloading safety tips". there is also alot of experience on what works best in the archives, it is just going to take some time to find it.

Great stuff David!

Thank you. God Bless.[/SIZE]

[recoil junky]

Great stuff david!!

Don't forget the:

COAX  type press ie Forster. I can add a picture of my Forster COAX if'n you want. I'd have to take another that has less mess behind it

Collet type dies (Lee)

Collet type bullet pullers which are much safer than the old hammer  type.

Um, there was something else but on 4 hours of sleep I forgot.

RJ

[recoil junky]

Oh yeah, do you want to add a picture of a turret press? and the Lee load all and Lyman's "tong tool"?

RJ

[davidlt89]

Rj,
  I think as many different pictures of different things would be a good idea. A good example of that is dies and the different types. same with presses etc... you have a lot more experience reloading than I, or should I say you at least have some experience! I put the post there to add or take away, so feel free to add if you feel like it. I find pictures very helpful when it comes to that stuff.  God Bless.

[gitano]

This raises a question that we might as well deal with right now.
 
"Different strokes for different folks."
 
I have been thinking about this because I knew it would come up pretty quick in the "Reloading" subject.
 
I THINK the way to deal with it is to find a MINIMAL set of reloading tools for the new reloader that we can all agree on. (Even that is not so simply 'corraled', so....)
 
Let me start a definition of a "beginning reloader".
 
Could be a kid old enough to do it on his/her own, or a fellow that has been hunting/shooting for some years, and now wants to start 'rolling his own'.
 
(That was the easy part.)
 
What he/she is NOT, is someone ready to "invest" in reloading. In other words, their primary reason for reloading is reduced cost of shooting, with a close second being interest in hopefully improving on "factory accuracy". They basically want the minimum amount of equipment necessary to reload cheap, consistent ammo.
 
While I started out with a Lee Load-ALL, it is not what I would today recommend to the beginning reloader unless money was a SERIOUS issue. Lee Load-ALLs do a GREAT job of producing VERY good ammo, but they're tedious and don't teach as much about reloading as a BASIC bench press does. Another inexpensive press (~ $20) is Lee's "hand press". I LOVE these things, but for specialty activities, not 'general reloading'.
 
Dies - There are some VERY good dies out there, and MANY of them require a 'co-signer' to afford. There are also all sorts of specialty dies, starting with neck-sizers, going up through "benchrest" and "small-base" dies, all the way to custom dies. I think the "beginning reloader" (as defined above) need only concern themself with a "regular" set of dies. No neck sizers to start with. The least expensive dies on the market are Lee dies. And the fact of the matter is, they reload cartridges just as accurate as the really expensive ones. "Accuracy" has a WHOLE lot more to do with the rifle and the "nut behind the butt" than it does with dies.
 
Since the lawyers got hold of the shooting industry, they scared the manufacturers into thinking that they couldn't make an automatic primer like I have on my "old" RCBS presses. That being the case, I THINK the least expensive "hand primer" is again Lee's. (Really guys, I'm not a Lee salesman. You just can't get around the quality for price of many of Lee's products.) Whatever hand-primer we choose, it should be an inexpensive one unless there are KNOWN problems with it. (I don't know of any with any "problems".)
 
Scales - Personally, I'm not big on digital scales even though I use one exclusively for my reloading. It cost $1200 new, and I can weigh a single granule of pwder with it. I got it at auction for $50. The digital scales I've seen for the reloader are not ones I would use. I have my original balance beam scale that I got when I was 16, and I use it to calibrate my $1200 digital one. I THINK the balance beam types are not much less expensive than the digital ones these days so I won't argue the scale matter, but let's "keep it simple".
 
Powder dispensers - Unnecessary. I reloaded for almost 40 years before I ever got one, and I bought that one at a "gun show" for $10. I never use it. Many of Lee's die sets come not only with shell holders, but powder dippers too. One of them will work for ALL cartridges. However, I wouldn't "object" to us recommending a set of Lee's powder dippers.
 
A lube pad to lube the cases before resizing. I don't like sprays for beginners. I think a pad (RCBS's this time) are the best for beginners, but let's hear it if there are other better ones.
 
A loading block/tray is nice, but not necessary. I prefer MTM's. They hold the most variety of cases in a single tray. They're cheap, so I'd say include one in our "package".
 
Not much more to the basics that I can see.
 
I'm not trying to "force" this perspective on our "package", rather I'm trying to keep our focus narrowed so we can actually get something done. I'm open to modifications of the above general ideas. Let's just keep our eye on the prize.
 
I fully intend to extend the "Reloading" reference library to include a great deal of the "esoterica" we have all come to love over a long period of reloading. I submit that there will be plenty of time to explore those trails. Let's get the "begining reloader" begun by keeping it simple.
 
Let's put a package together, naming specific products and listing URL links to places to get them.
 
Finally, the package may not quite fit our foreign friends. For those beginners, let's take the suggested mods and make a kit for them.
 
Paul
 
Oops, forgot a funnel.

[22hornet]

Why not make this reference into 3 parts.

1) Starting out reloading, include Lee Loader, small presses like the RCBS partner or Lee and some of the basic gear you need to get started and do the job safely.

2) Nice to have when relaoding, all the things that can make reloading more comfortable.

3) Advanced reloading, thats not where I am at so I'll leave it up to you guys.....

[22hornet]

Why don't my posts show up on this thread?

[Alboy]

Went to the Lee site and this kit has everything mentioned plus the powder thrower, which I also agree I use rarely anymore but did do fine for pistol work for years.
 
If nothing else it does very well for a shopping list for the beginner on a budget trying to buy used, although I would suggest buying new for the first time novice, unless aided by an experienced reloader.
 
Not in the kit but still needed
Lube pad, large ink pads from office supply stores will work
Bullets
Primers
Powder
Dies, recommend Lee as they come with pamphlet of how to, powder charges and a dipper
Brass, most beginners get their brass from firing factory loads.

Not essential but highly recommended
Current reloading manual
Shell tray, the box and shell holder from factory ammo purchase will also work fine.

 
LEE 50th Anniversary Kit
Breech Lock Challenger Press
Powder Measure, included but not essential
Lee Safety Scale
Powder Funnel
cutter and lock stud to trim your cases.
Lee chamfer tool
tube of premium sizing lube
small and large primer pocket-cleaning tool
Large and small Safety Prime
 
 
 

Pictured above: Lee 50th Anniversary KitPictured above: Breech Lock Quick Change Bushing

[recoil junky]

Right, for the beginner simple IS better, I was just thinking of show some of the different presses available? Maybe we should "save" that for another topic.

I think the mention of the basic kits by different manufacturers is important, if for nothing else for the purpose of comparison. Most of the kits can be had very reasonably and you do get a few things extra. And most are available or should be to the world wide reloader.

Lee's Auto prime +10. An inexpensive tool that is a great timesaver. I have two!

I'm not keen on electronic powder dispensers either but I had the privilege to "learn" reloading by using a Lyman #55 powder measure and I use the heck out of it. Again maybe something for another topic. A beam type scale is the easiest to operate and very easy to check it's accuracy.

Dies, what Paul said.

Lube pad, essential and RCBS has a good one. Also RCBS's water soluble sizing lube.

Loading blocks, most of mine are home made but I do have a few store boughts, but the handiest? Those plastic ammo gizmawickies that that pistol ammo comes in?  9mm ones fit .223's and such size cases, 45ACP's fit 308, 30-06 and the like. The best part is they are self cleaning if'n your funnel happens to miss the case mouth. Yup, 'perience talking there

RJ

[gitano]

Awright! We're gettin' somewhere!
 
Who's gonna put this "THL Begginer's Reloading Kit" together?
 
One of you guys forge the path, (put together the hardware and some text to go with it), the rest of us will 'review and recommend', and PDQ we'll have something we can hang our hats on.
 
Paul

[davidlt89]

Awright! We're gettin' somewhere!

oh yes!!!!!!! I think the nail has been hit on the head!!! the kits were the first thing I started looking at!!!!! Frankly because it was cheaper than putting pieces together and a person knows they have all the pieces to get started.  should be easy to list the kits and give some text. the brand names I know are hornady, lee, RCBS, and lyman. Am I missing any? I will start trying to get some info on this and have it up here by sunday. I have two basketball games to cover in the next two days and CEU's to do friday night. hopefully saturday I can get the info together. God Bless.

[Daryl (deceased)]

There's one piece of "equipment" that your list is missing, David.
 
The Reloading Manual.
 
At least one should be required reading for every beginning handloader.
 
As a note:
 
This is all good information, and "creating" stuff that either doesn't exist, or can't be found, yet still needs to be "said" is part of this, but lets not overlook the assets that THL contains.  When one or a few people "create" the information, rather than "finding it", we lose the benefit of the vast collective knowledge of THL.
 
In my opinion, we should probably be searching for info first, then moving it here, editing it to "separate the wheat from the chaff" (posts that just say "good information" or some such aren't needed for reference purposes), and THEN filling in any blanks.
 
As I said, it's all good information, but be careful to not overlook the collective knowledge that THL contains.
 
I was up early this morning, as usual, and spent some time moving some of Jay's "cartridge series" threads here, and eventually decided we needed a sub-forum just for those.  A search brought up at least 6 pages of them, and they'll need some editing and condensing as well.
 
I've moved a couple of pages so far, with at least 4 to go, and unfortunately, moving them here is the easy part!
 
Daryl

[sakorick]

I would vote on the Sierra reloading manual for a number of reasons. Sierra lists all the powder makers and seems unbiased in that regard. Every year Midway has closeout prices on "old" edition manuals. Sierra does a great job of keeping up with the new cartridges. Finally, once you own the 3 ring binder, updates are easy to insert. I own at least one of all the others but routinely cross reference with the Sierra manual. Epay usually has the 5th edition on auction that typically cost about 15 dollars plus shipping. Regards, Rick.

[davidlt89]

As I said, it's all good information, but be careful to not overlook the collective knowledge that THL contains.

Daryl, please don't overlook my intentions. I know our priority is to gather the info already on THL. I "looked" and there really is not anything to "piece" together on getting started on reloading. Plus I figured tips on getting started was pretty straight forward. not much "expertise" needed there. There is however loads of info on THL with experience on "how" to do certain things and I will be pulling that! It is pretty much the same thing with archery. there are a 196 archery threads, there really is not one or a anything in any of them that explains what a "compound" bow is. there are many recommendations for certain brands, but I did not see anything describing the difference between single cam versus double cam, what let off is, Carbon arrows versus aluminum, etc... jay has a post on making arrows and a couple things on how you can make your own long bow. We may have to retrieve that info somewhere and edit it with the "expertise" on THL. God Bless.

[gitano]

David - Where did the images go for this thread?

Paul

[davidlt89]

I don't know! will get them back soon! God Bless.