Want to start reloading my own rounds

[ThirdCoastStroker]

I need some info from you guys that do your own reloading, I have never done it before so take it easy on me if I dont understand

I need to know what all equipment I will need. Im not looking to get top of the line reloaders, plain old inexpensive hand loading is what I want to do, just as a hobby. Mostly I will be reloading 9mm, .40, 7mm mag, .243, .223, .308

thanks in advance for the help.

 

[cleric]

Hit up ultimate reloader.com watch some of the videos, to get an idea what's involved

 

[Mikewood]

I would start with a kit like the RCBS rock chucker universal single stage kit.
Then buy a die set and a shell plate for each cartridge you want to load.
Buy bullets, powder and primers. That's a good start. You will need a lot more stuff later.
A good press will have a good reloading manual free but many folks swear by the Lyman manual.
Pick a good die manufacture and stay with it as some parts interchange and you can sometimes rob a part from one die for another.

Buy a kinetic bullet puller and use it anytime you feel a cartridge might not be 100%.

 

[Younggun]

I have a feeling you will soon be drowning in information, take a deep breath. +1 on the kit

 

[jfrey]

If you want to start with just the basics, Lee has two kits that would serve you well. Both kits have the basic equipment you need to get started loading good quality ammo. The next thing is to get some dies in the calibers you want to load, some bullets, primers and powder for the pistol calibers and a different one for the rifle loads.

Once you get started, you will find a few other items you just can't live without. You will get a tumbler to clean the brass, a good caliper, a couple of different powders to experiment with, different weight and configuration of bullets for the pistol loads. You will also find out that the more you load the more you shoot. Reloading is a very interesting hobby. Pick up all the range brass you can find and buy in bulk when ever possible. Your LGS is the best place to buy primers and powder due to the surcharge by UPS on shipping these things.

 

[RandomHero]

lee classic loader is an ultra basic reloading kit. youtube it and you will see it in action. i think its $24 at midway.

 

[jbcalhoun]

+2 on the RCBS kit as it is heavy duty and will last you a lifetime. You can't go wrong with any RCBS pieces.

Brad

 

[Deavis]

I'd start in this order

1) A couple of reloading manuals (Lyman, Hornady, Sierra, whoever)
2) Read them and then determine if you actually want to load your own pistol and rifle
3) Purchase a kit based on what you want to load, pistol get a turret at a minimum, rifle get a single stage (RCBS or Hornady)

Loading 9mm and 40 on a single stage is torture, unless you enjoy punishing yourself you need to consider that. Of the rifle calibers you list, two of them are normally higher volume (223 and 308), single stage loading and all that trimming to make enough to have a good shoot is painful as well. If you are just shooting 25 rounds or so a session, fine, but you shouldn't start out handicapping yourself with only a cheap single stage if you intend to load a significant amount of ammo.

 

[Mikewood]

You might also get on the midway sight or nachez and see how much primers, bullets and powder run per say 1000 rounds vs new cartridges. You might break even on pistol not counting your time but do much better on rifle. For instance $25.00 for 20 premium rifle cartridges is $1250 per 1000. You can load for much less than that.

 

[shortround]

Ask a local reloader in your area if you could watch him assemble his rounds.

Spend no money until you know all that is involved.

 

[ThirdCoastStroker]

Thanks for the advice all, short that's not a bad idea I think I know someone that loads their own rounds

 

[medalguy]

I'd suggest reading a whole lot before spending anything. The ABC's of Reloading is a good book to start off with since it will explain every aspect of reloading. You need several reloading manuals too, but decide what you want to reload, and buy the manuals published by the manufacturer of bullets you think you want to use. For example, if you want to use Hornady bullets, the Lyman manual won't have data for that same bullet. They publish their own bullet data. Make sense? Don't start spending money until you know what you need and why you need it.

Oh yeah, don't rely on ANY reloading data you pick up on the internet without first verifying the data in at least one manual. It's too easy to hit a wrong key when typing in numbers, and you don't want to use 48.9 grains of powder when it should really be 28.9 grains.

 

[deemus]

Ditto on the reading, lots of it. There is alot to doing reloading safely.

I use a Lee 4 turret press. Its about as inexpensive as it gets, and I am extremely happy with my results. I've used Lee for close to 20 years.

With the turret press, you can buy a turret plate for each caliber you load. This allows you to not have to change plates when moving from caliber to caliber. Which means you don't have to adjust your dies each time you load. This is HUGE.

Good luck, and don't be afraid to ask questions. There are NO stupid questions. Have fun!

 

[piledriver]

+ on the reading of the manuals. There are lot's of safety issues you should know before you even try to load your first round. Don't be afraid to ask questions after reading the manuals.

It would be better to start on a single stage press and then move to a progressive press. You can always use a single stage so why not have one.

As far as saving money? I've been at it for about 23 years and still buy new must have components. I like to reload because it gives the freedom to do what I want. Good luck and be safe.

 

[Deavis]

Also, check to see if there are any NRA courses offered in your area or a gun club that might have a class. Those can be really informative and if you are ever near Austin, I'd be happy to help out.

 

[Bacon]

Ask a local reloader in your area if you could watch him assemble his rounds.

Spend no money until you know all that is involved.

Good info here.
Luckily I enjoy doing it as a hobby. If I was doing it just to make ammo to shoot it wouldn't be worth the time or money

 

[Army 1911]

Manuals are the place to start. Lyman's, the ABCs of Reloading, Modern Reloading by Richard Lee,

 

[ROGER4314]

+1 on the RCBS Rockchucker. I've had mine for decades and it's still as functional as when it was new. I've had three multistage presses and they are NOT for beginners! Learn your craft on a single stage press and graduate to a multistage press later.

The guys told you right but I'd like to add something. Be careful about what cartridges you reload. 9mm is so cheap that it makes little sense to reload it. I loaded .223 while I shot competition but shoot store bought ammo now. 7.62x39 is the same way. It's so cheap that you can buy it ready made much easier.

Some calibers that will really pay off reloading are .308, 30-06 and any of the large rifle rounds. My .308 reload rounds chronographed 15 feet/second ES (extreme spread) between rounds. That is absolutely terrific and you won't find that in factory ammo! Shooting rounds of that quality at cans and bottles is crazy so use a little common sense in your reloading and shooting activities. Another foolish move is to use match pistol bullets for 7-10 yard shooting. Geeze, what a waste!

Flash

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Like Flash said, start with your more expensive rounds. Move down to the progressively cheaper rounds until you feel the return is right for you.

You can still save money with 9mm. I can find practice 9mm ammo at $0.18-$0.20 per round, while I just priced out component deals this week that would get it to $0.11/round for lead and $0.13/round for FMJ if I reloaded it myself.

Whether or not the savings justify your time is a personal choice.

 

[ROGER4314]

Whether or not the savings justify your time is a personal choice.

Well said! When I shot a lot of pistol ammo, I had one Dillon RL450 progressive loader set up for 38/357 mag and another identical one set up for 45 acp. I could reload a pistol round super cheap with cast bullets and shot them by the bucket load. You can save 5 cents on a 9mm round. If you have a wife or kids that need you, a nickle per round is a lousy savings when your time invested is included as a cost.

Hurricane IKE put me out of the reloading end of shooting but as soon as I get help, I'll move some stuff out into the barn and set the presses up again. Until then, I buy my ammo at WW (or our terrific sponsor Copes!).

Flash