Hey y'all I'm new

[TaylorS]

Hi everyone I'm taylor been shooting for long as I can remember but I'm working on gettin into hand loading haven't bought anything besides a Manuel yet seems like there's so much to sift through so I don't have a bench full of **** I don't use, neways time for me to get back to sifting

[shooterbob]

Welcome Taylor, this is a good place.to learn. Remember to read all the info in the manual, not just the load data. The keys to reloading are safety first and fun second. There's a lot of info that's important that a lot of new loaders skip. Pressures and what they can do, case sizes, and the speeds of powders and what they mean are good starting points.
Have fun and keep reading
Stacy

[Three44s]

Welcome Taylor!

Lots of reading is what's best for you!

This forum is more handy after the training wheels come off. We do help total beginners but you'll need some hands on before many things members have to say will make sense.

That said, you can also start casting shortly after you pick up loading ..... just keep it simple at first.

What I am referring to is if you shoot a revolver cartridge, a tumble lube boolit from Lee and some Lee liquid alox would do nicely. Even after you become an accomplished caster (providing you go that route) a tumble lube mold would certainly produce dirt clod busters ........ Ie. a mold you'll never grow tired of.

Best regards

Three 44s

[petroid]

Welcome to the site! Take your time and read up. Lots of good info in the stickies. And go slow and double check everything and you will be good to go!

[mikeym1a]

Welcome to the site. Lots of good people here. Since this is 'CastBoolits', a good place to start is to get one of the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbooks. the #4 is the newest, but I prefer the #3. I find it more readable. Either is chock full of great info, and will give you great basic knowledge for reloading. What ever you basic interest is, look under the tab at the upper left called 'forums', and choose your interest, and then look for 'stickies'. These are discussion threads that were deemed of such interest that they should be kept for everyone to refer. Again, Welcome, and happy shooting! mikey

[TaylorS]

Yeah it'll be more fun if I can keep all my fingers and there's to much money in the ARs to just blow em up I'm still browsing for equipment I've had several tell me the turret press is the way to go for getting the most done and several others tell me to begin with a single stage til I get comfortable and into it mostly just looking to make some good plinking for the ARs so 62-63 grain bullets (or is it boolit?) a lil heavier tipped hunting round then get into the other calibers I shoot as I get better at it a friend suggested starting with pistol brass so that'd be 40 45 or 9

[TaylorS]

I do have the Lyman's 49th reloading handbook read through the instructional stuff once and browsed some of the load data but I'm still a ways out of actually needing any load data

[histed]

Welcome aboard. Another good one to pick up is "The ABC's of Reloading". I go t mine cheap at a discount big lots store. Packed with stuff. I've loaded .45 and load 9mm now. .45's a little pricier (DUHHH - bigger boolits, more powder) but lot of guys say its easier to load than 9 - not as fussy. Like the others said - start simple. Good single stage press keeps it uncomplicated and, I think< easier to check every step. By the way, I must warn you. THIS IS AN ADDICTION and there is no cure! Turn back now, while there's still time!

[TaylorS]

Can't be worse then other hobbies I've had so ill do some shopping n post a few pics from my second run :D

[MrWolf]

Welcome to the site. As other have said, read and research as much as possible. There are valuable stickies on basically everything and the suggestion on Lyman's 3rd and 4th editions are spot on. I have both and great info in each. Welcome to the madness.

[HeavyMetal]

Taylor welcome to the site!

Ya got a manual which puts you a rung or to up the ladder and in the right direction I might add!

Lots going on with reloading but it really isn't that hard if you pay attention.

I see you've already gotten some advise on a Press, LOL! In all honesty some turret press's can be run like a single stage and some can't.

For what you've listed as loading I'd advise either an older Spar T turret press, this is a manual turret, or a good compound leverage single stage press, Roc chucker comes to mind but the Lee Classic cast is the new leader in this arena bar none.

Beware of early press's! some are die and or shell holder specific, The Lyman Tru Line Jr is both and won't do what you want at this stage of your learning curve!

Things to ask when buying a press, new or used, will it take 7/8x14 dies and will it use "standard Lyman / RCBS / Lee shell holders.

If the answer is yes make a deal!

We hope ya have fun here and please ask questions if your stumped, you'll always find someone will give you the straight skinny here.

[TaylorS]

Rgr that I'll keep ya posted thanks for the tips!

[Highway41]

Hey Taylor,
Glad to see you here. Like I told you, best group of folks on the Web. There is another member from Canadian I'll try to track him down for ya.

[willie_pete]

Nice looking pup.

WP

[jabo52521]

Hey WP, where were you stationed to get that "pocket rocket"?

[Pb2au]

Welcome to the site!
Just keep it simple and you will do just fine.

[willie_pete]

Hey WP, where were you stationed to get that "pocket rocket"?

LRAFB in Titan II. BTW you are the first to recognize it.

WP

[fastfire]

Welcome, you are home now. Heavymetal took the words from my mouth. There is a new search function that really works well.

[Beerd]

Welcome Taylor!

Almost anybody can reload, handloading is something else. I like where you have started by reading the book.
..

[Bo1]

Welcome aboard Taylor,
Be patient, read a lot, and ask questions when necessassary.
Great bunch of people here, and lots of knowledge to fall back on.
Bo

[jabo52521]

LRAFB in Titan II. BTW you are the first to recognize it.

WP
Me too. 2151st Comm Squadron

[willie_pete]

Me too. 2151st Comm Squadron

373SMS ; '73-'77; 400+ alerts under North Arkansas. PM me

OP, sorry for the hijack; us missile guys have to stick together.

WP

[Three44s]

TaylorS,

If you have something more simple to begin casting for ....... I'd start there.

A semi-auto and a small bore are two strikes against it being the best learning platform to start with.

Most handloaders suggest that a newbie start with a single stage press, while some suggest that you "buy once" and go progressive from the get go.

I lean in the direction of the single stage. I do own several presses after loading for nearly 40 years but I started with a RCBS JR. (a non-compound leverage single stage).

I still have it and won't let it go but have compound singlestages, turrets and a progressive. I have single stage and progressive in shotshell as well.

But there is NO doubt in my mind that a single stage and yes, compound leverage is the best type of press to start out with. A good turret would also fit the bill and give you added speed after you get the hang of it.

And the arguement that you can buy once and buy a progressive does not get traction with me. Yes, there are progressives you can "single stage" with ......... but with all the presses I now own, I STILL use my lowly RCBS Jr. ...... used it just last evening ...... I set my compound single stage for sizing and my Jr. for seating ........ between the two presses ...... I was re-priming and charging the same batch of brass as I was shooting groups to develop a rifle load.

My point to all of this is that no matter what ........ if you have a single stage press ...... you will always have short little jobs that pop up for it ......... you can run the brass around the horn in you progressive but you'll lose time etc. setting out your dies or tool heads and have to set up for a "one time" opperation only to go back to your regular again. In a lot of rifle reloading, you'll find that the powders you'll be using ........ just don't work well running strictly through a measure. You can throw charges onto a scale and trickle them up to weight but to just throw them .... is too risky.

Some progressive users get around this by using a funnel over their powder charge die. What that means is that they pull the lever and then weigh and pour ......... hand pour! I don't call that very progressive ........ but to each their own.

What I would do is watch the forums for a good used press ......... after you figure out what you want ........ you can save some bucks and even re-sell it if you absolutely don't want it later on. Less depreciation that way.

As to turrets, I like the Lee Classic Turret ........ I run mine in manual index ......... runs like a single stage if you chose.

I have handled the Lyman Spar-T and it's also a great turret press but don't own one.

And if you go progressive from the start ......... there are several choices but I would not go for economy. I am very fond of some of Lee's stuff ........ but their progressive Pro 1000 is not on my favored list. The Loadmaster comes closer ..... but it still suffers from not doing a very good job with primers.

That leaves three other brands in the regular pack of what most buy:

Dillons, Hornady and RCBS

I am going to leave the discussion alone on what progressive at this point as if you do a search you'll shortly find a very heated discussion about this topic amoungst experienced loaders. Why invent the wheel?

Best regards

Three 44s