New to reloading

[joshst2010]

Hello my name is Josh my buddy bubba(Mike) that I work with told me that y'all might be able to help me with getting started reloading.i am very interested in learning how of y'all can help it would be much appreciated for sure. I am new to reloading I'm trying to get my wife more into guns

[Petrol & Powder]

Hello !

Get a reloading manual or two and READ it !

That's the best place to start.

[KMac]

Josh,
Welcome from North Texas. What calibers are you planning to reload for?

[sureYnot]

Hello !

Get a reloading manual or two and READ it !

That's the best place to start.

Yup. You won't be able to ask the right questions until you've done that. He's not being snarky. That's the best first thing to do.

I will add though, that pistols are dirt cheap to reload. And that a .223 isn't far behind.
Welcome to the addiction.


Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[daloper]

Hello from Sparta Michigan. Welcome to this madness. Reloading in one thing. Just wait until you are bitten by the casting bug.

[WRideout]

This is basically an information and advice forum, but having said that, the group here is very generous as well and willing to help a newcomer in any way. I turn to the forum whenever I have a particular problem about guns or reloading, or if I need information on how to load for a cartridge that does not have a lot of published data. If you look at the helping hands sub-forum, there are items that members are giving away. Have a look.

Wayne

[Petrol & Powder]

Hello my name is Josh my buddy bubba(Mike) that I work with told me that y'all might be able to help me with getting started reloading.i am very interested in learning how of y'all can help it would be much appreciated for sure. I am new to reloading I'm trying to get my wife more into guns

I wasn't being snarky and if I came across that way, my apologies.

Seriously, the very best way to get a grasp of the process is to buy a good reloading manual and read up on the topic first. I have been reloading for decades and like most reloaders, have accumulated a collection of manuals over the years. My favorite basic manual is the Speer manual and it's probably as good a place to start as anywhere.

By reading first your will get a "big picture" view of reloading. You'll still have questions but you'll have a much better foundation.

Like all education, you gain a foundation of knowledge and then build upon that foundation.

After you've built up a good base of knowledge, the next step is to actually do what you are learning. Start simple and gain experience. You don't fly the 4 engine jet the first day, you start with the single engine piston powered propeller aircraft and build skills. Reloading is sort of like that.

There is a wealth of knowledge available on this forum and many of the members are happy to share what they've learned.

[CastingFool]

Check your local gunshops, and ask if they know of any reloaders that may be willing to mentor you.

[dverna]

Check your local gunshops, and ask if they know of any reloaders that may be willing to mentor you.

DO NOT DO THIS. Some are idiots and you will not know. Same warning about YouTube

Any good manual will teach you to reload.

Ask questions here as we have some good reloaders here.

[Walks]

I suggest the LYMAN #50 Reloading Manual.
It has reloading info on Rifle & Handgun for J-bullets and Cast BULLETS.

It also has one of the simplest explanations of Casting your own bullets.

[Cast_outlaw]

The only advice I will give is when you start reloading do it alone and away from districtions mistakes can not only be costly but also dangerous

[toallmy]

Welcome to Cast boollits , What cartridge would you like to start with ?

[JBinMN]

Welcome to the CB.GL Forum!

[Three44s]

Another welcome to the forum!

I would suggest taking this one step at a time. This is a cast bullet site and it would be natural for members to usher a beginner into casting prematurely. I would resist that temptation.

Handloading all by itself is a pretty good step. It is not rocket science and not insurmountable what so ever, however adding casting on top of learning to handload would not be wise in my opinion.

I am also a champion for reading all you can about the subject (and here, reading means books). I have been loading since I was age 19 in 1975 and took up casting in about 1990 and I have not stopped reading nor learning yet. BTW, there are a good many shooter/loader/casters with way more experience here than myself.

I would not suggest waiting years to begin casting as I did, a few scant months would be more than sufficient.

Time and money on books is well spent, the internet is a good place to get really confused. There is lots of good advice to be found there but there are also lots of well intentioned opinions that may be biased. Get yourself grounded in the basics before you delve too deep in the shooting forums.

My favorite book for a beginner are the Hornady reloading manuals. Not that they have everything about everything but rather that they have by far the best explanation about head space in bottle neck chambered rifles WITH color drawings. More beginners get sideways and confused about head space than all the other topics regarding handloading put together it would seem and yet ..... headspace is absolutely critical to safety.

The books from Hornady are not my best manuals, none of my many are best, but I consider it the best first in order to get the concept of headspace firmly tucked under your belt right up front.

The number one goal is safety, first and foremost. I have lost track of the folks that have grown an interest in loading, falsely thinking that more speed is attainable through the craft. While there are exceptions to that, the truth is that even matching factory velocity often proves rather a glass ceiling and many handloads are lagging at least advertised velocity. The reason that excessive velocity is unwise with handloading is two fold. One and the most critical towards safety is that your casing is reused. Factory ammunition counts on one firing per casing while handloading to be financially beneficial requires the use and reuse of the cartridge casing as many times as practical. If you damage your brass or hulls, you defeat the purpose of handloading and also degrade safety. The second reason that just loading for speed is not the best path is that the best accuracy is often found at somewhat slower velocities than factory ammunition is loaded at. That is not 100% cast in concrete but it is a rule that pretty consistently across the board, particularily with rifles.

The other myth is that you take up handloading to save money. In rare instances it can happen but the reality is that by far the majority of handloaders take up the hobby and shoot more, much more and thus shoot better, much better. As a result you do not save money in the strictest sense but rather save more per round fired.

You might want to share with us what you are intending to load for and how you are going to use it. That will give us a better idea on how to make suggestions.

Three44s

[lightman]

Welcome Aboard! This is mostly a forum about bullet casting but all here are reloaders and will be glad to answer questions and help.

I suggest first buying a reloading book and slowly reading through it. I like the Lyman book, like Walks suggested. Start by reading and thinking through the process. Then start with one cartridge and master the process. Start with something basic like a 30-30, 30-06, 243 ect in rifles and something like a 38 spl or 44 special or magnum in pistols. Some cartridges are more difficult to master than others. 9mm comes to mind.

If you belong to a club look for an old bullseye shooter or another shooter that looks like he is squared away and see if they would help you get started. There are a lot of Cast Boolit members from Michigan and one of them may even be close to you.

Equipment? There are several brands and none of the choices is a wrong one. Most any of it will last a lifetime.

[jeepvet]

It may sound trivial but you have already gotten some of the very best advice there is out there about reloading. You are off to a great start by asking questions before you make some possibly very dangerous mistakes. Reloading is not hard (not rocket science), but you do have to know what you are doing or it can be deadly. In my opinion, the three best pieces of advice you have received are: 1) Read, Read, Read, 2) Do not get even slightly distracted while reloading and 3) Safety is ALWAYS first.

I reload because to me it is FUN and I can achieve a level of accuracy that I do not get with most factory loads, unless you get into the high priced ammo. After you take the total cost of equipment and supplies, it will take you quite a few rounds loaded to break even on cost, but if you enjoy it, the entertainment value is enormous. It can be a very fun and relaxing hobby or lifestyle.

Welcome to the addiction!

[jmort]

I would get three manuals
Lyman's 50th
Modern Reloading by Richard Lee
Lymans Cast Bullet 4th edition
After reading them, you will have a good idea of the reloading process.
Read this forum and the Stickies
Read this, it is free
http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

[mattw]

Welcome... reloading is almost as fun as casting and shooting. Have been doing all 3 for 30+ years. I have always collected the Lyman load books, over the years they have always seemed to provide the best set of instructions for a new reloader. Pick a cartridge and learn that one well before you move on, please verify loads from anywhere. I still tend to cross loads from powder and bullet manufacturers, just to make sure it makes sense.

[dragon813gt]

I would get three manuals
Lyman's 50th
Modern Reloading by Richard Lee
Lymans Cast Bullet 4th edition
After reading them, you will have a good idea of the reloading process.
Read this forum and the Stickies
Read this, it is free
http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

I will second this and say to read all of them before asking questions. Everyone is willing to help but no one wants to spoon feed someone who hasn’t done any research them-self.

The first edition of modern reloading can be found on archive.org for free. And you can find the 3rd edition of the Cast Bullet Handbook for free if you google it. I prefer actual books but there’s no money expenditure this way and you can decide if reloading is for you.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Check your local gunshops, and ask if they know of any reloaders that may be willing to mentor you.

I totally agree with this bit of advice. There has to be someone in your circle of friends that reloads, do a sit - in with them and learn by example. I learned waaaay back when all by myself the hard way (read alot of books first though). Back then we were still killing wooly mammoths with sharp sticks!Robert