Hi...
I started loading ammunition many, many years ago without a mentor or anybody to show or explain things or what pitfalls to avoid.
First thing I did was read about 4 different reloading manuals and learn the theoretical process. Then I bought some equipment(Lee) and components and started loading .357Mag rounds.
I had to learn to calibrate and use a scale, learn how to use dial calipers and micrometers and all the intricacies of preparing and reloading cartridges all on my own. I learned to double-check powder charges and OAL and never had a misfire or any problems whatsoever.
After a few thousand rounds loaded using a single-stage Lee Loader, I thought that I knew everything there was to know about loading ammunition.
So, I bought a brand-new Lee 1000 progressive press. And found out that I really didn't know very much at all. The hype around the progressive press was that you set the powder measure, loaded up the primer fill mechanism, filled the powder hopper and loaded the bullet feed mechanism and each pull of the handle produced a loaded round.
After running through the process one round at a time a few times, I got lazy and stopped checking the powder level because that just slowed things down. And a progressive is all about cranking out copious amounts of ammo in as short a period of time as possible,right?
WRONG!
After some number of rounds that I no longer remember, I decided to stop and fill up some ammo boxes with all those nice new cartridges that I had loaded.
I noticed that a primer had not seated properly...it was upside down. OK, I guess that can happen, so I set that round aside to disassemble and finished boxing up the other rounds. I didn't stop to think that if one thing went wrong that it was entirely possible that something else might be out of kilter as well.
At any rate, my wife and I had a match the next day and things did not go well.
I fired a round in the middle of the match that did not sound quite right and immediately called an "alibi".
I had a jacketed bullet stuck in the barrel of my .357Mag revolver. I managed to tap it out with a cleaning rod. Other shooting team members advised me not to shoot any more of those cartridges until I had checked them out.
So, I went out and bought a kinetic bullet puller and started to disassemble rounds. A couple had very light powder charges and a couple didn't have any powder in them at all. All of this out of two 50rd boxes of reloads.
Why? Well part of it was that I got lazy and sloppy and relied too much on my equipment and the hype surrounding a progressive press and the supposed benefits of same.
I re-read everything about the Lee 1000 and went all over it with all due diligence and started reloading cartridges again.
I soon found that the primer feed would constantly mis feed primers, some upside down and it would regularly jam up. I also discovered that by checking each powder charge that I was getting very inconsistent powder charging.
I played around with that press for quite a while before it became clear that it was never going to function reliably for me.
What I did was put it back in a box where it resides to this very day along with the aluminum Lee loader that I soon discovered was actually flexing as I re-sized handgun cases.
I bought an RCBS RockChucker and a Little Dandy powder measure and went back to loading ammunition on a single-stage press. I weigh every charge when I start throwing powder to set the measure and then every tenth charge as I charge and visually check each and every case for proper powder level.
I prime cases ahead of time on an RCBS APS bench-mounted unit.
I do each case prep step on an RCBS case-prep center including cleaning every primer pocket.
I measure cases for OAL and inspect every case visually throughout the process numerous times.
When loading cartridges, I do not allow ANY distractions. My family knows that if I am reloading that any interruption had best be for a very good reason because reloading is not a process to be trifled with.
I charge 50 cases and visually check each case and weigh every tenth charge and then seat bullets. I then check every tenth cartridge for OAL. Any discrepancies and out comes the bullet puller.
I have not had a squib load since the first one all those years ago and do not expect to have another. But...I still check each and every charged case and weigh every tenth charge.
And that is done for each and every cartridge that I have ever loaded and there have been many, many thousands in various calibers.
While I may eventually buy another progressive press, it will not be a Lee and will be as mature a design as is possible. And I will still check powder levels and weigh every tenth powder charge.