Very Very New.

[bullpen7979]

Greetings all. Just joined.

New to handguns. Purchased 9mm. Quickly realized it's an expensive but enjoyable sport.
In looking for ways to reduce cost, I am looking to reload, not simply for the economics but also because I enjoy the "home brew" method with many of the things I do.

This of course led to the thought that casting might be an option. A cursory glance at youtube, and a little longer than cursory glance at this site has convinced me:
1. It's do-able
2. It can get fairly complicated.

All I really want is good economics, a little more peaceful time doing dangerous things, and better accuracy. I guess my question is, given what y'all know of reloading/casting, do you think it wise to dive in to both at same time, or start off with the reloading, buy a couple thousand fmj's and have at it, and working the casting thing in later?

I'd like some input of those casting 9mm; I have heard that casting for this caliber can be picky. Finally, a few links to some "dear noob, please read thru this thread" types of advice will be appreciated:

PS - Thumbcocker, great to see you out at the ECSC the other day....I was the guy you let try your SA 45. Thanks again!

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Welcome!

I think you could do both right off . . . as far as reloading goes . . . get a single stage first to understand the process better . . .

There are lots of stickies here to read.

[BoolitBill]

I know this is a site for casting boolits but I think you should learn to reload first ( and get very good at it) then try your hand at casting. I reloaded for over 20 years before I tried to cast anything. You can get the economics and better accuracy with buying components and then just reloading, but I have to admit I find the casting a lot of fun too. Still, walk before you run and learn reloading first.

[Bulltipper]

It really helps to have a mentor, see if you can find someone local to show you the ropes. if not, read, read, read... you have already found one of the best resources I know of!

[462]

Welcome,

You've come to the right forum for casting information, that's for sure.

I agree that you should have a thorough understanding of the entire reloading process before getting involved in casting. There are many nuances associated with both, and learning them one at a time is easier, less confusing and frustrating than both at once.

Buy at least two reloading manuals -- one of them Lyman, because of their casting information and cast loads -- and one of the four editions of Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook. Read them at least twice, understand the safety precautions and procedures, and the various steps involved in the processes before you get started.

Spend as much time as possible reading this site's stickies and archive (link near the bottom of the page).

You have the desire...soon you will discover that reloading and casting won't save you one single penny, but you will acquire two very enjoyable and relaxing hobbies.

[littlejack]

Bullpen, welcome to the CastBoolits. Lot of great guys here, AND are willing to help.
Jack

[MtGun44]

Welcome.

Some recommendations from a NRA Reloading Instructor with 44 yrs of experience reloading.

1 - Start with a single stage press.

2- Start with a .38 Spl or .45 ACP cartridge.

Now - I know you are very unlikely to do item #2, since you have a 9mm. You can start
loading for a pistol with 9mm - I did, but had been loading for rifles for several years. The
two recommended cartridges are exeptionally forgiving and easy to have success with, much
more so than the finicky, high pressure 9mm. A .38 revolver is a wonderful place to start
learning about reloading, they will digest essentially anything, and is a great learning route.

Understand that loading for a semiauto pistol requires that you produce enough recoil
energy to make the gun function, a disadvantage when starting out, it restricts your
range of loads. Another issue is that the 9mm is somewhat of an advanced case for
reloading, unless you use jacketed bullets to start and ONCE YOU ARE REASONABLY
EXPERIENCED add factory cast lead boolits, and then (if you decide you want to) go on
to casting your own. This path is calculated to maximize your success, and minimize the
chances of making dangerous ammunition. Understand that loading with jacketed bullets
will be significantly more expensive than lead, but is a viable 'baby step' place to go before
you go to commercial cast lead, and then finally - your own castings.

Best wishes.

Bill

[Three44s]

A big welcome to the forum!!!

I was a 35 year confirmed single stage press guy ...... then I bought the Lee Classic Turret.

My single stage presses are not going anywhere ......... that said, I am SMITTEN with the classic turret from Lee!!!

AND I would say that a beginner can well use one too. Just single stage it for a while.

Save the trouble of boxing yourself in ..........

As much as I enjoy casting .......... I'd wait a while and get reloading under your belt. Not a long time ...... CERTAINLY not as long as I waited .......... seventeen years between beginning loading and beginning casting ..... makes no sense as I did ..........

............ I'd give it six months .......... then start BASIC casting!

I cast for a 9mm Kel tec ........ (PF9) and use the Lee commercial six cavity in a tumble lube design. As such I don't have to size ......... just lube with Lee liquid alox and load and shoot.

I own a lubrisizer but why make an extra step for plinking? For a beginner, why make things complicated at the start?

Now .... your auto may not chamber those rounds without sizing .... and if that's the case it does not take much jingle to get the Lee sizer kit ......... you'll know right away if the action won't close on your first loads as cast!

Reading ........... VITAL!!! READ ............... READ .................. READ!!!!!!!!

Again, welcome to the forum .......... welcome to reloading ........ and when the time comes .... welcome to casting!

When you need us .......... we will be here!

Best regards

Three 44s

[onondaga]

I save a fortune casting and reloading, but you have to consider the cost of factory ammo for my favorites-- >.458 Win Mag and .500 S&W Mag.

My .458s total cost me 26.9 cents each to make. The cheapest .458s at the GunCenter are $73.00 plus tax for 20 rounds!

9mm is finicky to cast / load for and not terrifically economical. Remember the words Lyman "M" Die. But you can get plenty of help here to get a 9mm shooting sweet with cast if you have the perseverance and desire .

Welcome!!!

Gary

[nouseforaname1246]

reloading to save money is great, but then ya get hooked and before ya know it all that money you saved somehow materializes into a basement full of a small army or presses, lubesizers, pots, moulds and enough ammo to take on a zombie hoard. :)

[olafhardt]

Jump in. A revolver is probably better but you got what you got. My advice get a single stage, 500 plated cast boolets, a set of Lee dies, a Lee auto-prime. This can be order ed from any
:popcorn:


ne of many suppliers. When the data comes.in buy a can of powder that die load data reccomends using the dipper on the die set. You also need a special shell holder for the auto-prime. But 1st 00 of the right primers. To cast get a Lee four pound pot Lee tumble lube moods. Some cheap lead and some Lee liquid Wood it ain't rocket science.

[lylejb]

First, welcome aboard!

+1 462

Start by reading...alot. Buy a loading manual, or several. Not one with just a bunch of data, but one that has a how to section. Understanding what your going to do, before you start, will make it go much easier.

Even an older manual, like from a garage sale or thrift store, can give you helpful information. While some of the powders in an older manual may not be available anymore, the process is the same.


buy a couple thousand fmj's and have at it

Well, I don't really recommend buying a couple thousand of anything in the begining.

The reason is each gun may have it's own likes and dislikes. The bullet / load that works best in your buddies gun may not work the best in yours. This is common, and one of the advantages to reloading. You can adjust your loads to what works best for you.

If you start with buying commercial bullets in the usual 100 boxes, you can try different brands / shapes / weights and find out what works best for you. THEN look at buying in bulk.

It would be no fun to buy "a couple thousand" and then find out that's not what you want.

HTH

[Doble Troble]

I'll second the turret press suggestion, and to use it as a single stage to begin.

I'd also recommend carefully selecting the first powder you buy. Buy something that is versatile and will be useful for a wide range of bullets and potentially other cartridges. This can help improve safety also.

For the 9, Unique is all I use. It's not the cleanest or fastest. It does work very, very well, and is accurate with every bullet I shoot in many different cartridges, from 32 ACP to 45 ACP and Long Colt. It also does a nice job of filling cases (except for the 45 LC that nothing but real black powder fills well). Filling cases prevents double or, gasp, triple charging.

The nine IS FINICKY. You most likely will have trouble. You will have less trouble if you load for a revolver or rifle first. Life is always less than perfect. What can you do to increase probabilty of success?

- Load 357 or 358 diameter bullets. Chances are that your bore will be 355 - 356. One or two thous over helps avoid leading.

- Read and follow the directions for setting - up your dies. After you do this by the book several dozen times you'll have it down. Loading ammo is a lot like running a metal lathe. Most of the work is set-up. Don't take short cuts, especially at first.

- Flare your cases before loading bullets. An M die will do this, but so will most charging dies. Don't go overboard. Expand the case mouth to accept the bullet without shaving.

- Crimp the flare after bullet seating. The 9 headspaces off the case mouth. Make sure it's at least straight to meet the end of the chamber. Others will disagree, but I think a taper crimp also helps here.

- Watch how far the bullet extends from the case. This will influence reliable feeding from the mag, but will also potentially come into play with the case mouth headspace issue. If the bullet's too far out, it may meet the rifling before the case mouth headspaces.

- Finally (for right now) Pick a mid-range starting load. Choose something that's going to cycle the action, but not weld a lead lining to the bore. Keep velocity around 1000 fps with 125 gr bullets and you should be fine.

- OK one more piece of advice - get a notebook and write thorough complete notes about loads and results. If you're like most humans you'll think that your memory is good enough and that notes are overkill. And like most humans you'd be wrong. It's amazing how clear and straight-forward loads are lost to time because they go undocumented.

:)

[DJ1]

Welcome to the sport,

Jump in with both feet, no need to test the waters. There are plenty of great folks here and your local range or club who will be glad to give you a hand if you need it.

Just start slow and carefully it will all work out. Just like shooting them..... slow=smooth......in a little time smooth is fast.

DJ1

[bumpo628]

reloading to save money is great, but then ya get hooked and before ya know it all that money you saved somehow materializes into a basement full of a small army or presses, lubesizers, pots, moulds and enough ammo to take on a zombie hoard. :)

That last part made me laugh out loud. So true...

[turbo1889]

I will third (or fourth not 100% sure how far the count is up to now) the recommendation for a turret press for loading. You will be loading for a semi-auto handgun which tends to burn up ammo at a rapid pace and you will wish for the ability to load with precision and uniformity at a fairly rapid pace as well in very short order. A turret press allows you to load with all the quality, precision, and attention to detail that a single stage press has and easily double or triples your production rate. Yes, a fully progressive press is faster but it is not for the beginner and there is a sacrifice as far as the quality, precision, and attention to detail compared to what a single stage press or turret press offers.

Specifically I would recommend the "Lee Classic Cast Turret Press", the iron frame model not the cheaper lighter duty aluminum frame models. Simply remove the auto index rod to begin with and manually index to start with and when you think you are ready put it back in and you will be good to rock and roll. I would also strongly suggest the "Lee Auto Pro Disk Powder Measure" with the riser assembly once you have mastered the basics and put the auto-index rod back into the press and are cranking them out like clockwork.

Load jacketed or plated to start with, and once you think you are ready then I would suggest you purchase a mold from Accurate Molds. The reason I suggest him specifically is that he is the only one I know of who is cutting 9mm molds that are a gas checked design. Believe me for 9mm a gas checked boolit mold will makes a huge difference in the learning curve for a beginner with that particular cartridge, his 35-135A design in gas checked version (it's available in both PB and GC your choice) is superb when loaded on top of a load using AA#7 or Blue Dot powder and should substantially shorten the learning curve provided you are using the correct diameter boolit for your gun (usually +0.001 over the diameter your specific gun slugs to).

You will encounter some who consider it heresy to suggest using a GCed boolit design in a handgun. I strongly disagree and believe there more justification for using a GCed boolit design in a handgun then in a rifle. With a rifle you usually have plenty of case capacity and can us some COW as a filler on top of the powder and under the boolit which is just as good if not better then a GC but this is rarely he case with handguns especially short stubby low case capacity, high chamber pressure, semi-auto pistol cartridges.

[bpratl]

Listen to all the above as there is an unlimited source of knowledge. I have been reloading since 1960 and just started to cast 9mm and 45 acp. As mentioned above the 9 is finicky and I made expensive mistakes because I did not listen to other postings. Before buying molds and sizers….SLUG your barrel! I ended up with extreme leading and key holing because I didn’t. I originally purchased .356” molds & sizer, than .357” molds & sizer and than decided to slug. My barrel turned to be .357” so I ended up purchasing a .358” mold & sizer which now shoots great without leading or key holing.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

ok i will 5th or 6th on the turret press i have two old lymans one is set up for 357 /223
one is set up for 44mag /243
and a singlestage press for the rest

[WHITETAIL]

Welcome to the forum![smilie=w:

[Wayne Smith]

I have extensive experience loading, since I was 16 years old in 1969, and casting for about the past 10 years.

Think of it this way: You are climbing a learning curve when you learn reloading. There are lots of mistakes to make, an amazing amount of detail to learn, and lots of fun doing it. When you start casting you are climbing another learning curve - my advice is to climb one at a time.

Especially when you are starting out with a high pressure cartridge such as the 9mm - when things go wrong they tend to do so quickly! You have very little freedom of choice or room to experiment with this cartridge. Do not fret or worry, it can be done safely and relatively easily. Besides, guns tend to proliferate once we discover the joys of not chasing empties when shooting a revolver! But I suggest that, as long as you are limited to the 9mm, you learn to load that one with condom bullets before you challenge yourself with casting. Remember that things tend to go wrong quickly in both pursuits. Do a search on the "tinsel fairy" if you need to be reminded!

Learn one well, then expand your horizions.

[btroj]

A turret press would be ok but don't start with a progressive. The turret only has one advantage, that of not needing to change dies.
Read, read, read.
Think about loading GOOD ammo, not about loading ALOT of ammo. Tis is the key to success and safety. After you have loaded a few thousand rounds, and shot them, you can start to think more about production speed.
A 357 revolver is a great gun to start reloading for. Easy to load, no potential jams, works with a wide variety of powders and bullets.

If you know any experienced, and safety minded, reloader then ask them for some hep. Make sure they start you with the basics, learn to crawl, then walk.

I think too many try to go whole hog tint off the bat. They want full loads in a high pressure pistol cartridge, with cast, loaded by the bushel basket on a progressive press. Totally wrong idea to me. I want to see them load 50 rounds that are picture perfect. I want them to LEARN.

Brad

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

If you give us your basic location, there is a good chance one of us is nearby to give you a hand, and show you the ropes.

:Fire:

[gray wolf]

I have read many, many threads on this board about helping a new guy get started.
But I must say that the advise you have been given is some of the best I have seen.
So what I have to say may or may not add to your success but at least I chimed in Eh.
Let me start with this, " Chase the chick that is farthest from the nest "
What the hell does that mean SAM ?
Well gather knowledge in the areas you know least about first.
With the help here get a good starting set up for reloading. a decent reliable powder measure and the best beam scale you can afford, RCBS 505 comes to mind. Some lee Dies,
manuals, plural. One good powder to start with and 2 or 3 hundred jacketed bullets.
Go slow and ask every step of the way as to what you are doing, double and triple check your powder charges and don't put a bullet into a case without confirming seeing that is has powder in it, also that the powder level is the same as the other cases. Use a little flash light.
After you can load J bullets with out a hitch and are very comfortable with the whole process, then get some lead bullets and get that down pat. If you are still in the game.
( I am sure you will be ) Then get into the casting part.
Since there are many facets to reloading and then many more to casting, I am a little concerned trying it all at once may be a little frustrating.
I wish you hadn't jump onto the 9 Mil band wagon, but your on it so it's your choice if you want to see it through to the end.
A single stage press is good, but remember you can use a small turret as a single stage to start off with.
OK I added my 2 cents.

Sam

[Kraschenbirn]

"Read, Read, Read,...then Read some more." Probably the best advice of all that's been offered...and there have been more than a few excellent insights posted so far. Only advice I might add would be don't be shy about asking questions...and, if you don't understand the answer(s), ask again!

Now, while I don't currently load for a 9mm, I have in the past and never really found the caliber all that "tricky." Could be that my two old milsurps...an Ingliss Hi-Power and a Star Modelo B...were really forgiving about what they were fed or, maybe, I just got lucky and managed to avoid the snags out of sheer ignorance. Only way you're going to find out what works for you is to wade in and get your feet wet.

Btw...welcome aboard.

Bill

[Fishman]

Like kraschembirn, I haven't found the 9 to be tricky either. It was the first pistol caliber I loaded for and I started casting and tumble living at the same time. Now I should point out that I was satisfied if the rounds chambered and went bang without leading my barrel. The general expectations of many experts here are much higher so keep that in mind. Components are cheap for the 9 and 3.something of bullseye will probably do you well with a 125 gr cast boolit.

There is also no reason to buy a bunch of pricey or complicated equipment at first. A small lee c press is about $25 dies are $30 and a digital scale is about $30. These will all have uses if you like your new hobby and upgrade later. You can also slug your barrel and buy some appropriate cast boolits to try. No reason not to start casting soon after if you like them.

Then you can add calibers in the future that are easier to load for accuracy, like a .357 or .44.

[Lizard333]

Spend time and some more time, and then do a little more reading and asking questions. Don't hesitate to ask, people hear would rather help than let you hurt yourself or destroy your new gun. I would definitely find someone that you can talk to and learn the basic of reloading, even if it's just for an afternoon or two. Keep and open mind. Do not take what any one person says for the gospel truth. There are a million different ways of doing the same thing. You may learn it one way and find yourself gravitating another direction. This is OK!!

I learned how to reload from my uncle on a single stage RCBS. This was a great way to learn but was not the route for me. I bought a Dillon 550B press because volume was what I was interested in instead of the fine precision, Not that Dillon isn't a very good press, just not as friendly with Rifle. I can crank out 400 round of 9mm in about an hour. Not something you can come close to with a single stage. They have there place, just not in higher volume shooting. My time is important so I went with the Dillon. Once I had a load I liked in my 9mm's, not much changed. Yes Dillon stuff is expensive, but in my opinion, worth every cent. I know I am in the minority on using this press, don't know if it's because of the price, or because most people here started out on the single and stuck with it. My uncle will have me do some reloading for him on occasion for mass produced rounds, because it is so much quicker to pull the handle once and have a completed bullet every time. Stay away from the 650, auto indexing press from Dillon because it is nice to be able to stop a pull and not have all of your rounds go to **** all at once.

Using unique powder in the beginning is a VERY good way to go as it very apparent if you manage to double charge a round with powder. I started out with HP-38/W 231 and had to switch to unique with the shortage of powders a few years ago and i thought something was wrong with my scale because the volume was so much more!! The thing that sucks about unique powder is it is DIRTY!! Win 231/HP-38 is a good powder for 9mm, and you get a lot of rounds out of single pound of powder. 115 gn round is a good slug to start out with and you can find them anywhere.

Don't waste your money on cheap equipment!!! I can't stress this enough!! In the end you spend more money on the cheap stuff than you do with the good stuff. Do your research and buy once!! Keep in mind what you are reloading for. If you want to be able to load up three to four hundred rounds in an hour get a Dillon. You into more detailed, small batch loads, knock yourself out and get a single stage. You can shoot a lot of rounds through a 9mm in a weekend, and it is nice to be able to crank out a bunch and not spend all day doing it. Not that I don't spend all day day reloading, but if I only had an hour, I could get what I needed done, short and sweet.

[casterofboolits]

There is a wealth of good advice in this thread, so I'll throw in my 2 cents worth.

1. Purchase the Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th Edition. Chapter 2 is a Guide to "Getting Started Safely", read and reread this section several times. I started reloading in the late sixties and the Lyman manual was my bible.

2. I started with an RCBS Jr. press, but if I had to do it over I would consider the Lee Classic Turret Press and use it like a single stage press to start.

3. Altho they are a bit expensive, I suggest you start with a couple hundred full condom (full jacketed hardball bullets) in he 115 to 125 grain weight. Leave the hollowpoints for later.

4. Weigh each powder charge with a beam scale.

5. Seat and taper crimp in seperate operations. Other wise you will shave a ring of lead or copper off the boolit and cause chambering problems.

6. Pay attention to the cartridge overall length (COL) and check each round with your pistol barrel.

7. Load only fifteen or twenty rounds to start and test for function. Once you have function, you can work on accuracy.

8. When you have the hardball rounds working, then obtain some cast round nose bolits in the same weight class. Slug your barrel to determine what size you need. I.E. .356, .357 or .358.

9. Now you get to start all over on load development, but that's part of the fun!

10. Tools that will be helpful:

A. Zero to one inch micrometer

B. Zero to four inch dail caliper

C. Case deburing and chamfering tool

You will have many questions and the members of this site will be very helpful to you.

When you have the reloading part in hand, you can then consider casting your own boolits. Again, the members of this site will help you get started. Some will even help you by donating or trading brass and boolits for you to experiment with.

[GH1]

I've never loaded 9mm but I've loaded plenty of .380, which I believe is similar. I'd get a good handle on the reloading process before I thought about casting, there's plenty of commercial sources for cast 9mm bullets.
Pay attention to cartridge overall length and seating depth. Most cast bullets will have an easily identifiable crimp groove to maintain depth and length specs.
The reason depth is so critical is with a short cartridge like the 9 a bullet that's seated too deeply will cause a reduction of case volume and can greatly increase pressure levels.
The reason length is important is because a bullet that's too long may not fit in your magazine and even if it does it may not feed properly.
Bullet profile is important with an auto loader, I suggest a simple roundnose cast to start with, loaded to standard pressures, not plus P.
GH1

[gray wolf]

4. Weigh each powder charge with a beam scale.

At this point in the game I would not recommend an inexpensive digital scale

A good beam scale to start with in my opinion is the way to go and will last for a life time.

[Wayne Smith]

At this point in the game I would not recommend an inexpensive digital scale

A good beam scale to start with in my opinion is the way to go and will last for a life time.

Agreed. One reason many of us have stayed away from the Dillon is simply flexibility. I load for about 40 calibers - and none of them to the volume that would make a Dillon appropriate. If I did need that much volume I would have one, or one of the progressive loaders. If you are going to shoot a lot of one pistol caliber then I would suggest getting a Lee steel single stage now and budget for the Dillon. If, like me, you are facinated with shooting, reloading, and history, stay with the single stage or a turret press. You will soon be loading more calibers than you knew existed. I'm also forming brass for the Russian Nagant revolver, the 8mm-06, a 10.5x47R, and now the 25 Kraig AI. Again, nothing you can do on a Dillon. Oh, yes, I'm also loading my 44-40's with black powder with a compressed charge. Doing so on a Dillon would remove the advantage.

[bullpen7979]

A hearty thank you to all who have weighed in on this topic. I truly appreciate all those who took time to respond to my question.

I have pretty well settled on the lyman manual and the lee classic (iron) turret press. Too bad it's not available in a kit; the auto powder measure and safety prime options are ones I'd like to add, but making sure the components go together is something that will take some study, and perhaps a few calls to Lee.

Someone said "focus on quality first" Roger that. I do plan to make sure I get the process right, and make sure the loads agree with my pistol before I produce a lot of complete cartridges.

BTW, I purchased a CZ 75 P-01 if that sheds any additional light on the situation regarding which load I might start out with.

[littlejack]

I don't know where everybody is?????
I figured someone would post some kind of help for you. LOL

[turbo1889]

Since you have pretty much decided on the "Lee Classic Cast Iron Turrent Press" here is the best video series on YouTube in my opinion on that particular press (hot links, right click and open in new tab):

Lee Classic Turret Press - Part 1 - Introduction (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8eOLsxmR4o)
Lee Classic Turret Press - Part 2 - Setup and Preparation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2zmjon0c3s)
Lee Classic Turret Press - Part 3 - Basic Usage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0uFd2BqIOk)
Lee Classic Turret Press - Part 4 - Making 20 rounds (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kinXbOrE_4)

I wasn't able to locate a video of someone loading completely basic style with this Lee turret press which is what I suggest for a complete new-bee. Namely no fancy swing arm primer dispenser and just use your fingers to put one primer at a time into the little primer arm on the bottom of the press and no auto-disk powder measure just a funnel in the top of a Lee powder through expanding die and each charge is weighed on a scale and manually pored into the case one at a time. Precision first then speed that is the advantage this press offers. You start out basically loading like a single stage press with your only speed advantage being that all you have to do is manually rotate the turret to the next die instead of unscrew the die and screw in the next one like with a true single stage press. Then when you are ready you can get the fancy add on primer arm and the fancy auto disk powder measure and put the auto index rod back into the press and start pumping out production.

Start simple and then work your way up.

[jsizemore]

Since your familiar with thumbcocker, send him a PM and see if he will give you a hand in starting out. Being able to see the process and actually putting your hands on stuff will help a bunch. Good Luck

[wallenba]

No problem as I see it starting with the turret as it can be used as a single stage too. Just disconnect the mechanism while you learn the basics. Read Richard Lee's book "Modern Reloading". Check you powder charges regularly by weight, visually check them again before seating the boolit and watch your seating depth (the overall length of the loaded cartridge).

[songdog53]

Read and study everything you can on reloading and take your time and pay attention to what your loading and welcome to the addiction of casting. Long as you stay away from max. loads and watch overall length of what your loading. Having mentor will help or can do it way most of us did when we started back in the day. Remember your loading ammo and don't want a bomb that will destroy your gun and maybe hurt you. Have to warn you casting and reloading and shooting is very addictive.