Help mentoring a new reloader.

[southpaw]

I was asked by a friend/co-worker to help his 16 year old son learn how to reload. I have been reloading for about 15 years now but this will be my first time helping someone from the begining. First we are going to start with some books. I have some thoughts but what do you think? I was thinking abc's of reloading and maybe Hornady.

Not looking for any equipment yet untill he has plenty of experience loading on my equipment. Pretty much looking for advice from those who have done this before.

I am sure this won't be the same as having my 4 and 6 year olds helping me :-D.

Thanks guys!

Jerry Jr.

Ps. He also wants to get into gunsmithing.

[CastingFool]

I think books are helpful, but if he doesn't know anything about reloading, they may not make much sense to him. I think I would show him the process first, then bring the books in. JMO.

[Bullshop Junior]

The lyman handbook is a good one. My dad used to teach reloading classes. He would usually do the whole run down on a white bourd explaining everything and then let people load up a few rounds.

[country gent]

Lymans manual has a very good getting started section also. I normally start a new person out on a single stage press , Doing each step and explaining it as we go, then letting the person run that stepfor 30 to forty rounds. Everything done is broke down and re set up by the student. By showing them firstit gives a better understanding and keeps you from overlooking small things. By having them redo it themselves reienfoces the procedure in thier mind. Saftey is first and foremost always. Start out with a nice mild load thats accurate, Load 50 rds in a setting and expain everything as the student does that step, Have extra cases handy as the student may want to save a belled case or other steps for a visual refrence for later on. Start simple and progress at students rate

[RKJ]

I started out reading Hornady's 3rd manual and then getting pointers from a friend. I like the idea of showing him how it all works and then letting him read the manual. He'd probably understand what he's reading better.

[osteodoc08]

I'd find an easy and forgiving caliber to load. I learned on 41 mag. I was using cast lead and 2400 powder. Dad started me on a single stage before having a go at the dillon. Heck, we only had a rockchuker for years until he got a Dillon. I can remember every step that I did on our makeshift press stand. It was an old 15" steel wheel with a metal post and small top welded on it that he tucked away in the closet. We used the kitchen table when mom wsant looking to get everything lined up. Tumble, deprime, prime........I miss those times.

Edit:

Oh yeah, recomendations. Start with a clean case and explain each step. Only load 50 at most from start to finish and have time to go "test out" the loads. Explain why things are done. The why reinforces the steps. Let him start reading after showing him a little and then he will come back with tons of good questions. Hopefully anyhow. Use a forgiving powder thats easy to measure. Have fun, but watch him like a hawk!

and one final thing. THANK YOU!!! Thank you for bringing another person to "our side" or at least reinforcing that guns and munitions are not bad.

[Char-Gar]

I started reloading in 1958. I was given a ten minute demonstration with a Pacific Super C reloading press and dies and handed a Lyman 41 reloading manual. That is all I ever needed. If somebody needs more than that, they should not be around guns and reloading until they get more control of their head.

I for sure would not introduce anybody to reloading with a progressive press. Those gizmos are way to complex to learn on. In fact they are way to complex for me and I have been at it for a while now. The advent of the affordable progressive reloading press has drastically increased the number of blow up guns in this country.

[southpaw]

Thanks guys! I guess I should have given more info. His Dad has had him hunting since he was little, so he is not stranger to guns or shooting. He just wants to take it to the next level. One of the problems is that his Dad and I work opposite scheduals (He works the days I have off and vise versa). We will figure out how to get him over whether his Mom brings him over I pick him. This is kinda why I was gonna find some books for him. I agree seeing it and then reading about it would be better but it might be a little while before we get together.

Thanks again! I will contact his Dad and find out when a good time is to get together.

Jerry Jr.

Ps. We are up to about 10-12" so far.

[M-Tecs]

Of course you will have to show him "how" but the "why" is the key to understanding. Explaining "why" we bell for lead bullets and not for jacket is one example. Another is "why" one technique is fine for pistol plinking loads but not for high performance rifle loads. Conversely "why" some of the techniques used for high performance rifle loads maybe a waste of time with plinking loads.

[jonas302]

What a great age to get started have him do research on the internet some of the utubes are hokey but a lot of the powder and bullet press ect manufactures have information on getting started also midway and browells have great video sections of course reading this sight although its nice to get started with some simple jacketed loads
If he is really interested he could have a pretty darn good handle in it by the time you get to the press and maybe he should keep a notebook of questions for you of course a lot of those could be answered by email to until you can get together

Most importantly keep it fun and rewarding go shoot some reloads not resize 10,000 cases(:

[Wolfer]

A problem I have that I really try to curtail is I tend to overload them with information too soon. I've believe it's best to start them out with only the basics until their ready to move on.

I started with a 30-30 and a Lee loader. A stump in the backyard was my bench and an old flywheel hanging in a tree at 100 yds was my primary target. I would load 7 and shoot them and repeat, often many times.

[southpaw]

Of course you will have to show him "how" but the "why" is the key to understanding.

Great point. Stepping back and putting oneself in their shoes and realizing that the simple things aren't so simple when you don't already know them.


Most importantly keep it fun and rewarding go shoot some reloads not resize 10,000 cases(:

Man, I don't even like sitting down and loading 50 shells from start to finish! Thats why I bought a 650 and a 9000 for the shotshells. When I load shells for the rifles I do it a little at a time, size prep prime load. Otherwise it ends up like nascar, he's making a left turn! I think I will start him with 10-20 and then step out the back unload them.


A problem I have that I really try to curtail is I tend to overload them with information too soon.

This something that I am gonna have to watch aswell. I often find myself explaining the inner workings of a clock when all they did was ask what time it was.

Keep'em coming!

Jerry Jr.

[pworley1]

As a retired school teacher, let me make this suggestion. It is very important to use the manuals to present the facts, but there is nothing like hands on to teach skills. If he is interested he will do the reading on his own, but the learning will come sitting at the press.

[Hawkeye45]

Thank you big time for taking on the enjoyable task of teaching the newer generation. We need more people to do that. Make it knowledgeable and fun and he will stay with it.

Mr. Ed

[WILCO]

First we are going to start with some books.

Have Dad purchase this book:

[WILCO]

Then start him off with a LEE Loader in their choice of caliber.

[ohland]

I have pulled the handle of a MEC 600 Jr thousands of times. The handle of an RCBS or Lyman single stage press, hundreds. The others have correctly suggested a good reloading handbook, and relatively mild loads, and hands-on. I always made the connection between parts and weights and procedure much better when someone does the "let me show you, let's do it together, now you do it".

I do recommend that the set up is always followed. Pull out the one canister of powder. One flat of primers. One box of bullets. Show how to set-up the die. And just because, have the page bookmarked, or the printed load (Hodgdon and others have on-line guides) available.

Never reload in a hurry. Always use common sense choosing a load. Consider the gun that the round will be fired in. If one looses track of how much powder was thrown or poured into the shell, dump it back in the reservoir (why we only have ONE powder out!) and do it again.

Reloading is simple, but is an unforgiving mistress.

No ideal of the calibers to be reloaded, but some are more demanding than others. This is the flame war stuff here, IMHO, having struggled with not seeing the bullet after perching it on top of the case mouth, and run up into the die, the Hornady New Dimension dies, or the (discontinued) Lyman All American Precision Alignment dies, or RCBS comp seater dies, all use a floating seating chamber, or equivalent. I have never crushed a finger using my RCBS competition seater die. IF the youngster has no trouble with a common seater die, then all the power to him.

:coffeecom

[CGT80]

Some people will catch on right away and appreciate all the little details that go into reloading. Others seem to have more trouble just remembering the basics of what is going on and will need to start off with just a small amount of information and later add to it.

I have been teaching a room mate to shoot and reload. She doesn't have much money so I have her help where ever I can with my hobby to to at least give me some benefit for supplying components to her. She sometimes has trouble remembering the names and types of guns we shoot. I don't know if she isn't putting enough effort into it, or if she just doesn't have the mind for little details. I suspect it is a combination of both. Only I load the powder and bullets, as the guns are also mine, and she has not proven herself to be quite ready for that responsibility. I haven't pushed her to learn to set dies herself either. If she was loading ammo for her own gun, then I would go there.

I started her out with easy tasks and just showed her how to do it. Sizing brass, sorting brass, lubesizing boolits, casting boolits, priming on an RCBS bench primer, etc. I set it up and she helps. I do explain how I set it up and why each step matters. She is the type where her eyes will seem to gloss over with some of the details, or she may tune out part of what I say. Some people just do not listen well or pay attention to the details. Last time to the range was her first time shooting from a holster and moving through a course of fire. In the past, she used the same pistol for shooting from behind a bench. She did quite well, and is picking up what I am teaching, but I have to take it slow. She would like to have her own gun, eventually, but she has other things that are far more pressing so I don't see it happening for a long time. When it does, she may find the desire to get even more involved in the reloading aspect.

For the OP, it will greatly help that his student already knows how to use a gun and has access to one. You may have him just help you load some ammo to start. Go through the steps and explain the names, and let the experience soak in. He can read books or watch videos afterward and then join you again to load some more. He will probably better adsorb the details, as to how and why, after he has tried it and watched others do it. After observing what type of person he is and how he learns, you can decide how much info to give him at one time. I try to pass on any info that will prevent the student from making mistakes. I read books, and used the internet to learn most of what I know about reloading, but I didn't have anyone to show me hands on and warn me where the potential problems were hiding. Getting a proper crimp for a semiauto pistol comes to mind. I learned that the hard way while I was competing. I knew not to crimp too much, but I didn't know where too much and too little was.

Someone else said he shouldn't need much more than to see it done and read a book and then go at it, but that is just setting someone up for a frustrating experience and likely failure. It is good to learn from others mistakes. If the OP is willing to mentor this kid, then why not give him the best chance of doing well at reloading? He will still make mistakes and learn, but he will be much further ahead if he has a mentor. Teaching others about reloading and firearms will just help the sport and the right to bear arms.

[ohland]

just setting someone up for a frustrating experience and likely failure

That is a known possibility, it is called "Run, Fall, Crawl". A good teacher / mentor never overwhelms the student. I like to do depriming separate, followed by whatever resizing required, then priming (love my RCBS benchtop priming tool, NOT the APS), charge all cases with powder, then seat bullets. In 35+ years of reloading, I haven't had a squib or hangfire. But we won't talk of the old Activ 20ga hull with only a steel washer around the primer pocket (pop! dribble - dribble...).

[OBIII]

See about getting him signed up on the forum. He can lurk, read lot's of stickies, and have more questions than Carter has liver pills.

OB

[Char-Gar]

"Someone else said he shouldn't need much more than to see it done and read a book and then go at it, but that is just setting someone up for a frustrating experience and likely failure. It is good to learn from others mistakes. If the OP is willing to mentor this kid, then why not give him the best chance of doing well at reloading? He will still make mistakes and learn, but he will be much further ahead if he has a mentor. Teaching others about reloading and firearms will just help the sport and the right to bear arms."

Errr.that be me who made that suggestion. If a person is to dumb to think, to disinterested to follow basic instruction or to careless to be left alone to reload, than that individual is a lost cause from the start. I stated loading at 16. Everything I needed to know what in that Lyman handbook. You boys way over think this stuff and shove that hyper-complex attitude on new folks. This ain't rocket science.

[CGT80]

I started reloading by age 14. My first time shooting was in the 5th grade. I started reloading in junior high school. My dad learned by reading the books and also reloading/shooting with my mom's dad. Neither one of them got deep into the details. Most of their ammo worked ok, but they only worked with the popular components and loaded ammo to plink and for occasional hunting.

Many things in life are more complex than we think. Some of us just don't care about the details, variations, or possibilities. Maybe ignorance is bliss. This forum is based on sharing info and better understanding shooting and reloading. If all of this is so simple and doesn't require anything more than a book and a few minutes of instruction, then why does this forum exist? I find it surprising that this comes from a person with almost 10,000 posts on a forum that is full of people who care about the small details which likely are not covered in one book. If you found all you needed to know about reloading, then why hang out here?

There was a thread that I posted in recently, where others stated that they don't post a lot because just about anything they could want to know about this hobby is in this forum somewhere. Some of us spend many hours reading and adsorbing what is here. I managed to successfully load ammo to shoot a few times per year, before I found forums like these, but I am very happy to have access to all of this info. People here help others along when they want more info.

I do agree that a new reloader doesn't have to know all of the little details to do the job and it is important to not overwhelm them. They may be fine with only learning the basics. I, and many here, would at least inform a student that there is much more to learn than first meets the eye. The student doesn't even need to know that lead boolits even exist. They may load one weight of jacketed bullet over one charge of powder for a particular cartridge and be set for life. They may also become interested in the variations of projectiles that we talk about here.

We may not be building rockets, but we are working with propellants and projectiles that can lead to life altering consequences if we screw up bad enough. If we are lucky, any mishaps will only lead to an embarrassment or frustration. That is why I won't let a new reloader or even an experienced one, load ammo for myself or my guns. I care about my safety, the new reloader's safety, and the firearms that may be damaged.

I will have to disagree with the lost cause statement. Not everyone can teach themselves as easily as you may have or I may have. Some people need others to walk them through the process. I have experienced that myself with some of the things I have tried to learn. Some people just prefer to learn all they can from others, even if they may be capable of learning on their own.

It looks like you are a complete opposite of that "hyper complex" attitude you talk about. Now I wonder what you could have possibly had to discus in 9k+ posts, if this is all so simple. You come off as not caring about the details. Maybe it is just this thread that makes you appear that way :confused:

[MaryB]

Depending on his mechanical aptitude you can run the whole sequence or break it into parts. You could start with 20 once fired cases(even have him shoot some so-so factory ammo to see how it performs) then one day show him the decapping and cleaning and priming process on just 10 of them.

Next time have him decap. clean, prime the other 10 on his own with you watching and correcting mistakes.

Then you could go on to weighing/measuring powder, maybe explain why one is used over the other at times, then bullet seating and crimping if needed with 10 of the cases.

Go have fun firing those 10 then the next time he is there finish the last 10 off, fire them and have him go through the whole process again doing all 20 at once.

Breaking things down this way reinforces the previous lesson before you move onto the next step. And he can also see how much more accurate hand loaded can be when it is matched to the gun it is fired from. Then go onto more advanced topics after he has reloaded for a month or two. Go into load development for the best accuracy etc.

[Char-Gar]

It looks like you are a complete opposite of that "hyper complex" attitude you talk about. Now I wonder what you could have possibly had to discus in 9k+ posts, if this is all so simple. You come off as not caring about the details. Maybe it is just this thread that makes you appear that way :confused:

I know something about reloading, something about teaching and something about human nature. Here are a couple of relevant points about human nature;

1. People retain and use knowledge and skills they learn by themselves better than information that is spoon fed to them. I teach college and we are not doing the students a favor by freeing them from the task of digging out information for themselves. That is why we assign research papers and test them on materials in the book not covered in class. It is in their best interest to so do.

To be certain, some people are mentally lazy and don't want to put out the effort to learn. They are the ones that get "Ds" and "Fs". Nobody is helped by allowing them to be physically or mentally lazy. Learning of all kinds is as much about character building as it is about imparting information.

2. Some people like to impress others with their vast amount of knowledge. It makes them feel knowledgably, and above the uninitiated. So, the love to dump a huge volume of information on people to impress them. It may impress them, but it also doesn't help them to learn. The purpose of teaching is not to wow the students with the professors knowledge, but to give the student the knowledge he or she needs. The same dynamic would apply to teaching someone to reload.

Here is what I was taught;

1. Here is a reloading press and dies
2. This is how you install a sizing die in the press and why you need to size.
3. This is how you lube a case and size it.
4. Note the old primer is kicked out and the next expanded as the case moves in and out of the sizing die. Make certain the primer is below the case head.
5. This is a powder measure and powder scale and how they are used and why it is import to use them together.
6. This is how you adjust a seating die to seat a bullet
7. Now you wipe off the loaded round

Here is a Lyman handbook that will repeat the above and allot more information. Do not deviate from the loading data and begin with the suggested starting loads.

Any questions...

Yea, that is enough. There is a huge amount of information out there, if the new reloader want to dig it out. If he does not want to dig it out....well that is another story.

I am a reloader of considerable experience, well over 50 years in fact and I have a very good grasp of the details. I also know how people learn and how to enable that learning process. Learning is not enable by a long protracted information and detail dump on the student robbing them of self discovery. They need to know the basics of reloading and reloading safety and that is not a difficult process at all. They also need to know how to think and learn for themselves and not be dependent on some "mentor" with a spoon full of details, ifs, ands, and buts.

My first reaction was to blow off your post and not spend the time to explain what you are missing about the process of teaching somebody how to reload. But, I am a teacher at heart and hence the explanation.

Bonus: Young men know what they know and don't know, what they don't know. Old men know what young men know plus what young men don't know.

If you still can't figure out what I could possible have to say in 9,334 posts, then I suggest you read them. They are all here for you, some of the details might surprise you. Before one passes judgment about the lack of value of such posts, he should take the time to read them.

[southpaw]

I appreciate all the info so far guys.

I wish I had a mentor when I started loading. I don't see it as spoon feeding anyone. That is not the what a mentor is. They are someone that guides and helps someone either in life or in a particular endevour. Someone to show you how they do it. Someone to call and ask a question when you can't find the answer or are confused about the answer.

I compare it to working on cars. My younger brother happens to be pretty good at it. I can do the simple things (brakes oils plugs ect.) . There are books out there that explain how to do the other more in-depth things. I still would rather enlist his help since he has the experience doing these things. I am getting better but it is still better to have someone there to coach me through the job. Yeah, I could stumble through it and spend 2-3 times as long doing it and most likely brake some things and finally get it done but why when I can get help and get it done faster and learn the right way.

Jerry Jr.

[Char-Gar]

Southpaw...A couple of questions for you.

1. Do you know how to reload?
2. If so, are your reloads functional, safe and accurate?

[Ickisrulz]

I learned to reload by following the guidance of precisely 9 pages in Speer's Reloading Manual #11 and the instructions that came with the few tools I bought. There was no one else involved, I had never seen it done and there was no Internet to help me out. I sat down, read the instructions and did it. The next day I shot my 44 Magnum rounds and was pleasantly surprised.

It is just not that hard...but not everyone should do it.

[Char-Gar]

I learned to reload by following the guidance of precisely 9 pages in Speer's Reloading Manual #11 and the instructions that came with the few tools I bought. There was no one else involved, I had never seen it done and there was no Internet to help me out. I sat down, read the instructions and did it. The next day I shot my 44 Magnum rounds and was pleasantly surprised.

It is just not that hard...but not everyone should do it.

I am looking for the LIKE button!

[CGT80]

I appreciate all the info so far guys.

I wish I had a mentor when I started loading. I don't see it as spoon feeding anyone. That is not the what a mentor is. They are someone that guides and helps someone either in life or in a particular endevour. Someone to show you how they do it. Someone to call and ask a question when you can't find the answer or are confused about the answer.

I compare it to working on cars. My younger brother happens to be pretty good at it. I can do the simple things (brakes oils plugs ect.) . There are books out there that explain how to do the other more in-depth things. I still would rather enlist his help since he has the experience doing these things. I am getting better but it is still better to have someone there to coach me through the job. Yeah, I could stumble through it and spend 2-3 times as long doing it and most likely brake some things and finally get it done but why when I can get help and get it done faster and learn the right way.

Jerry Jr.

I agree with both statements. I do a much of my own auto work. I also have an uncle who is a mechanic and owns a shop. I appreciate his advice and willingness to help me along. I don't always agree with his ways or find them to work best for me, but I learn what I can from someone who has been there and done that.

Char-Gar, thanks for the response. I didn't say that your posts were worthless, just that you seemed to have a lot to say in a forum that is generally about such a basic subject. I did read through a few of your posts, but didn't get a chance to explore more. It is sometimes interesting to see a person's past posts. You can learn a bit about them, and often times I will run across info that is interesting or useful to me. You have some valid points in your last post. I agree that some people should not bother with reloading. We will have to disagree with the possible need or value of having a mentor. Different stokes for different folks! :drinks:

[southpaw]

Southpaw...A couple of questions for you.

1. Do you know how to reload?
2. If so, are your reloads functional, safe and accurate?

Yes and yes. I understand your point. I don't see how mentoring/ coaching someone is spoon feeding them. I plan on giving him some hands on experience and show him what all those pics are in the books. It is gonna be up to him to absorb it.

Given the chose when starting something new would you rather have someone mentor/coach you or go at it on your own?

What do you call what is done here when those that know pass on their knowledge to those that as starting out or have a question? To me it seems a bit like mentoring/ coaching. The difference is that most of the time we are able to meet each other.

I learned to reload by following the guidance of precisely 9 pages in Speer's Reloading Manual #11 and the instructions that came with the few tools I bought. There was no one else involved, I had never seen it done and there was no Internet to help me out. I sat down, read the instructions and did it. The next day I shot my 44 Magnum rounds and was pleasantly surprised.

It is just not that hard...but not everyone should do it.

It's not that hard. No one said that it was, it can just get confusing. I am willing to bet that there was more than one time that it would have been nice to have some one to ask questions.

Jerry Jr.

[DRNurse1]

No one mentioned safety. I suppose it is assumed but if you are the mentor, both acting/ demonstrating the safety needed to load cartridges and teaching the same is an important step. This fellow may be able to watch some you-tube videos and pick up a lot of technique information, but the whys and safety are often missing.

Sometimes, asking a novice what they think can be helpful in determining a direction, but be careful that the environment is appropriate.

You need a safe word: on the firing line, anyone can say "Cease Fire" if they think the situation is not safe. Come up with one that both of you can use if either needs to stop immediately.

Just my ramblings. Do not be surprised when ou learn some new reloading stuff from this fellow.

[Love Life]

Let him borrow a manual and tell him to read it. When he has read the manual, have him come over and SHOW YOU how to reload. Make corrections as needed.

I learned on a Dillon RL550B (1st press I purchased after evaluating my shooting habits). All I had was the Speer Manual to get me started. I didn't cause a nuclear explosion or die.

[southpaw]

Just my ramblings. Do not be surprised when ou learn some new reloading stuff from this fellow.

You got that! I have learned many a things coaching younger or new shooters. It makes to take a step back take a new look at things. Often times they point out some things that should have been obvious but I was over thinking it.

Jerry Jr.

[Char-Gar]

CGT80....There is an old joke that goes;

Q: How is your wife?
A: Compared to who?

Restated in the context of this thread;

Q: Is reloading complex?

A: Compared to what?

I suppose to some folks changing a tire is complex. Still others would consider changing spark plugs complex. But compared to brain surgery or trying a fifty million dollar law suit or managing a company with 500 employees either of the first two is child's play.

In the things people do in life reloading is as about as simple a task as I can think of. I am certain some folks would find it very difficult, we do have those folks around. They generally work for people who would not find it difficult at all. If a person requires multiple session of teaching/mentoring with somebody watching over their shoulder, then I don't want to be anywhere near that person when they have a gun in their hand.

As to the 9K number of posts, mostly I have been around here for a long time trying to help folks with something rather simple they find baffling. The number of posts does not represent the complexity of reloading, it represents attempts to help.

[Char-Gar]

Southpaw...

I have no memory of it, but I am certain when I was quite small, somebody had to feed me. But as soon as I could handle a spoon, I did it myself. I am a very independent and self reliant person who came from independent and self reliant people. To answer your question, It would not be my choice to have a mentor or coach. I have objected when folks tried to do that. That is just the way I am. I have learned and done many things in life and all of them quite well.

I do understand that some folks want the easy way and want people to hold their hands while they learn something new. Some folks want this and some folks require this, but I am not one of those people.

Are we teaching/mentoring here on this board? Yes, we are. Some folks need/want a little help, others want more, still others are so uncertain of themselves they will never wean themselves. The original theme of this post is how to mentor a new reloader and my response is "as little as possible", for reasons I have stated above. However, I get the feeling that some folks think answer should be "as much as possible". They justify that be asserting how complex and detailed the process is. I just don't happen to agree with that way of thinking.

There are just some people that should no be allowed to have matches, guns or access to reloading equipment.

[Ickisrulz]

It's not that hard. No one said that it was, it can just get confusing. I am willing to bet that there was more than one time that it would have been nice to have some one to ask questions.

Jerry Jr.

It depends on who the coach is/was. For example, look at when a new loader asks for equipment suggestions on this site. The lists that people post are overwhelming and contain items that are not immediately (or ever) necessary. I started with a manual, set of dies, a RS2 press, a trickler and a scale. That is all. Five items and I could make my own ammo. It was good ammo and I saved money. To read some people's must have lists not only do you have to spent a small fortune, you also have a lot of things to learn about. By doing it myself, I learned at my own pace and thoroughly. Plus, I added to my tools as saw they were needed. Poor mentors push too much information too fast and have a habit of spending other people's money.

[jacobslagle018]

I am fairly new, but what really helped me was youtube. I would read on a forum/book about things I HAD to do vs things that were optional. Reading about it, then seeing it in action helped me start. I am the only gun fan in the family so I was taking in info everywhere. As a matter of fact I still am.:drinks:

[WILCO]

I am fairly new, but what really helped me was youtube. I would read on a forum/book about things I HAD to do vs things that were optional.

That is a pretty scary statement. Sorry dude. Reloading manuals have rules for very sound reasons. Pick a manual and stick with it. Toss out all the youtube garbage.

[Char-Gar]

I am fairly new, but what really helped me was youtube. I would read on a forum/book about things I HAD to do vs things that were optional. Reading about it, then seeing it in action helped me start. I am the only gun fan in the family so I was taking in info everywhere. As a matter of fact I still am.:drinks:

Shooting and reloading was not handed down to me by family either and it was not a big issue in learning. Your pic shows you to be fairly young, so this old man is going to give you some unrequested counsel.

Anybody and everybody can shoot a little video and put it on YouTube. There are no requirements that people know what they are doing or saying. The same is true for post on this and other internet sites as well. There is some good stuff on You Tube and internet boards, but also allot of nonsense as well.

Stick with a good reliable reloading manual until you have the knowledge and experience to separate the good info from the BS you encounter via the "social media". Internet stuff should not be your primary source of learning. You won't get hurt this way.