# Reloading, how did you learn?



## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

Did you self teach, have a teacher, grow up with it or some other way?

Was thinking, been around here long enough to have asked advice on chickens, hogs, cows and such. Been able to give advice on chickens, hogs, syrup making, etc on a few occaisions. Good as anyplace for the next step in reloading!  
Been a bit pensive lately, did anyone think we'd see some of the things going on currently? Ten years ago, did anyone think, better buy a box of extra. 22lr cause someday it might not be available? bleah!


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## Clifford (Aug 14, 2004)

I began by reading reloading books. Started reloading shotgun shells and went on to pistol and rifle cartridges.


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## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

I am reading this as I sit next to my copy of "Shotshell Reloading Handbook". Seems a bit overwhelming but so did a cow when I got one!


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## JawjaBoy (Jan 21, 2013)

I got started with my cousin teaching me to load shotshells when I was 15 or 16. Did that until I turned 21 and bought my first centerfire handgun. Taught myself to load .357 mag. 

Since then I've expanded to everything from .32 up to .50 in handguns and have got into rifles in the last few years with Grandad's old .30 Remington Model 14.

Loading manuals are a great source of information as are books like Lyman's Pistol and Revolver Handbook, ABC's of Reloading and Lee's Modern Reloading.

I would also recommend Handloader magazine. Great source of articles on all aspects of reloading as well as lots of advertisers supplying reloading components and tools.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

my dad and I started reloading 12 ga shotgun shells for trap shooting when I was about 14 , we got what we needed from a loading manual and club members at the range 

I don't want to say there were fewer variables because shot shell reloading had a lot of them but we followed a specific recipe and used the componets the club members told us were the best choice once we were set up . there really wasn't much to it keep the hoppers and primer carrier full and pull the handle this was a MEC 9000G powder bushings made powder simple and that we were basically replicating Winchester AA trap supper handicap shells 



a few years ago I got into metallic reloading and casting the sky is the limit for what you can do but 
first I checked out every reloading manual I could from the library system, I found the one I followed best , I then purchased my own copy of Lee Modern Reloading Second Edition 
the first 200 pages are dedicated to the process , i read it all , any thing I didn't full have I reread and researched till I had it 

then I ordered a press and dies 

I also joined a reloading forum and read and read and read seeing what I could glean from others tests and trials 

I started with 44mag 

I now cast and load for several calibers and muzzle loaders


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

1969 even back then 16ga. shells were on the hard side to get in different loads other than the pretty much do all #6 shot. I was shooting a lot of informal trap at the sportsman club so one of the guys took me under his wing. I was advised when I said I was going to buy a mec reloader to get the #2 bar as they didn't just change bushings back then. Ordered it from Herter's. Guy took me to a fellows house that sold components from his house and set me up with Red Dot powder CCI primers , some wads and a bag of shot. Went home and followed the steps in the Mec manual and loaded several hundred boxes. I still have that 600JR with the #2 bar and use it some, have added a Mec 9000 in 12ga. and several bushings, a Mec 9000 in 20GA and it sports a unervisal adjustable bar.


1971 I decided to start doing my own reloading for my 30-30. My dad had been buying reloads from a fellow at work. I went to the local gun shop and reloader supply outlet and talked to the owner about what I wanted to do. He set me up with a RCBS O press, RCBS 30-30 dies, a case length tool, deburring tool, Ohm 10-10 powder scale, a Lyman #47 manual a pound of MIR 3031, and a box of 100 rounds of Winchester silver tips as was in the reloads my dad had been buying.
I was told to read the manual real well and to keep in on the side of the table I mounted the press on to refer to.

Since then I added a small rock tumbler at first then a big one later, a powder drop, E scale, a case trimmer I did need to file any longer, a bunch of loading blocks and even started making my own, a RCBS hand primer tool and a second press a Lyman challenger O type.
I load for 220 swift, 30-30,-32special, 243, 284, 7MM 08, 308, and 300 Win mag. I now have about 9 different manuals I use. 

Big tumbler, I use no name rice as a media.






Home made loading block and Remington bolt take down tool.


My reloading time is a blustery winter day when I don't really want to be outside. It is my do bother me time in the house casue I am taking a vacation day from stress.



 Al


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## ATPFARM (Dec 31, 2012)

Started about 3 years ago...been wanting to learn for 30yrs...so a friend of mine was well into reloading and showed me the basics....
after that I've read manuals and watched some youtube.... its become my favorite winter hobby...reloading/shooting...


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## Clifford (Aug 14, 2004)

I'm still using the same MEC shot shell press I got for Christmas when I was 14. Thirty six years later, my 14 year old son is learning with that same press.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I use citric acid and hot water to clean my brass , it is cheap effective and no dust or penitential for powdered lead 

a quart mason jar fill 2/3 with dirty brass , then add 1-2 table spoons citric acid powder then boiling or near boiling water , sounds like your pickling your brass and you actually are the citric acid and water with agitation cleans powder residue and such but it also gives the brass better resistance to corrosion like bluing for steel

after the jar of brass has been agitated , let to sit agitated . left to sit till the jar has cooled enough that you can put you hand over the jar as you pour out the citric acid mix over the sink then I rinse it in with warm tap water and put it on a old towel to dry , it is ready to load when dry

it isn't as shiny but it works , is cheap and easy and limits dust


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## Nimrod (Jun 8, 2010)

Start by reading a good reloading manual. All the info you need is in there. Shotgun reloading is simpler than reloading rifle and pistol so it's a good place to start. 

*FOLLOW THE RECIPES IN THE RELOADING DATA EXACTLY.
*Unless you put in too much or too little powder you won't blow the gun up.

Part of the fun is trying different loads to come up with one that works best in your gun. This is more pronounced in reloading for rifle and pistol but still pertains to shotguns too. My 870 will not pattern #4 shot worth a hoot so I don't reload #4. You should be able to come up with a load that increases the accuracy of your rifle.

Follow the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principal. Only reload a few different loads or you wind up with a bunch of different components. I only load 12 gauge, 357, and 30-06.

Components make great preps. I have enough components on hane to cover my needs and use as barter items if TEOTWAWKI hits. Don't load up too much ammo. Reloads are suspect when it comes time to sell or trade them. No one knows if you are a good reloader so keep the components, not the reloaded ammo.

I would start with a good quality single stage shotshell press. Progressive presses cost close to $1000 new and ,unless you are reloading for a trap team, you don't need the capacity to reload 500 rounds per hour. Do look on Ebay and CL for a used press. Sometimes you can find barely used ones at a substantial savings. This is especially true since the price of components has gone up so much.

I like Ponsness Warren brand for shotshell and RCBS for pistol and rifle. I had a Remington Sportsman 58 semiautomatic shotgun that wouldn't cycle some factory loads. It worked flawlessly with the reloads my Ponsness made because the reloader resizes the shell completly.

Be carefull when you shoot reloads. I went hunting with a friend that was getting into reloading. We were sitting in the duck blind when a beautiful greenhead came into the decoys. It was his shot so he pulled up on the duck. The gun went foop and the BBs rolled out the end of the barrel. The duck got away because I was laughing too hard to aim right. Always check your barrel for obstructions if the sound isn't exactly what you expect. We had to get a corn stalk to clear the wad out of his barrel. 

Reloading is fun but doesn't necessarily save you any money. My standard trap load is a AA compression formed hull (they don't make them any more but I have a 55 gallon garbage bag full), 1 1/8 of #7 1/2 shot, Federal 209 primer, and 17 grains of American Select powder. This costs;

Shot: 25 pounds @ $50. 25 pounds X 16 oz/pound divided by 1 1/8 oz = 355 loads per bag. $50 divided by 355 = 14 cents a load.

Powder: 1 pound @ $22. One pound = 7000 grains so there are 412 loads per pound. $22 divided by 412 = 5.3 cents per load.

Primers: 1000 @ $30. 3 cents per load.

Wads: 500 @ $10 (Claybusters). 2 cents per load.

14 + 5.3 + 3 + 2 = 24.3 cents per load. 24.3 X 25 = $6.07 per box.


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## Chuck R. (Apr 24, 2008)

Clifford said:


> I began by reading reloading books. Started reloading shotgun shells and went on to pistol and rifle cartridges.


Same here, started when I was 13 or 14 reloading shotshells for Trap, then moved on to centerfire. By the time I was 15 I was loading for 12, 20, .357 Mag, .222 Remington, and 30-06. 

Currently load for:

7.65 Luger
.380 Auto
9mm 
.38 Special
.357 Magnum
.44 Special/Magnum
.45 ACP 
.45 Colt 


.223 Rem / 5.56x45mm
6mmRem
.25-06 
6.5 X 57mm
.270 Winchester
.308, 7.62x51mm
.30-06
.300 Win Mag
8.15 x 46R
8x68S Magnum
.350 Rem Magnum
.40-70 Winchester (2.4")
.45 ACP
.45 Colt
.45-90 (2.4â)
.45-100 (2.6â)

Shotgun
20 GA 
16 GA
12 GA 
10 GA

And cast bullets for .45ACP & .45Colt, .38/.357, .40 and .45 black powder cartridge. Now operate 5 presses, 3 lead melting pots, "chitload of dies and molds" and an annealing machine. I usually go through about 10-12,000 rds a year in handgun alone, still havenât blown anything up. I also still have my original Ponsness Warren 375C and RCBS Rock-Chucker. 





Chuck


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## tab (Aug 20, 2002)

You folks are impressive!!! and encouraging!!!! Thank you for sharing such good info.

We have acess to a reloader for 12 and 20 ga. Not sure what it is. Dh has been working on the recipes and assembling parts. I hadn't thought about you tube, duh, as we are both visual learners. Guess this means I better stick my nose in the reloading book rather than here!


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## bluetogreens (May 31, 2010)

i'm gonna be an oddman out here,

I read warning/highlights etc. I bought a progressive press/brass/primers/powder/bullets etc. and watched youtube video's. 

I do not reload a ton, I do not cast (yet), but out of about 10-15K rounds reloaded and shot so far in 9mm/45/38/223 I have had 1 "squib" round that still left the barrel but just "felt different" leaving the gun. I still check every 10th round or so for powder weight and a good amount for overall length etc. 

I still check all brass before reloading for damage, and I prefer priming off press. for 223 etc. I check the case neck and trim if neeeded by hand. 

Its scary, its dangerous, there are a million ways to go about doing it. if you do not shoot a lot of shotgun, start with straight wall pistol/rifle then move to others.

I am still in the "i shoot steel or mounds of dirt" phase so have not gotten into the intricacy of reloading for accuracy/fireformed cases etc. I reload mostly plated bullets for plinking or purchased cast SWC's for 38.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

My father taught me how to use his reloading machines as a teenager and after my grandfather passed and my aunts sent some of his stuff to us , he showed me how to use my grandfather's old hand reload kit that not only took forever to do one round wasn't near as safe as the machines.


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## JawjaBoy (Jan 21, 2013)

Clifford said:


> I'm still using the same MEC shot shell press I got for Christmas when I was 14. Thirty six years later, my 14 year old son is learning with that same press.


I got my Sizemaster for Christmas when I was 17! 23 years later it is still dropping out perfect shells.


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## littlejoe (Jan 17, 2007)

Seems like I was 14 when I used a part of summer wages to buy a Rem 788 in 22-250. Already had an older 6x Weaver scope from a trade of some kind. Spent about 30 rounds of my coveted 40 sighting it in the next day. LOL! The following day I nailed my first 'yote with it!

A Lee Loader soon followed. When I was younger, a neighbor had saved all of his FUR-FISH-GAME and Outdoor Life which went from Jack O'Connor to Jim Carmichael. He gifted me several boxes, and since we were in the bottom of a canyon and no TV reception, I read and reread all of them till I knew them byheart.

A reloading manual soon followed, and a used RCBS jr press and scale. Then a used rockchucker, then sold a gun to finance a Dillon 550 as the kids got old enough to shoot.

Kids have been gone a couple years and we/I havn't sat down to reload, but I've been gathering components at a steady rate to do so.


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## fordy (Sep 13, 2003)

tab said:


> Did you self teach, have a teacher, grow up with it or some other way?
> 
> Was thinking, been around here long enough to have asked advice on chickens, hogs, cows and such. Been able to give advice on chickens, hogs, syrup making, etc on a few occaisions. Good as anyplace for the next step in reloading!
> Been a bit pensive lately, did anyone think we'd see some of the things going on currently? Ten years ago, did anyone think, better buy a box of extra. 22lr cause someday it might not be available? bleah!


 ..............This is the sequence of steps I remember..........
..............(1)Remove old primers
..............(2)Boil old brass
..............(3)Resize neck(s) with dyes
..............(4)Weigh power for specific number of rounds
..............(5)Dispense powder to each round
..............(6)Insert slugs with dyes in Press
..............(7)Insert new primers with press\dyes
..............(8)Ready to shoot , if you put to much powder in any round you will know it very quickly !
...............The above steps are for center fire rounds .
................IF , I miss spoke PLEASE correct as it has been years since I reloaded , but I want to get restarted . , thanks , fordy


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Fordy you have the right idea pretty much but some steps are not correct in the steps.
For example weight each charge of powder for each case. I insert the bullet as soon as the case has the charge in it so I can not accidently double charge it. Some caseds can hold a double charge with out running over. 
Also prime the case before you charge them with powder.

I like to give all my cases a quick wash to clean them and make inspecting them easier, also washes junk off I don't want to get into the dies.

Good reloading manuals, like Lyman, Speer, Sierra, Nosler and others have pictures of the steps and explain them very well.


 Al


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

It depends what your loading what you do in what order 

say you have a bunch of pick up range brass in 223 , first i would decap with the universal decapper , then clean and dry , then lube and full length size and trim to length and make sure any crimp is removed from primer pockets 
I use a sizing lube that doesn't degrade the powder when it drys so i don't have to clean again , but if i didn't i would have to clean again then prime, powder , projectile , crimp inspect and box 

if i shot those 223 in a bolt rifle and planned to again and they didn't touch the ground , i would not worry about cleaning them for a few reloading and might neck size only then prime, powder, projectile inspect, box

i like the plastic boxes that hold 50 rounds , i keep that brass together , and a note card in the top of the box 

but I always prime empty brass , if a primer was to go off while priming and i have heard of it happening to people who got going fast and had one not sitting right if yout priming an empty case it goes pop and startles you , if your priming a load with powder and projectile , it is unlikely to be so pleasant.


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

I'm self-taught.

There's not a lot I can to the other's advice on books or videos, but I do want to impress upon you a couple of things:

1. Load only one caliber at a time. When you're through, put up everything for that caliber before you start any other task.

2. No distractions, no interruptions, no excuses. You must concentrate on the task at hand, because a screw-up can have life-threatening consequences.


I had a chance to have a conversation with a guy who was reloading for his Savage 110 in .243. He left the bench to go do something in the house, and thought he's already reloaded his powder measure with Winchester ball. He didn't...He still had the Bullseye in their he'd used for his .38 wadcutters.

Savage is a strong action, but it still blew the bottom out of it...Lucky thing he was propped up on a barrel of motor oil when he pulled the trigger.


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## poorboy (Apr 15, 2006)

tab said:


> Did you self teach, have a teacher, grow up with it or some other way?
> 
> Was thinking, been around here long enough to have asked advice on chickens, hogs, cows and such. Been able to give advice on chickens, hogs, syrup making, etc on a few occaisions. Good as anyplace for the next step in reloading!
> Been a bit pensive lately, did anyone think we'd see some of the things going on currently? Ten years ago, did anyone think, better buy a box of extra. 22lr cause someday it might not be available? bleah!


I did!:cowboy:And did!:sing:


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## bower (Jan 26, 2014)

I am 21 and learned to reload from a local gun dealer and research on the internet. It's not as dangerous as one would think if you're careful. There are dangers with anything. More so with reloading. I follow specified loads, no need to go on the hot side unless you're looking for extreme accuracy with bolt actions. I have a Lee Anniversary kit with RCBS dies. It works fine and you can actually save money with that setup. I don't have any brass cleaning supplies so I accept the fact that my dies won't last a lifetime since I size dirty. It doesn't bother me at $30 per set. I am young and good with picking good information from the internet. If you're not you could screw yourself with using online resources for sure. And only open one powder at a time. Mark your brass for how many times its been sized. Lee hand trimming tools work fine. If you stay within what a manual says for loads you will be fine.


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## gotlabs (Dec 16, 2012)

I started reloading shotgun shells when I was 12, stopped doing that after a few years. I close friend gave me a "reloading 101" class and reloading book back over the summer. I ordered items and components since then and produced my first reloaded cartridge a couple days ago. I use three different manuals, and the hodgdon website for load data. I will use someones "home brew" data, but only if I compare it to the books and everything matches up. 

The best advice I got and followed was "get a reloading manual and read read read.... before starting".


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## CanuckHilbilly (Feb 8, 2014)

I learned from the ABCs of reloading.


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