Advice on what *not* to do when just starting to reload?

[Creedmoor]

Don't know about DD, but for me, I like to knock out spent primers (at a rapid pace) on my ole RockChucker, and then run through the cleaner.
A lot faster to just pop the primers than to re-size, and keeps the primer "Crunchies" out of my Dillon 550.
But that's just me=Sorry to highjack...Bill.

Not a highjack at all. I've just never understood adding another step in the process.
I tumble, and if it's going to get loaded on a Dillon I just load and do a final tumble, gauge and box.
If a single stage I size and then tumble in most cases and then finish loading.

We can easily shoot 500 to over a 1,000rds in a outing, the thought of adding and extra step to that does not interest me at all. lol

 

[billybob44]

Not a highjack at all. I've just never understood adding another step in the process.
I tumble, and if it's going to get loaded on a Dillon I just load and do a final tumble, gauge and box.
If a single stage I size and then tumble in most cases and then finish loading.

We can easily shoot 500 to over a 1,000rds in a outing, the thought of adding and extra step to that does not interest me at all. lol

Thanks Creed=Yeah, in following your posts here, you/your family "Burn" a LOT MORE powder than me/mine..HA.HA..Bill.

 

[Creedmoor]

Thanks Creed=Yeah, in following your posts here, you/your family "Burn" a LOT MORE powder than me/mine..HA.HA..Bill.

LOL, Thing 2 will be home this sunday for a month or so, we will burn untold amounts of 9MM and 5.56
I just got off the phone with Andrew "Aszerigan" discussing what I need when I order a new Dillon 1100 machine. Its looking like I will sell my Dillon 1000 eight station machine soon.

 

[billybob44]

LOL, Thing 2 will be home this sunday for a month or so, we will burn untold amounts of 9MM and 5.56
I just got off the phone with Andrew "Aszerigan" discussing what I need when I order a new Dillon 1100 machine. Its looking like I will sell my Dillon 1000 eight station machine soon.

Yep, Andrew and I go WAY BACK==Back to when He first moved here from Baltimore MD.
He/Wife had a house on the NW side of Indy, and He operated His business there.
He has tried several times to get me to go to work for Him=NO=I am RETIRED..HA.HA...

 

[Creedmoor]

Yep, Andrew and I go WAY BACK==Back to when He first moved here from Baltimore MD.
He/Wife had a house on the NW side of Indy, and He operated His business there.
He has tried several times to get me to go to work for Him=NO=I am RETIRED..HA.HA...

I'm a Maryland boy myself, yes we met back then also. I sold Andy a bunch of 30 cal bullets and 50 bmg brass. I asked him, what part of Balmore you from??
He laughed, and then we talked about Dundaulk girls.
Andys a good man.

 

[CJM]

On the subject of what NOT to do - don't try and beat the factory ballistics for bullet velocity and muzzle energy. Stick to the maximum load limits in the manuals.
For loading more accurate ammo the Forster Coax is hard to beat in a single stage. I also believe it's the best for beginners to learn to seat primers. It's slow to setup correctly but the design of the primer seater on the press prevents primers from being crushed while you learn the proper force to seat a primer properly just below the case head surface.

 

[jlshaw]

Don't overcomplicate things.
Don't do things with a progressive until you firmly understand how to operate a single stage press. (Dillon 550 is ok if you run it one station at a time.
Don't EVER buy a Dillon 650. Under any circumstances. For any price. You're welcome.
Don't try to reinvent the wheel on powder charges. (Stay strictly within the published limits)
Don't do more than one thing at a time.
Don't assume that your powder meter works perfectly. Check your powder drops constantly.

Good luck!

 

[42253]

Don't overcomplicate things.
Don't do things with a progressive until you firmly understand how to operate a single stage press. (Dillon 550 is ok if you run it one station at a time.
Don't EVER buy a Dillon 650. Under any circumstances. For any price. You're welcome.
Don't try to reinvent the wheel on powder charges. (Stay strictly within the published limits)
Don't do more than one thing at a time.
Don't assume that your powder meter works perfectly. Check your powder drops constantly.

Good luck!

What is wrong with a Dillon 650?

 

[Creedmoor]

Don't overcomplicate things.
Don't do things with a progressive until you firmly understand how to operate a single stage press. (Dillon 550 is ok if you run it one station at a time.
Don't EVER buy a Dillon 650. Under any circumstances. For any price. You're welcome.
Don't try to reinvent the wheel on powder charges. (Stay strictly within the published limits)
Don't do more than one thing at a time.
Don't assume that your powder meter works perfectly. Check your powder drops constantly.

Good luck!

 

[canebreaker]

Static,
I first noticed it in my dry tumbler after a few uses. Pouring the media and casings from the tumbler to the separator the media would fly everywhere. Add a few spent dryer sheets to the tumbler will reduce the static and collect the black dust from spent powder. The sheets can be replaced or taken outside and shook over a flowerbed. They will last a few tumblings.
If you see powder cling to the sides of the powder hopper it has static. You might not get the right charge of powder. Cut a spent dryer sheet into 4 strips about 1/2" wide connected at the top. Fold and tape to the top of the hopper. Remove, shake and replace when you change powders.
You can ground your whole press even if it's not electric. Get a male plug with ground. One wire to the ground and no other wires connected. Use as much wire that you think you'll need. Add a clip to the end of the wire. For gangs of presses a wire with a clip on both ends can be added.
If there's a good electronic supply store nearby you can buy anti-static tinsel.

 

[DadSmith]

This is pretty much spot-on. I am hoping to make my own target loads for the 7.62, and (hopefully) save some money long-term.

The last part of your post directly address why I posted this thread…I have a tendency to go overboard with new hobbies and buy a bunch of stuff I don’t really need.

I want to try to avoid that this time.

What is the twist rate of your barrel you plan to load for? That will help determine the best bullet for your rifle.

My 308win rifles have a 1/10 twist they love the 175gr SMK bullets the most.

Definitely work up your own loads for your rifle. Every barrel is different and like different loads.
The nice thing about reloading is once you find a load it likes you can start fine tuning it to get even more out of it.

I usually start out at minimum load and work my way up to maximum load at 0.2gr increments. 10 loads for each. Then shoot them and see which ones provided the best results. Then you can adjust up or down 0.1gr and see if it improves or not.
I have found a few loads powder/bullet combinations that shot better with minimum or close to minimum powder load.
I've also found some powder/bullet combinations that didn't start shooting accurately until maximum load or close to it.
This is one reason you read and learn from other reloaders about their experience with different powder/bullet combinations to give you an idea of what to expect.

Then you can play with OAL as well.

I suggest a single stage press. Lee makes decent single stage presses that would fit the bill for you if you are going single stage and on a budget.

Lee Classic Cast Press

Lee Classic Cast Press New for 2020! Now includes Breech Lock Bushing update kit. The largest opening in the industry and the longest stroke– handle is adjustable to provide the least travel of any press. Rigid cast iron construction in a classic “O” design for maximum strength. Baked powder...

www.titanreloading.com

Good solid press for the money

If you can afford better by all means get better.

 

[JoeSig]

The most common thing you will hear, especially from the older guys, is to start with a single stage and work your way into a progressive press. Some of the worst advice that consistently gets thrown out. There is not much use for a single stage outside of the precision rifle world or if you pick it up at a garage sale for a few bucks.

If you are wanting to shoot at least 500-1000 rounds per month, you will need a progressive press. We reload to shoot, not to reload! I would much rather spend my time using my ammo, not loading it...
Progressive presses are very easy to use when you 1) read the manual and 2) understand each stage, one at a time.
Dillon 550 or 750 if you can afford it is your best bet. Can't beat their customer service and the support of their customer base.
My advice - start with one cartridge and load in small batches. Don't try to load 1000 on your first session. Also, have fun and never be afraid to ask silly questions. Most of the reloading community is very helpful and kind. You will love how much more knowledge you acquire over the course of reloading. It changes everything about firearm ownership!

Full disclosure, I used to work for Dillon and know the family well. Let me know if you have blue machine specific questions.

 

[OutdoorDad]

This!

Currently the price of components is through the roof. If your goal is to save money, forget it. You can buy bulk ammo for less than rolling your own.

Now if you want something specific (like I prefer 9mm in a certain light load pushing 147gr flat points) then reloading is worth it.

And what not to do? drink or multitask. Put 110% of your attention into the reloading.

Drinking or multitasking is potentially fatal.
Not kidding.

However... My BIL and FIL will sit with me in the basement to "reload" over the holidays.

Flip the ON switch on the case tumbler and we get a good two hours of bonding while the brass gets sparkly clean!
A big production of sifting media on the back patio and deburring is good for another hour...

But if it isn't brass... its an alone job with a bunch of serious notes and measurements. No conversation. Prefer to be alone. Too much can go wrong. Or so I've heard.

 

[LokhXIV]

There's plenty of good advice here, but you're gonna have to find what works for you. Keep everything in mind when you're deciding what route you wanna go. You're always going to find you need something else, don't like something you bought, or wish you had gone a different route. It'll become apparent as you go.

Personally I learned on a progressive. I didn't think it was all that hard to figure out. I just set up one station at a time and got a feel for how they each performed before doing a complete setup with them all working at once. I also like to listen to music while I load. I don't find it distracting, you might however.

If you know anybody that reloads or can find someone near you, that can be a quick way to jump start the learning process. I didn't know anyone, so I read a few different manuals, and then spent a lot of time online reading what other people did or thought about certain processes. https://www.reddit.com/r/reloading/ has a lot of useful information. You can't take it all as gospel, but you'll see a lot of information for what worked for other people. Plus you might find someone has a problem that you haven't run into yet and can avoid it altogether.

Whatever route you take, welcome to the hobby.

Also, keep in mind, you're not really going to save any money. You'll just end up having a lot more, higher quality ammo, for the same price.

 

[sairax]

Hello all,

I found this forum while looking for information about reloading, and sir let me tell you have I found it!

I have not purchased a press, any dies, or a single gram of powder, but I am already worried about the unseen pitfalls of starting this new hobby. Some of the setups in the photo thread are just magnificent, and also a little terrifying.

Rather than ask about what kind of press to buy, or what powder to start with I though I would ask the experienced hand loaders of this forum a question from a different angle: what kind of pitfalls and traps do newbie loaders often fall into that I should be aware of and try to avoid?

Thanks for reading my post, I look forward to your replies!

Welcome aboard! Biggest pitfall? Trying to go too fast and skipping steps—accuracy and safety come first. Another trap? Not keeping detailed records. Every load is different, so take good notes. Oh, and don't go overboard buying gear right away—start simple, learn as you go.

You’re in the right place, enjoy the journey!