How many here roll your own?

[antsi]

Don't start with a progressive press. It's not a good idea for a beginner.

This is commonly given advice and it does make some sense, but I started with a progressive press and didn't have any problems. If you're patient and mechanically inclined you can figure it out.

I've also heard you should always start with a straight wall case, but I didn't follow that advice either.

Personally I think the most important thing for a beginner is to get some hands on experience before buying a bunch of stuff. Find an INGO member who is a reloader, who will let you work in on a session with them. Or take an NRA reloading class. You can also buy videos or watch them on YouTube - but I think getting some real life experience is most important.

The only other major piece of advice I would give is that most problems come from messing around with loads that are on the extreme ends - either super light loads or super heavy loads. Both can be dangerous. The only time I made a potentially dangerous mistake was a load that was too light (trying to make a super low recoil target load for new shooters). There is also no sense in trying to make the most powerful load you can. The best shooting most accurate load is almost never a max load.

Some advise starting with a very light load then working up. What I do is look at at least 5 different data sources, max and min, and try to find a value that is right in the middle. This is my start load. I will load a test run at this value, and some slightly hotter and some slightly milder. I almost always find something that works super well for me with this procedure.

 

[TGUNTER]

I load 358 enterkin mag wildcat rounds. 35cal made from blowing out 300hh or 300weatherby mags into 35cal with a little different shoulder angle it is not cheap. I do also load normal stuff 44mag, 357and 38 and about eight differnent rifles. I have been doing it about twenty five years and it gives me something to do when its cold outside.

 

[mospeada]

This is commonly given advice and it does make some sense, but I started with a progressive press and didn't have any problems. If you're patient and mechanically inclined you can figure it out.

I've also heard you should always start with a straight wall case, but I didn't follow that advice either.

Personally I think the most important thing for a beginner is to get some hands on experience before buying a bunch of stuff. Find an INGO member who is a reloader, who will let you work in on a session with them. Or take an NRA reloading class. You can also buy videos or watch them on YouTube - but I think getting some real life experience is most important.

The only other major piece of advice I would give is that most problems come from messing around with loads that are on the extreme ends - either super light loads or super heavy loads. Both can be dangerous. The only time I made a potentially dangerous mistake was a load that was too light (trying to make a super low recoil target load for new shooters). There is also no sense in trying to make the most powerful load you can. The best shooting most accurate load is almost never a max load.

Some advise starting with a very light load then working up. What I do is look at at least 5 different data sources, max and min, and try to find a value that is right in the middle. This is my start load. I will load a test run at this value, and some slightly hotter and some slightly milder. I almost always find something that works super well for me with this procedure.

Agreed, I started on a turret press, but I don't see why anyone should have to start out that way. You can duplicate all the actions as if you were using a single stage on a progressive.

 

[crutchracing]

I started out with 2 single stage presses, now 1 single and a dillion 550b. The single is used for resizing all the rifle brass. I reload for 38,357,40,44,45,30-30,308,762.39,223,270,50 beowulf.

 

[sloughfoot]

Allen, I've been reloading a long time and have loaded thousands of pistol cartridges in progressives with no problem.

Rifle cartridges are a different story. The story begins with headspace, which is absolutely critical it be right on a 55,000 psi cartridge going off an inch in front of your face.

Some fired brass is springier or something, more than other brass even by the same manufacturer. Push the shoulder back too far and risk case separation. Not enough and risk a slam fire in a semiauto and difficulty getting the bolt closed in a boltgun. I have sized cases 2 or 3 times in quick succession before they would drop freely into the case guage. Some semiautos rip the case out of the chamber and distort the base. (M1A)

You can use your progressive as a single stage to deprime and resize your rifle cases. The goal is to set back the shoulder .002 to .004 but no more. I then check each case in a case gauge then hand prime each one.

You can then load the cases in your progressive press with powder and bullets, confident that each is within spec.

I stopped using a progressive with rifle cartridges (223 & 308) because I got bit too many times with brass that was not sized enough. And tipped primers too.

I am loading 500 6mm Turbo cartridges now with a single stage press. They will all be done by the end of the week. Great cartridge and great rifle..

FWIW

Regards

 

[tenring]

Try and stay away from Federal rifle brass, tends to be soft and primer pockets loosen up with other than moderate loads.

 

[IndianasFinest]

I reload for 9mm, 45 ACP, 32 H&R, .308, and .223. My Uncle, and I also cast our own bullets for most pistol rounds which brings my cost of say 50 9mm rounds down to about $2.50 a box All of our lead is recycled from my work, and costs us nothing. I got started with the Lee anniversary kit, and it works well for what it is. I would like to someday move up to a progressive press for higher pistol loading volume, but for now this will do just fine.

 

[Leadeye]

I reload and cast for most straight wall rifle and pistol cartridges. It's fun and can save a lot of cash on large sizes.

 

[EvilElmo]

Like mike8170 I use a Lee Loadmaster. Personally I think it's about the best bang for the buck you can get in a progressive. I'm only loading pistol calibers now but hopefully I'll expand to at least one rifle very soon.

Maybe it's because I have a newer Loadmaster (got it in the last 6 months) but I haven't had the primer flipping problem that mike8170 mentioned. All of mine have come through exactly as expected. The only problem I've had with mine is I somehow managed to mangle a spring in the primer feeder, but fortunately it came with extras. Most likely I wasn't careful when switching between the large and small primer feeds as I changed calibers and bent in that way.