Please help a reloading beginner

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BamaMinuteman

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Hi ya'll,
I have always been fascinated by reloading and have always wanted to get started. I have money to invest in it but unfortuanetly I don't have anyone in my direct family that can teach me about it. What is the best way to get started and learn the basics. My main interests and 12 gauge dove loads or maby small centerfire calibers. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
 
First step in my opion would be to buy some manuals regarding reloading. Any one of the major powder or bullet mfg's, and the Lyman # 49 manual are highly recommended.
 
+1 for getting a manual as the first step. Speer, Lyman, hornady etc... After reading you will have a better understanding of what you need to get started.
 
You would be better off reposting in the HANDLOADING FORUM. It's located close to the bottom of THR forums. (I wish those in power would move it up closer to the top) :(
 
Welcome to THR! You may find it helpful to visit the Handloading and Reloading section of this forum for more info.
 
See the Handloading & Reloading discussion elsewhere in this forum. There is a sticky with som great info for beginners.

Kevin
 
Get a good reloading book. RCBS, Lee, and Lyman are a few good names. I like Lyman's 49th edition. It's first few chapters usually cover many of the basics, and it contains good reloading data in the back.

Shotgun shells are a little different than solid projectile reloaders. These are mostly progressive type loaders with bushings for both powder and shot charges. You run a shell through -deprime, prime, drop powder, add wad, drop shot, then crimp. Pretty straight forward.

Solid projectile reloaders (pistol and rifle)are different animals. Bigger, more expensive, top of the line stuff isn't always better. I'd personally start with a "single stage" reloading press. This is where you have to deprime and resize the cases in one "stage", prime the cases in the next "stage", add powder in the next, and seat the bullet in the last "stage" Hence a "single stage" press. As opposed to a turret or "progressive" press where you put a case in and the press performs all the stages with a pull of the handle and you get a finished bullet out. Although nice, they are more complicated (more can go wrong). Starting on a single stage will familiarize you with the "bullet" process, and you can always "upgrade" at a later time and your single stage will still come in handy by using it to try different loads quickly rather than reconfiguring your progressive for each different round (which would be a PITA)
 
Starting on a single stage will familiarize you with the "bullet" process, and you can always "upgrade" at a later time and your single stage will still come in handy by using it to try different loads quickly rather than reconfiguring your progressive for each different round (which would be a PITA)
Click to expand...

Very, very true and when you get ready to upgrade you have a single stage press you can dedicate to depriming or use it to make up small amounts of new loads for trial.

I have one of the small single Lee "C" presses that is invaluable for minor tasks. Myself I don't like the doall presses but alot of reloaders do. This is just my personal preference.
 
Pick up a copy of "The ABC's of Reloading", 8th edition, published by Gun Digest Books. Lots of good info there on handgun, rifle and shotgun reloading. Covers equipment, techniques and components. It also covers casting your own bullets. I found the best price at www.cabelas.com
 
The RCBS website has a nice tutorial on it that will help show you how to configure your dies. I started with that.

I started reloading about 3 months ago, like you I didn't have anyone to show me how.

Take your time and go slow.
 
Thanks for all the replies so far. I have just ordered the Lyman's 49th reloading guide and am looking at some of the recommended websites
 
Another recommendation for The ABCs.... It provides an excellent overview that will supplement the Lyman manual nicely.

IMO, it's the best place for a beginner to start with getting 'just enough' information so other manuals make sense. When I returned to reloading after a ten-year hiatus, I bought a new / current edition to get back up to speed again.

So, BamaMinuteman, get one of those as well.

Jim H.
 
Before you buy anything. Spend $20.00 and get Lyman's 49 Edition Loading Manual. Read it!! It's how I learned to reload. I didn't get into this site until I had been reloading for quite a while. The $20.00 cost of this fine manual is a great investment...
 
The only serious shotshell loading manual I know of is also a Lyman publication; get a copy of that one too. The various powder makers do publish data for using their propellants in shot shells but the info is often a bit sketchy.

Reloading metallics is easy and we can substitue components easily and safely. That's NOT so with shotguns, load them with EXACTLY the components the data specifies.
 
Barna,
My suggestion would be the gun range you are shoot at or not go to join one and ask the other shoots if they wouldn't mind teaching as well as the books.....
 
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