With all the new reloaders...

If someone is going to mess with massive pressures, hot gasses, and combustions without learning first, go for it. I try not to go to public ranges and that's one reason why, who knows what the Guy next to you is shooting.

The more reloaders who blow emselves up or lose fingers, the more components for me.

Sent from my CZ85 Combat

We all had to learn sometime and somehow. These new guys have to learn by doing.

The more reloaders who blow emselves up or lose fingers, the more components for me.

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Very short-sighted, and I hope it was meant to be funny.

The more bad press reloading gets?
The more law makers will want to put their sticky finger prints all over it with new laws.

Right now, we reloaders are flying at tree-top level, under the radar.

A few reloading accidents like that make the news, and we won't be.

And yes, I have seen a big uptick in new reloaders on THR in the last year, asking less then basic questions they should never need to ask.
If they had owned & read one chapter of one reloading manual while setting on the throne in the bathroom every morning before work that is.

It is troubling to me too!

rc

I've yet to see any surge in reloading, only a surge in reloading component sales. Seems that people are stocking up on parts, but not actually making ammo out of those parts.

That said, I do worry about most of the panic reloaders if they ever actually load and shoot their own ammo. I spend countless hours reading before I loaded some mouse-fart 9mm, and slowly worked up to rifles and magnums. Seems most of these guys just want to load hot rifle ammo and be done with it, not the way you should start IMHO.

It is really picking up in the last month now that factory ammo is scarce in many areas of the nation. All one can do is try to head off trouble for them when they show up here or other forums.

I guess reloading is no different that any other activity. I have seen bunches of people driving an automobile that had no business being behind the wheel. The same with running a chainsaw or peeling an apple. Somehow the majority get by on pure dumb luck.

I'm a new guy and I obviously feel like I got in at the wrong time, but I try to be very cautious with this stuff.. The closest call I've had so far is not detecting a split case until I was in the priming process.. I couldn't believe I didn't notice that before.. I'm sure everybody has there own way of doing things, but I like prepping all my brass to just before priming stage... That way, when I get ready to load I count out a 50 pc tray, then prime, flare, charge and seat in one session... Anyhow, I'm try to check and double check what I'm doing while I'm reloading and I never go out and reload after I've been drinking or if I'm tired... Its just not worth the risk IMO.. Thats not to say that I might double charge one tomorrow, but I'm sure gonna try my best not to....

I worry about some of the people I see posting questions here and other places.....and I'm only been reloading about a year.

The closest call I've had so far is not detecting a split case until I was in the priming process.. I couldn't believe I didn't notice that before

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Not a big deal at all. I don't even look for split cases. You'll feel them when expanding or when seating.

No matter how many manuals you read, or don't read, the most common thing that'll bite you is something you can't read in a book. It's the double charge. The squib load. Calibrating or reading the scale wrong. Grabbing the wrong powder. Or the wrong weight bullet.

Manuals can't teach you how to not make mistakes. The first time I read a manual, I was astonished at how little I learned. Basically nothing. Total yawn fest. If you're interested in reloading, and you have an internet connection, everything that is in a manual will be discussed and dissected to death on a regular basis on forums like these.

A good friend of mine just got hooked on shooting prairie dogs with me last year. He was a non shooter until then, he now owns a .22-250, .223 and a .204. I coach him on the phone on how to use his new reloading set up. He lives 400 miles away. He calls me 4 times a night! I told him to keep a loading manual in the "library" so he can read a little every day, there is so much to learn. Today he called while I was Fly fishing......I told him he had to look it up, or wait until I got home. He was reading Lymans ABC's when I spoke to him tonight, on the john...

I suppose I'm not one to talk to much as I've been reloading for a total of maybe 8 months. It was something I had been looking into for a long time. At times I may have been the one to ask a stupid question or two, but I have to say that I too have been nervous about the latest rush. Knowing how much reading I did getting started, and then rereading, I'm very concerned over what was bought.
What concerns me is how all of the powders were completely wiped out. This leads me to believe that alot of it was rashly nabbed from the shelf with out consideration or understanding of what it's specific use is for. There is at least some peace of mind, all the manuals were picked up too. I would imagine however that there may be many patrons that have 9mm brass, 45cal bullets, large rifle primers, and whatever misc powder happened to be on the shelf at the time.

I am pretty new too, and I can't believe how much I have learned from this forum already. I would say I did a fair amount of reading beforehand, including the ABC's of Reloading, the Hornady manual, and also read THR a lot and watched videos for my specific press. Sometimes it helps to see it in action, but at some point you just have to get going and do it. My first batch, I checked and re-checked every dimension and weight on every case. I've probably asked some dumb questions before, but then there are some threads that I even knew the answer before I ever started reloading, and I think to myself, wow, that's beyond basic.

However, that said...I'd be more worried about the people NOT on THR asking the simple questions. Like they say, there are no dumb questions, just dumb people for not asking the questions.

I think in another thread someone mentioned a brother-in-law who filled up more powder in the case just because "there was a lot of room left over."

I feel you have to have a natural curiosity to hand load. I do not understand how you can just jump in head first into reloading? I admit I see what people do to cases, primers, etc and I dont get that either. I have seen other reloads and I always want to ask how do you expect that to feed? but i dont. You have to have pride in what you do, if the rest of your life sucks and you fail at it, make sure the one good thing you do is reload perfectly. Also some people do not have the right mix of technical skill with attention to detail. It is ok to just be a beginner, in many aspects of this you will always be learning, get a new caliber and boom youre a beginner, again. Thats the greatest part of this you can always learn something.

And at least enough Mechanical Aptitude to instinctively know how to unscrew the lid off a screw-top beer bottle without reading the owners manual first.

Or asking for Internet help to ask which way it unscrews!!

rc

I've been watching the posts, too, and have often times just shook my head. I think there's lots of people that have zero issues figuring out reloading. I've been at it many, many years and there was no one around to show me. But with the questions I am seeing, your dead on that even just reading the die instrictions in a set of Lee dies would answer them, let alone a good reloading book.

I am glad to see more people involved in this hobby, because I think indirectly, if the reloading market makes up a larger part of the shooting market as a whole, the companies that are making components will continue to ramp up their production for the long term with increased tooling and manpower. That should help drive prices down in the long term as well.





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I have found that explaining the wide variety of components and tools scares away most. Coworkers ask me about it and are bewildered at the amount of time that goes into reloading. Most "just want some ammo" and "don't want to put a lot of time into it."

I try to give an unbiased view about prep and the books behind the cartridges. I always direct potential reloaders to a bunch of manuals and literature. The ones who want nothing more than cheap ammo usually drop out at that point. All of my guidance starts and ends with RTFM. If they can't do that I tell them to save their money for factory rounds.

They have to start somewhere. Hands on is the best way to learn. I started in 1990 when I was 17. I read several manuals and had a shop owner help me and was very patient with all my questions. I jumped right in with a RCBS special 5 kit and loaded for my. 223 XP-100. Never had a problem. Still at it stronger than ever with every gadget under the sun, LOL.

I'm on the same page as you are ShortFatHokie and have been noticing a big increase in new reloaders in recent months. That is a good thing in terms of a growing interest the hobby. But I've been very concerned too, mostly because of the type of questions, and how they have been posed indicates that many of these new reloaders are not taking the necessary time to read the books. It's one thing to ask about OAL, or how to know when a primer is seated deep enough. But when so many are asking for load data, and especially for data regarding a powder that would certainly be in any book for that particular cartridge, I get more than just a feeling that they are attempting to start reloading without having bought and studied a single instructional reloading book. And many have problems understanding the basic process of resizing a cartridge, or how to adjust the die, because they aren't even taking the time to read the instructions that came with the die set. Myself and a number of other long time reloaders started this hobby when all that was available was a book, or the valuable encounter with an experienced reloader to take us under their wing.

In short, it seems that many, not all, but many are simply trying to short cut the safety and time tested procedures of doing it the right way. I worked in the guns and reloading industry for several years and saw a good number of too proud to ask, and too impatient to study, individuals walking through the door holding firearms that had been blown to pieces with serious wounds on their faces and hands, trying to blame us, the staff, for selling them inferior components or firearms. And one of the most bothersome aspects to me was that, before any of these folks walked out the door, we would offer them at no cost, a basics to hand loading lesson. And we always did our best to get them to buy an instructional video. But most would simply say, "Oh, I've got this, it's not brain surgery". Deadly and destructive pride!

GS

ShortFatHokie said:

Is anyone else concerned about the well-being of any of the new reloaders???

Seems like a lot of folks are jumping in without checking the water first...ie. reading several reloading manuals, getting the advice and tutelage of experienced reloaders, not properly following safe reloading etiquette, etc...

I fear that several of them may blow off some fingers in their attempts to circumvent safety.

Anyone else feel this way or am I concerned for their well-being for no reason?

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You are concerned for good reason. I know of one new loader who damaged his gun within his first 100 rounds. We still have not figured out what went wrong but we are giving him the best advice we can.

If you have any advice about what we can do to be better internet mentors, please advise. I worry about my own reloading habits, so am doubly concerned about someone whose operation I cannot watch.

My mentoring process consisted of 6 rounds. The guy who sold me my gear narrated while he loaded 3 and I watched, then had me load 3 while he watched. From there it was "The ABC's of Reloading" and a Lyman manual. I have learned more since discovering these forums on the internet than in all the 30 years before, but with caution and reading I have not damaged me or my guns.

I believe the advice I give (and the advice I have seen from 98% of the postings I see) are as good as it can get on the internet. But I am always open for improvement.

Thanks for reading and for your concerns.

Lost Sheep

I fear more for about any soul that buys a 300 pound 170hp brand new $8000 motorbike that has the same performance characteristics of a formula one race car.. how hard can it be!? knock on wood

I'm a new reloader, however not a panic buy reloader... I had been on the fence for a while, then just by chance during all this mess someone offered me a nice kit for a ridiculously cheap price, now here I am ;-)

Not all of us are noob fools, some of us are here seeking all kinds of advice and bugging the heck out of you folks. I now have everything that I "need" to start, yet have not even set up my press. I'm honestly waiting for someone local to show me the ropes, I've read a few manuals now but nothing is as good as experience and hands on training... I can read all I want to about how to do this, and I might or might not get it right, but seeing a correct crimp in person beside an incorrect crimp would be super helpful as well as seeing the mechanics of acutally using the dang press. Books are good, real training is best in my opinion.

I wish there were more kind hearted people locally like there are on this forum, you folks have been great!

Even as a noob, I share RCmodel's concerns, a few fools can draw alot of unwanted attention. My advice to all the knowledgeable people out there is just try to advise us noobs without talking down to us too much, it's a big turn off and at that point people will quit asking "stupid questions" and start assuming things. Maybe if someone is asking questions and you trust them enough to invite them into your home/shop offer to bring them over and give 'em a little training.

I fear more for about any soul that buys a 300 pound 170hp brand new $8000 motorbike that has the same performance characteristics of a formula one race car.. how hard can it be!?

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Don't forget the tanktop, shorts, sandals, and no helmet. Yup.