First 10 Reloads!

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I just talked to a guy in a shop yesterday looking for a new gun. He'd gone to an auction and bought three different sets of dies as a package. Didn't have a gun in one of the calibers so he was looking for one....

we are sick puppies...
 
If i had 5 dollars for every time I have said 'once i get this, I'm all set'? It seems like rifles will literally fall out of the sky and land right in your lap and then it starts all over again
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No, honest, I'm sure I'll be able to quit reloading any time I choose, REALLY! :D
 
Ze!! Over 4K posts and you're only now starting to load???!!? :neener:
Make sure you close your eyes on that first one you fire....just in case. :evil:

I know what you mean about the source-guide similarities. I play Battletech every now and then, and the charts are half the fun.

When you get to that point where you find yourself buying "rifles to reload for" instead of "reloading for rifles you bought" you'll have fully eaten your sicko-pills.
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No, you're truly sick when you start diving the trash cans at the range for brass (that you don't have a gun for) that is "just going to go to waste." It's only natural to buy the dies first so that you can load from day one with a new gun.
 
ZeSpectre,

A hearty congratulations. No feeling like pulling the handle and setting the bullet on your first ever reloaded round.

Couple of suggestions--

1. Take copious notes. Twenty-something plus years later and I'm still kicking myself in the backside for not having taken notes on my early reloads.

2. Do not be afraid to experiement--within the published guidelines--with different loads and bullets to get best accuracy. Just make sure and label your loads when you're finished loading. I take my notecards and write down the caliber, bullet type and weight, powder type and charge and primer type. I then put that piece of the notecard in my little plastic ammo box or ziploc bag. No matter how long the rounds sit, I"ll always know EXACTLY what I'm shooting.

I hate guesswork. I hate digging up an old box of reloads, getting to the range and finding that I don't really like the way they shoot and not knowing the specifics.

Likewise, it drives me up the wall to be at the range, be shooting a box of reloads that just keep punching the center out of the target--and not know the specifics.

Always label your loads.

If i had 5 dollars for every time I have said 'once i get this, I'm all set'? It seems like rifles will literally fall out of the sky and land right in your lap and then it starts all over again,
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Boy, it THIS isn't the truth!

Jeff
 
Yes!!! take notes, lots of notes. I have one of those spiral bound pocket sized note books that goes to the range with me every time. Keep EVERYTHING you write down.....invaluable info.....

Now, of about the part about being doomed.........

I am in desperate want for a heavy barrel .308........but......
there is a nice .270 I can afford at the moment...........but....
I don't NEED a .270................but.................
a buddy of mine offered me about 500 .277 dia bullets for free................but.....
my wife would probably shoot me with the first round I load in .270.............but...................

I have been fighting the temptation for a week. Surprised I have made it this long.:banghead: This is the sickness you have given yourself. Just so you know what is comming...........:eek:
 
Ze, Walk away while you can! No, wait! Run for your life because you'll be setting in front of that press for the rest of it.;)
 
Well I loaded two more to make it an even 12 for my Blackhawk and then hit the range after work today.

Both sets were shot Left (strong) handed, single hand "bullseye" style, unsupported from a 6.5" barrel Ruger Blackhawk.

Veryfirstreloads_target01.gif

Veryfirstreloads_target02.gif

Well now, I think I'll keep this "recipe" as my Blackhawk really seems to like it!
 
:cuss: IT. LOOK AT THOSE TARGETS!

NOW HE IS HOOKED!:what:

I warned you, and you would not listen. Now I am going to encourage your bad habbit..........

Nice groups! Think about what kind of accuracy you could get out of your rifles if you hand fed them..................:what:
 
ZeSpectre


Nice job, How long did it take you too do those first 10 ?? I have been thinking about getting one of those presses. How was your first time using it?

Thanks :confused:
Bob
 
Coachman48,

The first 10 took FOREVER (I didn't show you the 5 cases I MANGLED) but don't let that put you off because tonight, with some prep work done last night, I loaded 100 more cartridges in about two and a half hours (still going very slowly). I suspect that with experience I'll be able to go faster if I so desire but I kinda like the more relaxed pace of tinkering with this stuff.

Initially I was operating in super-slow-motion because I was examining every step very carefully with the instructions and the "ABC's of Reloading" to make sure I understood what the heck I was doing. Then there is setting up the dies to the correct depths and so forth (that's where I mangled a few cases) which takes some time, a bit of experimentation, and will probably ruin at least a couple of cases before you get it all "dialed in".

After that it's just a bunch of tedious steps that you break down into sets.
1) tumble the cases clean.
2) inspect the cases (much easier when clean)
3) decap/resize all the cases.
4) Clean the primer pockets (Ugh, I hated this part the most. I'm gonna chuck that damned brush in a drill press or something!)
5) "bell" the cases to better accept the bullet (this is where I mangled the cases until I had the "bell" set right).
6) Prime the cases (Figuring out the hand primer took me a while but I've got it now.
7) Measure powder loads into the cases (setting the powder measure also took a bit of trial and error until I finally got it set. Not hard, just time consuming).
8) Insert bullet and press and crimp (setting bullet depth/crimp also takes a little trial and error). You WILL NEED a good caliper for checking OAL of the reloads!

So over the last couple of nights I broke it all down (on about 300 pcs of .38 brass). Night one was steps 1-3. Night two was steps 4-5 and setting up the dies and powder measure and then tonight was doing steps 6-8 on the next 100 rounds.
 
ZeSpectre

Thanks for the update. Looks like I will get one of these or a Dillon still debating on which one. I am sure I need another addicting hobby. Where did you get your press, seems like most everyone has about the same prices??

Thanks
Bob
 
ZeSpectre,

First off, nice groups on the bottom target--that's what every reloader I know strives for, and it's why we reload.

Continue to take your time and "absorb" the soul of reloading. You can always go faster/produce more with a progressive, but I enjoy the sheer craftsmanship of taking seemingly unrelated components and combining them together to form works of art that non-reloaders can only behold and scratch their heads over.

I use my progressive for cranking out volume, but I enjoy my single-stage reloading far more. I also produce better ammo with it.

Now that you're hooked on reloading, wanna consider casting your own boolits? :evil:

Jeff
 
Now you've done it! No turning back!

All my .38 loads are 158 gr cast bullets and 4.3 gr of Unique. I looked many places for load data and that was the "gold standard" Unique load just about everywhere.

Many people claim they never trim handgun brass, but if you want consistent and accurate crimping into the bullet groove you will have to check/measure/trim every batch of brass. Find a convenient OAL case length and stick with it. I say "convenient" because all brass isn't the same length and you will need to find a length that every case processed gets at least a hair shaved off the first time through. Lock the trimmer at that setting, or at least record it so you can return to it. Adjust the dies accordingly and you can crank out hundreds of identical rounds. Revolver bullets need to have a good crimp to prevent the bullets backing out in recoil. You can't crimp consistently and reliably without paying close attention to case length and trimming.

/my 2 cents
 
And I would add to your list of reloading tasks that, after you fill your cases, you hold up your loading tray to the light, and look up and down each row, looking to see if any cases have a tad bit more or less powder than other cartridges in the row. If you find ANY that are higher or lower in the case, remove those cases, re-weigh them, and you will have a very consistent batch of ammo.
 
And I would add to your list of reloading tasks that, after you fill your cases, you hold up your loading tray to the light, and look up and down each row, looking to see if any cases have a tad bit more or less powder than other cartridges in the row. If you find ANY that are higher or lower in the case, remove those cases, re-weigh them, and you will have a very consistent batch of ammo.
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Yeah, I added a "goosneck" lamp to my bench last night so I could do exactly that.
 
Yup, so far I have saved my 1st one, and my 10,000th one. I will put them together into a display case along with my now retired Colt 1911A1 38 super. (1929) It's something to be proud of, even when your family and friends don't understand and think you are nuts for filling a room with the tools of your craft.
 
Ze, welcome to the club. As a reloader of only a couple years now, I have two large upper kitchen cabinets and a 6 foot bench dedicated to the reloading hobby in a corner of the garage. It started with a Rockchucker supreme master kit and grew from there. One cabinet is tools and equipment, the other supplies of brass, bullets and primers. Good times.

My one suggestion to you since you already have several calibers of dies is a Hornady LNL bushing kit. A real time saver and money well spent. You'll save that time of the $30 or so for the kit rather quickly in one or two extended relaoding sessions.
 
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