New to reloading, ordered my first setup yesterday.

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23bobbyg

23bobbyg

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First thank you for adding me to the family of THR. This is my first post here.
Been contemplating reloading for years and finally decided to order a reloading kit. Ordered a Lee breech lock kit and dies to start loading 380 ACP to start with. Once I become proficient I will order dies for 9mm, 40, 45, 357, 223/556, and 30-06 later. I do not plan on loading thousands of rounds a week or anything. Just want to build a stock pile for each caliber and enjoy the process of making my own ammo.
A little of my background I am by trade a machinist/metal fabricator/mechanic. Been shooting and collecting firearms for well over 30 years and have been an avid deer hunter my entire life.
Again thank you for the opportunity to join THR. I am eager to learn as much as I can about reloading form you in the community.
 
Welcome to the wonderful, oft frustrating and confusing world of reloading. I too have a machinist/mechanic background which I believe gives us an advantage. Case prep is just basic "Metal Working 101". Assembling handloads is just following a process, step by step, no magic, no Engineering Phds needed. I have used many machinist/mechanic tools I have in my tool box for my reloading which do just as well as and often better than similar "dedicated" reloading tools. An intrinsic mechanical thinking/ability will make reloading and troubleshooting a breeze.

Go slow. Double check everything. Most important, have fun...
 
Welcome to THR. :)

23bobbyg said:
Been contemplating reloading for years and finally decided to order a reloading kit.

I am by trade a machinist/metal fabricator/mechanic. Been shooting and collecting firearms for well over 30 years and have been an avid deer hunter my entire life.
Click to expand...
It's a fun hobby, especially if you are the "OCD" type who sweats the details.

And if you are the type, to reduce/eliminate reloading variables we have even gone to the deep end to resolve different length/cut angles of Varget to weigh the difference and more recently to resolve Promo flakes with Creedmoor Sports digital scale after taking apart analytical/lab digital scales to address zero drift.

I think you came to the right place. ;)
 
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Welcome fellow Metal worker, fabricator. You will find out that .0001 really only counts in machine work. Good Luck, and like they said check everything twice. You already know how to read a caliper but make sure your powder is correct for what you are reloading. You should be fine!! Again Welcome!!!
 
23bobbyg said:
First thank you for adding me to the family of THR. This is my first post here.
Been contemplating reloading for years and finally decided to order a reloading kit. Ordered a Lee breech lock kit and dies to start loading 380 ACP to start with. Once I become proficient I will order dies for 9mm, 40, 45, 357, 223/556, and 30-06 later. I do not plan on loading thousands of rounds a week or anything. Just want to build a stock pile for each caliber and enjoy the process of making my own ammo.
A little of my background I am by trade a machinist/metal fabricator/mechanic. Been shooting and collecting firearms for well over 30 years and have been an avid deer hunter my entire life.
Again thank you for the opportunity to join THR. I am eager to learn as much as I can about reloading form you in the community.
Click to expand...
Tip #1 Mount that new Lee press down securely to something solid. I personally can't stand a shaky press.
 
LiveLife said:
Welcome to THR. :)


It's a fun hobby, especially if you are the "OCD" type who sweats the details.

And if you are the type, to reduce/eliminate reloading variables we have even gone to the deep end to resolve different length/cut angles of Varget to weigh the difference and more recently to resolve Promo flakes with Creedmoor Sports digital scale after taking apart analytical/lab digital scales to address zero drift.

I think you came to the right place. ;)
Click to expand...
LOL, I just looked up OCD in the Webster dictionary and it says " Machinist who reloads his own ammunition!"
 
Welcome to a very fun and rewarding hobby. I have been reloading for over 60 years and still enjoy it. The best advice I can give is to buy multiple manuals and read them closely. Lee and Lyman would be my first two, but not only choices.
 
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