And? Lets do the man a favor and answer his questions.
Reloading newbie. Where do I start & what do I need?
- Thread starter TXhogkilr
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thomas15
Member
TXhogkilr,
Handloading ammo is in many ways like a religion. Everyone has their perfect way and it's a complicated path to redemption. It's not that your not getting good advice, you are. But your getting too much of it and I feel sorry for you because it's a simple question you ask.
Your friend that gave you a co-ax gave you probably the best single stage press available to the consumer. Another poster gave a list of tools that you will need in addition to the press. My suggestion would be to watch a few youtubes and get 1 reloading manual for now. For the calibers you are going to load, you might consider starting with Hornady bullets. These are good quality at a reasonable price. If this makes sense then consider the Hornady reloaders manual. Edition 10 was just released so you can get a good deal on the used market for Edition 9 try amazon. There are a few chapters in that manual, in the beginning of the manual that explain everything you need to know. If you are looking something other than Hornady, the Lyman is one manual just about everyone who handloads has on their shelf.
Take your time and ask questions. You do need some additional tools. Hopefully you have some brass, if not you can buy once fired fairly reasonable. Start with 1 caliber and learn that before moving on.
Handloading will suck the life from your soul and the money from your wallet. But it is a habit that is hard to break. Be strong my brother.
Handloading ammo is in many ways like a religion. Everyone has their perfect way and it's a complicated path to redemption. It's not that your not getting good advice, you are. But your getting too much of it and I feel sorry for you because it's a simple question you ask.
Your friend that gave you a co-ax gave you probably the best single stage press available to the consumer. Another poster gave a list of tools that you will need in addition to the press. My suggestion would be to watch a few youtubes and get 1 reloading manual for now. For the calibers you are going to load, you might consider starting with Hornady bullets. These are good quality at a reasonable price. If this makes sense then consider the Hornady reloaders manual. Edition 10 was just released so you can get a good deal on the used market for Edition 9 try amazon. There are a few chapters in that manual, in the beginning of the manual that explain everything you need to know. If you are looking something other than Hornady, the Lyman is one manual just about everyone who handloads has on their shelf.
Take your time and ask questions. You do need some additional tools. Hopefully you have some brass, if not you can buy once fired fairly reasonable. Start with 1 caliber and learn that before moving on.
Handloading will suck the life from your soul and the money from your wallet. But it is a habit that is hard to break. Be strong my brother.
morcey2
Member
Do lots of reading before you start. I read about 5 loading manuals before I actually bought anything. Something to not overlook is thrift shops for manuals as long as they're recent. One of our local ones had a Lyman #49, a Nosler Guide 7, and a few older ones. There was an older one that I should have picked up. I can't remember what it was off the top of my head, but it was from the mid 70's if I remember correctly. I started with Lyman #48, but I had a bunch of others by the time I started loading. Start low and work up. Always follow published data and try to compare data between different reliable sources. Start low and work up.
And don't be afraid to ask lots of questions as you're getting started. Start low and work up. If you have any doubt about what you're doing, ask.
And don't start with a Foster Co-Ax. That's not fair. You should get a Lee hand press and use that for at least a year before you start with the CoAx. That way you'll appreciate it more.
And welcome to THR! Did I mention Start low and work up?
Matt
And don't be afraid to ask lots of questions as you're getting started. Start low and work up. If you have any doubt about what you're doing, ask.
And don't start with a Foster Co-Ax. That's not fair. You should get a Lee hand press and use that for at least a year before you start with the CoAx. That way you'll appreciate it more.
And welcome to THR! Did I mention Start low and work up?
Matt
Tinybob
Member
I started with the Lee hand press. I've loaded close to 7500 rounds with it (223,243,308,M1carbine,357mag) and still use it sometimes, though I have a bench mount now.Do lots of reading before you start. I read about 5 loading manuals before I actually bought anything. Something to not overlook is thrift shops for manuals as long as they're recent. One of our local ones had a Lyman #49, a Nosler Guide 7, and a few older ones. There was an older one that I should have picked up. I can't remember what it was off the top of my head, but it was from the mid 70's if I remember correctly. I started with Lyman #48, but I had a bunch of others by the time I started loading. Start low and work up. Always follow published data and try to compare data between different reliable sources. Start low and work up.
And don't be afraid to ask lots of questions as you're getting started. Start low and work up. If you have any doubt about what you're doing, ask.
And don't start with a Foster Co-Ax. That's not fair. You should get a Lee hand press and use that for at least a year before you start with the CoAx. That way you'll appreciate it more.
And welcome to THR! Did I mention Start low and work up?
Matt
It's a wonderful obsession!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
You guys are awesome. Got some great advice. I kind of want to go & buy a bunch of tools & start this weekend but realize that I need to slow down, get some manuals & learn the trade 1st.
Thanks again for all your help.
You guys are awesome. Got some great advice. I kind of want to go & buy a bunch of tools & start this weekend but realize that I need to slow down, get some manuals & learn the trade 1st.
Thanks again for all your help.
Reloading manuals are a great resource. If you are going to reload a bullet from Sierra that you buy a Sierra manual, if you are going to shoot Speer bullets that you buy the Speer manual. Every manual that I have read has taught me something new. I would also suggest buying a Hornady manual. They have a section on accuracy, and pressure in regards to bullet seating depth that I think you might find beneficial.
Mr_Flintstone
Member
One of the best things going in your favor is you are going to be starting with a single-stage press. They may be a little more work, but it forces you to look at and handle every single round you produce. This gives you the opportunity to see (over and over again) what each stage of the process is doing, and it allows you to make adjustments along the way.
When you do finally get ready to start, I would suggest one of the things that helped me when I first started; do small batches at first. Try to make about 10 or less your first run, do a check at the end of each round for quality control, and then when finished, try them out. It's not as much fun as doing a bunch, but it gives you practice running the whole process from start to finish, and if you have problems, it's easier to fix just a few than a whole bunch.
thomas15
Member
^^^ from the OP...
Since you are handloading for rifle the single stage you have is more than enough. As I (and others) have mentioned, the CO-AX is a fantastic press, you are starting off this endeavor with the Mercedes Benz of presses. Why some posters are saying start off with a single stage when in the OP you state that you have a single stage is a mystery to me.
Suppose you buy any one of the already mentioned manuals. When you get it home you will be struck by the size and weight of said manual. 600-700 pages is not that unusual. So, do you really need to read the book 2 or 3 times as is often stated? If you did it would be mid-summer before you pull the lever for the first time. What you do need to do is have a firm understanding of the safety rules for handloading and storage of components.
Just read the opening chapters of your manual where the subject is restricted to the "How To" of handloading then read the section where it talks about the particular caliber you are loading first. That will help you decide what bullet(s) and/or powder(s) and primer(s) to purchase. You can skip the load data section for the 100s of calibers you will never load for and for the time being don't worry about subjects such as casting/resizing bullets or things such as the ballistic coefficient. In time these subjects may be of interest but for now forget it.
This is one of my complaints about the often recommended ABC book. The book is about 300 pages long but only the first 150 pages or so are of interest to the new handloader. The Hornady manual (for example) covers the exact same material in 50 pages and you need a load manual anyway. You are going to make mistakes, the thing is to limit those mistakes to those that will not result in ruined firearms or death/disfigurement of the shooter and/or bystanders. Follow the safety rules and have a pleasurable experience.
With a through understanding of the safety rules and in particular what and how much powder to use and a semi-understanding of how to set up your press and do the mechanics of the handloading process you can then use the manual as a step by step guide. You are not required to memorize the press set up instructions. It will take several 100s if not 1000s of handloads before you have a firm grasp of what it is exactly you are trying to accomplish at the bench.
One thing that you might consider when purchasing your dies is the use of lock rings to make it easier to switch out dies. Forster, Lyman and Hornady sell split lock rings, just some food for thought.
Since you are handloading for rifle the single stage you have is more than enough. As I (and others) have mentioned, the CO-AX is a fantastic press, you are starting off this endeavor with the Mercedes Benz of presses. Why some posters are saying start off with a single stage when in the OP you state that you have a single stage is a mystery to me.
Suppose you buy any one of the already mentioned manuals. When you get it home you will be struck by the size and weight of said manual. 600-700 pages is not that unusual. So, do you really need to read the book 2 or 3 times as is often stated? If you did it would be mid-summer before you pull the lever for the first time. What you do need to do is have a firm understanding of the safety rules for handloading and storage of components.
Just read the opening chapters of your manual where the subject is restricted to the "How To" of handloading then read the section where it talks about the particular caliber you are loading first. That will help you decide what bullet(s) and/or powder(s) and primer(s) to purchase. You can skip the load data section for the 100s of calibers you will never load for and for the time being don't worry about subjects such as casting/resizing bullets or things such as the ballistic coefficient. In time these subjects may be of interest but for now forget it.
This is one of my complaints about the often recommended ABC book. The book is about 300 pages long but only the first 150 pages or so are of interest to the new handloader. The Hornady manual (for example) covers the exact same material in 50 pages and you need a load manual anyway. You are going to make mistakes, the thing is to limit those mistakes to those that will not result in ruined firearms or death/disfigurement of the shooter and/or bystanders. Follow the safety rules and have a pleasurable experience.
With a through understanding of the safety rules and in particular what and how much powder to use and a semi-understanding of how to set up your press and do the mechanics of the handloading process you can then use the manual as a step by step guide. You are not required to memorize the press set up instructions. It will take several 100s if not 1000s of handloads before you have a firm grasp of what it is exactly you are trying to accomplish at the bench.
One thing that you might consider when purchasing your dies is the use of lock rings to make it easier to switch out dies. Forster, Lyman and Hornady sell split lock rings, just some food for thought.
bullseye308
Member
Welcome to the world of reloading. You will save money compared to buying factory in the long run, depending on how much you shoot, and how you shop for components. That said, the initial investment can be minimal or quite high depending on your budget and preferences. Here are some of the basics you will need:
Good solid bench to load on and store components.
Good lighting, seeing is important.
Dies for each caliber you will load.
Components for each caliber.
Way to prime cases. Handheld or on the press.
Multiple manuals.
A mentor would be a blessing.
Storage for unprocessed brass, and loaded rounds.
Labels for everything (you won’t remember everything)
A good log book with specs on each batch so you can keep track of what worked and what didn’t.
Case trimmers for rifle, not needed for pistol.
Eye and ear protection just in case. Accidents happen.
Case gauges for each caliber.
Digital calipers.
Balance scale & funnel & check weights.
Imperial sizing wax. You won’t stick a case and a tiny bit goes a long way.
Loading blocks.
Akron bins are great for many things.
Tooth brush or artist paint brush.
Canned air.
MTM or similar cartridge boxes 20/50/100 round capacity.
An understanding that you are not to be disturbed while loading by family, friends, pets, etc.
Note pads/post it notes.
Hornady lock rings are very nice to have.
Digital scale is nice to have.
A universal depriming die is nice to have.
Deep stash of proven powders and primers is nice to have.
The thread mentioned above for new Reloader’s is full of great information and the thousands of threads in this reloading section will answer many questions you didn’t know you wanted to ask. The hardest part of starting out is you don’t know what you need to ask. No big deal, we all started the same way. You will get plenty of “just go read a manual “ and that is a good, rather short and not very informative answer, but a good place to start. Lee, Hornady, SPEER, and the ABC’s or Reloading are very good resources to start with.
Start with whichever manual you want, read the first section that covers getting started and let us know what you need from there. Hope this helps.
Good solid bench to load on and store components.
Good lighting, seeing is important.
Dies for each caliber you will load.
Components for each caliber.
Way to prime cases. Handheld or on the press.
Multiple manuals.
A mentor would be a blessing.
Storage for unprocessed brass, and loaded rounds.
Labels for everything (you won’t remember everything)
A good log book with specs on each batch so you can keep track of what worked and what didn’t.
Case trimmers for rifle, not needed for pistol.
Eye and ear protection just in case. Accidents happen.
Case gauges for each caliber.
Digital calipers.
Balance scale & funnel & check weights.
Imperial sizing wax. You won’t stick a case and a tiny bit goes a long way.
Loading blocks.
Akron bins are great for many things.
Tooth brush or artist paint brush.
Canned air.
MTM or similar cartridge boxes 20/50/100 round capacity.
An understanding that you are not to be disturbed while loading by family, friends, pets, etc.
Note pads/post it notes.
Hornady lock rings are very nice to have.
Digital scale is nice to have.
A universal depriming die is nice to have.
Deep stash of proven powders and primers is nice to have.
The thread mentioned above for new Reloader’s is full of great information and the thousands of threads in this reloading section will answer many questions you didn’t know you wanted to ask. The hardest part of starting out is you don’t know what you need to ask. No big deal, we all started the same way. You will get plenty of “just go read a manual “ and that is a good, rather short and not very informative answer, but a good place to start. Lee, Hornady, SPEER, and the ABC’s or Reloading are very good resources to start with.
Start with whichever manual you want, read the first section that covers getting started and let us know what you need from there. Hope this helps.
And ... this may sound strange ... do a lot of writing, too. Write notes about what you think is important. Log what you load. Log what you shoot.
And come to THR often with your questions because, in the absence of a mentor standing behind you, THR is the next best thing.
Final bit of advice: When you are interrupted for any reason, dump any case full of powder back into the bottle and start over. I’ve had three squibs in my lifetime and, after each one, vowed to make my procedures even more idiot-resistant. However, I often seem to surpass myself. Humility is a good thing.
Hokie_PhD
Member
You’ll find everyone here is willing to help. Sometimes folks disagree but imho they all mean well.
The excitement of getting a bunch of new gear is a lot of fun. I’d suggest you wait. Start with some basic gear, then decide what you like and don’t like.
As you’ve seen in this thread, there are many ways to do things. And as long as they’re safe and getting acceptable results they’re right. So lots of options, that said the basics will serve you well. Or as you said learning the trade.
If it helps any, reloading isn’t very hard. If we think about it, the steps are
Inspect brass to make sure it’s not damaged
Remove old primer
Put new primer in (properly)
Put right amount iof desired powder
Seat bullet to desired depth
Now cleaning the brass is a good idea. So we can debate if you should do it before, after I’d before and after removing the primer. And pages go on and on about ways to clean it. Be it simply using a wash then frying, to all sorts of tumblers.
We can debate powders all day. But as a beginner, pick one of the popular ones and use your manuals to work up a safe load.
Initially a reliable basic scale that reads grains is ok. From there all sorts of options exist.
Trimming is also another issue if you’re doing rifle ammo. Again, the basics are to trim it in the acceptable range. More advanced reloading calls for making it all exactly the same. And again, which tool is best.
Finally seating the bullet is a function of setting up your Dies. Some are basic like the Lees, and some are fancy with micrometers to make setting the exact depth easier.
So how ever much you want to spend, you can easily exceed that amount. Hence why I suggest getting a good basic set of gear, learning the basics and learning what you want to do. This way you won’t spend thousands on progressive presses, match Dies, and expensive powder drops if you’re only loading a few rounds. On the other hand, if you find you’re shooting more and you enjoy reloading, then maybe that progressive is what you need or want for your high volume pistols and rifles. Maybe a single stage is also in order for a bolt gun you decide to use for bench rest shooting. Maybe you even decide to get a 50BMG just to have another setup!
The options are endless. So I’m glad you’re thinking things through, and hopefully you’ll keep us posted as you get your gear, load your first ammo and continue on the journey.
farm23
Member
I restarted reloading after about a 30 absent to save money on 44 & 45 loads. I had an old single stage press so I was really going to save money - right?
I am saving money technically but I am also having fun shooting more because I am saving money and finding more stuff I want,but not need . I am enjoying shooting more. The only advice I have is don't bother with the ABC of reloading the important information will be found in the front of most manuals.
I am saving money technically but I am also having fun shooting more because I am saving money and finding more stuff I want,but not need . I am enjoying shooting more. The only advice I have is don't bother with the ABC of reloading the important information will be found in the front of most manuals.
wrench459
Member
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2017
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- 188
The never ending circle.
Dale shaver
Member
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2018
- Messages
- 41
When you buy your bullet components(bullets, primers, brass, powder) get a little more than what you think you should have. Now of course a pound of powder and a thousand primers are plenty to start out with, but bullets and brass are a different story. For instance, don’t expect to buy fifty pieces of Pistol brass and fifty pistol bullets and everything come out great your first time and fill up a entire box. Make allowance for mistakes because there will be many. Stuck cases in your die, collapsed cases from not flaring case mouth before seating bullet, upside down primers, dropped Bullets on the floor that seem to disappear and go to bullet heaven, knocking over an entire tray of charged casings and watching all the powder fall like glitter. Not that I have done these things just that I have heard of these mistakes occuring. Yes I have made all these mistakes and several more. My all favorite one is loading fifty 38 specials and knowing two of them did not get powder but not knowing which two. Ouch!! Don’t get discouraged about these things, enjoy it and enjoy it with a friend or family member. If someone you know reloads ask him/her to show you the ropes. Watch YouTube videos there are hundreds out there. And like everyone else read your manual it is full of the do’s and donts. Anyway, God bless your new adventure.
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