Which caliber is a good first cartridge to start reloading.

[Queen_of_Thunder]

So what caliber is the best to start reloading. Keep in mind I shoot 9MM,10MM, 40S&W,41mag,45ACP,38/357, 45LC,44-40, 44sp and 44mag and a few others.

 

[9mmfan]

I'm just getting my feet wet, but I started with .45 Colt.

Straight walled, expensive to buy round. Carbide dies, so don't have to mess with lube. Less equipment needed than bottleneck rifle cartridges.

Then it was easy as pie to move on to .38 special.

I have found it a good way to begin being acquainted and comfortable with the process.

When I start to run low on M2 ball, I'll look into expanding the setup.

 

[444]

That's easy.
.38 Special.
No question.

But 9mmfan is right. Any straight walled pistol case. 9mm, .38/.357, .45 Colt, .41 Mag, , 10mm, .44................... all basically the same idea with very minor variations in the crimp required. Taper crimp vs. Roll crimp and how much crimp you need.

 

[Vol46]

That's easy.
.38 Special.
No question.

I agree - .38 special is a really easy place to start - lots of latitude with many powders & bullets you can experiment with. You can " graduate" to .357 without buying another set of dies.

 

[LT.Diver]

I'd start with a straight walled, rimmed cartridge like the .38. Cartridges that headspace on the mouth of the case such as the .45 acp are a bit more finiky due to the crimp.
I love loading the .38 and .357 magnum. The versatility is amazing. Of course you get a pretty wide range with the .44 also.

 

[BYJO4]

To me, loading any of those calibers should not pose any problem. I would start with the caliber you shoot most often. It wont take long before you are reloading for all of them.

 

[Dudemeister]

I started with .45LC. It was the cost of those rounds that convinced me to start reloading.

After that I did .45ACP, then 30-30 Winchester, then .38 spl. and now .380 Auto.

But in terms of ease of reloading, it can't get much easier than .45LC or .38SPL.

I started off using a Lee Classic turret, and was doing pretty good with it, but since I live in an apartment, I had to put it away when I was done. A little over a year ago, I bought a Lee Precision Hand press, and I haven't deployed the turret ever since. With my hand press I can turn 200-300 rounds in one evening, which is more than enough for me.

I don't think you can get a much simpler, cheaper and straight forward setup than this.

 

[ReloaderFred]

Any of the revolver rounds, with the exception of the .44-40 are easy to load and learn on. The only reason .44-40 isn't easy is due to the thin brass and slight bottle neck of the case. You'll crumple a few cases before you get the hang of that one.

I started on the .30-06, and worked up to 31 calibers at the present time, but that's been over 50+ years.

As long as you get some good reloading manuals and read the instructions, most of it is pretty straight forward. It's simple mechanics and following established load data and watching what you're doing all the time.

For starting out, I recommend the Lyman 49th Edition Loading Manual. It will take you through each step and explain the why and wherefore of each process. It's also full of good reloading data for most of the common calibers for both cast and jacketed bullets.

Hope this helps.

Fred

 

[clutch]

In my case 7.7 Jap, it was the only gun I had at the time.

Go with the .38 spl first but use a loading block and inspect for double charges. The .44-40 has a pretty thin case and is easy to damage.
.45 ACP is hard to go wrong with.

I'd buy die sets with carbide sizers for the straight wall cartridges.

 

[Nordeste]

In only reload 9 mm but from what I read and from what I hear, any pistol caliber which is not bottle necked is fine for a new reloader.

 

[rsrocket1]

I you are loading to 38 standard pressures in a 38 revolver, it's OK but remember to clean out that crud ring when going to 357 mag and be very careful not to double charge which is easy to do if you use a dense powder like Titegroup or Bullseye.

45 ACP and Unique is a great combination to learn on. Virtually no chance of letting a double charge go unnoticed and the case is shallow enough to see a missed charge. Unique is a very forgving powder with lots of latitude and 45 ACP is a fairly low pressure cartridge so you won't be likely to blow up a gun with too much powder.

 

[TfflHndn]

I started with .45 auto, and had few problems. .38 is also good to start with, but be careful with seating/crimping in one step. Easy to crumple the cases. If you get a Lee Factory Crimp die and seat/crimp in separate steps you may find the results better from the beginning. Good luck, stay safe and have fun.

 

[greyling22]

I'd start with 38/357, 44mag/spl or 45 acp/lc.

I would start with a lee turret press classic, then whichever of those calibers you shoot 100-200/month of. If you only shoot a few 45lc a year I don't know that it is worth it to start reloading that.

 

[DC_art]

Not to disagree or argue with what everyone else has said, but I agree with what BYJO4 said, go with your favorite or most often shot (# of rounds expended) cartridge. You'll get more bang for your buck (the initial investment in equipment and supplies) and you'll get the cost benefit of shooting these vice a round that you don't shoot as much. (I bring up the practicality of it since most have stated there is little difference in the rounds you listed.)

Art

 

[buck460XVR]

Straight walled revolver cartridges such as the .38/357 mag, .41 mag, .44 mag and .45 Colt are the easiest because the cannelure in the bullet sets your OAL. They also have a larger margin of error because of larger case capacity and the higher volume slower burning powders they use as compared to 9mm, 10mm and .40S&W. It's also easier to judge a proper roll crimp used on cannelured bullets as opposed to the taper crimp on auto pistol rounds.

 

[the count]

Once again, 38SPL

It is very difficult to mess up 38 SPL reloads, therefore great for beginners. Start with mild loads. With revolvers you don't have to be concerned about cycling like with a semi auto.

 

[gahunter12]

I started with .40s&w, but I would say .38spl, or .45acp.

 

[Walkalong]

.38 Spl, and/or .45 ACP.

Both run at low pressure, both are easy to find great loads for.

 

[Crashbox]

I started with .357 Magnum which is quite easy to load in my opinion, but I would also +1 the .38 Special. And as mentioned, the .38 Special runs at pretty low pressure and it doesn't have the raucous blast that the .357 does, for sure.

 

[oneounceload]

Another vote for the 38 - it is more forgiving than 9mm with normal loads and a wide variety of bullets that are lead, plated or jacketed

 

[cfullgraf]

I guess I am another vote for 38 Special or 45 ACP. Lots of good data, knowledge, mentoring, and components out there.

But, any of them would be fine, i started with 380 ACP 32 years ago. The same vigilance and care in reloading is required for all of them. Follow the directions, follow the load data and have fun with a new hobby.

 

[gamestalker]

Any of the rimmed wheel gun cartridges are extremely easy to get started with, IMO. There is no real oal specifications per say, if your loading with bullets that accept a crimp into a canelure, then its pretty straight forward. This type of cartridge will give you a chance to get your feet wet with case trimming too, as most will trim them to same lengths to effect consistent roll crimps from round to round.

45 LC, 41 mag, and .357 mag. would all offer a fun and easy introduction to reloading, IMO.

GS

 

[ArchAngelCD]

IMO the .38 Special is the place to start.

 

[witchhunter]

The .38 is probably the easiest due to the crimp style and the fact that most if not all of the bullets will have a cannelure to crimp in. Not to worry though, whatever you decide to load, you will make a few mistakes. We all have a bunch of wrinkled cases, shaved bullets, etc. that we learned from! Just try not to bell too much, crimp too much, and pay attention to your powder measure stroke, you will be fine. If you stay in the middle of the load data, you will be happy. It's a pistol, not a cannon.

 

[GaryL]

I agree with anyone who says 45acp, with one caveat - use a powder that fills the case at least 50%. You should be able to see at a glance that the charge is correct - not a double or a squib. I think 45acp is the easiest to learn good habits on. If you miss a beat, you will catch it, and can analyze what you need to correct before moving on.

Also, use the thumb test to make sure neck tension is good.