I'm planning on buying a reloader sometime this weekend for my 44 mag. I have gotten a few suggestions about bullets, but don't know much else. I plan on using the gun primarily for hunting, but will do some target shooting. Ive been told that jacketed bullets are the easiest to reload for newbies, but what hornady product numbers should I look for? Also, which primers, wads, powder, etc do I need? I'm looking to get 200-240 gr bullets...I plan on shooting as much as I can, so I don't want extremely hot loads. Sorry if these are dumb questions...I really don't know where to start.

Buy a copy of the ABC's of reloading and read it all the way through before you buy anything else.

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Thanks...I'll check that out.

Are you getting any bad weather today in Lincoln? I drive through every year on my way to SD. Ifn it was me, I would get some cast lead bullets in the 240 gr area and some Unique and regular primers. No need to waste jacketed bullets on targets and I think lead is just as easy to load.

I would suggest 240gr hard cast LSWC's for everything. You might want them gas checked if you are going real hot, but many hunters and shooters like about 10gr of unique with a 240 gr lead semi-wad cutter. Flapjack.

I'd have to agree with the others. I've used 240 grain lead SWC bullets for everything from light, target loads up to full power loads. Get some JHPs if that's what you want for hunting but, most anything can be done with lead. From a cost perspective, lead does the job for less money.

Make sure you get a good reloading manual and read it from cover to cover, many of us here are self taught. Even better, see if you can find someone in your area to help you get set up. That will get you up and running sooner and with fewer problems. I don't think you'll need any wads for loading cartridges.

Let us know how you do.

Read. A lot. You'll be a better reloader for it, safer, too.

Weather isn't as bad as they projected...at least not as of yet. Hopefully the twisters will stay away. Thanks for the advice on loads. I went out and bought the press and dies today. I was reading through all of the powders and couldn't decide which to get.

Yeah...I bought the digital version of "the ABC's of reloading" and have been reading it...I read the reloading guide that came with the press, too. There's quite a bit of information...I have a resource that will show me the ropes, just thought I would get a head start with some advice from experts. I'm pretty excited to get shooting, that's for sure.

I like plated bullets, Berry's in particular as they can be bought on line from Berrys w/free shipping for orders over $50. More expensive than cast, cheaper than jacketed. I find them cleaner to handle, load and shoot than cast.
Glad to hear you've connected w/someone for hands on education.
Kevin G

Agree with Kevin G, Berry's plated bullets are nice. Hope you enjoy reloading, for me its one of the best parts of gun ownership. Read all the data you can and triple check every step as you go.

While I mostly use my .44 mag for targets, I agree that hard lead 240gr work just fine for all applications. Either Semi-Wadcutter (SW) or Truncated Cone (TC) shaped lead work fine. For powder, Alient's 2400 with standard primers will cover both target and hunting loads. Alient's Unique will also do the job.

Forget 'wads' - that's shotgun reloading. Get atleast 1 reloading manual and read the info sections.

Also, if you've got a club or range nearby you would do yourself a favor finding someone who reloads to work with you.

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Pete.

You need a couple of good reloading manuals like Lyman #49 & Speer #14. The ABCs of Reloading is also in order for a noob reloader. While I shoot nothing but lead bullets in my 44mags, they can be harder to get good results w/ than jacketed.
A jacketed bullet can be slightly undersized by the cyl throats & still give useful accuracy, not so w/ lead bullets. You also don't have to worry about alloy vs vel/pressures & leading w/ jacketed. Still, lead bullets will do anything a jacketed will & cheaper & w/ less wear & tear on any revolver. Get the books, do the reading, then come back & ask some add'l. questions.

10gr of unique is a fun load. capable of making clean holes in paper or taking game at a reasonable distance. just snappy enough to shoot regularly and be adequate in the field.
can't agree with dirty gary more. sometimes i'd rather load than shoot,huh? whats that you say. makes the next range trip more enjoyable.