Any members in here that live in the Fort Worth, TX area. I would like to have a conversation about reloading and possibly come for a visit and observe.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

I wish you were in my area I would be glad to help. What you are asking for will be very helpful as long as you get someone who doesn't take any shortcuts. My shooting friend had me stop over once to be part of an assembly line to do 45 acp loads. We had three people, three single stage presses and changed stations, it was a great way to learn! Seeing it done and reading about it are two different things but they all came together nicely and I was hooked after that!
I hope you have a positive experience and it is great that you are asking for this kind of help to get started properly and build your confidence. Proper die set up is likely the most difficult part of reloading, the rest is very simple for assembly.
Take care
Karl

Thanks for the response. Yes, I was feeling a hands on learning curve would be best. Kinda like being an apprentice in days gone by.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

The "Ft. Worth area" covers Tarrant, Denton, Parker and Wise counties and while that is a couple of million people, only a few hundred of them are on this site and only a fraction of them reload, so you may have to expand your search radius.

The "mentor" you're looking for should probably have experience that matches what you are looking for, so please the potential candidate know a few things about yourself:

• Why do you want to reload (i.e. save money, more accurate, relaxation, etc.)?
• What is your experience level?
• What cartridges do you reload?
• What kind of equipment do you have or expect to buy (i.e. single stage, turret, progressive)?

Also, do you have a published reloading manual? And have you thoroughly read the chapters at the front on how to reload?

The reason I ask is that even the most experienced, most consientious reloaders can get complacent and you will want to arrive in possession of a quantity of knowledge that will allow you to ask intelligent questions and know when to NOT put too much faith in the answer.

This is a great idea and wished I had a mentor years back when I was learning by mistake. In the meanwhile, get a good manual like Lyman that explains step by step so you know what you are getting into. Also, save some $$$ cause you're gonna need it!

Contact the NRA, as NRA has a Handloading Instructor certification. As big as your area is I would think they would have at least one in your area. You can probably access by the NRA website. Or, look up the NRA rep contact info in your recent copy of the American Rifleman.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I thought that's what credit cards, home equity lines of credit and mortgages were for?

Find a LGS that sells loading components and ask if they have a contact.

Do you belong to a club or visit a range? Experienced shooters and reloaders are usually willing to be helpful.

But choose carefully. Some folks talk a better horse than they ride.

I learned pretty much on my own. But I did have some folks I could go to if I needed at my club. Actually I didn't really need them except to talk about some specific caliber and then only for powder and bullet selection, not the mechanics of reloading.

I started with a Dillon 550b and Lyman's Reloading Handbook. This is a more updated one than I used.
I read it many times before I tried reloading. Follow the directions exactly and you will have no problem . But if you have some questions ask here. We all started out without knowing anything. Some had mentors, I bet many didn't but did have a source to ask questions as you have here.

If you are really concerned about this then start out with a single stage press. It's slow and steady and you really will learn what you're doing.

It's really not hard to do safely.

What is it that you're wanting to reload , semi auto's , revolvers , rifles ? I might be of some help .

Do read a good ***w to' manual, especially about safety points and pitfalls. I'd love to show you some stuff, but you'll have to take a trip to the east coast. Youtube is a great resource these day. We didn't have that when I started and everything I learned came from books. Aside from that most of the help has been on the forum. So until you find somebody that can show you the ropes, read and study the videos. And if you have a question, people here will be glad to help you.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

The reason I say to study and learn the safety tip is that you can damage your gun or yourself badly very easily. You much work out procedures to prevent certain things from happening like:

Double charges of fast powder will blowup your gun.

High primers can ignite and fire a gun before you want it to.

Pushing in the bullet on 9mm or other high pressure semi auto cartridges can spike pressures enough to blow up a gun.

There's zillions of things more, but it would be best if you could learn this for yourself so you won't have to depend on somebody telling you.

__________________
"He was kinda funny lookin'"

When I started, I got an enourmous amount of mileage out youtube and this forum right here. The other way I could have gone about it was to join a gun club that has classes or lunch and learn session on such subjects.

Like I said, all it took were some informative videos and lots of technical advice from the 500ish (probably more...) combined years of experience on this forum.

I think having a mentor is a great idea. As others have said if you belong to a club or shoot in competitions then it might be easy to find one by just asking. For example in my club we have a handgun group that shoots every week in the evening, any member is welcome. Most of the attendees shoot in competitions and almost all of them handlload. In a situation such as this finding a mentor is like falling off of a chair.

I taught myself how to this. True I made some mistakes, typical rookie things but using books and to a lesser extent videos I have at least learned the basics of handgun ammo. The biggest area to make mistakes outside of violating safety rules is buying the wrong gear. I don't know that having a mentor will totally avoid that problem as there is a wide variety of tools that we use and there is a lot of overlap with respect to functionality.

As others have said you need a good manual anyway so the Lyman is a good place to start. Get a used 49th edition off amazon or Lyman publishes paperback editions they also make a handgun manual. A lot of handloaders recommend the ABC book I don't have it but I do have a book titled Handloading for Handunners by Patrick Sweeney. This is a good book to have on the shelf. I guess what I'm saying is don't let the lack of a mentor stop you if you have the desire to do this you will figure it out.

I don't have a specific caliber in mind, but I will most likely be more interested in revolver ammo. 357mag & 44mag

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

I would second checking with NRA, they have an entire section devoted to reloading. As to local reloaders, they can really save you money over time by helping you to buy smart. Learning from others helps you save a lot of cash by buying smart the first time, instead of going through the "buy three of these before I learn what I really need/want".

__________________
Fight socialism. Never stop.

Another benefit from a club situation is bulk purchases. Bullets are less expensive in 10,000 bulk buy rather than 500 per box. Primers in 5,000 or 10,000 rather than boxes of 100 or brick of 1000.

My trap club has truckload sales ever so often. You order ahead of time, and they pull the semi into the club lot a couple months later. Shot, primers, powder. There may be several tons of shot on the semi.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

ma454mike , i can help you , no problem . I am in the Dallas area , not really that far from Ft Worth . I have reloaded those 2 calibers for many a year . I keep it real simple , don't use progressive reloaders . I also cast and size my own bullets . If you are using plated / jacketed stuff that is fine too .

When I first started, the guy across the street loaded and fielded enough of my questions that I got started. This was way before YOUTube or the Internet. I read everything about reloading that I could get my hands on. A good place to start is the material in the front of reloading manuals before the loading tables.

If you ever get around Baton Rouge, La. I would be happy to work with you.

Ft Worth Cabelas has a free intro class on Sundays at 2PM.
good place to network!

Cabela's Store in Fort Worth, Texas : Cabela's


Cabela's Store in Fort Worth, Texas : Cabela's

__________________
Really? U saw it in Wikipedia?

Reloading wise, that's about as simple as it gets. Both hulls produce great target and high velocity ammo... relatively safe pressure window to boot...non-mags have less load range.

I bought the ABC's of reloading and read it twice and watch youtube videos.

asked a bunch of questions online and now almost three years later and 16,000+ rounds I am pretty confident.

Mike came over to my house today and left with a Lyman book on pistol reloading and his first 357 reloads he did himself, so he is on the way.
We loaded them on my RCBS single stage, weighing every powder charge. He'll do fine.
George

Never heard that one. You must not be from around these parts.

__________________
That's just somebody talkin.

When I started reloading was no one around to talk to. my Dad always said "you can learn anything if you put your mind too". I got a couple of reloading manuals read through them. Then I invested in a turret press, got a set of dies, bullets powder, and primers. There was a learning curve I made some mistakes but never damaged a gun or myself. My first loads were at or just below the starting load. I missed dropping powder in a case and ended up tapping out a bullet from a S&W 4'' 686, I missed seating a primer and had powder all over the bench. some how managed to set a primer backwards. OH you will need a really good scale.

As has been said several times, develop safe handling methods. avoid distractions,stay focused on what you are doing. Read and understand about powders you are using.

When I reload I clear my work area of everything except what I am going to use. Only one powder on the bench, only the primer I am going to use.( if reloading for several cartridges, make sure are getting the right primer for the cartridge you are loading). Re-zero your scale every time to set up to load.
I have a 3X5 card that I have written the load data on , I carry that with me as I am gathering my powder, primers, bullets and cases. I consult it when I pick up each item. I consult it when I put it on the bench, I consult it again when I am ready to pour the powder, open the primers and when I open the bullet box. When I start the reloading I inspect the case, de-prime and size , and re-prime the case, 2nd I drop the powder, and visualizing inspect the case to make sure there is powder in the case.3rd seat the bullet. 4th crimp the case ( if desired). then inspect the round, is the primer seated? are the any splits in the case mount? Always make sure the powder measure is set-up to drop the right amount every time allowing for a + or - .01 or .02 deviation which in most case in normal. I check my powder weight about every 10 rounds to ensure it remains with in the range set.

Reloading can be an enjoyable hobby, and with any thing associated with shooting you have to follow the rules, and keep your head in the game. enjoy.

__________________
Carpriver.

Clearing your bench of everything except what you are going to use is excellent advise. I never have any powder or primers on the bench except what I am using. You put two or more different powders on the bench at the same time is asking for major problems.

If you ever travel to Alabama, I would be happy to spend the day sharing over 30 years of reloading experience.

__________________
The American dream is alive

Shootsafe Academy


YOUR SOURCE FOR SAFE SHOOTING INSTRUCTION IN NORTH TEXAS SINCE 1994!


William C. Russell, Proprietor
and Chief Instructor

Teaching All Ages To Shoot Safely
Providing Firearms Training for North Texas, or Anywhere, From Bridgeport, Texas!
Reloading

Reloading courses are approximately nine hours long and cover almost everything you need to began reloading in safety.

There are two separate courses offered.

1. Basic Metallic Cartridge reloading for those who want to learn how to load for rifles and handguns
2. Shotshell Reloading for those interested in shotguns

Look at the "schedules"Class Schedules page for class dates and sign up information.

__________________
Science plus Art

Remembering the great hard cast bullet sale. Since a lot of us at the old rifle and pistol club shot hard cast bullets and since they also did monthly steel plate matches we were always looking to buy the darned bullets. One guy found a place in Texas that give us a great deal on bulk purchases. They would place the order and when ready would meet on the Texas/Louisiana border somewhere and off load the bullets via forklift on pallets load our trucks and pay the guy. I'd usually get about 5000 230 grain 45 round nosed bullets in 500 round boxes. Used to crack jokes about our trucks being heavily loaded. This was done a few times each year. I only did this a few times when I had the money. When I was short then grab a couple boxes at a local gun show. As for brass I was a top rated "Brass Rat" as I scrounged any and all the brass I could find. Mostly pistol and revolver brass. Did have one interesting find while doing this. Bunch of cases and a couple 30-06 round with the head stamp CXN date, and another marking. Turns out this was some sort of clandestine round made up by one of the letter agencies when and if they did a mission the ammo couldn't be traced back to the guys doing the dirty deeds. Went through my stash and found I still had a couple of the above mentioned rounds. Frank