What do I need to know to reload?

s1mp13m4n

s1mp13m4n

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Hello everyone. My wife and I just bought our first guns. I got a 9mm she got a 380. I like the idea of reloading because of the cost per round compared to store bought ammo. It seems to be much cheaper. What do I need to know? As a total newbie, what reloading presses or kits will do what I need without breaking the bank? Where do you get brass, powder, projectile, primers, etc at good prices to make reloading worth it? What about learning, books, etc? Thanks for the help.
 
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First, you need to READ a couple reloading manuals.

Many YouTube videos show the process also.

Reloading can be fun and a relaxing hobby.

If you tend to be a person that DOES NOT FOLLOW INSTRUCTION EXPLICITLY,

it can be HIGHLY DANGEROUS to you, others, and your firearms.

Reloading IS NOT for those who just choose to WALK TO THEIR OWN DRUMMER.

Presently, all components are in short supply due the CRAZY DEMAND of things.

A simple SINGLE STAGE press is usually best to start with, to learn the process of reloading QUALITY ammo.

MidwayUSA, Graf & Sons, Mid-South, Natchez, Weidner's, Powder Valley are sources.

Dillon makes Progressive presses and a manual multi-stage RL550-B that is favored by many that load RIFLE & HANDGUN ammo.

The Dillon presses are more expensive than a SINGLE STAGE to start out with though.

You might not like reloading and costs less to get out of with the Single Stage.

YOU MUST NOT BE EASILY DISTRACTED or you're headed for PROBLEMS for sure.
 
I am all about directions, reading, and instruction. I prefer to learn before I do rather than just jump in and make mistakes. Heck I did six months of reading, looking, shooting, etc before I bought my first handgun. I bought the gun yesterday but now own a paper weight because I can not find 9mm ammo for it.
 
Good!

You can spend the next few months studying about reloading,

while allowing the Marketplace to COOL DOWN and components

to become readily available again at SANE PRICES.

You might look to finding and taking an NRA Reloading Course from a CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR.

You could also look for someone to MENTOR YOU in the process.
 
Reloading

My recommendation for a first step is the same as Moonman's. When I started reloading over 40 years ago my first purchase was a Lyman reloading manual. A new edition is out and at $25 costs about the same as a box of factory ammo and is worth the price. Any of the manuals are good and you will probably want more than one, but the Lyman is a great place to start.

Check with your local gun club or range and see if they can recommend an experienced handloader who can show you how it works in practice. If you decide to go ahead with loading, a mentor can be very valuable.

I can't vouch for all of the Internet handloading videos, but this gentleman is experienced, clear and reasonable. He has follow-up segments to this video.

Reloading Basics (Decisions To Make) - YouTube
 
Well keep your eyes open for 9mm ammo. Your own spent brass is going to be your best source of brass. If you can find .380 ammo you can take your wife's gun to the range and shoot and possibly pick up 9mm brass off the ground from others shooters as long as they give you permission and it is not against range policy. That said, at this point in time even purchasing a set of 9mm loading dies can take weeks or even months though a single stage press is not that hard to get. As said earlier all components are scarce. I would get a couple of reloading manuals and info from powder manufacturers and make a list of powders that would be acceptable for use with your 9mm then pull it out when you are in a gun shop and see if they have anything you have on your list rather than set your sights on one powder and spend precious time looking for something you can't find. Right now you just load with whatever you can find though it may not be optimal.
 
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There are lots of youtube videos of various quality, you can see some of equipment in action to get and idea of how they work. The basics are simple, the biggest issue now is sourcing componets. Also check with the range you use to see if they allow reloads, many dont.
 
Maybe this is a silly question, but how would the range even know?

Also +1 on Hickok45 his videos are usually a great stepping off place for most gun related things, and the linked reloading video is a good starter too.

As far as supplies for reloading, many people are saying keep your eyes peeled for deals on "used" presses following the current craziness. I am hoping that the market will rebound and be full of lightly used supplies in the near-ish future.

Based on the folks I've spoken with reloading doesn't save much money (if any) of course, the reason for that is mostly the extra on-hand ammo is too tempting to shoot :)
 
The first thing you need to know is that this is a terrible time to be getting into reloading. Finding what you need will be a lot harder than finding ammo is now.
 
DigiRebel said:
Maybe this is a silly question, but how would the range even know?
Click to expand...
If you are referring to picking up brass, some ranges consider any brass that touches the ground property of the range and will not let you pick it up. Makes shooting an auto loader problematic if you reload.
 
This is a good place to start: Amazon.com: the abcs of reloading

I respectfully disagree with the sentiment that "now is a terrible time to get into reloading". Finding what you need may be a challenge but don't let that deter you.
And to tell the truth, you won't save a dime. You will however shoot more and better ammunition than you can commercially purchase.
 
Making your own ammo is much cheaper per bullet, but the activity of reloading is itself so rewarding and addictive, many of us who engage in it would need to shoot a LOT more to amortize their ongoing equipment investment. :)

Tools and consumables are tough to find right now, but being a reloader is all about scrounging, recycling, and shoe stringing things together.

I've only been reloading for a few years, but Internet forums like this one have been invaluable. There are guys all over these sites that have been reloading for 60+ years.
 
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Cost per round is cheaper but as I reloaded more, my reason changed. I like to choose my powder, bullet weight and shape myself. Generally stores here have few choices.
I started with an RCBS single stage, dies, scale, ect. The manual was Speer, I quickly bought several others - Lyman's 49 is now my favorite.
You sound like the type person who will read the front of a manual not just the "recipes".
 
CMD-KY said:
Cost per round is cheaper but as I reloaded more, my reason changed. I like to choose my powder, bullet weight and shape myself. Generally stores here have few choices.
I started with an RCBS single stage, dies, scale, ect. The manual was Speer, I quickly bought several others - Lyman's 49 is now my favorite.
You sound like the type person who will read the front of a manual not just the "recipes".
Click to expand...

I am the guy who likes knowing what I am doing before I do it. For example I watched a Hickok45 video about my new gun...I just bought my first ever handgun. I saw step by step how to field strip it. I watched other videos of his to learn how to clean the gun. I read the manual that came with my gun to see what Ruger says I should or should not do. If I do not know how to cook a certain meal, I read instructions. I take the time to learn about a program for my iMac computer before I buy it and find out I do not like it. My goal in reloading has several reasons. I like the idea of reloading because the price is cheaper per round. Now if you set a limit on how much you shoot, say 50 rounds a week, then you could save money reloading. I am also looking in to reloading because if I want to shoot more to be a better shooter with my new gun....it will cost me less than doing so with store bought ammo. I also like the idea of "guy time". It would just be me, music, and a task....reloading ammo. I find activities like that relaxing rather than it being a chore. I love cleaning and detailing our car, it is fun and relaxing to me. I do not want to spend tons of money doing this, but want to get what I need and not break the bank.
 
The cost of setting up reloading from scratch is an investment. As several others have mentioned, get a reloading manual and read it first. All of it, every warning message. Understand the process BEFORE looking at any you tube video's as all the video's don't exactly tell it like it should be told, be able to understand the difference. Be able to designate a "permanent" place in your home where you can set it up and leave it. This is not something you can put in the closet and forget for awhile, it needs a sturdy bench at least 4" long and 24" deep with space for some shelves to hold supplies and tools. I also recommend a single stage press for beginning, but I would look at yard sales, garage sales, sporting goods adds, etc and try and find slightly used ones for maybe half price from someone who is upgrading or discovered it wasn't for them. Visit a gun club, and you may know some of the members, ask around who is the reloaders and talk to them and ask if they will help you set it up and start you out. The two reasons to reload are to save money, but more important is you can make better ammo than you can buy, tailored to your specific gun and more accurate. It is a very rewarding hobby, and yo will find people who buy new guns in different calibers just so they can work up the best loads for that new caliber.
 
Most of the posts above state what you'll need to "know", but what you "need" is patience and common sense. Go slow, double check everything, and enjoy one of the most satisfying parts of the shooting hobby...
 
You really need a reloading mentor. Visit someone who reloads and watch. Then have some kind soul help you set up and get going the first couple times. After that it is all a matter of keeping detailed records, paying close attention to what you are doing. Work in clean, well lit environment, free from distractions.
 
s1mp13m4n said:
. . . I like the idea of reloading because of the cost per round compared to store bought ammo. It seems to be much cheaper. . . .
Click to expand...
Each round you produce will be cheaper than the factory counterpart. A useful overall average number using (eg) Hornady bullets is 40% cheaper. Many popular rounds (eg 230gr FMJRN 45 ACP, 115gr FMJRN 9mm, etc) will yield less savings, others more.

What you *do* with those savings is up to you. If you buy best value equipment, stay away from "toys", and/or use less expensive clad/lead bullets . . . the savings can easily pay back your equipment investment as quick as you can shoot.

But remember you must front the cash for the tools, and for buying bullets, primers, powder, and brass in BULK. And you will likely NEVER reload cheaper if you put a dollar value on your time, or don't have the time for an additional hobby.

OTOH, many of us have found the reloading hobby as fullfilling if not more so than shooting. At the very least it extends the time you are immersed in your firearms hobby. You're also on a learning journey into the science and art connected with firearms. Finally, you get better ammo lol . . . not so significant to most handgun shooters . . . but incredibly rewarding in your rifle groups.

s1mp13m4n said:
What do I need to know? As a total newbie, what reloading presses or kits will do what I need without breaking the bank? Where do you get brass, powder, projectile, primers, etc at good prices to make reloading worth it? What about learning, books, etc? Thanks for the help.
Click to expand...
You are too early in the curve to have use for answers to all these questions except the last.

Go to the Lee, Lyman, Hornady, RCBS, and Dillon websites. Some of them have reloading tutorials and videos. Watch/read the tutorials. Get the names of some presses and go to Youtube. Look for reloading videos using those press names. See what each does, how it does the work . . . and for many Youtube videos ignore the advice lol. Just watch the operations. Pictures are incredibly more valuable than words.

When you know what single stage, turret, and progressive mean in use . . . come back and talk to us about presses etc. We'll be glad to help . . . maybe more than you want lol.
 
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