new to and wanting to start reloading

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Cpt. Obvious

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Hard to afford ammo these days, so I figured I'd start reloading in order to shoot more often. I'd like to spend some time reading up on the subject, so I could use some recommended reading (as in a book, I know that's rare these days). Also, I was thinking about starting with a Lee hand press loader or a lee single stage or turret press. I would primarily be loading .38 spec and .45 acp, eventually going on to loading 8mm mauser, as well. doubt i'd need more than 1000 loaded a month, if even that, so I'm not concerned with a big bad progressive. Cheers
 
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get the lee and/or lyman reloading book, alot of info in them, also i would get the turret press. (get a couple extra turrets), it's easy to use and with the extra turrets your dies stay set and ready to use,
 
For just starting out, I would recommend a used Rockchucker. They are very affordable and are built so tough that you don't need to worry about buying a worn out one. Single stage reloading gives you a great indication of whether you need to put the extra money into a progressive down the road.

When I started reloading about a decade ago, I bought a used Rockchucker off ebay. I have to admit that I have never upgraded and still use the old RCBS single stage to load all my ammo.
 
I'd go with a single stage maybe turrent if you need 1000 a month. I reload 38spl and 45acp the most also 357 45 colt and 9mm. I can keep about 5 boxes of each on hand at any giving time with my single stage. The single stage lets me load in batchs and I don't have to much going on at once. Lymans 49 is a good reloading manual for lead bullets. Get a good set of balance beam scales to check your powder loads with. Lee's are a good product to see if the reloading thing is for you.I like the Breech Lock singe stage.
 
Welcome to the club Capt. Obvious.

I been reloading 44 years so I'll throw in my 2 cents. If you have a place for a loading bench get a good single stage press. I started with a Lyman spartan then was given a Pacific Super both are single stage and in service. The Pacific is larger and used for rifle reloading . The Lyman is lighter and used for pistol. Get the best your budget will allow from a company that has been around.

If you don't have room for a bench then get the Lee hand press. The small " C " press you can hold in your hand. Or the Lyman AccuPress. this one can be hand held or bench mounted

Stay away from " Tong Tools " or the ones requiring a mallet to assemble ammo- I think its called the Lee Clasic loader. These things are much to slow to work with

Books: Buy several Lyman, Lee , Hornady and Speer are good manuals. To learn the basics get a copy of The ABC'S of Reloading, good for the beginner. Read them all- each has information that the other may not have and when working up loads you want to cross reference a load- if 2 or 3 manuals say a certian load is safe then it is OK.

When you get a few reloading manuals and start comparing data don't get confused if one says 5.2 grs. of xyz is max. and the other says 5.0 grs. is max for a lot of reasons there will be slight descrepencies, allways err on the side of caution.
 
Cpt.
I have probably 6 or 7 reloading manuals. My favorite is the Lyman Reloading Handbook. Next would be the Hornady book.

re: a 1000 rds. a month.
What I usually tell folks , If you are going to shoot 300 or 400 rds. a year , get a single stage press.
If you are going to shoot 300 to 400 rds a month get a progressive.

Unless you Really don't have ANY thing better to do and / or
you Really enjoy sitting in front of a reloading press for hour after hour after hour.

I use to reload on a RCBS single stage. Then back in the late 80's I got a Progressive. Ain't No Way I would go back to a single stage.

On my Dillon 550 I can do about 300 an hour if I stay at it. Throw in extra time for sorting ,, cleaning ,, etc.

Then you probably need to triple that time on a single stage.

( I do still have the RCBS and use it for my rifles that I don't use much and only want to load a hundred or two)
 
Thanks for the advice y'all, I figured on gettin the Lyman manual at least. Think I will be reloading the weekends I don't shoot, 2 to 3 a month, so using a single stage or lee turret would not be too monotonous for me. Keep the advice comin though, the more the merrier.
 
http://www.nrastore.com/nrastore/ProductDetail.aspx?p=PB+01779&ct=e

The NRA loading handbook is the best for a start because it is not trying to sell you anything.

The Lee Classic turret is the best loader Lee makes. The press, 3 turret plates to hold the dies, and 3 sets of dies (carbide for the pistol calibers!!) and you only have to adjust dies once. Just change plates and shell holder to change calibers.

The Lee turret can be used as a single stage simply by pulling out the center rotation rod. Loading pistol ammunition on a single stage is sloooow and does not make better pistol ammunition.

Added: I started on a Lee turret (the old 3 holer). Later I was given a Lee single stage which in covered in dust on a shelf here somewhere.
 
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One more comment for what it's worth. I bet many who advise you to buy a turret started with a single stage. My 2 cents worth is to take your time on ebay and find a Rockchucker or other quality single stage press for $50 and learn how to reload first. Then, if you need, get that turret press. I will gaurantee that even with your turret press, you will still find uses for the old single stage.
 
glowe said:
One more comment for what it's worth. I bet many who advise you to buy a turret started with a single stage. My 2 cents worth is to take your time on ebay and find a Rockchucker or other quality single stage press for $50 and learn how to reload first. Then, if you need, get that turret press. I will gaurantee that even with your turret press, you will still find uses for the old single stage.
Click to expand...

What glowe said make A Lot of sense. I loaded a lot of ammo on a Lyman Spartan ,, then a RCBS rockchucker before I went to a progressive. I learned a lot on the stage stage and I still have the RCBS and still use it.
 
I started with a new Rockchucker in 1985. Still have it but use the Dillon 550 most often for long runs. Today though I loaded 116 45acp on the Rockchucker because the Dillon is set for 38 at the moment. If you get the Rockchucker (or similar) you can use it till your gone and let someone else use it too. Most likely you will eventually get another press anyway but the single stage heavy duty ones last and have other uses too, like pushing a bullet through a lube die and probably most importantly, training you to be safe at it. You get lots of opportunity to check your work with a single stage.
 
As with most of the posters, I started with a single stage press, bought second (or third or fourth) hand from a friend from Scouts who was getting a divorce. My dad, both brothers, and I used that for likely 30 years.

My first (of my own) press was and is an RCBS. No real reason to choose RCBS over the other major brands like Redding, etc. Just the best deal at the time. Now I have the RCBS for most of my calibers (357 mag, 44 spl, 45-90, 300 mag,== likely 40 calibers in all) and a Dillon for production runs (45 Colt, 38 spl, 45 acp, etc). Both get used about equally.
 
OKFC05 said:
http://www.nrastore.com/nrastore/ProductDetail.aspx?p=PB+01779&ct=e

The NRA loading handbook is the best for a start because it is not trying to sell you anything.

The Lee Classic turret is the best loader Lee makes. The press, 3 turret plates to hold the dies, and 3 sets of dies (carbide for the pistol calibers!!) and you only have to adjust dies once. Just change plates and shell holder to change calibers.

The Lee turret can be used as a single stage simply by pulling out the center rotation rod. Loading pistol ammunition on a single stage is sloooow and does not make better pistol ammunition.

Added: I started on a Lee turret (the old 3 holer). Later I was given a Lee single stage which in covered in dust on a shelf here somewhere.
Click to expand...

What he says. An Okie would never steer you wrong.;)

Started years ago with a Lee whacker. Moved on to single stage (BIG improvement.) After several years hiatus I started again using the single stage for handgun reloading. SLOW. I had to have the workings of the Lee Classic Turret explained to me, then I bought one. An absolute JOY to use, when you add the Safety Prime and the Pro Auto Disk powder measure. All this at a fraction of the cost of a progressive.
I shoot about four times a week and the LCT easily keeps me in loaded ammo. If you need the output the progressives are great. Kind of like whether you need an F-150 or an 18 wheel dump truck to go about your daily tasks.:D
 
Well after my wife asked me some strange questions about what I want to get, strange because she was asking me in general, I may not have a choice in the matter, she'll probably get me the lee turret for christmas. Probably use it as a single stage until i get the hang of things... at least I hope so...
 
I think that turret will work well for you. Pretty fast when needed but simple to learn on as well. Good compromise position to be in.
 
Cap'n, You will never be sorry you have that press. Get a manual, go to their website & watch the videos, go to youtube and do the same.

That press is a GREAT place to start.

You may want to move on in the future to bigger and better. You aren't married to the press, just the wife! ;) Sell the thing in the future and get exactly what you want BUT make no mistake, start NOW.

Don't wait until Christmas, read, read, read, watch, watch, watch, buy components, buy components, buy components. All of that may seem a bit redundant but, it is the truth.

Don't wait another minute, start "reloading" right now, even if it is only in your mind. Mentally build your area. Read about reloading, ask questions, do your homework.

Get ready, get started.

Hope this helps.
 
Got my workbench design in my head, looking up components, reading questions others have asked... its all quite fun and interesting, though I think my co-workers are bored by all of it!
 
Cpt. Obvious said:
Got my workbench design in my head, looking up components, reading questions others have asked... its all quite fun and interesting, though I think my co-workers are bored by all of it!
Click to expand...

TOUGH! When you have all the ammo you want and they cannot afford Winchester Whitebox nor can they find it, you will be going to the range every single day! ;)

I say: "Let them eat cake!" There will be a time that you will be eating Fillet Mignon!
 
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