I want to reload, where to start?

S

SARuger

New member
I'm shooting more and more and its getting expensive. My girlfriend loves to shoot too so I'm thinking its time to take the plunge.

What do I need to start with? I have these calibers; 9mm, .38, .357, .44mag, .223, .243, 30-06 and a all of my shotguns are 20ga.

I shoot skeet/trap on occasion so I could save some money there too.

I have been around re-loading many years ago and I know it can be done safely and I have a nice workshop in my house that would be perfect for a reloading work area.

Give me some direction, an approximate cost of getting started etc.

Thank in advance
 
Big subject, conflicting and confusing opinions are soon to follow.
I'll start, though.
How about sharing some info -
Like the number of rounds you guys shoot in each of the mentioned calibers.
 
My opinion is to start with a Lee Classic Turret Press, with this press, you can
disable the turret and learn the basics of reloading first, then when you're confident, you can reactivate the turret and go full speed ahead.

Price for the press run's around $110.00 with free shipping on Ebay.
 
IMO, shotgun reloading is an exercise in futility. The components cost more the target loads....or quite close.

In rifle pistol reloading, you can save and have fun. Everybody thinks about the progressive vs single stage question. May I suggest a turret kit? Turret kit

This will take you from slow to pretty fast as you grow. Sure a Progressive is nice, but it is a real pain to setup and load 20 rounds...a real pain.

Yea, an annual round count by caliber would be great.

Also, you do realize there is lots of time in this, right?
 
G.Willilkers, In the handgun rounds a couple of hundred with the exception of the .357, we both own one so we shoot more of that caliber. The .223 is the rifle I use most. I hunt coyote and other critters with it, its a bolt action. The other rifles are for deer so mostly sighting in, getting accustomed to the rifles before each deer season, maybe a hundred rounds each a year. The 20ga shells will get into a few hundred fast over a typical summer.

Does my usage warrant me looking into this? I know the initial cost will be that of a nice revolver or more
 
I meant to note; My usage will increase this summer. I am in the process of joining my local Izaac Walton League and they have a 200yrd rifle range and handgun range. It is less than 10min from my house. Right now I'm driving 40 miles one way to shoot.

Nathan, good advice! If its not cost worthy to me I will pass on shotgun reloading. I can get a box of 100 20ga target load low brass shells for $22 local
 
I would say you are borderline thinking about cost.

Take 357 mag. You can buy it for $50 / 100. I can load it for $26/100. Looks like a huge savings, but consider:


But startup costs are:
Kit - $365
Caliber specific items - $80 ish well $120 for my progressive

Time:
Time is not free. No reason to get divorced because you are always reloading!
 
Welcome to the hobby of reloading, SA.

You will get lots of advice, but in the end, you will find your own way, form your own wisdom, and develop your own preferences. This is a huge and open ended topic.

Have fun and enjoy.
 
First off, welcome. Second, start by reading the stickys at the top of the forum list. Use the search function to research questions. Lots of other people have been down the same road and a lot of questions have been covered. Before you buy the first piece of gear, buy a manual, Lyman 49th is good. Read it cover to cover. If you decide to take the plunge, start with one of the pistol calibers. I would recommend 38sp. Once you get that down, move to one of the autoloader calibers, then rifle calibers. I run a Lee classic turret press and a Lee classic cast. All my pistol loading is done on the turret and rifle is done on the single stage. But, you can load good rifle ammo on the turret as well. If you just want to save money, drop the idea of loading 20ga target loads, especially if you don't already own the equipment. Lead shot is so high, there is very little if any savings in loading your own skeet/trap loads.
 
The answer is "it depends".

Equipment costs vary widely. In general you are paying for rate of production. I think the Lee Classic Turret press is a great way to get started, and it will do pistol and most rifle ammo. It is possible that it will meet your needs for years to come with no need to upgrade. I loaded pistol ammo on a single stage press for years. It works great but it is very, very slow.

How much you save in metallics depends on what you load. I save a bunch loading with lead bullets. Were I to purchase factory jacketed bullets I would not save as much over factory ammo. Some types of ammo can be had pretty cheap (for example FMJ 5.56 ammo) and it is difficult to save a bunch of money handloading the equivalent. I recently started reloading .223/5.56 and I save a little money; I enjoy the process so it's worth it to me. All I had to purchase were dies; I had all the other equpment already.

It is hard to realize significant cost savings reloading shotshells if you are talking about standard game or skeet loads. I use my MEC press to make low noise-low recoil shells and since the factory versions of those shells are a little pricey, AND I shop carefully for my components, it is worth the effort to me.
 
As others have said--forget reloading shotgun. Watch the sales and buy
shells by the case, they are cheaper than the components. Only shotshell
reloading I still do is for a bunch of 16 gauges I seem to have acquired.:rolleyes:

Do you know another shooter that reloads? You might ask to sit in on a
loading session and get an idea of what goes on. Youtube also has a bunch
of info, but sorting the straw from the poop can be difficult.

That said, here's my 2¢. Read every reloading manual you can. Lee, Lyman
and Speer have tutorials in them.

Start with a single stage press. Even if you eventually advance to a progressive the single stage will get use. I started with a RCBS Junior.
Still use it for some rifle and short run handgun.

When it's time to go progressive you will know it. For me it was when I got
interested in USPSA competition. Currently cranking out around 20,000 per
year 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 acp combined to feed the habit of my wife and myself. I went with a Dillon 550B, been a great machine. Thinking of a
650 in the not too distant future.

If you want to get in cheap, you can buy a Lee Breech Lock Challenger kit
for around $130. Dies, bullets, powder(if you can find it) primers will
get you up to a bit over $200 before you can load anything.

It IS worth it. Today I'm loading 40 S&W. Loaded long for a Tanfoglio
Limited. Bayou poly coated 200 gr RN's. VihtaVuori N320 powder.
Loaded just above the USPSA Major Power Factor floor.

$14.30 per hundred. 14.3¢ per---including the price of range brass.:)
 
My first reccomendation is always go to someone that reloads and watch. I enjoy reloading as a stress reliever as well as it usefulness. Some folks just don't enjoy it. I have some friends who sort of want to reload but after watching me they are quite happy to buy the components and let me do it. Granted I give lecture about safety and am a little OCD about the process, but they trade woodworking or something my for my work.
 
What about powder storage and my homeowners insurance, is this something I should be concerned with? I have two out buildings, 75' from the house, that I could store in but they are not climate controlled.

If my insurance increased it could be a deal breaker for me.
 
I would probably start with .38, then .44 then .357(we plink with .38 in our .357's). I hunt with the .44 10.5" SBH so I do shoot that Ruger a lot.
 
My suggestion is to read the post by Bill M (up 2). Read it twice. It's terrific advice.

To add to his post, saying that starting with the single stage will help you learn the small details about loading, what to look for in a good cartridge or a mistake made. The wisdom in reloading is earned early with a single stage.

I would say that, once you settle on a progressive press, you will love having the single stage press for de-capping spent cases before cleaning and reloading. This will keep the filth in one place and your expensive equipment will stay tidy and clean and smooth running. It's also handy for short runs and rifle cartridges.

Also, invest a little money in a wet tumbling system and stainless media. It's just awesome.

I'm partial to LEE equipment. It's priced right and works great. Everyone has their favorite, but I would suggest the LEE breech Lock Challenger kit as an introduction to single stage loading. Why spend more money if you aren't quite sure you like the hobby, or find you don't have the time to devote to it.

And BOOKS. people aren't saying this for their health. read read read.
 
For powder and primer storage...it varies by state / check the fire code regulations in your state and your community. If you exceed the regulations - it may cause you to be cancelled on your insurance....but in general, reloading for your own use will not change your homeowners insurance.

For good equipment that will load all your rifle and handgun calibers...look at the Dillon 650 ( it auto indexes / and it has the room for a "powder check die" ...or the Hornaday LNL. ( Dillon 550 does not auto index / has no room to add a powder check die).

For shotshells...look at a MEC Grabber model in the 20ga....or a 9000-GN press from MEC....both are very good / I would not go below the MEC grabber model.

No reason to start with single stage presses...in my view.
 
Powder storage... unless you have tens of pounds of powder, I wouldn't worry about it, beyond keeping it someplace safe and dry. It's not unlike having cans of acetone or gasoline in the garage... all very flammable and if there was a fire, would also do plenty of additional damage. A small lockable metal file cabinet works great, and even some of the large ammo cans are great places to store powder long tern with a little desiccant.

Should have no effect on your insurance.
 
I just started myself. I'm not going to sugar coat it. First thing you're going to need is a lot of money and an understanding that the main component, powder, is going to be a real adventure to find.

I have concentrated on buying quality equipment but not necessarily top of the line on all items and so far I'm well over $2,000.00 with more to get. If I had it to do over again I would have pursued good used equipment to start off with and upgraded when necessary or desired.

It's going to take a while to make back my initial investment before I can start to save money.
 
I just started reloading last week and went through the same questions and research. I spent many month reading into all my options over the course of 5 years before buying my equipment.

While I obviously don't have any personal reloading experience yet, I do have a pretty good overview of what is currently available on the market und how good certain equipment works for others. I must have read thousands of reviews for presses, dies and all the other equipment.

Here is my take on the press & die subject for your case. I'd go in 2 steps. Keep in mind this is a "high quality suggestion" and not the cheapest setup to begin with.

1.) I would start with:

- Forster Co-Ax press with matching Forster die locks for step by step learning and high quality hunting rounds
- Carbide / Competition Redding dies
- 21st Century Shooting hand priming tool (best feedback)
- RCBS ChargeMaster (scale and auto-trickler)
- RCBS Case Prep Center


2.) Later on I'd add:

- Dillon 550
- Dillon Case Feeder
- Dillon Powder Check

This is a progressive press which will speed up your reloading process for the variety of calibers you shoot. You will still need the Forster single stage press for test rounds, odd balls and jobs like decapping.

m2c
 
I have concentrated on buying quality equipment but not necessarily top of the line on all items and so far I'm well over $2,000.00 with more to get.
Click to expand...

2 Grand and you don't have everthing yet?

You either bought commercial grade automated stuff, or got hosed severely ......

To the OP, BillM said most everything I was going to say .... start simple, and once you understand the process, move up from there. The 2nd worst thing you can do is spend a bundle on progressive equipement without knowing what your are doing and crank out bunch of bad ammo .... the worst thing you can do is do that and then use the bad ammo to damage yourself and your gun.....

One should not attempt to learn to drive by jumping in a Ferrari or an 18 wheeler and setting out on the freeway. A passenger car in an empty parking lot is a more prudent plan to start with ..... studying the Ferrari owners manual and the Drivers testing manual is a great idea, but no substitute for hands on experience.

A Lee kit, dies of your favorite flavor and components will get you started for less than $300, and pay for themselves in short order with .38/.357 or .243 and -06 ....... after that, adding the other dies is cheap ..... though you'll take longer to realize savings.

If you do not enjoy it, well, you'll have to factor in your time. Maybe you have a lot of extra money...... in that case, maybe you should not roll your own, and instead buy factory ammo. :D

Also, if you do not enjoy it, you are not out thousands of dollars ....
 
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