Teaching Reloading

"...will go on Youtube..." A decidedly unsafe thing to do. Anybody with Internet access can post anything they want there.
Mind you, everybody learns differently. Wouldn't think twice about learning anything from a book myself. My brother needs to be shown how to do everything. Your neighbour is likely one of those. Show him yourself.
 
It's my opinion that too many folks see this as an all-or-nothing proposition and make no room for the blurred lines. I myself am not a fan of YouTube, but I absolutely understand that is has value. When I need to take apart a gun beyond a field strip, a decent YouTube video is a massive help because read as you might, it doesn't always show a significant small moment where seeing really gets the message across.

Of course, it is the internet, so you need to be astute when you are interviewing your source. And here's a message for everyone who believes it is "books or bust", there are some crap books out there also and plenty of manuals that you can spend and waste your money on that won't get you what you are looking for. Using the internet teaches you to be critical of your "teacher" and it costs only time.

I started handloading in 1988 as a 16yr old. My Dad was gone before that time. I had absolutely no mentor... I had a Speer#11 and one local gun store that had primers and powder and the worst, sneering attitude toward a young person that I couldn't even replicate if I tried.

I started with 20ga on a MEC-650 and then shortly after, metallic with .38 Special and then .45, .30 Carbine and 10mm. Every single thing that I did came from guidance from the Speer#11 and the occasional short article in Guns & Ammo, but those articles seemed to create more questions for me than answers.

When did I blossom as a handloader? Look to the left under my user name. It was the summer of 2007 when I finally had a place where folks could HELP. They didn't simply answer questions, they offered suggestions and the best folks explained the background of what was happening rather than simply tell me what to do. And the search engine here offered nearly ENDLESS handloading subjects to sift through, and it still does.

You simply have to have enough working brain to read what is offered and decide if the author knows what he's talking about. HINT! Exactly the same is true even when you have paid for the book and you are physically flipping pages.

I agree that a new handloader ought to embrace a load manual or two, but I'm dead sure certain that I've taught a half dozen or more folks more about handloading (in person and via e-mail and txt, not through a forum) then these guys have read from a manual. A very DATED manual that is not only oblivious to routine developments in this hobby, but it absolutely BLIND to other brands of tools beyond whichever seems to have sponsored his published manual.

The hardliners are missing that, or they refuse to admit it and share it.
 
I think that videos are most useful in trying to decipher less-than-perfect instructions that come with certain reloading equipment or tools. For example, simply reading the instructions for a bullet comparator can leave a newby somewhat confused. However, watching someone on a video actually do it makes the light bulb go on.
 
Hands on and Mentorship

Hands on and Mentorship: Sending somebody to read the books only makes for more questions and additional education to undo misunderstanding. Loading manuals are vital. I started off on my own. Learned stuff by bumping into it. Did much better when I got mentors. In that day there was no net. Those guys did not read gun magazines. They are all gone now. I fell heir to a friends loading manuals. Lyman's that go back to the late 1940's. I find it no chore to get people going reloading. Have done this many times.
 
When I was taught it was a step hands on process in the 70's. We had manuals on the shelf for reference but everything was explained with examples of what could go wrong. Anything I did was under supervision till I was about 15 years old. At that time I was allowed to use only blue dot powder to reload 38 special loads for a Ruger Security six 357. I was restricted to Blue Dot until I graduated high school.
 
I told my neighbor that I will watch a couple of videos on Youtube with him. We spent about 30 minutes watching videos. After that I asked did you learn anything? He then told me that he understands the whole process. I then asked him which die do you use first, he told me that you flare the case first. My reply was that you have to learn not only what you do but why you do it. He has a lot to learn about how you learn. I told him I will help but he seemed like I don't need to know all this. Whever he wants to learn properly I am here willing to teach but until then I wished him luck.
 
Poconolg said:
I told my neighbor that I will watch a couple of videos on Youtube with him. We spent about 30 minutes watching videos. After that I asked did you learn anything? He then told me that he understands the whole process. I then asked him which die do you use first, he told me that you flare the case first. My reply was that you have to learn not only what you do but why you do it. He has a lot to learn about how you learn. I told him I will help but he seemed like I don't need to know all this. Whever he wants to learn properly I am here willing to teach but until then I wished him luck.
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Reading that makes me sad and wonder what's going to become of those who do not read and get all their knowledge from U-Tube, Facebook and Twitter.
This idiot has the perfect opportunity to get first hand knowledge from an experienced reloader and he's too much of a fool to take advantage of it.
50 years ago I would have given my eye teeth for someone to show me what to do .
May the Good Lord Help him.
Gary
 
Others by watching others do it
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Of course that helps a lot for tips and tricks ... But the books gives you the knowledge and background for safe reloading when a mentor isn't handy. Anyone can 'pick' a formula (x primer, x amount of powder, a bullet, a case) and put it together. The mechanics are not rocket science. But how does a primer work? Why is crimping important. Is COL important? Why resize? Why clean? What is seating the primer all about? Slow burning powders vs fast vs medium. Bullet weights and why use one over another? When to use, when not to use. Pressure. What is it, how much, how to manage it. The math behind it, etc., etc., etc. . There is much much more to reloading than just pulling the handle. Many of the basic questions can be simply answered by reading. Attention to detail goes along way to assembling accurate cartridges! Patience grasshopper!

Am I wrong?
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No.
 
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I've been studying on this topic in my own experience. There's no surefire way to teach a newcomer. How many people have victimized by gosh awful suggestions from gurus. How often to you see this just shared stuff as a gospel on the net or in forums? You may get an "everybody knows..." or similar. How about baloney from gun rags and the like. I just visited another forum where advice was being given on reloading gear. After a dozen posts it was apparent that many of the people had never laid hands on the stuff. Basically, it was an attack by Kool-Aid drinkers. How do you deal with this? There, opinions were passed off a facts. Then there is, "Well Bubba told me..." There's no fool proof way to teach reloading. Yep, do the best you can.
 
How do you deal with this?
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For me? It is not a problem. The case dies not have head space, it is impossible to move the shoulder back with a die that has case body support. And when I am dealing with someone that does not understand what happens to the case when fired I always suspect they have other problems.

And then there is that story that claims the firing pin drives the case forward until the shoulder of the case collides with the shoulder of the chamber. POINT: There are things:rolleyes: that happen to my cases that can not be explained by the 'firing pin theory' but the problem arises after the poster has spent years insisting there is nothing beyond their theory.

F. Guffey
 
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I learned basic reloading from an NRA certified course instructor and never read a manual until after I had made my first reloads (although I did have copious notes from the course). But I certainly read more and more as I began to branch out beyond 45ACP. And videos are yet another way to gain knowledge, sometimes the best way for those who need to SEE it done. Yes, the quality of videos may sometimes not be the best, but we have to recognize that the current young generation is going to learn more from video than from reading. And we need to adapt our teaching to it.
 
I would have to review the NRA Metallic Cartridge Reloading course materials, but I'm pretty certain there's nothing in there that would advise students NOT to read more and continue learning after the class. It is, after all, a one-day class, and it's purpose (much akin to the Basic Pistol class) is to instruct students in enough of the fundamentals that they can start reloading safely. As a certified instructor, I would never advocate that my students go to Youtube for further instruction. When they leave the class, they (hopefully) know enough to work a reloading press, to look up a recipe for whatever cartridge they want to start loading, and to make some ammunition -- safely. The class is not and does not claim to be a fount of all possible reloading wisdom. The purpose is to lay a solid foundation for experience and continued learning.
 
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A few years back I helped a few friends get started in reloading. I used Hornady's Reloading DVD for a portion of the instruction, stopping the DVD at various points to further discuss/illustrate/highlight points. Seemed to work fine. We spent the last hour or so loading some ammo on a single stage setup. Nothing wrong with videos, but I would say they are best used to augment a book or direct personal instruction.
 
I would have to review the NRA Metallic Cartridge Reloading course materials, but I'm pretty certain there's nothing in there that would advise students NOT to read more and continue learning after the class. It is, after all, a one-day class, and it's purpose (much akin to the Basic Pistol class) is to instruct students in enough of the fundamentals that they can start reloading safely. As a certified instructor, I would never advocate that my students go to Youtube for further instruction. When they leave the class, they (hopefully) know enough the work a reloading press, to look up a recipe for whatever cartridge they want to start loading, and to make some ammunition -- safely. The class is not and does not claim to be a fount of all possible reloading wisdom. The purpose is to lay a solid foundation for experience and continued learning.
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Well said Aguila Blanca. As I tell my students: you now have the knowledge to safely do this, so now the real learning begins.

Don
 
I am the one that started this subject. I have forgotten to say that I have been reloading for 42 years. Maybe over a half million rounds but probably more, rifle and pistol.
 
What most reloading videos never seem to have are those gotcha and oh crap, and what now that it's all gone wrong moments defined.

I've never once seen a youtube reloading video that ever spoke to the "feel" of the reloading press handle. What's it feel like when it's right. Stopping the moment something doesn't feel right and assessing the situation.

The one time I have taught a formal reloading class, we spent half of it discussing so many things that can go wrong, how to identify them, and how to handle them. I also made a point to have each student use a bullet puller to take apart a round they assembled. For me the first time I used a bullet puller was a harrowing experience. I felt the need to get the students past that so they would be more likely to disassemble a suspect round than to keep it and suffer a dangerous failure later.

As to a student that just quickly wants to slam together some cheap plinking rounds, yeah - I'd have to agree - back away and disengage. That mindset isn't anything I want to be around at the reloading bench or on the range.
 
I honestly believe all formats have a place and are useful as not one alone could ever answer all the possibilities both good and bad that can arise over the course of a session. I certainly have taken advantage of, books, forums, videos and friends. Still have to sort the chaff from the grain. There are some very finely produced videos available just as there are some real Youtube Hero's. There was one I started to watch and it was so full of profanities I turned it off after about 1 minute.
 
Grey Lion said:
I've never once seen a youtube reloading video that ever spoke to the "feel" of the reloading press handle. What's it feel like when it's right. Stopping the moment something doesn't feel right and assessing the situation.
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That's an excellent point, and I don't know how that can be conveyed through a video. My personal example is priming. I still prefer to prime off the press. I use a Lee Auto-Prime -- which is a silly name, because there's nothing "auto" about it. It's a hand-held tool that requires a squeeze of the handle for each primer, then you manually place the next case. I load mostly for .45 ACP and, no matter how hard I try, I always manage to get one or two small primer cases mixed in when I tumble a batch. When I squeeze the handle on a case with a small primer hole -- I KNOW there's something wrong. It comes to a hard stop. But ... I've primed thousands and thousands of rounds through that thing, so I don't even need to have the brain engaged to sense when something isn't right.

As to a student that just quickly wants to slam together some cheap plinking rounds, yeah - I'd have to agree - back away and disengage. That mindset isn't anything I want to be around at the reloading bench or on the range.
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I have to disagree. The only thing I load is "cheap plinking rounds." I subscribe to the theory that we should shoot only factory ammo for self defense purposes, and I'm not a bullseye shooter. Just because I want to save money shooting (yeah, right) doesn't mean I care less about safety. The fact that a person is too arrogant and headstrong to be interested in learning to do it right should not lead you to condemn everyone who doesn't reload for match-grade accuracy.
 
I take a position somewhere in between Grey Lion and Aquila Blanca. You could easily have a person who is interested in reloading only one or two "easy" loads and that's it. There are a whole lot of "variables" when it comes to the world of reloading and mastering those variables can take a lifetime. However, if a person is only interested in producing one .38 Special load for 100% of his plinking then that reduces the list of variables down to a very small number. If he can get a good start from a hands-on mentor then a little extra confidence-building knowledge from good videos then he can safely reproduce that load over and over.
 
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