New to reloading

[DedIdick]

There are various little tricks of the trade so to say which will make some things easier.

eg. When setting up/checking pistol loads (usually 2-5 grains) thrown with a powder measure, don't bother trying to get accuracy weighing every case full. Throw 10 loads, and then check the weight & divide by 10, gets you a better average load.

Beware of some of the "cheaper" digital scales (kind they use for coke etc.) some are very inaccurate with No repeatability. A good Beam Scale is better. If you buy a Lee reloading kit; don't even open the scale in box, just throw it away (or try and sell it) and buy a RCBS/Redding/Lyman/Hornady version instead.

[aris]

IMHO over cleaning your brass is unnecessary for most people . Clean the primer pocket and perhaps the inside of the neck using a wire brush, and you are good to go.

One cheap way of getting into loading is to use a lee loader. It is slower, and perhaps a bit tedious, but it does the job, and is a great piece of SHTF equipment to have on the side even in addition to a bench mounted press as it is very portable. You could use this to reload at the range. They are £35 from CDSG and the only additional thing you need is a rubber mallet - plus of course primer, bullet, and powder.

Plenty of vids on youtube showing how it works.

[tacfoley]

There are various little tricks of the trade so to say which will make some things easier.

eg. When setting up/checking pistol loads (usually 2-5 grains) thrown with a powder measure, don't bother trying to get accuracy weighing every case full. Throw 10 loads, and then check the weight & divide by 10, gets you a better average load.

Beware of some of the "cheaper" digital scales (kind they use for coke etc.) some are very inaccurate with No repeatability. A good Beam Scale is better. If you buy a Lee reloading kit; don't even open the scale in box, just throw it away (or try and sell it) and buy a RCBS/Redding/Lyman/Hornady version instead.

To that I would add try and get an OLDER RCBS beam scale - the 10-10 is THE best of the bunch - made by Ohaus. If you could ever lay your paws on an older Ohaus, do so.

And get a decent dial/digital caliper, too - none of the Acme type for $20 or so.Figure on getting one made by Starrett or Mitutoyo - I have both since I began reloading in the late '60's. They are both still impressively accurate when checked against standard pieces. I also have a couple of Mauser Vernier gauges, but it seems that these days nobody can be a$$ed to learn to read one.

The latest Lyman reloading book is THE one to get, IMO.

[thisisdonald]

The latest Lyman reloading book is THE one to get, IMO.

Cheers for the recommendation.. I always value your posts Tac, and I'll pick this book up based on your advice. Theres so much shite out there, and it's like hiring a joiner off of gumtree, I'd much rather take the advice of a friend.
I got the richard lee book when I started reloading, but quickly realised I was technically in line with what it was saying.. now I'm looking for books with data that I can use... even though I'm only using a few powders..

Cheers mate

[tinbum]

Even more useful info!

We have ordered the US cleaner recommended by Turnup as Mrs Bum can use that for jewellery etc as well (Do you remove the primer before cleaning?).
I have so far managed to find a set of dies, a powder measure and I have a digital caliper. I will be getting a couple of books including that recommended by Tac. If I'm right that leaves a quality beam scale, a primer dispenser and press yet to find.

I plan to drive to a decent shop that's quite a way off on Wednesday for some supplies. I am going to buy 1k Geco factory rounds, this should give me a couple of months to choose a press. I will also get 1k bullets, 1k primers and some powder. I have a choice of bullets ranging wildly in price. Given that I am shooting both informally and badly at a fixed distance, am I right thinking the cheaper ones will be fine? (LOS 123 or 115grn). Could you also give me a few powders to look out for too?

[DedIdick]

Just make sure your cheap rounds are Boxer primed. There used to be an awful lot of Berdan primed stuff out there. You will really notice the difference once you try to de-prime!!!

[tinbum]

Just make sure your cheap rounds are Boxer primed. There used to be an awful lot of Berdan primed stuff out there. You will really notice the difference once you try to de-prime!!!

Everything I've found on t'interwebs says they are, and the fellas at the club all use them. Gilles even managed "Good, keep" when I turned up with the first box a few weeks back.

[simgre]

LOS bullets are plated, not jacketed. They are adequate for plinking. Use data for cast bullets, keeps the velocity a little lower which is preferred in plated. I have previously found inconsistencies with these, my last lot had bullets keyholing.

Powders wise, you’ll be well served with Vectan. I imagine you should never have supply issues that you can get with US powders. BA9 1/2 is a multi use powder covering lots of cartridges and loads.

Personally I believe when you’re learning, you need the best components and ammunition that you can assemble/obtain. As you’ll know, ammunition performance can vary greatly, and if that variable is removed you’ll know that you are chasing your skill level and not taking negatives from poor performance of the ammo.

[Turnup]

Even more useful info!

We have ordered the US cleaner recommended by Turnup as Mrs Bum can use that for jewellery etc as well (Do you remove the primer before cleaning?).

<snip>

Yes, I size and deprime before US cleaning. I don't think the cleaner would get to the primer pockets if the primer were still in place.

I load 50 neck down into the plastic brick thingy found inside most boxes of cartridges (make sure that they are open at the bottom - some are closed and this will stop the vibrations getting into the case) drop the brick into the basket and zap for (I think) 6 minutes - it's the longest setting on my bath. Then I carefully lift out the brick and basket together, remove the basket and invert it on to the brick, then holding the brick in place turn the whole thing the right way up so now you have the cases neck down in the basket - put it all back in the cleaner and zap it for another 6 minutes. As I said before do not let the cases sit in the bath for long after it has finished - the fine crud will settle out on to the cases and it is very hard to get off again. I set a kitchen timer 'cos it is very easy to get engrossed in sometihng else and forget and I certainly cannot stand and watch it for 6 minutes. I usually then just give it a blow to get most of the drops off and sit it on a radiator overnight to dry. If I am in a hurry then I dry then in an oven (not in the brick!) but I usually have plenty of dry ones from earlier sessions to use.

Now is a good time to inspect the cases. IME when they are past it they develop cracks in the case mouth (that part gets worked each time you flare and crimp it). It is not particularly dangerous if a case is split and you miss it. It is supported during firing by the chamber wall but the crimp tension will not be so good. If it gets really bad there is a possibility of a piece of the case getting into the barrel but I have never had this, even with a case which ended up split from mouth to almost touching the rim (case material gets thicker towards the base). I bin them when they get a visible split.

To prolong case life use the smallest amount of mouth flare and the smallest amount of crimp possible. You can barely detect the flare on mine and I crimp only enough to leave the mouth parallel (i.e. remove the flare) but no more. Care setting this up is invested because it rarely needs to be adjusted again unless changing to a different brand of case which is a slightly different length.

I do not use case lube. I think it is more important on necked rifle cartridges than on straight pistol cartridges but others may know better.

[JB101]

Yes, I size and deprime before US cleaning. I don't think the cleaner would get to the primer pockets if the primer were still in place.

I load 50 neck down into the plastic brick thingy found inside most boxes of cartridges (make sure that they are open at the bottom - some are closed and this will stop the vibrations getting into the case) drop the brick into the basket and zap for (I think) 6 minutes - it's the longest setting on my bath. Then I carefully lift out the brick and basket together, remove the basket and invert it on to the brick, then holding the brick in place turn the whole thing the right way up so now you have the cases neck down in the basket - put it all back in the cleaner and zap it for another 6 minutes. As I said before do not let the cases sit in the bath for long after it has finished - the fine crud will settle out on to the cases and it is very hard to get off again. I set a kitchen timer 'cos it is very easy to get engrossed in sometihng else and forget and I certainly cannot stand and watch it for 6 minutes. I usually then just give it a blow to get most of the drops off and sit it on a radiator overnight to dry. If I am in a hurry then I dry then in an oven (not in the brick!) but I usually have plenty of dry ones from earlier sessions to use.

Now is a good time to inspect the cases. IME when they are past it they develop cracks in the case mouth (that part gets worked each time you flare and crimp it). It is not particularly dangerous if a case is split and you miss it. It is supported during firing by the chamber wall but the crimp tension will not be so good. If it gets really bad there is a possibility of a piece of the case getting into the barrel but I have never had this, even with a case which ended up split from mouth to almost touching the rim (case material gets thicker towards the base). I bin them when they get a visible split.

To prolong case life use the smallest amount of mouth flare and the smallest amount of crimp possible. You can barely detect the flare on mine and I crimp only enough to leave the mouth parallel (i.e. remove the flare) but no more. Care setting this up is invested because it rarely needs to be adjusted again unless changing to a different brand of case which is a slightly different length.

I do not use case lube. I think it is more important on necked rifle cartridges than on straight pistol cartridges but others may know better.

Case lube not required for straight wall pistol cases if carbide dies are being used
Years ago guns & ammo did a reload test one 38 special case reloaded 150 times ,it had split almost all the way down to the rim .The test gun was a revolver so no feed issues which could happen in a semi and the cylinder sides supported the case.

[tacfoley]

I do not use case lube. I think it is more important on necked rifle cartridges than on straight pistol cartridges but others may know better.

I'd echo jb101's post - a carbide sizing die for your straight-sided pistol calibre cases won't need clean cases. I've been shooting the same 1000 or so .357 Magnum nickel cases since 2002 in my Ruger Super Redhawk from Sabre Defence Systems. Over that time they have ALL been reloaded at least five times with the same load of 6.5gr of Bullseye in a calibre-dedicated Lee turret press.

The only time I don't shoot reloads is when our LGS has a freeby day to try out different brands - then I might buy some FMJ full-house loads to use to 'clean out' the barrel after a decent number of lead rounds have gone through.

[tinbum]

Just powder to go!

[IMG][/IMG]

[severnsider]

Cheers for the recommendation.. I always value your posts Tac, and I'll pick this book up based on your advice. Theres so much shite out there, and it's like hiring a joiner off of gumtree, I'd much rather take the advice of a friend.
I got the richard lee book when I started reloading, but quickly realised I was technically in line with what it was saying.. now I'm looking for books with data that I can use... even though I'm only using a few powders..

Cheers mate

If you like a good read and some fascinating insights into the development of various powders and projectiles, along with a great range of reloading data for both pistol and rifle, then Philip Sharpe's "Complete Guide to Handloading" is worth getting hold of. First published in 1937 it includes data for propellants which are still available today. I downloaded a copy from the internet...…. booksellers also have them but buying from the USA will incur significant postage charges!

[aris]

If you like a good read and some fascinating insights into the development of various powders and projectiles, along with a great range of reloading data for both pistol and rifle, then Philip Sharpe's "Complete Guide to Handloading" is worth getting hold of. First published in 1937 it includes data for propellants which are still available today. I downloaded a copy from the internet...…. booksellers also have them but buying from the USA will incur significant postage charges!

I think postage is the least of your worries. A used hardcover version of this book costs £300+ on Amazon.

[severnsider]

I think postage is the least of your worries. A used hardcover version of this book costs £300+ on Amazon.

That's just bonkers. I've seen a few for $40 on AbeBooks and similar..... It IS lurking on the internet but at 400+ pages it will be costly to print off. I have a .PDF copy that I could send you if you are interested?