Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles Help Get Me Started.

Hello All,
So here is a little background. I have never reloaded before and I don't own
any reloading equipment. Are there any books you recommend reading to
help get a better grasp on things? What equipment do you suggest? I am not
going to limit myself to a budget, I would rather pay the money up front on
the best quality equipment, than replacing it down the road. So let me know
what your ideal setup would be.

I will start out loading for my new .223, and then move onto my .30-06 and
potentially my .40 S&W and .44 mag.

Any info to help a beginner is greatly appreciated.

Step one - buy a Lyman #48 manual or a Speer #14 and read all of the introductory chapters. There are other good manuals out there too, but these two have the best intro chapters in my opinion. This will get you grounded in the concepts and terminology.

Step two - collect up the free info published by the bullet and powder manufacturers. This will add to your knowledge of the products and the concepts.

Step three - get the reloading equipment company catalogs. As you will be loading bottleneck and straight wall cases I would recommend a good single stage press. The Redding Big Boss II, the RCBS Rock Chucker Supreme, the Lyman Orange Crusher and the new Lee Cast Classic are all going to last a lifetime. I would never recommend a progressive to a beginner and I won't with you either - save that for the future when you are experienced.

Keep in mind SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY.

If you can, find yourself a "guru" or mentor that has been loading for years. It is often easier to show something in loading than to understand it from a book. I actually taught my self from the Speer #8 and #9 manuals when I began, but later found some older gentlemen who took me under their wing and then I really learned much quicker. The people on this board are very helpful to new guys as well.

Odessa

Odessa has it completely right; start your journey by reading books with pages that you can have right in front of you as you go along.

Read, read, read first. Mentor is a great idea, I wish I'd had one. I am also self taught when it comes to reloading. Safety first, and don't believe 99% of the loads tossed around.

You will need to develop loads for your rifles based on your components. Generalities about which range of powder burn rates and stuff OK, but just because 51.3 grains of XYZ is best in my gun means diddly-squat in yours. That charge may be too hot for yours and swelling primer pockets, while its still got room to go yet to the red line in mine.

If you buy the R.C.B.S. Rockchucker supreme master reloading kit it has almost every thing you need in one box, you would just need to get the dies and shell holders for the calibers you mention and a case trimmer and your set to go with top quality equipment. I see midsouth has this kit for 259.00 and I have seen it as low as 229.00 I think from Natchez shooters supply. This is a terric price.

If you have a Sportsmans Warehouse in your area check with them to see when they have a reloading clinic scheduled. Alternately if you know someone who reloads and you trust there skill and judgement talk with them. You can read until you are blue in the face but there is nothing like having someone knowledgable to ask questions of.

I knew I'd be loading in volume and started reloading on a Dillon 550. If you think you may be reloading a ton this may be something to consider.

Any beginner, especically one who will be self taught, should start with a single stage press. Learning to load a single round can be intimidating and until you have developed your loads and are totally comfortable with loading is best done on a single stage. Progressives can be finicky enough to frustrate many experienced hands!

You will know when, and if, you should go to a progressive. Even then the old press will still be good for miscelanous chores so it shouldn't be a waste at all.

I'd recommend a Lee Classic Cast (steel frame) single stage because it is perhaps the most beefy press of its type, has an adjustable handle, a good primer system - both for catching old ones and installing new ones, and is made in the US, not China as the greeen ones are. The price is right too.

If you had to rank reloading components by manufacturer what would be your
first choice? R.C.B.S. seems to have nice stuff, but so does Hornady as well as
the other companies, so what say you?

You are asking about reloadiing equipment (reloading components are bullets, brass, powder, and primers). Your question is like asking what bolt action rifle is the best or how to rank them - it is really personal choice among the better brands. Brand availability is also a factor (RCBS, Hornady, then Lee are the brands mostly stocked at gunshops in my area). If mail order is your route then pick any brand you like.

My opinion of quality (Major brands) from top down:
1.) Redding - harder to find in stock but nice stuff - well made.
2.) RCBS & Hornady - very close to Redding - RCBS has legendary service. I like Hornady's dies since they installed the Zip Spindles.
3.) Lyman - old line gear, similar to the above brands.
4.) Lee - note, even though this is my lowest rated brand they still make good stuff that makes great ammo - I use some of their products (case trimmers, set of shell holders, powder scoops) but don't care for their dies or major items like scales, older presses, powder measure).

These smaller brands make some great gear, you just have to order it:
1.) Bonanza/Forester
2.) CH Tool Co.

Start a colliction of reloading articles. Any reloading article that you run into and don't have time to read, save a copy of it. Also setup a place in your favorites folder just for reloading links.

As for actual reloading, I started with a Lee Loader (and mallet) about 40 years ago. I still think there is a lot to say for learning the basics that way. I currently own a full size press but have no where to set it up so am using a Lee Hand Press. At present using it to reform 223 into 222 Rem. Works great.

Find a mentor, it will be worth the trouble.

On Point - Where do you live?

I am on the western side of the state (North Platte).

Hello On Point,
Have to agree with Odessa on his first choice of Redding and you can buy that mail order from many sources. BUT, there's really very little equipment still on the market that doesn't stand up - anything below par usually gets filtered out of the market very quickly with all the competition.

But if you do end up going with Redding, the turret press is the way to go - it's not that much more expensive than a single and you don't have to mount and re-mount a die all the time, it has space for 7 dies that rotate in place. You can also buy more than one turret head if you go for multiple calibers.

I personally don't like to trust a "locking" ring to keep a die in adjustment as you remove and re-mount it, so the turret eliminates your having to constantly adjust dies.

The guys have it right on the reference material - read, read and then read again - you won't find this boring - most of us who have reloaded for years have more than 20 books on the subject - and the Lyman manual would be a good one to start since it has lots of instructive photos.

And finally, just remember that safety is the first and last thing to think of on every step of the reloading process. You are basically going to be pouring high explosives into a little brass tube and igniting it inches from you face.

Have a great time on your new hobby!!!!

Acloco,
I work in Lincoln, I have lived here for about the last 3-4 years.

So I have been looking at presses and I really like the idea of the Redding turret
press. Is this going to be to complicated for a beginner? Or should I just plan
on using a single stage press to get started?

Thanks for all the replies, this has been a lot of help.

A turret is a single stage press with multiple die holes machined in. It is totally manual, dependent on you to make anything move - so (unlike a progressive) it is a variation of single stage. You give up the massive strength of the "O" frame, but the Redding turret is strong enough for the calibers you listed (will probably be fine for a .300 Win Mag or something similar as well). Go with the turret and you don't have to unscrew and re-insert dies. Of all the turrets on the market I think Redding has the best design (I have their old #25, six hole, and it has held up very well for years). The current Redding (the T7) is superior to the old #25. Odessa

Buy the RCBS Rockchucker Supreme kit. Pick up a couple of reloading manuals (nosler and hornady). You will need a set of dial calipers and a case trimmer (I prefer to use the lee trimmers)

Read the manuals and load for accuracy. There will be plenty of help on the fire if you need it.

Google Sinclair Intl. Great people to work with. I use them a lot. They will not sell you anything you don't need for your type of loading. They are accuracy/benchrest loaders and shooters. They know their way around. I too am learning reloading and have studied it for a while. Now I'm ready to buy and am putting together my list and checking it twice to see who is naughty or nice. Couldn't resist the wise crack.

You should ask yourself one question before you buy anything in my opinion, am I reloading for accuracy, to shoot a lot, to save money, or as a hobby? Answer this question and you will know which direction you want to go and what you need for equipment. This is what I did. I'm going for accuracy and to shoot a lot.