Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles who showed you the ropes

Just was wondering if anyone taught you the ropes of reloading or you just learned as you went. I'm trying to get into reloading but haven't found anyone to actually show me the steps. So I bought a Lyman book and been reading and thought I would order a nosler book to. Any tips? I'm gonna start with a rcbs rock chucker supreme kit.

My shooting partner showed me. I guess it can be learned from the books but I don't know if I'd have been brave enough to try it. Having someone show you the steps and be there to correct your mistakes is a great help.

I grew up loading with Grandpa & Dad. Started over 50 years ago when I was just a kid and I remember those two letting me seat the bullets for their target & hunting rifles when I was just a little fellow. Good stuff.

The Nosler book is good. I like your choice of the RCBS kit as well too.

If you can get someone to actually work with you, setting up your dies and loading a box or two, that's great. If not, it's easier than ever with some of the videos avail on-line. Some pretty good stuff available that way.

Don't take shortcuts, particularly not at first. Safety First. If it doesn't seem right, back off, study a bit and try again. It's not rocket science, and people have been building quality loads for a long time now. I suspect you're going to enjoy your new hobby.

One piece of advice, once you find a load you like, buy those components in quantity. Get the 8 lb powder jug, 1000+ primers, 100 - 250 brass cases, and 500 - 1,000 bullets at a time. That way you assure yourself of a steady supply of your chosen ammo. Besides, buying in bulk often saves a little money.

Regards, Guy

A neighbor who assured me that 165 grain hollow points were perfect for hunting deer with a 30-06. Still laughing about that, all these decades later.

Ya I been reading up on a lot of it and watching some you tube videos I would to see it like been said first hand

After I bought my first rifle I knew I would eventually start reloading so I saved all my brass from the factory ammo I bought and fired. It took about 5-6 years when I finally said I was going to learn. My father doesn't hunt or shoot. My stepfather hunts but shoots as little as possible and is honestly scared of anything "reloading" related. So I bought a few manuals, read up, bought the equipment and learned on my own through trial and error...I won't say that I never made a mistake but I always erred on the side of caution. Many years later I am a full blown rifle and reloading looney...I have none of the brass I started with because the rifle has since been rebarreled twice...into different chamberings each time at that. I have acquired a few more rifles too. Besides rimfire and shotgun, my firearms have not seen factory ammo since I started reloading. I would say that is an accomplishment.

I learned from a Lyman manual and asking questions on the old "Shooters. com", then here after the other one closed down. If you ain't an azzhat then most people will help you learn. miles

I was very fortunate to have a long time family friend, an accomplished machinest, gunsmith, and National Guard competitive shooter, who taught me about handloading. For the first couple years I would pepper him with questions and visit his reloading room when I first started handloading. Looking back he was a very patient man, and was one of those men who made an impression on me. He was shooting a 7x57 long before they became popular with rifle loonies.


Casey

My Dad and older brother and I learned together. Dad had some machinist expereince, so he bought the Sierra Manual (they were in Santa Fe Springs, CA at the time) and some bullets by the pound in a brown paper bag - .308 150 gr Pro Hunters) from them on his way home from work. Case lube, primers and IMR-4064 from the local shop and a used CH press, RCBS scale and measure, a trickler and .30-06 dies from his buddy. I still have that monster, cast iron press, scale and powder measure...followed the directions step by step, mashed a couple pieces of brass getting the dies set, but smooth sailing after that.

Lyman's #43. New at the time. It's sitting in front of me now.

I think Redding's Big Boss is a better press for about the same price, IIRC.

My crazy uncle Louie taught me when I was 8 years old. One of the nicest things anyone ever did for me.

I was the only one to reload in my family till I was into my 50's. I'm self taught.

The instructions in a Lee Loader about 1962.

boomtube-

I be damn,me too. #43

Have a bookshelf full of manuals. I now have 67 different dies sets not counting duplicates. Still learning.

My grandfather started many years ago. I refined it in college with forum member Red Rabbit. He taught many things to get my reloading started. A lot of answers to questions that stumped me came from here.

I lernded myself...only blew up 3 guns before I caught on...lol
Just kidding...no harm yet.
I learned from web and some reloading books.

Watch them "web loads"

A 3rd cousin who must have noted the embers of a gun loony burning every time he saw me at deer camp. He loaned me a scoped 243 (I had been using an open sighted Win 94), taught me to load ammo for it, and I used that ammo to take my first buck. About 37 years ago. I've helped a couple of guys get started since then.

Dale

Speer & Lyman manuals from about 1975.

Got the basics from Speer's Reloading manual, and learned some of the refinements from my old friend Frankie Love--all of this about 1963-64. In those days, I read all of the big three outdoor magazines and I kept up with the new developments that way. I think that Frankie and his dad were the only people that I knew back then who reloaded ammo.

I remember the gunsmith at one of the big gun stores in Houston telling me that he would not work on a rifle if the owner reloaded his own ammunition, nor would he waste his time building a rifle for someone who reloaded. He was convinced that they would just blow it up some day and that he would be blamed!