Re: Learning reloading - where to start?

In article <fg73p4$q2h$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, The Hurdy Gurdy Man says...
#
#
#I never gave much thought to getting into reloading until just recently, when
#I took a look at the price of rounds for some of my more recent rifle
#acquisitions. It used to be that I really couldn't save any money or time
#when I was only firing common calibers, but I think I've finally found a
#point where it genuinely would be cheaper for me to do my own loading,
#especially with the gun climate being what it is where I live (California).
#
#Anyhow, I figure the best place to start would be with a good book, but I
#honestly don't know what a "good book" on this subject would be. Can anyone
#suggest something that would provide a solid foundation from which I could
#start? I figure once I have some idea about what's required, I can move
#forward from there, but I don't want to start pestering people with lots
#of questions on the subject until I get some general (and specific) knowledge
#into my head first. All suggestions are welcome, and thank you in advance!

Start with a name brand reloading manual. Any of them will do, be it Hornady,
Sierra, etc. If you have particular bullets and powders that you're interested
in using, you might want to browse them to find the one(s) that has the
combination of components you're interested in.

I load all of my pistol ammunition on a Dillon RL550B progressive. I also have
an RCBS Rockchucker for rifle. I started reloading on an RCBS Jr. If I were
you, I'd start with the Rockchucker. It's a reliable, easy to use, reasonably
priced single stage press.

As for what you actually need to buy, that depends upon what you plan to do. If
you plan to reload bottleneck rifle cases such as .30-06 and .308, you MUST get
a case trimmer. Bottleneck rifle cases grow in length when they're resized.
They MUST be trimmed to prevent dangerous headspace conditions.

If you don't plan to load for rifle, you don't need the case trimmer.

At a minimum, you will need:

Some place to mount your press. In college we bolted the press to a piece of
scrap wood and used C-clamps to hold that to a desk in a dorm room. I currently
use a Black & Decker Workmate folding workbench with a *** of plywood bolted
to the top. As an alternative, you can make a fixture to which the press bolts,
then close the bench's jaws on that. These are great for apartments, since they
can be broken down and stored away very quickly.

Cheap shelves. These are great for storing bullets, dies, cases, etc.

Cartridge appropriate dies (I recommend carbide dies for pistol. You don't need
to lube the cases.) If you get Lee(?) dies, buy yourself a set of RCBS (or
other) lock rings. The Lee rings don't have set screws, making it difficult to
swap dies and keep the same settings.

A RELOADING scale that measures in GRAINS. You don't need an expensive
electronic scale. A simple mechanical scale works just fine.

A powder measure. Any of the name brands are fine, RCBS, CH, etc.

A case vibrator. Dirty cases, especially ones that have fallen into dirt or
sand, can scratch dies, ruining them. You can hand wash and dry them, but it's
a real pain.

Reloading block(s). These keep your cases organized and upright. You can buy
them or make your own with scrap lumber and a drillpress or hand drill. My
first blocks were made on a drill press in the school maintenance building.

A dial caliper. You don't need an expensive Mitutoyo, just something accurate
and repeatable. I've got a Dillon, which works just fine. You need this for
measuring case length of rifle cases, and overall cartridge length and case
mouth diameter.

If you're loading rifle or using non-carbide dies, you need some kind of
lubrication system. I use an RCBS lube pad and their water soluable lube.

Storage containers. I use the MTM boxes, but you can use cardboard boxes,
tupperwear or anything that keeps the loaded rounds clean and dry.


--
Gun control, the theory that 110lb. women have the "right" to fistfight with
210lb. rapists.


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