Taking The Plunge

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GarandTd

New member
I have bit the bullet and pulled the trigger. I'm going to take a shot at reloading.

I am fortunate that I have remained working during this pandemic thing and the government has padded my wallet with a few extra bucks as well. So, I'm going to let the government help fund my 2nd amendment interests.

I recently purchased a Lyman Ideal C-frame press. I've had one set of dies(35 Remington) for a couple years as well as a box of Sierra Pro-Hunter 200gr rn and a box of Speer Hot-Cor 220gr spfn. I also have nearly 200 pieces of once fired Hornady, Remington, and Winchester brass.
I have assembled a humble workbench in my basement.

On their way:
Lyman 50th edition reloading manual
Balance beam scale
Powder Dipper set
Reloading block
Case prep kit
Resizing lube
Bench priming tool
Powder funnel
Bullet puller
Powder trickler

I already have a dial caliper. I think I've got the basics covered. I still need powder and primers.

I'm sure I will add some tools as I gain experience, but in general is there anything I'm missing?

I will be starting with 35 Remington. I have a Remington 141 and a Marlin 336C. I will be loading potential hunting rounds and some target fodder for those rifles. Eventually, I will load for 8mm Mauser, 30-06, potentially 223/5.56 and 380 acp. Also, if I ever pick up a 357 magnum wheel gun, I'll likely load for that too.
 
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USSR

New member
Congrats! Is there an experienced reloader in your area that can help you get up and running? A lot of little things to reloading that the books just don't cover.

Don
 
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GarandTd

New member
Thanks! I'm sure there is some experience nearby. I just have to find them. My local sportsman's club should have at least a few members that could help me out.
 
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TruthTellers

New member
Since you want to load for .380 and maybe .357, I would advise getting a powder measure/dispenser. With rifle, using a dipper and a trickler is fine, but for handgun I see no reason to ever use that method.
 
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GarandTd

New member
I'm not equipped to load any handgun cartridges yet. I'll be starting with the 35 Remington. It is the only die set I have so far. At $1.50-$2.00/ round for commercial ammo that is often only available right before hunting season, it seemed like a good place to start. It's also the only caliber that I have multiple firearms in and they both get hunted with simultaneously.

As I expand my hobby/operation, I do understand that I will add tools as needed. I didn't think it necessary to start with a powder measure, though I do expect to add it eventually. For the time being, rifle cartridges will be my focus.
 
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mudlark

New member
Welcome to the club dude,

The first reply nailed it. The big thick books are good but if you don't know the terminology and context you will be left frustrated and no further along.

Know any reloaders at the places you shoot? Nothing beats a couple hours of watching and listening. Maybe bring a couple beers for afterwards or offer to spring for a pizza. Most of my best friends are in the shooting and reloading community. A good group for sure.

As another wrote, You Tube is OK for starters but that can be hit or miss. I see enough BS and nonsense on there to last a lifetime. If you do watch, take note of all the presses that rock with every stroke. OY VEY! Do yourself a favor and mount that thing ROCK SOLID to a sturdy and steady table.

Good luck and have fun with it. Nothing like a tight group with ones you put together yourself!
 
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B

BJung

New member
Important tool

Welcome to the club!

I looked at your list and think you need a tumbler. Harbor Freight sells one of the least expensive tumblers and crushed walnut shells can be purchased at the feed store.
 
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GeauxTide

New member
You're gonna want to replace the dippers with a real powder measure. I used an RCBS Uniflow for 40 years until I replaced it with a Lyman 1200 Electronic.
 
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AVirginian

New member
There is a Facebook group Reloading Mentors North America, if you're so inclined and it can help find others in your area that are willing to help out.
 
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std7mag

New member
Welcome to the rabbit hole!

The dippers & trickle method for rifle is fine, still my prefered method.

I'd suggest some method of trimming your cases. I use the Lee case length gages. Cheap $5-6, and no guess work. Can be used by hand, or better yet with a cordless drill.

Oh, and some method to clean your brass.
 
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Jim Watson

New member
The .35 Rem was my third or fourth caliber, after .38, .30-06, maybe .222.
I was intrigued by Dean Grennell blowing .38 bullets out of one at high velocity. That got boring. Also SWCs wouldn't feed in Marlin 336A and not well in Remington 600 even though they did in a friend's Remington 81. So I traded them off and moved on.
 
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Unclenick

Staff
For the (relatively) few cases you have, you can just clean them by dropping them into a one-gallon milk or water jug which you have half-filled with water and mixed in a teaspoon of citric acid (Lemishine dishwasher booster is a form of citric acid). Then just put the cap on and shake it for a couple of minutes. Drain the water into the toilet and rinse out and shake a little, pour out the rinse water and do a final rinse with a couple of cups of distilled water to scavenge the minerals in the remaining rinse water to avoid water spots.

Then take the cases out and roll them in a rag towel and then let them dry upright for about four days. It's slow, but it gets the die-scratching grit and carbon off and the long drying time is so the primer pockets with fired primers in them are able to dry out inside. To improve on this approach, you can deprime the cases beforehand using either a separate decapping die that doesn't resize anything or putting your cases into a shell holder you set on the bench on top of a paper towel or plastic to catch the primer residue (contains a toxic form of lead, so dispose of carefully) and using a decapper rod and small hammer to knock the primers out before cleaning.

Remember that cases don't have to shine to be clear of grit, and they don't have to be polished unless you are firing them from a semi-auto that throws them into the grass or some other place where they are hard to spot without shine.
 
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GarandTd

New member
Actually, Unclenick, I cleaned a 20 round box with a solution of hot water, dish soap, vinegar, and salt. It seemed to work pretty good. I do not have a separate decapper. I will be doing so on the press for now with the resizing/decapping die.

I already joked with my wife that I was going to buy her a tumbler as a gift. She's wanted one since she was a kid for polishing rocks. Then claim it after she lost interest.
 
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GarandTd

New member
I picked up a couple different powders and a few hundred primers from the LGS today. Stumbled upon a discounted box of old Sierra 200 grain rn, so I grabbed those too.
 
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BJung

New member
A recommended new thread

Uh, oh, now you bought powder..

I suggest you read up on ladder testing.

At the very worse, find someone with a chronograph so you find the MV given your pet load for that particular lot of powder/bullet/primer combination.

At best, buy a chronograph and use it as part of your ladder test.
 
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Reloader270

New member
Welcome to reloading! It will keep you fascinated for the rest of your life! It is one of the best hobbies I ever had. It is a challenge and I enjoy it all the way. Hope you will find this forum useful.
 
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