Tips for new reloaders

[Dave R]

I remember when I first started reloading. I got a lot of good ideas from TFL. Made a few mistakes, and got warned away from many more.

There have been quite a few posts from new reloaders, lately. I thought it might be a good idea to share some tips. Here are a couple of mine. One I haven't done for a long time, and one I just did today.

1. NEVER tumble 9mm brass and .45acp brass at the the same time. You would not believe that tumbling medium could weld cases together so tightly.

2. Always load small batches when working up a load.

I tried a new powder for 9mm today, and loaded a full box at the min load. (I was looking for a light plinking load.) One of my pistols would cycle it, but the other just wouldn't. I had to hand-cycle every one.

So, what tips would you have for new reloaders?

 

[Jammer Six]

Tumble like you mean it.

http://www.oz.net/~jammer/Brass/index.html

 

[mjrodney]

A few tips to start...

1. Wear safety glasses, particularly when seating primers.

2. Obtain and use one or more, up to date, printed and published load manuals.

4. Use only the loads recommended in those manuals. This includes the bullet type and weight, as well as the recommended powder charge.

5. Use a scale and make sure you zero'd it in, first.

6. Keep your powder in its original, labeled container, or otherwise know for sure what powder you are using. Make this failsafe.

7. Never mix different brands of powders. Never mix different types of powder from the same manufacturer.

8. Visually check the powder charge you have put into the case. Each and every one of them.

9. Eyeball 'em again.

 

[clayking]

. NEVER tumble 9mm brass and .45acp brass at the the same time. You would not believe that tumbling medium could weld cases together so tightly.

Not only that, but when the 9 gets inside of the 45, it will not clean the inside of the .45. Also if you miss it and throw it into the case feeder, (true story here) then there's no way the primer will be punch out with that 9mm inside of it. Also a minor disruption in the loading process.

Play with the reloader some to fully understand how each stations works. I loaded some blanks early on and inspected how each station worked (progressive Dillon).

Set-up the same way each time, where each item is placed within easy reach, scales, bullets. Even though I have a powder check on the Dillon, I still weigh every 50 rounds or so. I even marked the place on the floor where my stool sits.

Write down and keep a journal of each load. Write down the results of how they fired, accuracy etc. etc. Which gun gave the best or worst results. Write down where you got the load recipe from.

Start with the min load, load 10, work up do 10, etc. to the max. Fire and see which is best.

If your loading for plinking, start with the lightest load, and save a few bucks in powder, as long as they work.

If you have a friend who loads, invite him over, or go to his place and watch and learn, or let him look over your operation.

Buy several reloading books and read them. Then reread them again. Repeat.

Inspect your rounds after loading. Too easy to have a few primers not fully seated or even no primer at all, or split case.

The older the brass, the more you inspect........................ck

 

[ZeroJunk]

On safety glasses.Back in the late 70,s a friend of mine was loading with some type of primer stack that held a bunch of primers and you just pushed a little button on the bottom of it to put your primer in place.It's been a long time ago and I don't know that we ever figured out exactly how it happened,but a primer got out of position behind the slide and set some of the whole stack off in his face.He had glasses on ,but I had to take him to the ER and get 6 stitches in his lip.He was lucky.

 

[Crosshair]

You are gona accidentally trash a case every now and then. Don't freak out about it. Invest in a bullet puller.

Do NOT skimp on case lube. Cleaning up too much lube is much easier than trying to remove a stuck case from a die.

Label your loads. No you will not remember what box has what load.

 

[Bud Helms]

Buy all the reloading manuals you can get your hands on. Read 'em. Start over and read 'em again. Keep 'em nearby. They're like shop manuals on your vehicle: they're supposed to be dogeared and scruffy.

Thanks for the website, Jammer Six.

 

[Dave R]

Do NOT skimp on case lube. Cleaning up too much lube is much easier than trying to remove a stuck case from a die.

That bears repeating. I've had 2 stuck cases too many. Nothing ruins a nice, relaxing reloading session like a stuck case.

 

[amamnn]

Measure and record the density of each bottle of powder. Powder makers can vary the denisty of their product by as much as 16% from lot to lot. That does not mean that they always do, but it can happen and it can happen to you.

D = W/v will give you the density of the powder expressed as a % of the density of water at room temperature which is 1. If you can't work the math or do not have a scale that weighs in grams, or measures that hold cubic centimeters, Lee posts a formula you can use with their dippers and bushings, for shotgunners. Their dippers measure in cc, by the way.

D is for Density-- W is for Weight-- V is for Volume. I know, I know, but it is the internet after all, and I've read some strange posts lately.

This is worth knowing so that if you change bottles of powder you can adjust your load to compensate for the density change, if any. The change can be startling.

Makers who cater to match shooters will take extra care to ensure that lot to lot density changes are as small as possible. I have had bottles that varied the allowed 16% and bottles that were just like the last one.