Reloading Rookie

Oh Yeah!
And avoid ANY distractions or upset while you are charging the cases and weighing the charges!
If you are using a beam scale, check the setting frequently.
I won't even have the radio on.
 
Educating yourself is a good start. There are reloading books by all the major product suppliers. Videos on youtube too.
#1 I think is a mentor. Maybe you already know someone, who'd let you come over and watch and learn. Otherwise at the range, see who is shooting reloads, strike up a conversation, ask about how they started, ask for advice. I've found people are more than happy to talk about their reloading efforts.
Gun shows can be gold mines. But you have to know what you are doing first, and what you want. There are real gems to be had. I almost completely outfitted myself, from one table in one show, the old guy was getting out of reloading and he had both good stuff and good prices.
 
Lee Precision also offers an affordable Turret Press. Once you have a caliber set-up, all you need is a second plate and a set of dies for a 2nd caliber. Minor adjustments might be required so as with other platforms. I believe RCBS and Hornady offers a better turret press. But when it comes to Progressive Press, Dillon might have an advantage. Don't get me wrong, they will all do the job. It all boils down to your budget and how much time you have to make it work. Less fiddling, I would go for a Dillon. But for a starter, learn the basics slowly but surely. Single stage or Turrets will do the trick, specially for low volume production.

Focus to what you are doing. Your safety is at stake here. This is a case where no harm no foul does not apply. No guessing here. One stupid decision might cost you a limb and/or eyesight.

Think safety, shoot safely.

Deathrawt said:
I like the turrets because once the dies are set you can easily switch between cartridges without having to reset everything.
The LAL bushings would work similar but you might as well just buy an extra turret for what the bushings cost
Potash is correct in being able to set up your dies properly each time you reload but in my case I load over 30 different cartridges and it’s too much of a pia to set them up each time it would honestly turn me off of reloading
Sometimes I will only load a few rounds of multiple different cartridges so it’s much faster and easier to just switch turrets and shell plates
A newcomer can still use a turret press to set up his dies each time and load single stage like you would on a rock chucker but as he progresses and loads more and different cartridges he won’t have to buy another press unless he wants a progressive
Click to expand...
 
It doesn't matter what brand or kit you start off with, if you load enough you will eventually upgrade everything over the years. I started off about 40 years ago with a cheap LEE kit complete with set of dies for under $100. Upgraded to RCBS dies, upgrade to digital scale, upgraded powder thrower, upgraded to Redding dies, upgraded to Redding big boss press, upgraded to a better digital scale. Bought an RCBS Chargemaster, added an additional Forster co-ax press. I now run 2 RCBS Chargemasters side by side and re-weigh every charge on an Accu-lab VIC-123 scale seating bullets with the Forster press with Redding competition seating die.
About the only thing I still use or have from the original kit is the little chamfering tool.

One thing that may not have been mentioned yet is a bullet puller, get one your gonna need it. lol
 
Recently I’ve been looking into more information as well and Rcbs.com actually has a tutorial walking through every step. Regardless, whatever equipment you get, a mentor is helpful as is instructions from the manufacturer of that equipment. They are usually all very helpful.
 
I agree with trying to find a mentor to talk to if possible.
It's not crucial but is great if you can.
I taught a bud to reload a few weeks ago and he is loving it. Most importantly, he is loading safely and with confidence.
Good luck and keep on shooting!
 
toxic said:
Or use the LockNLoad die bushing in whatever single stage press you get. I'm a big fan of the Rockchucker setup that way for rifle.
Click to expand...
THIS.

I swapped over to Lock-N-Load bushings on both my Rockchuckers and that is def the way to go. Setting up dies every time is silly and annoying and a turret press is not really the right thing for accurate rifle ammo unless you go to one of the more expensive press'.
hornady-lock-n-load-conversion-kit-3-bushings-044099.jpg
 
Deathrawt said:
Skip the rock chucker and get a turret press
That way you can set your dies and forget about them as they will always be set up for your rifle
Click to expand...
I’m curious why a newbie would want to sink the money into a turret vs a single stage? Unless you’re loading form multiple different rifles of same calibre with different seating depths and sizing methods then you’re gonna want multiple dies and the turret won’t exactly change anything but cost more? Once your dies are set you’re not really changing them anyways and rcbs/hornadys come with a lock ring on them anyways..been reloading 5 years for 9 calibres and I haven’t had the need for a turret press. Lock n load bushings accomplish same thing and are significantly cheaper..

OP: Lee anniversary kit or rcbs kit is a great starting point. I started with a Lee and have not upgraded anything, just added more tools.
 
Deathrawt said:
Skip the rock chucker and get a turret press
That way you can set your dies and forget about them as they will always be set up for your rifle
Click to expand...
I made that mistake 50+ years ago, a Lyman, it got lose and I finally retired it. I went with a Rock Chucker and installed a quick change busing. If I had bought a Rock Chucker back then, I would be still using it.
 
ambishooter said:
Lee Precision also offers an affordable Turret Press. Once you have a caliber set-up, all you need is a second plate and a set of dies for a 2nd caliber. Minor adjustments might be required so as with other platforms. I believe RCBS and Hornady offers a better turret press. But when it comes to Progressive Press, Dillon might have an advantage. Don't get me wrong, they will all do the job. It all boils down to your budget and how much time you have to make it work. Less fiddling, I would go for a Dillon. But for a starter, learn the basics slowly but surely. Single stage or Turrets will do the trick, specially for low volume production.

Focus to what you are doing. Your safety is at stake here. This is a case where no harm no foul does not apply. No guessing here. One stupid decision might cost you a limb and/or eyesight.

Think safety, shoot safely.
Click to expand...
I'm running two Lee Pro 1000s for reloading pistol ammo. Lee turret presses are not for beginners. They are very fussy. Pretty much need to be a mechanic or an engineer to keep them running well. Start with a good single stage.

I agree that Dillon is a better progressive.
 
Wqt007 said:
Looking to start reloading and have never done it and looking for advice
1 best kits for beginners. Primarily want to do 30.06
2. Books or referance materials
3. Where to buy?
I thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Based on your initial comments a single stage is all you need to get started. Personally I started with a Rock Chucker Supreme kit and still use it as my go to press for rifle cartridges. It's a good starter that will never let you down. Everyone develops their process and alters the tools as they learn. Mixing and matching dies, lock rings, powder measures/scales and case trimmers/prep tools. Every book is good for it's own reasons. Buy the books that are related to the bullets you want to reload. Cheers
 
For the guys using the LockNLoad bushings....
Do you mark the bushing so it's lined up the same way each time? I do this but I think it's because I'm just a little OCD for some things. I'm a 200 yard guy generally so I don't load for accuracy enough to notice if it really makes a difference.
 
Hmatt said:
I’m curious why a newbie would want to sink the money into a turret vs a single stage? Unless you’re loading form multiple different rifles of same calibre with different seating depths and sizing methods then you’re gonna want multiple dies and the turret won’t exactly change anything but cost more? Once your dies are set you’re not really changing them anyways and rcbs/hornadys come with a lock ring on them anyways..been reloading 5 years for 9 calibres and I haven’t had the need for a turret press. Lock n load bushings accomplish same thing and are significantly cheaper..

OP: Lee anniversary kit or rcbs kit is a great starting point. I started with a Lee and have not upgraded anything, just added more tools.
Click to expand...
The Lee classic cast turret I believe costs less then the rock chucker
Spare turrets are around 20 bucks
When I started loading I started with a loadmaster which probably wasn’t the best choice but now I am glad I did as I still use the press and have no reason to upgrade
If I started with a single stage I know for a fact it would be sitting collecting dust
I have also added a classic cast turret to my arsenal to load rounds that I have troubles loading with the loadmaster due to the proprietary shell plates
Were I to do this all over again I would have started with the classic cast turret and upgraded to a Dillion progressive later on
My suggestion to the op was to save him a few bucks down the road
I suppose he could go from the rock chucker directly to a progressive but I think it would be easier to just start off with a turret press to begin with
 
The best advice I can give is to not overthink anything to start with and keep it basic.

There are tons of yt videos about advanced reloading techniques to obtain tiny incremental increase in accuracy - this is not something a beginner need worry about right now.

Learn the fundamentals and develop good habits. Once you have that mastered, then you can go down any rabbit hole you like.

I see too many new reloaders concentrating on advanced topics while they're still working on establishing basic competency.

This a good thread with some links to instructional videos that are quite good. https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/threads/what-needed-to-start-reloading.1744815/
 
Last edited:
Tallcooldrink said:
Recently I’ve been looking into more information as well and Rcbs.com actually has a tutorial walking through every step. Regardless, whatever equipment you get, a mentor is helpful as is instructions from the manufacturer of that equipment. They are usually all very helpful.
Click to expand...
Just took a look at the RCBS website and it looks like it has a ton of resources for starting out. Thanks for the recommendation.
 
Hmatt said:
I’m curious why a newbie would want to sink the money into a turret vs a single stage? Unless you’re loading form multiple different rifles of same calibre with different seating depths and sizing methods then you’re gonna want multiple dies and the turret won’t exactly change anything but cost more? Once your dies are set you’re not really changing them anyways and rcbs/hornadys come with a lock ring on them anyways..been reloading 5 years for 9 calibres and I haven’t had the need for a turret press. Lock n load bushings accomplish same thing and are significantly cheaper..

OP: Lee anniversary kit or rcbs kit is a great starting point. I started with a Lee and have not upgraded anything, just added more tools.
Click to expand...
Depends what their future plans are. I've been reloading 45 years, for over 100 calibers. I have a couple of single presses (and just gave away another) and six turret presses of various make. All have their uses, and I find them easier to change cartridges on than single stage presses. - dan
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom