Are you new to reloading?

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Robert McNamera

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Hello Friends:

I've been in the reloading game for about 20 years now. Not that this makes me an expert, but I'm perhaps a little less dumb than the average Joe

So...if there's anyone in the Edmonton, AB area that is curious and wants to see how it's done, I'd be willing to share info, my techniques, etc.

I have owned or at least operated most of the major brands of equipment out there, so I can at least comment on some of their differences.

My equipment: RCBS Rockchucker of unknown but ancient vintage.
Dillon 650 (On the 8th day, God made Dillon!)

Calibers: .303 Brit, 9mm Luger, .38/.357 Mag, .223 Rem., 30-06, .308,
.40 S&W, .300 Win. Mag.

I have loaded in excess of 50,000 rounds, all told. Have never had an incident of any kind due to being somewhat anal about procedures and safety.

Years ago a kind soul showed me the process and walked me through it on his equipment. I cannot repay his kindness, but I can pay that favor forward.

PM me if interested.
 
Hi Robert,

Great on you for offering to "pay forward". I hope someone takes you up on the offer - there's a lot to learn, from picking out equipment to safety, workflow, and up, and having a setup to demo helps immensely.

I selected my equipment by watching youtube videos - I probably lucked out (Dillon 550b and Lee Breechlock single stage for the "misc" operations).

Cheers
 
I just ordered my first press from Jerry @ Mystic Precision last week! Jerry advised that the my goods should arrive this week and I can't wait to get it! I would love to take you up on your offer Robert however, I live in Ontario. I must say that it is very kind of you to offer your time and knowledge, to those who are just starting out or have started but have limited knowledge. My hat is off to you sir!!
 
Well, I thought that I was the only one that loaded for .303 brit. The problem I am haveing is that the only bullets I can find locally is speer 180 gr rnd nse, what have you tried with some sucess in that cal.

Rifleman
 
Rifleman1911 said:
Well, I thought that I was the only one that loaded for .303 brit. The problem I am haveing is that the only bullets I can find locally is speer 180 gr rnd nse, what have you tried with some sucess in that cal.

Rifleman
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i load it too or should i say i TRY to load it i cant find a load that works worth a damn, as for bullets try trade ex they have hornady 174 fmj's
 
I'm new too...

I got started with reloading when I got started with the 303 by resurrecting and old SMLE that someone gave me. Over the course of these few short months, I had lots of help. Starting with my good buddy and fellow CGN'r Easyrider who actually walked me through my first loads at his house and then lent me his Lee Classic Cast and powder measure. Man, I remember we loaded until the wee hours of the day (well, until his wife reminded us of the time:redface:) It was fun too!

Then I got good advice (still do get this!) from the guys over at the Milsurp's forum, such as SMELLIE and PMs from many other helpful folk such as mattyboylewis and countless others. If you want 303 advice, go over there...those guys know their 303s as its tied to the hip with the Lee Enfield.

I've worked out a good load (I think) with 38 Gr of Varget and 174 Gr Hornady FMJs. Will stick with this for awhile. I missed out on a purchase of 174 Gr Hornady SPs, but Henry promises to bring more in.

Lately, I've been listening to SMELLIE, who proposed a very light load of Unique with some light cast boolits for plinking use. Heck, so light that as soon as I get some cast boolits, I might let my little girl try the "big-kicking" enfield!

I am no expert, but I think that if I can do this, anyone can. If you need some help in the Metro Van area, ask away. My ONLY experience so far is with 303s though :p
 
New to reloading

Gentlemen:

Thank you for your many kind words. It warms my heart to see others offering to help out folks that are new to the art of reloading.

As for the .303! Well I have to say that it is probably #3 on my list of most shot calibers. I have shot everything from surplus WW 1 ammunition all the way to 240 grain custom made Woodleighs. The lighter bullets, say in the 115 to 130 grain range are fun to shoot and easy on the *DA's* shoulder, so she can actually spend hours on the range with me without complaint. Not that she's a wimp, but a car accident and 4 surgeries make it a bit tough for her in the recoil department.

I like 150 grain whatever-is-on-sale-today bullets in 4 of my 6 SMLE's backed by a mild charge of whatever powder I have in stock...usually IMR 4350.

The other 2 rifles have a lot of sentimental value so I only shoot them occasionally.

Gentlemen, the point of this long winded diatribe is this: I see request after request on here for new folks wanting to get their feet wet in reloading. I believe we, as the more experienced, owe those that taught us a debt of gratitude. We can pay that forward, especially to the generation that will choose our retirement homes for us!

My bench is and will always be a welcoming place to those that genuinely want to try out and learn about reloading. In 20 plus years, I have only had one disagreeable experience sharing this art with someone else, and that was a mere misunderstanding.

Let us pass along the art!

R. McNamera


**DA** = Domestic Authority
 
Robert....I'm just getting started, got a question for you. If you were going to reload 223, 308, 40 and 45 what set-up would you buy. My budget would not be unlimited but as an indication of what I'd spend I'm presently looking at a Dillon 650.

What would you buy if you wanted to buy one set-up that would last you a lifetime, not something as a starter kit that you'd upgrade on a couple years.

Thanks
 
I'm just getting started myself. I just picked up a Hornady LNL classic kit, and will be starting to re-load .338 LM next week. Hopefully by fall I will pick up a Hornday LNL AP for my 9mm and .223 needs.
 
It is terrific that someone is willing to coach and mentor like that, good on you! New reloaders would do well to take him up on his advice as there are volumes of knowledge one cannot put into a book or a video!

Justsomeguy... FWIW, I do not advocate learning to reload on a progressive press. (and for that matter as a competitive precision shooter I don't recommend them for rifle cartridges, but that is me) Yes, they can be a fast way to reload, but you will learn to master each step properly by using a single-stage. You can also pay more attention to very important steps such as weighing charges if you start with a single-stage.

I had a bad experince (one that was entirely my fault) in that while using a progressive, I failed to observe that the powder dispenser was jammed. As a result, a number of my .45 ACP loads had no powder in them. Unfortunately, the few that were squibbed (I have no idea how many) were mixed in with a hopper that had hundreds of cartridges in it. I had no choice but to condemn the entire batch... At the range, I had squeezed the trigger and nothing happened. I ejected a spent casing and assumed that it had simply not cycled properly. Good thing i dilligently checked the bore, because a bullet was stuck half way down the barrel. If I had simply loaded and fired another round in the mistaken belief it was simply a failed ejection, I would have blown up the gun and likely my hand. I never heard or felt a primer detonating with my hearing protection on.
 
Robert....I'm just getting started, got a question for you. If you were going to relo

Personally, I started with a RCBS Rockchucker that I bought used with a set of .38/.357 dies. I started slow, single loading and trickle measuring each powder charge. Later I added all the rest of the gear to make things a little faster and less complex. Still later, I added the Dillon 650.

If I had to do it all over again, I'd buy the RCBS starter kit, a mess of assorted dies, lots of loading block, a powder measure, a hand primer and plenty of supplies like powder, primers, calipers, etc.

You'll never go wrong with anything Dillon. Their machines, while a little complex (for me) to set up, can't be beat. And they have waranteed everything, including my own stupidity, without any questions asked. I load all my handgun calibers on my 650, and also .223. The single stage press I keep for rifle calibers, and for when Im working up a new load.

Bottom line: you can reload anything (almost) with a single stage press. Just takes a little longer. The Dillon juswt saves me time. I have single stage loaded uncounted thousands of handgun rounds, but the Dillon really made my day.

As to brands: anything pretty much goes, in the popular brands. I went with RCBS because I lucked out at the start and got a Rockchucker right off the hop. One of my scales is a Lyman. I use a Lee Auto Prime for hand priming whilst sitting in an easy chair in the living room. The only issue I ever had for the Auto Prime was that it takes only proprietary shell holders. The RCBS similar unit takes standard shell holders. No big deal really.

I stayed away from Lee gear other than that AUto Prime simply because I likes the look and feel of the RCBS, Lyman and Hornady stuff. Nothing the matter with Lee at all, but Lee stuff somehow feels cheaper, more plastic-y to me. Thats not to say that Lee stuff is garbage- quite the contrary. They have pretty good items and the prices can't be beat. Just a personal preference is all.

The secret, at least for me, is the loading bench. I started in an appartment, loading on a Workmate with gear C clamped to it. Later, with the arrival of a spouse, a mortgage, and 2.5 children, I moved up to a house with a garage where I built a bench and carried on. Now that I own an acreage with a shop and out buildings, I have appropriated one of the out sheds for loading. Whatever your situation, the secret is to be methodical. Check, check, double check and then check again. This is the place to be almost obsessive compulsive about safety and procedure. I try to set things up in a logical, assembly line format. Tidiness and organization are NOT my strong suits, but I have made it that way at the bench. I do nothing but reload at my reloading benches. No rifle cleaning, mantainance or anything else. I understand that not everyone has my good fortune in space to work. But ingenuity can overcome most any issues. Again, its not about where or when or with what you reload. It's about HOW, and HOW SAFELY. Safety cannot be over stated in reloading. Try to make it a mindset. And yes, I will harp on and on about safety. Being METHODICAL is not an option. It is a must. Make it a habit early on in reloading, and you massively cut down on your likelihood to make a mistake.

Being mentored into reloading is a great idea. It happened to me, and I try to pass it on. Everyone has their own style, but the basics stay the same. A mentor can answer questions and make conversation. You tube is a good place to look for answers on occasion, but nothing can really replace hands-on-the-equipment experience.

Hope this has been of some little help. Anyone can feel free to PM me about my set up. I'll do my best to answer questions. After all, someone did that for me!


Robert
 
Robert....
first off :dancingbanana:.great on you to be a mentor..im sure the ones that go to check out the basics of reloading from you will be greatly appreciated...

if needed i can donate to your great offer ,some reloading materials to reload about 100 rounds, some, brass/primers/bullets and some powder to reload up some 30-06..
 
Robert, would you recommend a Lyman Expert kit with the T-MAG II turret press to a FNG reloader who wants to start loading 9mm, .223, and possibly .308 rounds?

The 9mm would most likely be reloaded with cast bullets, the .223 with either 62 g FMJ or HP match bullets, and the .308 would be reloaded with hollowpoint hunting bullets.
 
Lyman Expert Kit

shredder said:
Robert, would you recommend a Lyman Expert kit with the T-MAG II turret press to a FNG reloader who wants to start loading 9mm, .223, and possibly .308 rounds?

The 9mm would most likely be reloaded with cast bullets, the .223 with either 62 g FMJ or HP match bullets, and the .308 would be reloaded with hollowpoint hunting bullets.
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Hi there and welcome to reloading!

I have heard nothing but good stuff about Lyman products. In fact one of my scales is a Lyman. The T-Mag II is a pretty good press for just about anything you could want to reload. It would work great for 9mm, .223 and .308.

The equipment is only part of the picture, however. The rest of the picture is thus:

Know what you're doing. Have a proven recipe from a trusted source such as a reloading book or a website like Hodgedens. Follow that recipe TO THE LETTER.
Never be afraid to ask questions. Your life and health could be affected by NOT doing so.
Work methodically, logically, and do not get distracted. Lack of any of these is the way accidents happen.
Check, recheck and then check again at each step. Work in small batches, say 50 rounds at a time. Get good first, then get fast later.

Safety is and always must be primary. For example: I smoke like a chimney, and I like my beer, but you'll never see either one near my loading bench.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Robert
 
Thanks for the advice, Robert!!!

I already have the Lyman Pistol/Revolver reloading book, and the kit I'm looking at comes with the 48th edition of Lyman's Reloading manual.

I'll be happy with the starting loads recommended for 9mm and .223, since the firearms I have in those calibres can only be used at the range anyway. The larger rifle calibre(s) might be a different story. I'd be looking for accuracy with those in bolt action rifles.

The 9mm and .223 reloads would just be used for practice and to get the slides/bolt carriers cycling.
 
Robert, i need your input ( if you want),i would like to start reloading for pistol only,It is better if i started with a progressive, or a singles stage? A model, brand, whats the best?
Ps, xcuse my poor english!
 
Hi guy's i started reloading 2 year's ago i went and bought the rock chucker kit from RCBS and i got the loadmaster RCBS scale and dispendser . i load anything from 45-70 to 38sp on it ,it work's fine, it's not very fast and you do it all step by step and there are add on's to speed it up later if i want.
so if anyone in northen alberta want's to try it let me know.
 
kendo said:
Robert, i need your input ( if you want),i would like to start reloading for pistol only,It is better if i started with a progressive, or a singles stage? A model, brand, whats the best?
Ps, xcuse my poor english!
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Hi Kendo:

I recommend that you start with a single stage press first. This will help you learn the basics of reloading and what the steps are. Later, you might think about going to a progressive.

As for brand: it really doesn't matter what brand to buy, as long as it's a well known name. Pretty much anything from Lyman, Hornady, RCBS, Lee and so on will work. I have stayed with RCBS because that is what I started with 25 years ago and have never had cause to complain about RCBS products or warantees. Excellent equipment, excellent people.

When the time comes to move into the progressive equipment, in my opinion, there is only one name: DILLON.

Again: it matters not what brand you use. What matters is your mindset. Always check, recheck and then check again. If you can find someone to help you learn the art of reloading, that is even better.

Start slowly. Be methodical, be deliberate. Think your way through. Keep an organized loading bench.

Welcome to the art of reloading!


Just an opinion.

Robert
 
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