New to reload, where do I start?
- Thread starter deanyang
- Start date
If you're in a bigger town or city a trip to the local library might be a good place to start. Most medium and bigger libraries will have a firearms section with a couple or more reloading books.
With your stated goal of starting with rifle rounds a good option would be one of the Lee single stage kits that comes with priming tool and scale. And a set of the 8mm Mauser dies of course. You'll end up replacing some of the items in due time. But for now you get all you need to start out and load usable ammo.
As for buying a manual I'd suggest that a good place to start is the Lyman reloading manual. Currently in its 50th printing. My 49th Edition has a little over 100 pages before the reloading data on how to set up and good practices for reloading.
As for where to buy components and powder? At this point with the market being tight I'd say keep your eyes open and pick up what you need wherever you find it. Some of the Canadian Tire stores have a stronger focus on hunting and shooting and stock bullets, primers and powder if you can't find any at the local gun stores. And don't be shocked at prices. You're picking a nasty time to get started with all the prices being at an all time high. But then ammo has gone up by a lot too! It's all relative I guess.
With your stated goal of starting with rifle rounds a good option would be one of the Lee single stage kits that comes with priming tool and scale. And a set of the 8mm Mauser dies of course. You'll end up replacing some of the items in due time. But for now you get all you need to start out and load usable ammo.
As for buying a manual I'd suggest that a good place to start is the Lyman reloading manual. Currently in its 50th printing. My 49th Edition has a little over 100 pages before the reloading data on how to set up and good practices for reloading.
As for where to buy components and powder? At this point with the market being tight I'd say keep your eyes open and pick up what you need wherever you find it. Some of the Canadian Tire stores have a stronger focus on hunting and shooting and stock bullets, primers and powder if you can't find any at the local gun stores. And don't be shocked at prices. You're picking a nasty time to get started with all the prices being at an all time high. But then ammo has gone up by a lot too! It's all relative I guess.
Midnight Rider
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- ......the Vanishing Point .
It might be helpful do search on YouTube as well as they have some decent videos on reloading .
- Location
- Western Manitoba
As someone new to the hobby, I second the recommendation about a book first - and Lyman 49 or 50 is excellent start. Realize there are likely over 100 powders available - maybe some 8 or 10 of them are suitable for your 8x57 - probably two or three are "best". So just buying a random container of powder without a bit of background can be very waste of time and money. You will likely want Large Rifle primers - but sometimes need Large Rifle Magnum primers for certain powders or uses - refer to a book!!! Commercial cases that you have previously fired in your rifle are likely about perfect to start. Is reasonable to expect to get 6 to 10 "reloads" from a piece of brass - sometimes a lot more, sometimes a lot less - again, a good reference book will help explain that.
I am an old guy with both eyes and all my fingers. I have been hand loading for my family since mid 1970's. I insist on starting with START level loads, from a manual, for any new-to-me rifle. Just because someone else uses xx.x grains of Y powder in his deer rifle, does not mean that load is safe to use in my rifle. So start LOW, and work up in small steps - like 0.5 grains per step. As I mentioned, I am getting old, and I no longer enjoy surprises like a bolt frozen shut from an overload - even an overload that is below a reloading manual's Maximum load. Their numbers are what they got using their components in their rifles - they did not use my stuff to test - so at best is a "guideline".
The main issue with relying solely on a "mentor" is that many dudes have hand loaded for years - doing the same thing over and over, and have never read a book. So sometimes they are an assist, but sometimes get you headed off where you do not really want to go...
You will find some association among producers - so the Lyman book is often showing how to do with Lyman tools. A Speer book is showing how to do same thing with RCBS tools. Lee book = Lee tools. Same with Hornady. But a great deal of mix and match is often possible - can easily use Hornady dies in an RCBS press and a Lee shell holder, for example.
At the beginning, your objective is to get rounds to go "bang" every time, and with even a bit of care, will be "as good as" most factory stuff. As you progress, can get more fussy about the results that you desire to get. Try not to get caught in the "trap" of bench rest and long range shooters - they often use specialized hand loading techniques - especially in their brass preparation - often in very expensive custom rifles - that will usually make no difference in most store bought guns.
I am an old guy with both eyes and all my fingers. I have been hand loading for my family since mid 1970's. I insist on starting with START level loads, from a manual, for any new-to-me rifle. Just because someone else uses xx.x grains of Y powder in his deer rifle, does not mean that load is safe to use in my rifle. So start LOW, and work up in small steps - like 0.5 grains per step. As I mentioned, I am getting old, and I no longer enjoy surprises like a bolt frozen shut from an overload - even an overload that is below a reloading manual's Maximum load. Their numbers are what they got using their components in their rifles - they did not use my stuff to test - so at best is a "guideline".
The main issue with relying solely on a "mentor" is that many dudes have hand loaded for years - doing the same thing over and over, and have never read a book. So sometimes they are an assist, but sometimes get you headed off where you do not really want to go...
You will find some association among producers - so the Lyman book is often showing how to do with Lyman tools. A Speer book is showing how to do same thing with RCBS tools. Lee book = Lee tools. Same with Hornady. But a great deal of mix and match is often possible - can easily use Hornady dies in an RCBS press and a Lee shell holder, for example.
At the beginning, your objective is to get rounds to go "bang" every time, and with even a bit of care, will be "as good as" most factory stuff. As you progress, can get more fussy about the results that you desire to get. Try not to get caught in the "trap" of bench rest and long range shooters - they often use specialized hand loading techniques - especially in their brass preparation - often in very expensive custom rifles - that will usually make no difference in most store bought guns.
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Thanks a lot for the very detailed info, I will get the books first before anything else.
I am thinking to get a simple reload kit first, but from my search online, no more 8mm mauser kits were produced in the recent years... that can be an issue for me cos I wouldnt want to invest a lot at the beginning.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I started to reload with a very basic Lee kit - pound the cases into a die - pound them out - used a scoop to measure and dispense powder. The rounds went "bang", but several issues - for most people, biggest is that the process only neck sized that brass - so brass fired in someone else's rifle likely would not fit into yours. Got me started, but also motivated me to move up to a press and full length sizing. Then to using a scale to actually weigh the powder. And so on. A good mentor could coach you to a set of tooling that will last you for your reloading life time - or at least until you get the next "desire". Buying used stuff, I suspect that you should plan to spend $300 or so to equip yourself. For comparison, the automated powder dispenser that I received a couple weeks ago was about $407 mailed to me from Amazon.ca. So much for "savings" by reloading...
Ahsan Ahmed
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Is the intent here to reload 8mm ammo for a milsurp rifle or a modern sporting rifle?
The following is how I looked at organizing my thoughts, and subsequently, my activities when I started handloading few years ago ....
Reloading Handbook (Reloading Manual) - this is where you may quite likely need to begin:
- Will offer high level (but detailed) insight into how to get started, discusses process steps to follow, mentions safety aspects, covers basic requisite equipment and components etc.
- A hard copy of Lymen Reloading Manual is a great initial source to consult - you will very likely move on to other info sources and data manuals as you proceed further into the activity.
Reloading Equipment (high level view of basic requisite tools):
This is a moving target, so to speak and may tend to grow as you dive deeper into the activity.
Numerous brands (and product designs) to choose from based on one's budget and discretion. However, it would be prudent to look at stuff most folks commonly use or may recommend and then fit those based on your personal handloading needs.
- Single stage press
- Powder measure scale
- Case trimmer
- Primer
- Caliper
- Case headspace gauge
- Reloading block
- Powder funnel
- Powder trickler
- Chamfering and Deburring Tool
- Primer pocket brush
- Case lube
- Bullet puller kit
- Stuck case removal kit
- Set of cartridge specific die (this is usually a pair consisting of a full length resizing die + a bullet seating die)
In addition, the following combination of tools would be a great assist in turning out accurate ammo:
- Hornady Case Comparator set + Hornady OAL gauge
- Hornady Bullet Comparator set
- Hornady Modified Case
Reloading Components:
At the beginning, it's imperative to develop at least a satisfactory working knowledge base pertinent to the proper handling and use of components i.e. both from a perspective of safety as well as performance output.
- Brass case
- Primer
- Powder
- Projectiles
Finally, getting a good grasp of the end-to-end reloading process, practising consistency will produce desirable results ......
The following is how I looked at organizing my thoughts, and subsequently, my activities when I started handloading few years ago ....
Reloading Handbook (Reloading Manual) - this is where you may quite likely need to begin:
- Will offer high level (but detailed) insight into how to get started, discusses process steps to follow, mentions safety aspects, covers basic requisite equipment and components etc.
- A hard copy of Lymen Reloading Manual is a great initial source to consult - you will very likely move on to other info sources and data manuals as you proceed further into the activity.
Reloading Equipment (high level view of basic requisite tools):
This is a moving target, so to speak and may tend to grow as you dive deeper into the activity.
Numerous brands (and product designs) to choose from based on one's budget and discretion. However, it would be prudent to look at stuff most folks commonly use or may recommend and then fit those based on your personal handloading needs.
- Single stage press
- Powder measure scale
- Case trimmer
- Primer
- Caliper
- Case headspace gauge
- Reloading block
- Powder funnel
- Powder trickler
- Chamfering and Deburring Tool
- Primer pocket brush
- Case lube
- Bullet puller kit
- Stuck case removal kit
- Set of cartridge specific die (this is usually a pair consisting of a full length resizing die + a bullet seating die)
In addition, the following combination of tools would be a great assist in turning out accurate ammo:
- Hornady Case Comparator set + Hornady OAL gauge
- Hornady Bullet Comparator set
- Hornady Modified Case
Reloading Components:
At the beginning, it's imperative to develop at least a satisfactory working knowledge base pertinent to the proper handling and use of components i.e. both from a perspective of safety as well as performance output.
- Brass case
- Primer
- Powder
- Projectiles
Finally, getting a good grasp of the end-to-end reloading process, practising consistency will produce desirable results ......
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- Location
- Western Manitoba
Is a thing with reloading - what you want to do; what you are able to do - versus buying a thing. About half dozen things on list in Post #15 that I do not own - often more than one way to get from here to there - often is what is available, and that includes the user, his available stuff and his know-how.
This is a good site to get you some basic understanding on reloading steps:
http://panhandleprecision.com/category/reloading/
Before you buy anything, decide what you are reloading for? Save cost, accuracy or just hobby. Because it will affect your budget a lot. We are talking about from couple of thousands to dozens of thousands dollars of gears.
http://panhandleprecision.com/category/reloading/
Before you buy anything, decide what you are reloading for? Save cost, accuracy or just hobby. Because it will affect your budget a lot. We are talking about from couple of thousands to dozens of thousands dollars of gears.
