Starting to hand load. Any tips?

223submoa

223submoa

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Good Evening Everyone. I have all of the components now to start reloading, built my loading bench, and tomorrow is the day. I'm just looking for any quick tips you can share. I've watched tutorial videos, have manufacturer's load data at hand. Can anyone help me out? Tips that make life easier, newbie mistakes to avoid, etc? I am loading winchester once fired brass with benchmark and 60gr v-max projectiles, using federal primers. I have a lee anniversary reloading kit, and a set of 3 lee dies (decapper and neck sizer, decapper and full length sizing die, and bullet seating die). Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Mike
 
Practice. That's what you need. Be sure to double and triple check everything you do, mistakes can cost you anything from a pair of shorts to somebody's life. If the brass is once fired in your rifle then neck sizing is your best option for accuracy. Practice with the Lee Safety Scale before you go dumping charges into your brass. Its very sensitive and easily thrown off. Set it up on a solid, level surface and always use the locking detent. Without it your scale will read a little lighter every time you drop the beam when you remove the tray. Charges will slowly creep up in weight. Practice weighing charges with it until you get used to it, its finicky but accurate. Cheap but functional. If you can weigh two coins, add their weight together and have the two weigh the combined weight of each individual coin then you are using it correctly.
 
I just started 2 weeks ago and it went very well. I did get some tips that I will share with you.

1) Get the Lyman 49th reloading manual & read it.

2) Start with the recommended "light" loads to get started

3) DO NOT EXCEED THE MAX LOAD VALUES!!!
 
Be as organized and diligent as humanly possible, it will be beneficial to you both from a safety perspective and from an accuracy standpoint. My reloading room and technique are sure signs of OCD. There are just too many things that can go wrong while reloading not to take things seroiusly. Keep a log book in which you have each calibre, make note of lots of brass and how many firings, labels on everything, safety gear is a must including fire extinguisher(shooting glasses while priming for sure)...and no outside distractions.
 
All good tips , read that manuall I have the Lyman 49th that's how I learned , also read the instructions for your die sets and how to properly set them up , also you don't need lots of lube on the brass just a light coat when I do it I put a ziz zag across my lube pad then I roll 5 case sise them than 5 more so every 10 cases I do a zig zag of lube on the pad, too much and you will dent the brass , when doing the powder charging I use the dispenser to get in the ballpark than a trickler to make the charge exact , if you are useing a digital scale make sure that after puting the powder in the case that when you put the pan back on the scail it returns to zero
 
I've been hand loading for some time now, I suggest you start small maybe just 20 rounds the first couple of sessions, just to keep track of everything. It'll get smoother with time, double/triple check each step, and like others have said keep notes, I keep a binder of my loads and the corresponding targets and details I've shot. Have fun!
 
Don't rush.

A method I use that has not failed me yet is to do batches of 50, so that they'll fit into the same plastic utility box. I keep my brass in a plastic bag until it gets cleaned/trimmed/ inspected. Then I size and prime the brass, putting it into the utility box upside down so I can see the primer. After all have been primed I put away the case lube and swap the die to the seating die.
I go through and put the powder in each case, flipping it rightside up so that I can see the powder. Then when all have powder I start seating bullets.

Haven't had any mistakes yet.

As mentioned, keep notes especially if you're doing load development. Utility boxes are pretty good for that, as they let you keep cartridges separate.

Try to minimize distractions, it's easy to pick up a case intending to put some powder in it, then put it down while you answer the phone, and then skip to the next case. If you don't notice the mistake later, you'll end up with a squib load. If you do need to get up and go do something else, don't leave it half done, or leave a note.

Also, keep an eye on what's near your scale. There was one time when I noticed that the base of my desk lamp had somehow gotten up close to the scale, and was making it give a constant low weight since part of the tray was being supported by the lamp. I noticed because the sound of the powder hitting the tray was different, but with certain powders even a little can do a lot.
 
For weight verification, you can cut a piece of metal or wire that weighs the same as your target powder charge and use it to validate your scale.
 
I too keep a log book of the different components and combinations I try and of the results, a chronograph sure helps otherwise it is kinda like shooting blind.
If I load a few different types to test they each go in a different identified ammo box and numbered in order of how I want to fire them.

Before sizing a bunch of brass, try the first one or 2 off the press in the rifle to make sure it goes in fine. Posts about guys getting to the range with loaded rounds that won't fit are fairly common, you don't want to find out they won't chamber after you're done loading a 100 of them.

Keep an eye on any defect on the brass or bullets as well.

As always, be careful, attentive and when in doubt check it again.
 
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