New to reloading…I “think” I have everything??

[MJV83]

Hey guys,

Im just starting out with reloading. Finally found some primers and have them on the way. I “believe” I have everything else I need…press, dies, shell holders, lube, case prep tools, tumbler and media, primers (in the mail), powder, bullets, scale, powder dispenser, caliper and micrometer, etc (few other things that aren’t coming to mind right now). I’m just wondering if there’s anything that I might be “overlooking?” 

Basically when you guys started reloading, was there anything in particular that you said, “oh poop, I forgot all about that?” And had to place another order or run out to the store, which isn’t an option for me.

I live in NJ, so reloading supplies pretty have to come in the mail. And the last thing I want is for the primers to arrive and I find out I’m missing something…especially something important.

Any pointers would be appreciated!!

Thanks guys!!

[98Z5V]

Lee Factory Crimp die, for whatever you're reloading. Everything that goes through a semi auto needs to be crimped, and that's the best tool out there for the job.  It's probably less than #20.  Get one coming.

Everything else on your list looks pretty complete.  Wipe out your powder measure with a dryer sheet, so there's no static in your powder measure. 

[MJV83]

I got the Lee Ultimate 4 die set for .308. It comes with the factory crimp…I plan on only doing 308 for the time being…at least for a few months. Then plan on adding more dies to do .223 and 9mm. The .308 was my biggest concern because they are so much more expensive and I plan on shooting that the most.

“Includes a full length sizer, collet neck sizer, Easy Adjust Dead Length Bullet Seating Die & Factory Crimp Die.”

So I got that taken care of at least.

16 minutes ago, 98Z5V said:

Wipe out your powder measure with a dryer sheet, so there's no static in your powder measure. 

Thats a great tip, and I absolutely never would have thought of it. Thanks a lot!!

By the way, you are an amazing resource!! Every thing I post about, you have a solid answer to within a few hours…at most!! I really appreciate the help!!

[Mike1476]

Most of these aren't absolute necessities, but can come in pretty handy:

Loading blocks, bullet puller, check weights for the scale.  I assume you're priming on the press, but if not, a hand primer of some ilk.  My bullet and headspace comparators get a lot of use, but those aren't "have-to-haves".  I could make a much longer list of things I've bought that now just collect dust.

Also, plenty of ammo boxes.  I like to keep my casings separated by number of firings, and these keep them clean and organized.  I keep everything well labeled as well.

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Mike1476
addition to post

[Cunuckgaucho]

A good bench that will not flex when operating the press and good lighting, distraction free area and comfortable.

[BrianK]

Do you have loading manuals? Online info might work, IDK. I've been handloading for 55 years and haven't looked into how good online sources are today for noobs. But be careful of online loads. I'm not proud of it but I recently wrote WW231 instead of WW296. It was done innocently enough but the powders have hugely different burn rates. I went back and corrected it ASAP. Mind farts happen, people are human. I check online loads through the filter of experience and burn rate charts to see if they're anywhere close to reality. You should too. There are many places online to get burn rate charts. If a powder uses something outlandish as compared to other known safe loads shy away from it.

Unless you're going for a subsonic load reduce the starting load by 15-20% and work up. Don't go for max' velocity. Stay away from that. Of you need more energy on target get a different cartridge. Subsonic loads are worked up differently (they're worked down).

You might want to get a chronograph to see what your load is actually doing. Sky screen models work but are a PITA to set up, some require 110v and clear skies, BTDT. I like the LabRadar units, they're so much easier, but they don't do shotshells reliably, they're extremely portable, don't require 110v and the sky is meaningless. But it's not mandatory for reloading. But as a handloader (as opposed to a reloader) eventually you'll want data. Just keep it in mind.

If you do want to push pressure, does your mic' read to the 1/10,000"? Measuring the case head, same 2 points will tell if you need to back off on the pressure. But as I already wrote, don't push pressure/velocity. Need more ft/lbs on target? Use a different cartridge. 

If you are working up a load for a 150 grain bullet but onl have load data for a 165 (similar construction) you can use it knowing that it's going to be safe. Just don't go the other way without significant downloading.

OK, now a story. I once knew a chap with 2 kids, one was a boy who was newly into shooting and had too mush $ and not enough sense to ask questions. He was reloading for .223 and bought powder locally which meant that he never had enough of one powder and had to use various other powders. When he told me he was loading maximum loads with every powder I about pooped myself. No testing, no working up. Just using book load data and blindly loading. All loads were put into an ammo can so any attempt at saving powder was useless. You don't want to be that child. Keep records, test, start slow and build up to get what you want. Label everything, get ammo boxes. I chamber gauge everything today, esp' semi-auto ammo, but I have to say that before chamber gauging I never had an issue. But today I shoot lots of semi-autos and in years past it was lots of bolt actions (neck sized for that particular rifle) that cam closed.

You are entering the rabbit hole. It can be shallow or as deep as you want to go. You can be a reloader or a handloader. You decide and you can change the decision at any time.

[Rsquared]

1 hour ago, MJV83 said:

By the way, you are an amazing resource!! Every thing I post about, you have a solid answer to within a few hours…at most!! I really appreciate the help!!

Careful now. You're gonna give him a big head. And the rest of us are gonna have to deal with it.

In our own way of course.

[sagebrush]

i would suggest a case gage for whatever cartridge you're reloading. you can check brass case length, set your sizing die, check the finished cartridge when done. very useful tool

[dpete]

Hi and welcome.  You didn't mention what kind of press you had, but priming can be faster and easier if done off the press.  Using any kind of hand primer gives you the feel of how much pushing pressure is needed to seat the primer.  Priming is the last quality control check for your newly processed brass.  Little to no pressure indicates a loose primer pocket which can then be immediately dealt with by putting that case aside and gently pushing the primer back out, then tossing the case into the recycling bucket. 

A universal depriming die is perfect for this.

You asked for suggestions, here is a blatant plug.   Lee Bench Prime:

I can do around 500 cases in about 1/2 an hour.  Same feeling of priming pressure, same last quality check, NO cramped hand muscles, aching joints, or aggravating arthritus.  Mine is screwed to a piece of 1X10 pine that is then screwed to my bench when its needed.

[Albroswift]

12 hours ago, MJV83 said:

press, dies, shell holders, lube, case prep tools, tumbler and media, primers (in the mail), powder, bullets, scale, powder dispenser, caliper and micrometer, etc

What press did you get? Agree with above posters about reloading manuals, good information in them besides just the data. I also like loaddata dot com, Wolfe publishing group good people so I don't mind the yearly fee. Great resource.

If you have a good press, hand priming not necessary. I prefer the feel of my Dillon over my hand primer. Plenty sensitive. Personal preference, others results may vary.  

Puller is probably in the "Needed" category for starting out (and experienced). I have the luxury of multiple presses so I have a puller die usually set up in one. (Been reloading forever and still pull bullets occasionally) Also I like small base sizing die for the autoloaders. I swear by Imperial sizing lube, but every one has their favorites. If you get brass stuck, it's a real pain.

Trimmer important.

Sort out the military brass from the civilian, and sort by headstamps. You will find varying case capacity in different lots that really affect groups if not accounted for. I hate any brass that doesn't say "308" on the bottom, there is some "7.62" that works but I found a lot of it doesn't play nice in the dies. Probably get some arguments there. 

Old boy told me the best 3 bucks he spent for accuracy improvement is a flash hole uniformer.  I agree with that, but they are probably 10.00 now. 

Chronos are really nice, but they are expensive. Lab radar is really nice, but over 500. Groups and fired case / primer observation will give you good indication of your loads while you are getting your arms around buying a good chrono. Love my labradar but used a chrony beta for many years.

Take your time. Work on small batches of "best you can do" loads.  Try the first few loads in the gun, better yet load some dummies. I have loads that look fine in the case gauge but are tight in the chamber. Speaking for myself only, my 308s, autoloading, lever, break action all seem to like length closer to minimum then maximum. 

Lots of folks around happy to help, and lots of different opinions,  just shout out. 

One more thing, Mic McPherson's books are really worth adding to your library if you can find them, even though a bit dated. 

 

[MJV83]

Thanks for all the tips!! I decided to start out on the cheaper end with a Lee Classic 4 hole turret press. I don’t plan on priming o the press. I did also get Lee bench prime that Dpete mentioned…and I’m really glad you posted that picture, because I forgot about the flip trays for the bench prime!! That would have really pissed me off…

I do have a hard copy of Lyman 50th reloading book, digital Hogdon 2022 reloading manual, and downloaded the Hornady reloading app and paid the $0.99 for the .308 data. 

I don’t have a bullet puller, so I guess I’ll need to get one of those. But do have a case gauge and a trimmer, and the mic’ I have does go down to 1/10,000”.

[98Z5V]

RCBS bullet puller - cheap and effective.

[JBMatt]

Lots of good advice here.  As you get going, you'll find your own things that make the process easier and more efficient for you.  Getting a motorized case prep station and a powered case trimmer are a couple of things that can make life much easier.  The one from Frankford Arsenal is an all in one tool, and seems pretty legit.  I have a couple of RCBS units.  If all you have is hand tools to start, that's totally fine.  It will make you appreciate the added efficiency once you make that upgrade.  A decent set of Calipers.  Or 2.  I have 1 that has the analog dial and 1 that is digital.  I use them both constantly, and for different things.  I have both of them set up differently and will use both on the same piece of brass at the same time. 

Get a comparator set and learn how to use it.  Absolutely necessary for getting the most accurate/consistent bullet seating readings and also best way to monitor/set shoulder bump. 

A chronograph will also become an invaluable tool.  You can load to find accuracy without one, but when you have a chrono you won't leave any velocity on the table.  I went back and tested a bunch of loads that I made before I had a chronograph.  Interesting that you can have a load that shoots nice little ragged holes, but might be 200 fps or more slower than it actually should to be.  If all your doing is 100 yd accuracy, then its not as big of a deal.  If you want the best and most efficient load for distance and cycling, you'll need to know how fast they're going.  It will also keep you out of trouble for loads that are too hot.  Lab Radar is probably the best, but definitely the most money.  Magneto Speed is very accurate for speeds as well, but it messes with the barrel harmonics, so I wouldn't use it to test accuracy at the same time.  A "shoot through" chronograph is probably the best of both worlds.  Sometimes they can be a little fussy, but I've found that they're at least consistent for gathering and comparing data.

If you're using any military brass, you'll absolutely need some way of removing the primer crimp.  Some non-military brass have them, too.  Either a primer pocket cutter or a swager.  I have both and use them differently for different brass.  I use the swager the most, by far.  You can get ones that go into your press, but man, they're rough on your equipment.  I use the Dillon mounted on my bench.  Other companies make them as well.  There's nothing more frustrating than not being able to seat a primer in an otherwise fully prepped piece of brass.  Especially if you're using CCI #34's.

Some things that people don't think about, but things that you'll need on your bench:  

Pens.  Assorted colors of Sharpies live within arms reach on mine.

Blue painters tape.  I use it all the time to label boxes and keep track of test loads.

A notepad or some way of keeping track of what you're doing.  You'll want to have a way to reference back to what you've done.

Post It Notes.  Buy a 12 pack.  Once you start accumulating a bunch of different stuff, it's nice to label it to remember what it is/what you're doing.  (or use tape)

Boxes.  I keep every cardboard box smaller than a shoe box.  As time goes, you'll need them to keep things in order.  Trust me.

Some kind of magnifying glass.  You'll want to be able to take a "closer look" at things.

Flash light or some kind of bright, concentrated light source. 

Load manuals, or have a handy way to check and compare load data online from multiple sources.  The book I use the most is the Hornady manual as my starting point.  Hodgdon, Alliant and Hornady all have online sources that I use constantly as well for reference, in addition to 5 other manuals on my shelf.

Calculator

Scissors

Compressed air.  I get the 6 pack from an Office Supply store used to blow dust out of keyboards.  They're much cheaper online.  They don't have a ton of pressure but they have enough to blow out little things like powder.  Makes cleaning off your press, powder dispenser and bench real easy.

Some people use rubber gloves.  Not me, cuz I'm a man, but your hands will definitely get dirty from all the residue.  

Rags.  I like the yellow micro fiber ones from Costco.  Any auto parts store has them, also.  Or at least some paper towels.

Case lube.  Imperial sizing wax is probably the best, just don't use too much.  A little goes a long ways.  I still use it on my big stuff, but for production loading, I've figured out that Hornady One Shot spray lube works awesome.  Don't use both in the same die unless you clean it thoroughly.  You'll stick a piece of brass eventually.  Which brings me to the next thing.

Stuck case remover.  Buy it.  Hopefully you'll never need it, but if you do it's always at 9:00 the night before you're going shooting.  It's a life saver.

Don't be afraid to ask questions.  There aren't really any dumb questions when dealing with this stuff.  We all have to start somewhere.  And you don't know until you know.

There's a difference between being a reloader and a hand loader.  It's up to you how far down this rabbit hole you want to go.  Enjoy the ride!

Edited May 8, 2022 by JBMatt

[JBMatt]

2 minutes ago, 98Z5V said:

RCBS bullet puller - cheap and effective.

These are good, and I still use mine occasionally, but I've found that getting a bullet puller with assorted caliber collets that mounts in your press is much more controllable and way less messy dealing with powder.

[dpete]

^^^  What JBMatt said right there.   Another blatant plug:

Hornady collet bullet puller.

Buy the proper sized collets for your calibers and you are set.  Adjusted properly it won't even leave a mark on the pulled bullets.

Edited May 8, 2022 by dpete

[JBMatt]

58 minutes ago, MJV83 said:

But do have a case gauge

Which one do you have?  In my experience, the Hornady ones are a little too "tight".  I like the ones made by Wilson and I have a bunch of them.  Yellow/Orange box with black writing.  I used to use them all the time, and they're great to get started with to learn how all this stuff works.  Now that I have all my equipment set up for various calibers, I don't use them as much, but they're nice to have on hand in case you run into something giving you trouble.

[MJV83]

9 minutes ago, JBMatt said:

Which one do you have?  In my experience, the Hornady ones are a little too "tight".  I like the ones made by Wilson and I have a bunch of them.  Yellow/Orange box with black writing.  I used to use them all the time, and they're great to get started with to learn how all this stuff works.  Now that I have all my equipment set up for various calibers, I don't use them as much, but they're nice to have on hand in case you run into something giving you trouble.

I have this one;

 

 

[JBMatt]

2 minutes ago, MJV83 said:

I have this one;

 

 

I've not used that one, but your calipers will give you the same information.  I would think, but I don't know for sure, that readings from this style may not be exactly accurate if you haven't deburred all your flash holes.  Sometimes there's a little burr of brass inside that could affect measurements taken using this tool.

[JBMatt]

1 hour ago, MJV83 said:

I do have a hard copy of Lyman 50th reloading book, digital Hogdon 2022 reloading manual, and downloaded the Hornady reloading app and paid the $0.99 for the .308 data. 

If you're reloading for just one caliber, this is a great book to get.  It has all the load information from all the bullet and powder manufacturers in one place.

midwayusa.com/product/1012856166?pid=955169

Edited May 8, 2022 by JBMatt

[MJV83]

23 minutes ago, JBMatt said:

If you're reloading for just one caliber, this is a great book to get.  It has all the load information from all the bullet and powder manufacturers in one place.

midwayusa.com/product/1012856166?pid=955169

I’m just doing .308 for now…Currently, I only have a .308, two 5.56, and a 9mm. I plan on reloading the 5.56 and 9 in a few months…only focusing on .308 for now because they are so much more expensive and I have tons of .223 and 9mm ammo on hand. But only have 200-300 rounds of .308.

[98Z5V]

5 hours ago, MJV83 said:

I have this one;

 

 

That's for their trimmer, to trim your cases to minimum length.  So, that's 1/2 of what you need for the .308 Win cases.  The other 1/2 is this:

[MJV83]

@98Z5V I believe those pieces are included in this kit (which I do have). But thanks for looking out!!

 

[98Z5V]

Yep, looks like cutter and lockstud in there, with an inner chamfer tool, and a primer pocket tool. 

[Cunuckgaucho]

Lee Classic Turret is an excellent press( not to be confused with the Lee Turret) It was my first press and nothing bad to say about it. I know a couple guys that have run 10s of thousands of rounds through their presses. 

I find ziplock bags great for storing/sorting brass. I throw a 3x5 index card in the bag to list caliber, brand, number of times shot and where in procces the brass is( deprimed, resized, trimed etc.)

[MJV83]

13 minutes ago, Cunuckgaucho said:

Lee Classic Turret is an excellent press( not to be confused with the Lee Turret) It was my first press and nothing bad to say about it. I know a couple guys that have run 10s of thousands of rounds through their presses. 

I find ziplock bags great for storing/sorting brass. I throw a 3x5 index card in the bag to list caliber, brand, number of times shot and where in procces the brass is( deprimed, resized, trimed etc.)

That’s the reason I went with that press. I found that 95% of the reviews were very positive and at the price point, seemed like it couldn’t be beat. And when I do start reloading different calibers, the plates are only $10/each!! For $150, it seemed like nothing came close to being so highly reviewed without going up to $350-$500 and up…