Reloading advice

[3MTA3]

I'm pretty stubborn, and pretty handy. I've converted half the wife's very large laundry room into a reloading station. At this point I will reload, no ifs ands or buts. I'm a man of principle lol. Just looking for advice on where to buy stuff more than anything. Thanks

Try to support your LGS and Sporting goods store as much as possible. A lot of times they can order for you and save you the cost of shipping. For primers and powder this may save you hazmat fees.

I would also look at the NWFA classified ads. Useful items and components pop up all the time and you will get to save $$$ and meet some wonderful folk face to face in many cases. Even CL will sometimes have things carefully worded.

Aside from the other web stores many companies have their own Amazon store.

 

[RVTECH]

I don't think I can add any advice on the issue of components but with regard to reloading in general I got into reloading as an extension of my interest in firearms and shooting.

I shoot for hobby, sport, accuracy, etc. And reloading has never failed me when it has come to being able to produce the best, and most accurate (and economical) ammo for my needs.

Another thing I mention to newcomers to reloading is it allows you to produce specialized types of ammo for certain uses and one of the best examples is reduced loads for cartridges where nothing other than 'full house' commercial ammo exists. Also in 'hard times' (like now) you can often substitute certain components (such as bullets) to maybe continue to load a particular cartridge you cannot find typical bullets for. Heck I have loaded spire point bullets in .30-30 ammo just to use the bullets up rather than letting them set around unused.

And in conclusion I REALLY enjoy reloading. It appals to my exacting, 'perfectionist' nature !.

 

[bbbass]

So I dug through the stuff old boy Gave me some more and found everything I'll need for the first few hundred at least. Found a few lbs of powder too, that doesn't smell or taste too bad.
It looks like my newest book is from maybe the 80's. Which suits my current materials fine. Going forward I'll definitely need new literature to match new products though.

Did he leave you his reload data records?

That would make it easy.

I highly recommend the practice of keeping a notebook/journal/spreadsheet/whatever of your reloading. There are some templates online to follow, but basically

DATE/CARTRIDGE/ BULLET/POWDER/PRIMER/OAL/ETC.

I also keep and small paper tablet in my range bag to log the results of loads that I am testing... you know, ladder loads.

 

[drewbogdanovic]

Did he leave you his reload data records?

That would make it easy.

I highly recommend the practice of keeping a notebook/journal/spreadsheet/whatever of your reloading. There are some templates online to follow, but basically

DATE/CARTRIDGE/ BULLET/POWDER/PRIMER/OAL/ETC.

I also keep and small paper tablet in my range bag to log the results of loads that I am testing... you know, ladder loads.

I remember seeing a very detailed notebook when I first got it all from him, it's been a couple years and few moves ago now though. I'll praY it's buried in there somewhere.

 

[bbbass]

I'll praY it's buried in there somewhere.

No prayers needed IMO... if it's not there it's not a tragedy, it just means you start from scratch/go.

Are you loading for different firearms than what he was?

 

[drewbogdanovic]

No prayers needed IMO... if it's not there it's not a tragedy, it just means you start from scratch/go.

Are you loading for different firearms than what he was?

Touché. He also seemed to only shoot one style of firearm, whereas I don't discriminate. I truly appreciate your insight, if you were closer I'd give you a box of ammo or something. Since I quit drinking I give away a lot less beer lol

 

[bbbass]

Touché. He also seemed to only shoot one style of firearm, whereas I don't discriminate. I truly appreciate your insight, if you were closer I'd give you a box of ammo or something. Since I quit drinking I give away a lot less beer lol

No no, the advice is free regardless. And my doctors say I can't drink anymo anyway.

Yeah, unless you are shooting HIS firearm, you wouldn't be using the exact formula he used, but it would give you an idea of where to start, what to try. Otherwise, a good reloading book gives you min/max and what you do is start at the min, work up a few shells in increments of .2gr of powder, then go out and test what works best in your pistola. With mine, I often find that the min load wont cycle the slide and that the more accurate load is towards the top end. Not always tho, that's why we start at min.

(Do not deviate much below or above min/max. Max for obvious reasons, but min can become unstable, esp in rifle rounds.)

 

[tac]

Going back a few years now, I well recall a novice into reloading, in his case, the formidable Remington .44 Magnum.

He asked me what I was shooting in my revolvers, and I advose him that my plinking loads were just 7.5gr of Bullseye under a 240gr lead semi-wadcutter.

I wasn't there the following week, nor the week after that, so I didn't see him for a while. When I did, I noticed that he was shooting a nice Ruger Blackhawk in .357Mag, using factory ammunition, I noticed.

'What happened to the .44 Mag?'

'Oh, that. Well, I made the biggest mistake imaginable, and it cost me the gun [a nice-looking stainless Taurus] and a set of underwear. I recalled that you used only 7.5gr, and when I tried loading it it hardly looked like there was any in there, so I topped it up a bit [sic] to about the bottom of the bullet to give it some beans. I blew the gun up, and we never found any of the bits of the top strap or chambers on either side. Even the cartridges just disappeared'.

Careful interrogation and trials at home with showed that he might have gotten as much as 25gr of Unique into that big ol' case. How it didn't kill him was a miracle.

 

[RVTECH]

so I topped it up a bit [sic] to about the bottom of the bullet

So he simply 'topped it up a bit' with no regard for, or researching load data?

Ditto on the miracle how it didn't kill him.........

 

[Goodknight]

NW Firearms!! And local retailer like Fisherman's marine, Sportsman etc.
I started reloading year and a half ago when shelves were empty. The NW firearms forum became my go to for powder and primers and odds and ends.
Slowly powder is making its way back to Midsouth, Powder valley and Midway USA but cost is steep with hazmat and shipping.
Watch for sought after powders buy them even if you don't use that powder. I have traded my share of big bore powder for primers to the point that I have what I'm comfortable with. At first paying $100 to $125 per thousand primers and $40 to $60 a pound for powder hurts but it will balance if your diligent on NWfirearms and calling retailers weekly. Reloading has been very rewarding allowing me to go to range on a regular basis. The people I have met buying and trading on NWfirearms have been all top cabin people!!!
And above all become a member!!! What this forum represents is worth investing in!!

 

[ageingstudent]

Going back a few years now, I well recall a novice into reloading, in his case, the formidable Remington .44 Magnum.

He asked me what I was shooting in my revolvers, and I advose him that my plinking loads were just 7.5gr of Bullseye under a 240gr lead semi-wadcutter.

I wasn't there the following week, not the week after that, so I didn't see him for a while. When I did, I noticed that he was shooting a nice Ruger Blackhawk in .357Mag, using factory ammunition, I noticed.

'What happened to the .44 Mag?'

'Oh, that. Well, I made the biggest mistake imaginable, and it cost me the gun [a nice-looking stainless Taurus] and a set of underwear. I recalled that you used only 7.5gr, and when I tried loading it it hardly looked like there was any in there, so I topped it up a bit [sic] to about the bottom of the bullet to give it some beans. I blew the gun up, and we never found any of the bits of the top strap or chambers on either side. Even the cartridges just disappeared'.

Careful interrogation and trials at home with showed that he might have gotten as much as 25gr of Unique into that big ol' case. How it didn't kill him was a miracle.

Oh good lord @tac; I am surprised we didn't hear that go off over here by the Pacific in the west coast USA . Miracle indeed.