New to reloading

[Tankholler]

I have received from an Uncle, reloading equipment and a very brief "training" lesson from him as well. A Lyman press, powder hopper, scales, assorted gun powders, etc. Basically everything he had to reload both handgun and rifle calibers. I have a caliper and micrometer. I'm interested in reloading .44 magnum to similar specifications as Winchester (white-box) 240 gr jsp. My questions are:
The powder is old. How can I tell if it is okay to use?
Is Hercules Bullseye (Alliant powder) or DuPont IMR 4895 suitable for .44 magnum?
Is the .44 magnum a poor choice to begin learning with?
He did not have a vibratory cleaner. If this tool is not used, how is the spent brass cleaned? He told me he did not clean his brass.
I want to be safe and learn to reload properly. Advise is appreciated.

[essexcounty]

If the powder smells funky, I'd flush it down the toilet and get a new jug. I think that starting out I'd work with a bottlenecked rifle cartridge. Shiny cases are neat to look at, but I wouldn't worry much about it. Have lots of FUN.........Essex County

[Quantrill]

Powders: Bullseye is a fine powder to load TARGET and LIGHT loads in a .44Mag. Neither H4895 or IMR4895 is suitable for .44Mag. Three good powders would be Bullseye for target, Unique for midrange and 2400 for full power. Of course there are many others but these are the ones I use most, with most of these being light target loads with the Bullseye or 700X. I like clean brass but it is not necessary. Cleaning brass USUALLY removes grit that might get into your dies and scratch them up. Best advice of all is to buy a good reloading guide. There are many of them. I like Lymans' best but there are many folk who prefer others. Good Luck and let us know how you are doing. Quantrill

[kingudaroad]

44 mag is what I learned to reload first.I think its a great place to start. +1 on Unique powder for medium loads. For full power, 2400, and H110 is what I've used with excellent results.A good scale and loading manual is a must! I've also very glad I got a powder trickler so that you can throw the load a little light and trickle it up to exact charge. Go slow and triple check everything along the way.

[LHB1]

Quote: "I want to be safe and learn to reload properly. "

ABSOLUTELY!!
BEFORE LOADING ANY AMMUNITION:
For your own safety, buy and read one or more reloading manuals such as Nosler, Hornady,etc. or a book such as ABC's of Reloading. Learn and understand powder burning rates, powder pressure curves, and the importance of powder type vs powder weight vs bullet weight vs caliber/case. DO NOT ACCEPT OR USE ANY LOAD SUGGESTED BY SOMEONE ELSE UNLESS YOU CAN FIND IT IN ONE OR MORE PUBLISHED RELOADING MANUALS.

Reloading is a safe and very enjoyable hobby but it can be dangerous if you don't follow safe guidelines and use proper types/amounts of powder for a given caliber and bullet. Some of us on this forum have been reloading safely for over 40 years and are still going strong. Welcome to the club.

Good shooting and be safe.
LB

[drvector]

I agree with LHB1, get a copy of the ABCs of reloading. It's only about $20 but its an excelent introduction to reloading and a book like this is a must. The ABCs of reloading is the kind of book that gives you and overview of all of the critical elements of reloading. It provides info on the hows and whys. But note, it does not specify cartridge loads (i.e. types and amounts of powders, bullet weights etc), for that you'll need a reloading manual. Both types of books are, at least in my opinion, very important.

[yorec]

ABCs of reloading should be required reading for handloaders. I'd been at it twenty years when I finally got a copy. Learned a lot and explained a lot too. Great book. :cool:

[Tankholler]

Many thanks to all of you for the advice. I will share my experience (as soon as I have some to share).
-Tankholler