The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

mongoose33 · March 27, 2010, 08:00 AM

1. Read the stickies at the top of this forum; they'll answer a lot of questions.

2. I recommend you start w/ .45 ACP, learn and master that, and then branch out. Learning all this is fun, and that's a relatively easy cartridge to learn on.

3. Buy, and read, and read again, the ABCs of Reloading. Much of the process will be explained there.

4. You can spend a ton, or a more reasonable amount, on reloading equipment. Much depends on the volume of shooting you expect to do. If you're talking about shooting 100 rounds a month of various calibers, you can do very well w/ a single-stage press. If you're looking at hundreds or even potentially thousands of rounds per month, a progressive is the way to go.

5. I think most people--and I'm included in that--recommend starting on a single-stage press to learn the steps of reloading. Even if you intend to go w/ a progressive eventually, you'll still want/need the single-stage press so it's not a wasted expenditure. But start on the single-stage. The fact that you're asking here suggests you know of no one locally who can help you learn this, so taking it a bit slower is advisable.

I started reloading about a year and a half ago. I had no one to show me, and I started on a single-stage. Having only that single-stage was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I figured out how to do .223, then 9mm, then went on to .45 (but .45 is a good caliber to start with).

After 4 months of this I was ready for a progressive, a Hornady LnL AP. I can't imagine trying to learn all the normal steps of reloading on top of trying to figure out the progressive. A few people will tell you they started on one, but I don't think it's the way to go at first.

One more thing: If saving money is one of your goals, you'll only find the maximum savings you see people report if you buy your components in bulk, and reuse brass. That means buying primers in the thousands, bullets by the thousands, powder in bulk (though powder is the least expensive in this equation). So factor that in.

Good luck, and welcome to a fascinating side of the shooting hobby. There's much cool stuff to learn and you end up with the satisfaction of not only producing your own ammo, but producing ammo better than what you can buy.

March 27, 2010, 08:00 AM	#3
mongoose33 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 228	1. Read the stickies at the top of this forum; they'll answer a lot of questions. 2. I recommend you start w/ .45 ACP, learn and master that, and then branch out. Learning all this is fun, and that's a relatively easy cartridge to learn on. 3. Buy, and read, and read again, the ABCs of Reloading. Much of the process will be explained there. 4. You can spend a ton, or a more reasonable amount, on reloading equipment. Much depends on the volume of shooting you expect to do. If you're talking about shooting 100 rounds a month of various calibers, you can do very well w/ a single-stage press. If you're looking at hundreds or even potentially thousands of rounds per month, a progressive is the way to go. 5. I think most people--and I'm included in that--recommend starting on a single-stage press to learn the steps of reloading. Even if you intend to go w/ a progressive eventually, you'll still want/need the single-stage press so it's not a wasted expenditure. But start on the single-stage. The fact that you're asking here suggests you know of no one locally who can help you learn this, so taking it a bit slower is advisable. I started reloading about a year and a half ago. I had no one to show me, and I started on a single-stage. Having only that single-stage was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I figured out how to do .223, then 9mm, then went on to .45 (but .45 is a good caliber to start with). After 4 months of this I was ready for a progressive, a Hornady LnL AP. I can't imagine trying to learn all the normal steps of reloading on top of trying to figure out the progressive. A few people will tell you they started on one, but I don't think it's the way to go at first. One more thing: If saving money is one of your goals, you'll only find the maximum savings you see people report if you buy your components in bulk, and reuse brass. That means buying primers in the thousands, bullets by the thousands, powder in bulk (though powder is the least expensive in this equation). So factor that in. Good luck, and welcome to a fascinating side of the shooting hobby. There's much cool stuff to learn and you end up with the satisfaction of not only producing your own ammo, but producing ammo better than what you can buy.