New to reloading

[balderclev]

Just looking for any comments or suggestions here.

So, I'm about 2 weeks into my new hobby. i've done a lot of research.

Bought a hornady single press kit, 223 dies, tumbler, trimmer, manual primer, primer pocket reamer, separate decapper, varget powder, hornady 60 gr bullets, Win WSR primers, 1000 military brass.

Getting touching holes at 100 yds. with 23.8 gr. so am pleased with my first experiments in reloading.

I am weighing each load of powder at the moment. The Hornady powder meter is not accurate enough for the Varget powder and I am not comfortable yet with trusting it anyway. In fact, I am very conservative with all aspects. I first remove the primers and ream the pockets while discarding any where the flash hole is not perfect I remove the crimps and then tumble the brass with polisher about 6 hours. It is coming out pristine. I resize, trim, de-burr, and measure the brass.

My biggest problem is finding supplies. I was lucky to get the equipment and what supplies I have. I find that the military brass is great as long as you are willing to spend the time on it.

I'm in the process of ordering tools and supplies for reloading 308, 38 special, and 40 S&W. It seems that I can use the Win WSR primers for the pistols assuming my pistols can handle the thicker primer.

Depleted my 1lb of Varget and 100 Hornady bullets quickly. I should have 500 Hornady bullets arriving tomorrow free with my LNL purchase. I ordered BLC(2) powder as I couldn't find anything else online. Should work fine for the 308 as it was the original military powder for it. I have loads for the 223 and hope it will do as well as the Varget.

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated as I am very new at this and learning.

[oldpapps]

Welcome to the Forum.

Military brass is good stuff. You only need to remove the primer pocket crimp once. After that, processing is the same military or commercial.

The supplies of components do seam to be getting better, slowly.

BLC(2) will do well in .223/5.56 as well as .308/7.62.

Win WSR primers for use in a 38 or 40 is one of those things that are both 'no sweat' and 'not gona happen'. The loading process can be adjusted for the warmer primer flame, so as long as you start low and find your loading, all is well or can be. However, I keep seeing listings of differing physical sizes for the two primer sizes. I've never measured them, so I don't know. Harder cup metal is also another factor to deal with. Again, I've never tried them.

I know things are scarce but keep looking and suitable powders will show up in time.

Load with care,

OSOK

[gundog5]

Ok, I have some advise for you as you have indicated that you are new to reloading. Use the primers the manuals call for. Many, many people have hand loaded for generation without any major incidents, but on occation, we have all heard of someone blowing a hand off or worse, hurting a loved one. Just because it will fit doesn't mean you should use it. Be careful and be safe with your reloading practices.

[Cesure]

Ok, I have some advise for you as you have indicated that you are new to reloading. Use the primers the manuals call for. Many, many people have hand loaded for generation without any major incidents, but on occation, we have all heard of someone blowing a hand off or worse, hurting a loved one. Just because it will fit doesn't mean you should use it. Be careful and be safe with your reloading practices.

I got advice that directly conflicts with what you said from another guy who has been reloading for years and actually owns/runs a gun store. He says it's not a problem to use cooler or almost equal primers than the recommended primers as long as you start with the starting load. So I took his advice and used Remington 1-1/2 SPP when Win SP were the recommended. They all went bang when they were supposed to. Why did I take the chance? I couldn't find WSPs and what he said made sense.

I'm not saying that a primer is a primer is a primer, but sometimes a good rule of thumb that errs on the side of safety gets you out of an unnecessary dependence on what the "experts" who sell you dies or powder or primers recommend.

[balderclev]

Thanks for the advice on the primers. I'll keep looking for the pistol primers as I still don't have any of the supplies in yet to start reloading 38s.

[allaroundhunter]

Your pound of Varget only got you 100 .223 rounds?

[CountryUgly]

You seem to on track other than the primer thing. DO NOT USE RIFLE PRIMERS IN PISTOLS AND DO NOT USE PISTOL PRIMERS IN RIFLES. They are not interchangable. If they were we wouldn't have the 2 different kinds. I know some people with argue the the point but at the end of the day you are literally betting your life and at the least your personal safety on "it worked once for me so you should be fine". Don't do that. Components are showing back up quickly so hold on. You'll be back to SAFELY rolling your own in no time!

[Cesure]

And do not use magnum primers when they aren't recommended unless you decrease the starting load powder a bit and maybe not even then.

[balderclev]

Only could find 100 bullets to start with. Had enough powder for about 300 rounds or so. 500 Hornady 55gr SP bullets arrived yesterday. Had a hundred rounds loaded with powder waiting on the bullets. Unfortunately, I mistakenly thought I was getting 60gr so had to dump the cases and then load 3 sets of 10 rounds for testing.

Picked up 100 polished once-fired 308 cases along with large rifle primers. Having trouble loading the primers as the pockets are quite dirty. Ordered a large primer uniformer today to use on them before I waste more primers.

[m&p45acp10+1]

Small rifle primers can be used in pistol loads. I have been doing it for over 4 years. (over 50 thousand rounds not one single problem.) Do not go below the starting load listed in the manual. Start at the starting load, and work up. Do not start out with a middle of the road load. Work up to that load.

That said. Never, ever, ever use small pistol primers in small rifle loads. You will end up with a blown primer, a gas cut in the breech face, and gas cut on the end of the firing pin, as well as a probable cut firing pin spring.

[gundog5]

There are alot of very experenced handloaders out there and alot of good advise comes from them. But, as someone who is just begining their adventure into reloading, I will continue to recommend that you stick to the right primer for safe rounds. Many experenced reloaders know exactly how to work up a load and have seen first hand what a "pressure sign" is and actually looks like. Follow your gut and the manual and be safe.

[NESHOOTER]

I also agree with gundogs regardless if you do doesn't mean others should the new reloader already explained that he had primer pocket issues, and mix that with lack of experience is only asking for trouble. That said lets keep him around and safe do only what the books say you just starting out on our fun and love of reloading stay around and be safe.

[m&p45acp10+1]

When I started reloading after the first ObamaNation scare all I could get were small rifle primers. I had an experienced reloader that helped me with the work up. Due to being low on small rifle primers, I was at a store and found some small pistol primers that I will use for the hand gun loads to make my rifle primers stretch farther for rifle loads.

Just note regardless of primer the starting load is the starting load. You work up from that. Going below the starting load can be dangerous. Erratic pressures can happen. As well as squibs (bullet stuck in the barrel.