After reading a few posts about reloading recently I am curious as to what experienced ones here would start buying now if just starting out to get into the fun.
I got my storage tool shed all cleaned up so I have room now.
I was thinking to start gathering equipment and necessities as they become more readily available. I'll just be reloading for pistol calibers like .380, 9mm and .357 possibly 38's as well.
Oh, and who's got the best book?
I feel like prices are going to drop after the new year and more primers powder and brass will become not so scarce.

Also what powders for those calibers work best. I saw a bunch of powder at a small pawn shop recently.

Thanks

We all end up with several manuals, to be sure. The first one should have a section in the beginning about how to do it. Speer has this, as do other big ones. Other manuals are powder-specific, and smaller with no instructions. I still use my single stage press and balance scale, and as I recall they were pretty cheap. No time like the present to snag some stuff.

CDFingers

Be prepared to wait until the current shortages stop and supplies are readily available. I’m seeing equipment at local reloading stores, but primers and powder are in short supply. Bullets seem to be available more so than the other two items. Good luck.

As for maanuals, my favorite is Modern Reloading by Richard Lee (second edition). It's got very comprehensive data tables and also has some really excellent discussion of reloading techniques, though it does use Lee releoading tools specifically in all the examples.

tonguengroover wrote: Sat Dec 18, 2021 3:19 pm After reading a few posts about reloading recently I am curious as to what experienced ones here would start buying now if just starting out to get into the fun.
I got my storage tool shed all cleaned up so I have room now.
I was thinking to start gathering equipment and necessities as they become more readily available. I'll just be reloading for pistol calibers like .380, 9mm and .357 possibly 38's as well.
Oh, and who's got the best book?
I feel like prices are going to drop after the new year and more primers powder and brass will become not so scarce.

Also what powders for those calibers work best. I saw a bunch of powder at a small pawn shop recently.

Thanks

I'm also looking to learn reloading as well. A local gunshop is having several reloading classes that I'm considering attending, to see what I can learn. Maybe somewhere local for you asl well?

sikacz wrote: Sat Dec 18, 2021 6:53 pm Be prepared to wait until the current shortages stop and supplies are readily available. I’m seeing equipment at local reloading stores, but primers and powder are in short supply. Bullets seem to be available more so than the other two items. Good luck.

No doubts there. From what I gathered of the posts its powder and primers.
I do save my brass and have a few hundred of almost every caliber I shoot.
So what I hear so far is order books asap and in the mean time grab any primers and powder I can get my hands on.
Then I'll figure out what equipment I can afford.
I have helped a friend do shotgun shells before so o have enough basic knowledge to be dangerous.

Hold off on getting powder. The books will tell you which powders work with which cartridges - not all powders are the same, so you need to decide on exactly what you want to load and then buy the appropriate powder. Primers are a little easier to deal with since you only have to decide on small or large pistol or rifle primers. If you already know what cartridges you want to load you can look up which primers are needed for those cartridges.

tonguengroover wrote: Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:28 pm

sikacz wrote: Sat Dec 18, 2021 6:53 pm Be prepared to wait until the current shortages stop and supplies are readily available. I’m seeing equipment at local reloading stores, but primers and powder are in short supply. Bullets seem to be available more so than the other two items. Good luck.

No doubts there. From what I gathered of the posts its powder and primers.
I do save my brass and have a few hundred of almost every caliber I shoot.
So what I hear so far is order books asap and in the mean time grab any primers and powder I can get my hands on.
Then I'll figure out what equipment I can afford.
I have helped a friend do shotgun shells before so o have enough basic knowledge to be dangerous.

For reasons I wanted to buy and use VihtaVuori powder. VihtaVuori is pretty good about telling you which of their powders are good for particular ammo caliber. For instance, I just bought some VihtaVuori N320 which is supposed to be good for 9mm Luger and 38 Special. They also note some bullet weights, for instance VihtaVuori N135 for bullets under 155gr .308 and generally VihtaVuori N140 for 7.62x53R, 308 Win, .30-06 Springfield. These three are what I’m concentrating on finding. I suggest you also look at the powder manufacturer’s website that you are intending to use and make a list of the powders they recommend that match the calibers and bullet weights you intend to load for. Some powders are hard to find, but not impossible.

I made a list of the primers as well which for me was pretty easy, small pistol primers for my handguns. I don’t have magnum guns yet. For rifles large rifle primers cover my rifle calibers at this time. I suppose buying magnum primers would not hurt in advance if I decide to get one some day or buy the small rifle and large handgun primers in preparation for owning something that requires them. I could always trade with someone in that instance for what I do need. Might have to change my primer strategy now that I think about it.

We end up with several jugs of powder in our closets. Some will be for a single application, and others will figure in multiple calibers. You'll also acquire some dies. They all come in similar sized boxes, so you can think about how to store them.

You can use C-clamps to hold a press down, so it's not necessary to dedicate a space to reloading. You can set up in a half hour or so from the closet to a sturdy table anywhere. But my wife makes me do it in the garage, which is likely better. All kinds of weird toxic dust falls to the floor from decapping and brass processing, so consider that when you reload. Brass has lead in it, just like bullets, spent primers, and burned and unburned powder.

Always wash your hands when you're finished, and avoid fingers in the mouth while doing it. Lead is a cumulative poison. Don't accumulate it in your body and you'll be fine.

CDFingers

Some powders are more versatile than others. I'd start by going through a reloading manual and listening what will work with the loads you want to make. You may find some powders that work well in all or most. Keep that list handy so when looking for powder you know quickly if what you find can be of use to you.

Most reputable online sellers let you sign up for notifications when something comes back in stock. Use this feature.

Powder and primer is crazy, I see popular items sell out in minutes or hours at most.

Never buy online unless credit card, the sights that do not take them are scams.

Oldschool, good reminder about the online scams. I’ve been thinking it would be good if we had a list of trustworthy sites to order from. I suspect most of the primer ones that come up on my google searches are scams. That’s the main reason I have not ordered from them yet. Can’t afford to be scammed.

CDFingers lead reminder also something to remember. I’m treating reloading like a pandemic virus, masks and washing hands.

A short while back, I was able to get some 800X, not my first choice for .45ACP but workable. Lean times may require a bit of adjustment, but can keep things going. Best to have several reloading manuals as no single source will make an exhaustive study of all available powders for every cartridge. Also stay away from dated manuals for load data as some of my older books list loads for powders no longer made, along with some now verboten load data. Still interesting reading, however.

Primer (non)availability may resurrect flint and match lock.

Don’t overthink it. I started with a Lee hand press, a Lyman manual, scoops, and dies.

papajim2jordan wrote: Sun Dec 19, 2021 8:23 am A short while back, I was able to get some 800X, not my first choice for .45ACP but workable. Lean times may require a bit of adjustment, but can keep things going. Best to have several reloading manuals as no single source will make an exhaustive study of all available powders for every cartridge. Also stay away from dated manuals for load data as some of my older books list loads for powders no longer made, along with some now verboten load data. Still interesting reading, however.

Primer (non)availability may resurrect flint and match lock.

Or people will discover that just like with all other things one can make primers. Reading up on it, the primers one could readily make will be corrosive. So the old fashioned cleaning routines would be required to save your barrel. I hope it doesn’t come to the point I need to make some.

Here are some reliable sources:

Brownells
Graf & Sons
Midsouth Shooters Supply
Powder Valley Inc.
Precision Reloading
MidwayUSA
Natchez Shooters Supplies
Sportsman’s Warehouse (check online AND in stores)
ReloadingEverything.com
Academy Sports
Cabela’s

Taken from this link, good advice:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/202 ... our-quest/

Oldschool wrote: Sun Dec 19, 2021 9:23 am Here are some reliable sources:

Brownells
Graf & Sons
Midsouth Shooters Supply
Powder Valley Inc.
Precision Reloading
MidwayUSA
Natchez Shooters Supplies
Sportsman’s Warehouse (check online AND in stores)
ReloadingEverything.com
Academy Sports
Cabela’s

Taken from this link, good advice:

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/202 ... our-quest/

Thank you! Copying.

I'd start by choosing a caliber to load first, just to get the hang of using your tools / dies / etc. Next, select a projectile and load data for that projectile. Then, see if there's a powder that covers the other calibers you want to load in the future. Buy it, and then load up a few and see how they shoot. That's a big lesson- always make small test batches first! Also, start with minimum loads and work up slowly.
I started with the Lee Challenger Press Kit and it works fine except for the scale being finicky. I eventually upgraded to an Ohaus scale and also bought a digital scale for double checking / comparing load and brass weights. For handgun dies I'd try to get the nice Hornady ones that you don't need to use lube with. It will make your life SO much easier.
Crow

Wow! So much awesome info from you you guys. I am forever in your debt.

Heck, I knew I should have saved my old triple beam scale. hehe I do have a digital one for measuring CaCl tests. There's a start.

I've been reloading for more than 40 years.
Hodgdon, Alliant, Western, and Vihtavuori powders all have lots of load data on line, as does Nosler.
Rcbs has reloading videos. Sierra and Hornady have lots of information.
Midway currently has everything (except primers) you need, in stock, to load 380, 9mm, 38, 357. Except primers.
If somebody is going to start reloading, for those calibers, buy small pistol primers. Standard or magnum, whatever you can find. Loads can be adjusted for either primer.
Study up with the material on line.

For .38 Special, my go-to powders are Bullseye and Titegroup. W231 is another popular, and good, one.

For .357 Magnum, I have two loads. One is a "lighter" load using Bullseye, and another is more of a fuller-power load using 2400.

My two favourite reloading manuals are Lyman's and Lee's. I find that I use Lyman's book somewhat more often, but Lee's book has a lot of good info in there, too, once you get past Richard Lee's rather gratuitous self-promotion. :-) Not that he isn't right, but it's still pretty gratuitous.

Hornady's book also has good info in there in some areas that Lyman and Lee don't go into so much. It's proved valuable to me as a shooter, too.

Rust wrote: Sun Dec 19, 2021 1:17 pm I've been reloading for more than 40 years.
Hodgdon, Alliant, Western, and Vihtavuori powders all have lots of load data on line, as does Nosler.
Rcbs has reloading videos. Sierra and Hornady have lots of information.
Midway currently has everything (except primers) you need, in stock, to load 380, 9mm, 38, 357. Except primers.
If somebody is going to start reloading, for those calibers, buy small pistol primers. Standard or magnum, whatever you can find. Loads can be adjusted for either primer.
Study up with the material on line.

I didn’t realize until recently through these discussions that magnum small pistol primers and small pistol primers were interchangeable. Can you just briefly expand on the difference between the two?

Best to not think of them as interchangeable, rather as a substitute with caveats.
The idea is that they (mag. primers) are "hotter" either containing more of the good stuff or something like that so as to better light heavier charges or more difficult to start spherical powders. Lighter loading to compensate for the higher pressure associated with the mag. primer is a way around the issue, at least in theory.
I have used standard small rifle primers in lieu of the mag. pistol with good results.

papajim2jordan wrote: Mon Dec 27, 2021 8:43 am Best to not think of them as interchangeable, rather as a substitute with caveats.
The idea is that they (mag. primers) are "hotter" either containing more of the good stuff or something like that so as to better light heavier charges or more difficult to start spherical powders. Lighter loading to compensate for the higher pressure associated with the mag. primer is a way around the issue, at least in theory.
I have used standard small rifle primers in lieu of the mag. pistol with good results.

Are the small rifle less likely to damage the firearm? That’s my biggest worry. I don’t want the firearm damaged or myself. I didn’t realize they would fit in the same pockets either.

I fear this substitution idea requires a lot of experience. Perhaps if I run into primers other than what I need I should seek out a trade. LoL.

Well, you could make five rounds with the unfamiliar primers with a known charge then compare with the ones you're used to. Increase knowledge at a low cost.

CDFingers