How did you get started in reloading? How do I?

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Id say learn on a Dillon 550. You hafta index it manually so you can go slow and take your time watching each step and the press wont jump foward on you. That said I dove in with a 650. Took my time learning the machine. Its doable but alot more expensive to see if your going to keep at it.

However Dillons hold the value well so if you end up hating reloading its easy to get rid of a blue machine. Others not so much. My 2cents

J
 
shooter444 said:
Gunsmoke,... I believe one must learn to crawl before they can walk and walk, before you can run. :mrgreen: What I mean by that, is,... creating a single cartridge at a time, through intimate learning of each and every step, can give you reloading insight, a progressive may not.

Not trying to start anything, I never did mass produced reloading, or, full auto reloading,...so, this is just my very limited opinion.

But, I doubt you will hear many anal retentive moron single stage reloaders saying you would blow up all your guns :angry-extinguishflame: for not being experienced enough when doing each and every loading step,... by hand,... on a single stage press.

As I am most definitely in the GREAT MINORITY when it comes to my opinion of progressive presses,... bottom line for me is, if I don't see, or, I don't do, every step in hand, with every cartridge,... it don't go in any of my weapons!!! :whistle:

Now,... putting all the above in proper context,... consider that I am someone who only shoots a dozen rounds, when some will shoot hundreds,...I am someone who only shoots a few hundred rounds, per weapon, per year,... compared to some who will shoot thousands!!!

All the best to you!

Making ammo on a large scale is not for some people, some will never have the mental capacity to think all I need to worry about is powder in the case and don't pull the handle so fast it throws the powder out. Some are so anal they would rather not shoot as much than to admit progressives are better.

Just like firearm technology progresses so does reloading. Right now for 10K you can buy a fully automatic reloader but when you started it was single station or production level machines nobody would sell you. I guess by your logic we should all start with a cap and ball to gain some perspective then a revolver and a lever action because those auto loading guns are just dangerous.

I have taken people with zero experience and put them on Camdex and Ammoload machines that pump out 3K per hour and once they were trained zero issues. After about a month or two of training they were competent to run a line of 10 machines, a line of ten machines can produce up to 35K a hour and about 250K rounds in a shift. I am yet to have a accident or get a report of a blown up gun.
 
When I lived in Oklahoma 40 years ago an old timer taught me how to read. Still have the RCBS Rockchucker press, powder measure and ohaus 10-10 scale he recommended I buy, Tough I've move on to the Dillon 550B press and RCBS Chargemaster.
 
shooter444 said:
Gunsmoke,... I believe one must learn to crawl before they can walk and walk, before you can run. :mrgreen: What I mean by that, is,... creating a single cartridge at a time, through intimate learning of each and every step, can give you reloading insight, a progressive may not.

Not trying to start anything, I never did mass produced reloading, or, full auto reloading,...so, this is just my very limited opinion.

But, I doubt you will hear many anal retentive moron single stage reloaders saying you would blow up all your guns :angry-extinguishflame: for not being experienced enough when doing each and every loading step,... by hand,... on a single stage press.

As I am most definitely in the GREAT MINORITY when it comes to my opinion of progressive presses,... bottom line for me is, if I don't see, or, I don't do, every step in hand, with every cartridge,... it don't go in any of my weapons!!! :whistle:

Now,... putting all the above in proper context,... consider that I am someone who only shoots a dozen rounds, when some will shoot hundreds,...I am someone who only shoots a few hundred rounds, per weapon, per year,... compared to some who will shoot thousands!!!

All the best to you!

Thats why I believe a Dillon 550 is the best re-loader ever. It was my first, I learned on it and for the first 1 1/2 years, it was a single stage loader. After that, it was used as a progressive. Since you can do that and still have the benefit of having a progressive press which can load much faster than a single stage makes it what should be recommended to a new reloader. As in my case, after I was comfortable with the reloading process, I would of had to sell it and get a progressive loader + accessories. That 550 saved me alot of money over the time I owned it.
 
storage_man said:
Thats why I believe a Dillon 550 is the best re-loader ever. It was my first, I learned on it and for the first 1 1/2 years, it was a single stage loader. After that, it was used as a progressive. Since you can do that and still have the benefit of having a progressive press which can load much faster than a single stage makes it what should be recommended to a new reloader. As in my case, after I was comfortable with the reloading process, I would of had to sell it and get a progressive loader + accessories. That 550 saved me alot of money over the time I owned it.

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storage_man, sir,... that is, BY FAR, the most pragmatic approach to this subject I have read!!

:clap: :clap: :clap:
 
shooter444 said:
storage_man said:
Thats why I believe a Dillon 550 is the best re-loader ever. It was my first, I learned on it and for the first 1 1/2 years, it was a single stage loader. After that, it was used as a progressive. Since you can do that and still have the benefit of having a progressive press which can load much faster than a single stage makes it what should be recommended to a new reloader. As in my case, after I was comfortable with the reloading process, I would of had to sell it and get a progressive loader + accessories. That 550 saved me alot of money over the time I owned it.

------------------------------------

storage_man, sir,... that is, BY FAR, the most pragmatic approach to this subject I have read!!

:clap: :clap: :clap:

And you can do the same with just about every progressive press made regardless of make or model or manufacturer.
 
Got the reloading bug 10 years back. With Flash's wisdom, I started with a Loadmaster, never looked back. Now have built my own case & bullet loader hoppers (spinning happily above), with powder & primer warning lights & buzzer. Been a fun ride, trying to stay young.
 
Flash said:
And you can do the same with just about every progressive press made regardless of make or model or manufacturer.

----------------------------------------

Thanks Flash, good to know,... and, since I never felt the need to graduate from a single stage, I would never have know until now.
 
shooter444 said:
Flash said:
And you can do the same with just about every progressive press made regardless of make or model or manufacturer.

----------------------------------------

Thanks Flash, good to know,... and, since I never felt the need to graduate from a single stage, I would never have know until now.

Interestingly enough, this came up last week at the Bull/coffee session my weekly shooting group has after shooting. I was amazed how few people there knew you could make virtually every press a sort of single stage until you got comfortable with it. Heck, you can even do the same thing with a Lee Turret press very easily.

It's a good way to ease into progressives. I remember when I got my first progressive after years and years of single stage reloading I was kind of overwhelmed by 5 things going on at once. I got used to it quickly but there is that initial start up time that has a pucker factor.
 
Well,, you have intellectually convinced me Flash!

I can realize how having many loading stations completely set up, for one at a time use/aka single stage use, could have an advantage over breaking down and setting up for each stage on one press,... even an advantage over the two, single stage press set up I use.

If I wasn't currently committed to acquiring some lead casting molds, I probably would start looking for a progressive,... after your enlightenment!!!
 
My grandpa gave my brother and I a Lee progressive and a single stage "C" press. The single stage broke and was replaced with one of their "O" frame single stages, and the progressive never worked worth a good goddamn. Somehow managed to sell the progressive and we went in on a Dillon RL550C and never looked back. Not messing with Lee, and, from what experience I have with Hornady, I won't bother with them either.
 
I was 18 and had a .45 auto.

Can't buy handgun ammo until you are 21. You can buy the reloading supplies to make your own though ;-)
 
Back in 1997 I was shooting a lot of 444 and 44 mag. It was cheaper to load so I started on a Lyman turret press. From there I grew and moved to a 650 dillon and started 45acp. Then I pick up a 1050 RL machine. I found 3 more RL machines in a estate sale got them cheap turned them into dillon for a rebuild. Brought them home, automated them and turned them into case prep for 556,308 and 300 bulk out. Since then I got some 1050 supers and a concrete mixer for the first clean for the brass. After that it just took off. Getting back to the second part of the question. It depends on what you are reloading. I use the Lyman turret press for 300 ultra,300 win mag, 338 lupua, and for my 300 win mag sabot rounds. Why they need special attention. Pistol rounds and some rifle rounds, 556, 308 I would try to pick up a 1050. A beginner can run it slow and be fine and that same person has a lot of room to grow on that machine.
 
Back in the day when I was young an old timer who lived close to me in Oklahoma City taught me what I needed to get to start reloading. Started with an RCBS Rockchucker, powder dispenser and an Ohaus 10/10 scale. My first loads were 45ACP and 30-06 using RCBS. Still have all of those but have move on to a Dillon 550B and a Chargemaster. Still use the Rockchucker with a Dillon Trimmer on it and the Ohaus to check every 10 powder drop from the Chargemaster. Now I reload over 20 calibers but mostly 308 and 45 ACP.
 
I got started into reloading from my step dad. He used to do WWII reenactments and once I mentioned going shooting and buying firearms etc he mentioned that he had tons of stuff in his garage for me to take home with me. I meet him after I was around 23 or so years old. My mom had remarried while I was in the military. Anyhow he gave me an AR15 rifle, and Wasr 10 AK and an M14s rifle as he collected military firearms. He was special forces in the Army and then got his degree and became an artillery officer before being medically retired.

He gave me the rifles then said hey have you thought of reloading? I said no and then he dug out hundreds of dollars worth of reloading gear and gave it all to me. I read 3 or 4 books on reloading and inventoried all the gear and sold off all the multiples of die sets to get ones I needed and that how it all started 15 or so years ago. Now I cast my own bullets from lead, make custom brass, swathe bulelts from fired casings etc. It doesnt take long before you are hooked. Oh did I mention I could not afford to shoot so much without reloading??!!

Goodluck and get to it!
 
Back in 1983 or 84 I bought a Ruger 44 mag Superblack. Ammo was expensive and I had a friend that loaded. He showed me the ropes and have been reloading ever since. It is nice to be able to find an accuracy node on a new rifle and tighten up the groups.
 
I believe Dillon puts on classes or at one point they did. The speed of Paying for itself depends on what your reloading. If you are making 338 lapua and shoot a lot, that will pay off quick. If you buy a progressive press and shoot a lot like 5k to 10k every 5 to 8 months it will pay off quick as well. I know back when I would shoot a lot of 44 mag, I could make 50 for $12. A box off the shelf was $25 to $28.
 
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