How to get into Reloading

[ChefGierke]

Hey guys! Just recently got hooked into USPSA. Shooting a 9mm Glock 34 with a Comp. I have NEVER RELOADED ANYTHING. I was told that I need to start in order to be competitive with the 9mm. That I need to load them to MAJOR specs. Any one have advice for a beginner? Something along the lines of required equipment and such would be awesome. Also what kind of Cost per round can I plan to get at a MAJOR loaded 9mm. Sorry for the abundance of questions but this is a topic I know nothing about!

[Guy Neill]

I would recommend first reading one of the Manuals as they generally have good "how to" as far as the steps for handloading.

With that you will have a better understanding of the equipment needed.

Dillon has the most popular equipment, with several presses to choose from for quantity reloading. Look at how many rounds you expect to be shooting as one criteria for press selection.

You should also look at getting a chronograph as part of your equipment for load development.

And do not hesitate to ask questions.

Guy

[Steve RA]

If you have never loaded anything, find someone in your area who is an old reloader (not in calendar years necessarily, but in reloading). He/she/they can show you how it works, give advice on what equipment to get and what literature you should study.

Don't just jump in without having any knowledge of what you are trying to accomplish - especially if your goal is to load Major 9mm !!

It isn't that difficult but can be somewhat dangerous to equipment and body if done wrong.

[StraightSh00ter]

I am just getting started reloading. As suggested, I found someone local to go visit and see their setup. I have a (lengthy) thread about which press to get first, in the general reloading forum.

I also got one of the manuals as suggested - I got the Lyman handbook for reloading. The Hornady book came highly recommended but I chose Lyman due to an Amazon deal on the hard cover. I'm sure they are both good, and it's probably a good idea to have more than one.

Check out the reloading forum. And welcome!

[metalicat30]

Read,Read,Read....then watch videos....ask plenty of questions and remember there are no dumb questions. I still have questions and have been at it for 5 years now.

[GrumpyOne]

Welcome to the wild world of competitive shooting, and the forum!

First, with your gun setup, to attain full potential points, you should be shooting major PF ammo...but that doesn't mean you have to. Minor PF might be a better way for you to get your feet wet in reloading, and learn the basics. Major PF loads can be a an eye opener for even an experienced reloader.

[Sarge]

As I think I said in your other post. Welcome to the forums but I don't recommend you cut your reloading teeth on 9MAJOR

[ChefGierke]

Okay, so i should start with regular 9mm and then work my way up the the major. As I get a feel for what I am doing.

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

[Sarge]

Okay, so i should start with regular 9mm and then work my way up the the major. As I get a feel for what I am doing.

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk

That is correct in my opinion. When a load is nearly 50% over max recommended load you have to very knowledgable of the process to get there.

[TANFARM]

I would strongly suggest an NRA metallic reloading class ....was the best thing I did.

It saved me a lot of time and money before jumping in. I also read the ABC's of reloading ....great starter book.......

[Hi-Power Jack]

Click on "Forums" (top left of your screen).

Scroll down to "Reloading" and then to "9mm", and start

reading for a half hour.

Best way to get started.

[kcobean]

Reloading is an addictive hobby all its own.

I honestly recommend you don't start with anything smaller than a Dillon XL650. It's an auto-indexing 5-stage press that can do everything except for primer pocket swaging, and if you're shooting range pickup brass that's really of little consequence. As your shooting ramps up, you'll be very happy with this choice. A 650 can do 800 rounds an hour once you really get your rhythm down, and with the addition of a bullet feeder, all you have to do is pull the handle and keep feeding it components.

As for the statement that you need to reload to be competitive with the 9mm, there's really no logic in that. If you're going to continue shooting Open division (which I presume you are since you're shooting a comp'd pistol), then you'll want to reload just so a) you can ensure your rounds are making major PF (you can shoot minor if you want, but it's much, much harder to be competitive shooting minor PF) and b ) you can use a gassy powder that optimizes the operation of your comp.

As for cost, the difference between major and minor is going to be a few grains of powder, so the price will be nearly identical. I'm reloading .40 for just under 16 cents per round. That's $160 per 1000. You can't touch manufactured ammo for twice that, so is it worth it? Yeah, it is. You should be able to load 9mm for probably 14 cents per round, maybe less.

Edited August 11, 2015 by kcobean

[Red Ryder]

Here is a START list. Start by loading 9mm MINOR!

1. 2-3 reloading manuals

2. A case or 2 of Montana Gold bullets 124 grains

3. 4 or 8 lb jug of powder, VV N320, WST, just not Titegroup yet. It has a small volume that makes it too easy to double and triple charge a case without making a mess to alert you to a problem.

4. 5000 small pistol primers, Federal, CCI, or Winchester.

5. Dillon 650 with the setup video.

6. Redding Pro Dies where the seating and Taper crimp are separate (Dillon 650).

7. Dillon powder check system. Later on you can eliminate this for a bullet feeder.

8. EGW U die. A resizing/decapping die available at EGW gun works. Google "EGW gun" for the web site.

9. Digital Calipers.

10. Digital powder scale from BrianEnos.com.

11. Wilson Case gauge for your caliber.

12. Case tumbler and walnut or corn cob media. Mix media with one cap full of NU finish car wax and 30 ML Mineral spirits.

13. "Hornady One Shot" spray can of case lube. Makes the press run smoother.

14. Several one gallon ziplock bags to store the range brass you pick up.

15. An old coffee can to put the screw up rounds in.

16. Bullet puller to recover your screw up round components.

17. Dillon primer flip tray. It is the best.

18. CED 2 Chronograph (200$) or Competition Electronics ProChrono Digital Chronograph 119$

19. A good notebook.

20. The correct shell plate if it doesn't come with your press.

21. Primer pick up tubes, 2.

22. Several plastic ammo boxes to store your loaded rounds.

23. A reloading bench in a quiet place to spend many many hours.

24. A resourse person that reloads on the same press as yours, on speed dial.

About $1500 give or take. You WILL save that $$$ in a year or 2 if you shoot enough.

Don't "learn" to reload with lead or plated bullets right away. They can present other problems that make learning more difficult in the beginning.

PS, I learned to reload with this great forum, some You tube videos (very few), and the advice of some experienced reloaders. I can load 9 Minor ammo with a Standard deviation of less than 5 all day long. My OALs very +/- 0.002. My last major match ammo chronoed within 4ft per second each round. YOU can do it too! Now for the shooting accurately and moving fast, I have much room for improvement.

Edited August 13, 2015 by Red Ryder

[Aimtrue0531]

For someone who is looking into reloading this was a great thread to come across. Although not intended for me thanks for the advice

[uncledoc]

Plus 1 to what Aimtrue said....

[GrumpyOne]

Here is a START list. Start by loading 9mm MINOR!

1. 2-3 reloading manuals

2. A case or 2 of Montana Gold bullets 124 grains (This I would not do, as you don't know what bullet profile you want, weight, etc., start with small bags, 1k at a time, or even 100)

3. 4 or 8 lb jug of powder, VV N320, WST, just not Titegroup yet. It has a small volume that makes it too easy to double and triple charge a case without making a mess to alert you to a problem. (Again, I would not do this, as you don't know what you are going to like at first. Start with 1lb cans, find what you like, then buy in bulk)

4. 5000 small pistol primers, Federal, CCI, or Winchester.

5. Dillon 650 with the setup video. (Really, any Dillon press is going to be great, but it all depends on what you are gonna reload. Strictly pistol and only a caliber or 2, a SDB, pistol and rifle with easy changes, 550B, lots of pistol or rifle, 650, lots and lots of pistol and rifle, with swaged primer pockets 1050)

6. Redding Pro Dies where the seating and Taper crimp are separate (Dillon 650). (not absolutely necessary)

7. Dillon powder check system. Later on you can eliminate this for a bullet feeder.

8. EGW U die. A resizing/decapping die available at EGW gun works. Google "EGW gun" for the web site. (not absolutely necessary)

9. Digital Calipers.

10. Digital powder scale from BrianEnos.com.

11. Wilson Case gauge for your caliber. (you already have a case gauge, your barrel. That's where they need to fit, right?)

12. Case tumbler and walnut or corn cob media. Mix media with one cap full of NU finish car wax and 30 ML Mineral spirits.

13. "Hornady One Shot" spray can of case lube. Makes the press run smoother. (not absolutely necessary using carbide dies...it does make the press run smoother)

14. Several one gallon ziplock bags to store the range brass you pick up.

15. An old coffee can to put the screw up rounds in.

16. Bullet puller to recover your screw up round components.

17. Dillon primer flip tray. It is the best.

18. CED 2 Chronograph (200$) or Competition Electronics ProChrono Digital Chronograph 119$

19. A good notebook.

20. The correct shell plate if it doesn't come with your press.

21. Primer pick up tubes, 2. (start with at least 5 tubes)

22. Several plastic ammo boxes to store your loaded rounds.

23. A reloading bench in a quiet place to spend many many hours.

24. A resourse person that reloads on the same press as yours, on speed dial.

About $1500 give or take. You WILL save that $$$ in a year or 2 if you shoot enough.

Don't "learn" to reload with lead or plated bullets right away. They can present other problems that make learning more difficult in the beginning.

PS, I learned to reload with this great forum, some You tube videos (very few), and the advice of some experienced reloaders. I can load 9 Minor ammo with a Standard deviation of less than 5 all day long. My OALs very +/- 0.002. My last major match ammo chronoed within 4ft per second each round. YOU can do it too! Now for the shooting accurately and moving fast, I have much room for improvement.

I made my suggestions in red above. Bear in mind, you can start with just the basics, and upgrade along the way. You can be guaranteed that if you buy a Dillon, you will get at least 70-90% of what you paid for it if and when you decide to upgrade/sell it.

One thing I can't stress enough is patience. Rushing through the learning process of reloading can lead to all kinds of problems.

Another thing is yes, you can save money of you buy in bulk (Bullets, powder, primers, etc.), but since you are just starting, how do you know what is going to work for you? I suggest that starting out, you only buy a pound or two of powder that you think you want, from your local gun store (no outrageous hazmat charges on a pound or two bought locally), buy only 1k of the bullet heads that you want to try, but buy any brass and/or primers that you can afford, but no more than 5k of each at first. If you decide reloading isn't right for you, you are only out a little on the powder, primers, bullets, and brass, and you really don't have to try and get rid of them (sell). If you have bought cases of bullets, canisters of powder, cases of primers, well, potentially out of alot of money...

Those are my two cents...

[Red Ryder]

We can agree to disagree on the amounts of powder and bullets. In my area, I could show up at a match or 2 and unload 95% of my bulk components for a minimal loss. I don't think it is a big gamble. After reading this forum for years, I figured out that most folks like the same powders for 9 Minor. Nothing beats N320. It's not the only powder that works but, to each his own, I guess.

I only own 3 primer pick up tubes, been loading for years, 60,000 + rounds.

I recommend a bigger jug of powder to start with cause I don't like to deal with lot to lot powder variations. It sucks to have to run out and chrono after every ONE pound of powder. I reload because I want shoot more. I don't reload for fun. Reloading is a necessary evil if you want to shoot, a lot.

GET the U-Die. It may save you headaches and bullet setback will not be a concern. I am all about avoiding headaches and minimizing concerns. It's a learning process. Take the easy road.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Red Ryder

[yellowfin]

Do NOT start with an auto indexing press as your first press if you haven't done any reloading before. Reloading takes patience and dilligence to do properly. Something that whirs around and you're doing 4-5 things at the same time will not allow you to focus on doing everything right because indeed everything must be done right every time to each and every round. Get a Lee turret press or at very most a Dillon 550. Those will let you do one at a time and not turn until you make them do so, then allow you once you have everything right to do ammo plenty fast enough. Auto indexing presses are nice but a royal pain in the butt to set up right and too overwhelming if you have no prior frame of reference.

Second matter is that it is HIGHLY UNWISE to even think of 9 major in a Glock at all ever and highly questionable even in an ideal gun for anyone who isn't an expert. What I would do is run regular 9 in your G34 then in a while get a G35 for .40 which makes major easily with very conservative loads.

Pick up and hoard brass compulsively. You will want a massive supply of it to rotate so you don't wear any out and so you won't hesitate to throw out any bad ones such as with cracks, bulges, etc. Large plastic containers like pretzel barrels and protein powder jugs are really, really nice. Also do keep well stocked up on primers, at least a couple thousand at a time--clearly the most annoying thing to run short or out of because powder runs a long time per jug w/ pistol and bullets you can order online and pay only a little shipping, lots of them w/ free shipping in fact.

Now to the part that's only my opinion. Lee pistol dies are impossible to beat for value and I'm yet to see much of any reason to buy much else for pistol calibers. Definitely use the Factory Crimp Die. For when/if you run .40, get the Lee Bulge Buster kit, absolutely a must with that caliber.

Edited August 14, 2015 by yellowfin

[Poppa Bear]

Either find someone to train you on how the different dies function in the reloading process, or buy a simple single stage press and teach yourself. A single stage will always be a great choice for developing a load or making small batches of custom loads.

I use mine for my rifle loads. (7MM, 30-30, .243)

[MikeM]

I started reloading one year ago on a lee 1000..A buddy

of mine blessed me with a spare one he had. You do not need to spend a lot of money to start. I would also recommend hand loading till you get the hang of it.

Most importantly find a mentor who can come by your house and teach you the basic steps and insure you are doing everything correct.

I would recommend wet tumbling if you have any allergies.

Most importantly develop good marksmanship skills first. I would personally stay in production. Too many shooters compensate their poor skills with the latest open gun and never refine their basics. This forum is filled with shooters who have plateaued because they never took the time to practice the basics

[Red Ryder]

I started out on a Dillon 650. It can be done. I did not find it very hard at all. I found it very time consuming. I did my homework (actually read reloading manuals) and read the hell out of this forum and relentlessly asked questions and watched videos. I do not have an engineer's mind either. I was shooting 5 to 6 thousand rounds of store bought ammo per year before I started to reload. Now I shoot 10 to 15 thousand reloaded rounds a year. You WILL NOT save money. You will just shoot more.

If you are handy, and you know you will reload for a long time, then jump in with both feet. If you have any doubts, then start out slow like others have stated above. Good luck.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Red Ryder

[kcobean]

I started out on a Dillon 650. It can be done. I did not find it very hard at all. I found it very time consuming. I did my homework (actually read reloading manuals) and read the hell out of this forum and relentlessly asked questions and watched videos. I do not have an engineer's mind either. I was shooting 5 to 6 thousand rounds of store bought ammo per year before I started to reload. Now I shoot 10 to 15 thousand reloaded rounds a year. You WILL NOT save money. You will just shoot more.

If you are handy, and you know you will reload for a long time, then jump in with both feet. If you have any doubts, then start out slow like others have stated above. Good luck.

All true statements. Like Red Ryder, I bought a used 650, bolted it to the bench and just learned on it. They're not complicated machines and it's easy to figure out most issues if and when they arise. Dillons hold their value pretty well. Even if you only keep it for a year, reload a few thousand rounds on it and then sell it, you'll have gotten your money out of it just in knowledge alone, IMO.

[Rez805]

With respect to the "Never start with a Progressive Press" idea, you can always load a single cartridge when you are getting your feet wet. That way, you can see how the product advances through the stages.

As for the cost per round portion, there are several websites that help you calculate the cost per round by entering in the cost for each component and the amount of powder you plan on using. You'll have to include any hazmat and shipping fees if you want a true answer for the cost per round. And of course, you have the cost of the equipment itself.

You may end up thinking of it as "with the savings that I get from reloading (and not counting the "value of my time") it will take x thousand rounds to cover the cost of equipment. From there, the savings portion of reloading will become more evident." Of course, it's not just the savings that attracts a lot of us to loading our own. It becomes a hobby (and even a passion for some).

Do your homework (over and over and over), don't rush it, and stay focused. You'll be rewarded in many ways.

Edited August 17, 2015 by Rez805

[GunBugBit]

This is a good thread for me, because I haven't started reloading yet but am thinking about it more seriously as I shoot more matches and see no signs of stopping.

I probably won't save money because I'll shoot more as a reloader, not less, and whatever I save in cost per round, I'll offset by shooting more.

Right now, the driving reason for me to start reloading is to not shoot factory ammo at matches, because factory .45 ACP (in my case) is not optimal for competition. I want to shoot a nice competition-appropriate load, and have full control over tweaking the load.

Thanks to all who posted information here, I learned some new things. I'm busy reading the large amount of reloading-related information on this site.

[Doc10mm]

I am also new to reloading. After reading the forum and reloading on a friends 650 I ordered a Dillion 1050 from Brian (thank you!) which arrived last week and is still in boxes. I know, I know...don't buy a progressive as my first press. Well, I ordered a Lee single stage also so I can work up loads and problem solve. With the help of my friends, the forum, and reading, I felt comfortable starting with a 1050 as my first press. I am on pace for about 10000 rounds this year and my time is valuable so it made sense to me. After a few months I might look into a Mr. Bulletfeeder and Dillon RF100 for efficiency. I did take the advice of several members above and got Lee dies, extra pick up tubes, Dillon primer tray, Brian Enos digital scale, and some slide glide to keep it lubed up.

Edited August 21, 2015 by Doc10mm