New to Reloading: Tell me if my plan sounds reasonable

[Triemferent]

I plan to start reloading hopefully in 2-3 months from now but want to start buying the components (bullets/primer/powders) now. Ive been reading the Hornady and Lymen reloading manuals to get ready . Im wondering if its advisable to start stocking up on bullets, primers and powder (using a reloading manual) when I wont be able to make any test loads to try out.

My goal for reloading is to have ammo available for simple plinking, just having fun and some informal target shooting...... nothing competitive. I live in California and I figure (in the coming years) factory ammo will be harder to find so I want to stock up on the components to reload for my self. Being able to save money on ammo is a plus but my main goal is having ammo available when ever I want it.

As of right now I dont know much about reloading..... just some basic things Ive read on the net/youtube. I would hate to stock up on a bunch of stuff and have it be the wrong stuff. So for those of you with experience, should I wait till I have a press and all the tools before I start investing in powder and primers or can I start stocking up now? I have access to a local reloading shop who has decent prices on Winchester primers and powder (Titegroup, Win231, Varget, etc). Also, for a beginner, is it better to start with FMJ or plated bullets or does it matter?

As far as what I plan on buying components for.....
1. 9mm and 45 acp for pistol shooting
2. .223 and 308win for rifle shooting

[Dirty Rod]

Until you know what loads will run well in your guns I would not stock up on powder. Buying primers and maybe a few boxes of FMJ pistol rounds is OK but I'd stop there until you test a couple of different brands, bullet weights, and powders and figure out what works best in your guns. I'd also start with pistol and get that down before you start rifle. A can or two of 231 is a good place to start for pistol powder though.

Just my suggestions.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Dirty Rod

[SwaneeSR]

Since you have been studying up, you may have reached the conclusion that you should begin handloading with one of the pistol calibers.

Specifically to answer your post. I agree with Dirty Rod, ok to buy some starting components but keep the amounts low until you figure out what works well in your guns.

There have been some good information on this site on what equipment to purchase to get started.

The plated bullets would be fine. I use them in all my pistol calibers.

Swanee

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Edited May 21, 2016 by SwaneeSR

[fmj3]

For plinking and target shooting pistol rounds I'd recommend looking into the coated bullets like Bayou,BBI, SNS, Blue, etc.

[GrumpyOne]

I would recommend jacketed pistol bullets...lead or coated can be somewhat tricky for a newb to learn with, and the jacketed are much more forgiving in that respect. For pistol powders, look for a powder in the middle of the burn rate chart. It should be bulkier, and the chances of a double (or triple) charge are much reduced. Alliant Power Pistol is a very good choice to start with.

[BrianKr]

There are powders that are classic for the rifle calibers, and if they don't work for you the price isn't going down so you should be able to sell them. I'm thinking WW748 and IMR 4895. If you find military surplus powders that's another way to go. Even if the powder isn't optimum, well, what difference does it make for your use? You can accept that since you aren't doing anything critical with the loads.

The same thing goes for the handgun cartridges. WW231 is a classic, TiteGroup is a new standard it seems. For heavier bullets I like Power Pistol.

Generally you can get a better price by ordering by the 8# keg. But today, just finding any components in any form can be a challenge. Personally if I find something I can use, no matter the weight, I buy it.

You're going to be plinking and target shooting so you probably only need to propel the bullet out of the bore and get OK accuracy. You won't be trying to make the loads tackdrivers, just to allow for shooting. Yes, you can stock up on name brand components. WW primers are good and my preference when I can find them. I'd stay away from Swordfish brand components or names no one else has ever heard of.

For handgun I've used jacketed, plated, coated, and sized and lubed lead. They all work but have their best uses. For .45 ACP lubed lead works fine and will save you $, but any of the other bullet types will also work. For near 1000 fps I like to use a coating of some sort on the bullet. Jacketed is the gold standard but cost more, but plated works, and heavy plating works even better. Right now I'm using coated 160 grain bullets in a 800fps 9mm load and they work fine, as did the heavy plated 124s at >1000fps. If I could find 9mm lubed lead bullets in the weight I use (160gr) I'd try them and expect good results, but I can't find them.

For the rifle cart's you want jacketed bullets. Hard lead can be used by keeping the velocity down a bit, but it'll be MUCH easier for you if you just stick with jacketed.

If you had critical uses for your ammo I might suggest holding off before stocking up. But I don't see that for your uses, and It wouldn't surprise me at all if you can get superb accuracy out of what I suggested you stock up on. There's a reason the suggested powders and such are considered to be classics.

Store the powders and primers in (Ideal conditions) low humidity and at a temp in the 50's. It's best if the temp' doesn't fluctuate. Baring those conditions just make sure that you'd be comfortable in that same storage. If so it'll last for decades. At the link you'll find info' that will be relevant.

http://www.saami.org/specifications_and_information/publications/download/SAAMI_ITEM_200-Smokeless_Powder.pdf

Edited May 21, 2016 by BrianKr

[JD45]

Just buy all the Federal primers you can afford, and Hodgdon Clays if you can find it. Also, get Winchester WST instead of 231.

[Hi-Power Jack]

Why are you planning on waiting two - three months to start reloading?

Are you currently shooting?

Are you currently saving your brass (collecting range brass, also?)

Don't forget to buy a chrono ... makes it a lot safer to reload reliable cartridges.

[inspector1999]

Remember that reloading is like making chocolate chip cookies. The basic ingredients are the same, but every grandma has her recipe that is the best.

Start with small quantities of components, use your manuals, and test with your guns. Find the recipe that works the best for you. Always ask for help, but know what works for you, in your guns, with your budget might be different. Enjoy the process and extra ammo you will be able to shoot with your budget.

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[jkrispies]

Speaking as a fellow Kalifornian, I get components when i can.

[armydad]

A lot of this is going to rely on your budget for equipment and supplies. To another extent, the number of rounds you intend to shoot for each caliber will factor into the equation.

I too am relatively new to reloading but have an XL 650 and a 550b from Dillon. I am using the 550 specifically for rifle, and the 650 for my pistol calibers. The 550 is a fantastic press and I highly recommend it. There is a forum member in the Los Angeles area advertising one for sale, and if I remember correctly, it is set up for 45 acp. I have toolhead setups for my various calibers as I prefer a quick change with minimal fuss. But it comes at a price. Start basic and go from there. I know lots of folks advise starting with a single stage. It has merit but my experience was to research the heck out of this forum and start with a 550b. It's awesome, simple, and since it manually indexes, I recommend it over a single stage given your post.

Bullets always seem to be available. Primers and powder are another matter. As of late, primers have been sufficiently available and I suggest you keep a sufficient supply on hand to get you through a year or two of a potential dry spell. Powder is still hit and miss, but it appears to be more readily available than it has been a while.

For 9 mm you will need small pistol primers. For 45 ACP you will need either large pistol primers or small pistol primers depending upon the casings you have. For 5.56 you will need small rifle primers, and for 308 you will need large rifle primers. I do not load 308 so I cannot help you on whether you need magnum primers or not. You should not need magnum primers for your pistol or 5.56 though other forum members have said they work fine and have a negligible effect on pressures and velocities.

There is a great deal of information and load recipes for most calibers on this forum. I suggest you do a search on those calibers. You will see many people using many different powders. Some will give their load data and performance data. You should be able to select a powder to test your loads with. When you find a powder you like, I suggest you also keep a supply on hand to last you at least a year, or two. I'm not aware of bullets ever being in short supply.

Best of luck.

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[bfalcon00]

Remember that reloading is like making chocolate chip cookies. The basic ingredients are the same, but every grandma has her recipe that is the best.

Start with small quantities of components, use your manuals, and test with your guns. Find the recipe that works the best for you. Always ask for help, but know what works for you, in your guns, with your budget might be different. Enjoy the process and extra ammo you will be able to shoot with your budget.

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I like that analogy it is spot on.

[DarksideCZ]

Buy lots of primers!

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[tcoz]

Right now prices are lower and supplies more plentiful than I've seen in quite a few years. If you know what you're going to use, buy what you can now and if down the road you decide to use something different you can always sell them. This is especially true for primers and powder.

A few years ago I had to stop reloading and shooting for six months because I couldn't find any powder.

[jkrispies]

The reloading machine will always be available, and lead bullets for pistol (at least) will generally be in existence. If Hillary wins, you won't be able to find powder or primers to save your life, likely in the whole country much less Kalifornia.

[rustybayonet]

I'm in Michigan and powder is not hard to find unless you get picky. I have learned to make powders work. I can say buy primers when ever they are on sale. You should not need magnum primers with most powders. Unique is a great go to powder for 9mm and .45, little smokey but for plinking it works great. I use ar comp for 5.56, still testing for .308 bench rest works good.

[Kaldor]

Just starting out and wanting to narrow it down to a few things? I actually had this question asked by a friend not long ago.

First, Id settle on 2 powders. TiteGroup for 9 and 45. CFE 223 for 223 and 308. This will get you 90% of the way. Yes, some powders might work better for certain things, but these 2 powders will do 90% of what you want to do, and are generally readily available. Both are ball powders. Once you have these, sure, branch off and try some other stuff. Varget is great for 223 and 308 accuracy loads. IMR 8208 XBR is another I really like, and it will go thru a rotary drop. CFE Pistol is a good choice too. The only warning I can give about TiteGroup is you better be paying attention. You can double charge it really easy because it is a very low volume powder.

Secondly, primers. Buy them by the 1000's. You can always try a different powder if you run out of something. Unless you are looking for a perfect reload, and you are not pushing the very upper end of a load, you can switch primers without worrying about it too much. I wouldnt go from a standard primer to a magnum, but I have no issues going from Winchester SP to CCI SP for my 9mm loads. Settle on a brand, and buy as many as you can. Alot of guys on this forum use small rifle primers for 223 and 9mm, so that is an option as well, but the SRP primers are probably closer to a magnum small pistol primer. This is a decision you have to make.

Third, bullets. I prefer HiTek coated for pistol and FMJs for 223 and 308. HiTek coated arent any harder to load than jacketed and cost less. I prefer heavy bullets for 9mm and 45. 147's and TiteGroup are a great combo in 9mm. 200gr SWC and TitegGroup are my favorite for 45. I shoot others, but these are what I buy full cases of. You can buy these from any number of reputable manufacturers. For rifle, I shoot mostly Hornady FMJs, 55gr and 150gr, simply because they are cheap and shoot really well. Sure I have boxes of other bullets on the shelf, but hey, full cases right?

Brass? Have you been saving yours? If not, its not a big deal. Go buy LC for your 223 and 308, deprime it, decrimp it, clean it, and shoot it. It holds up really well. Ive never bought pistol brass, but its the same deal if you need it.