Total reload beginner.

[DLF1978]

Ok, totally new at reloading. Buying some older equipment from a friend that's in a money tight.. his step dad used to reload. Looking to also buy a Lee pro 1000 in 9mm also.. 

 Question is.. Is there a good place to learn all the basics and lingo of reloading? I have purchased a Lee reloading manual which is on the way to me. Will that tell me what I need to know? Or is there other books, chat rooms, videos etc... 

 Thanks 

 Update... just saw there is a reload section. I will also research there as well.

Edited September 19, 2020 by DLF1978

[stick]

A couple of things.  Learn the terminology and watch youtube videos for the machine you are purchasing.  Being new, make sure you use a high volume powder (powder that fills the case) and go very slow and ensure you don't double charge a case.

[Farmer]

Pay attention to everything you do. Take your time and don’t rush and avoid distractions, ie kids, pets, tv, yacky friends ect. Take good notes of your loads and learn what you can on a single stage press first.  They’ll make one mistake at a time while a progressive can make many. The Lee manual is pretty good for terminology and be careful with some of the YouTube vids, lot’s of idiots out there. When in doubt, double/triple check with another source. It may take a few minutes longer to be sure and safe but it only takes a millisecond to screw something up.  Most of all have fun!

[dapribek]

I think your best bet is find a buddy with the same press you’re using and get a lesson or two from him or her. That worked for me. 

[124gr9mm]

Read any manual and/or book you can get your hands on and watch every youtube video where someone is operating the press you have.  That will likely be many hours of Youtube videos all together, but it will be worth it.

Don't be afraid to ask questions on forums like this one.

 

Go very slowly and be very exacting with every step of the process.

 

You'll be nervous when you shoot your first handload, but that's a good thing.

[belus]

On 9/18/2020 at 8:18 PM, DLF1978 said:

Ok, totally new at reloading. Buying some older equipment from a friend that's in a money tight.. his step dad used to reload. Looking to also buy a Lee pro 1000 in 9mm also.. 

 Question is.. Is there a good place to learn all the basics and lingo of reloading? I have purchased a Lee reloading manual which is on the way to me. Will that tell me what I need to know? Or is there other books, chat rooms, videos etc... 

 Thanks 

 Update... just saw there is a reload section. I will also research there as well.

I'm not trying to encourage you to blow your budget, and I don't know what equipment your buddy is offering, but I would not recommend the Lee Pro 1000. I like some of Lee's stuff and my single stage press is made by them, but there's not much value in a three station progressive press. I think you would be wasting money.

If you're getting a single stage press from your buddy, buy a die set from Lee and load a couple hundred 9mm rounds on the single stage. That will cheaply introduce you to reloading and help you understand all the steps, and maybe why three stations is not an advantage.  The dies will be useful on any press you upgrade to down the road. If your buddy's kit doesn't include a single stage, then I would start with one such as Lee's Breech Lock Challenger. This O-frame single stage press will be useful for years and every bench should have one.

[Steve RA]

Get the Pro 1000 and the best single stage (from Lee), deprime with the single stage and clean brass (I suggest wet).  Then, prime with a hand primer.  Remove all the priming parts from the 1000 as you will only size (remove the depriming rod from the sizing die) add powder and then bullet.  

 

This all works best if you have a lot of brass and do it all in stages.

[belus]

43 minutes ago, Steve RA said:

Remove all the priming parts from the 1000 as you will only size (remove the depriming rod from the sizing die) add powder and then bullet.  

 

Doesn't this force him to seat and crimp in the same station?

Your suggested process is about $400 worth of equipment between a single stage and the Pro 1000 and this doesn't seem like a good deal to me. A BL 550 plus powder measure would be the same price and the same functionality plus an extra die station. Later he could upgrade it to do prime automatically and have the most flexible blue press out there.

[Steve RA]

yes, you seat and crimp in the same station.  However, it all works pretty well.  Here is a target shot with ammunition loaded as I described.

 

 

[HesedTech]

Steve RA, I don’t know, couldn’t your 45 loads shoot a bit more accurate at 25 yards! You were a little high and to the right.  );

 

As far as equipment goes, if the OP has the funds I would not recommend a Lee progressive press. Instead for just a little more than an additional Benjamin he can have a superior press, 550 or a LnL. 
 

Biggest problem these days is getting primers to load. Hopefully sometime this winter the mania will simmer down a bit. 

[RangerTrace]

On 9/19/2020 at 1:48 PM, dapribek said:

I think your best bet is find a buddy with the same press you’re using and get a lesson or two from him or her. That worked for me. 

^^^^^^THIS

[obsessiveshooter]

To break it down, you want to be certain you are dropping the right amount of powder, that you are making bullets that are the correct length (for the cartridge, and for your pistol), and that you are getting your crimp right.  The rest is just learning the quirks of your machine and how to adjust this and that.   Spend the time watching the videos to learn how to get the priming system to work on the Pro 1000.  It is helpful to understand how to make a finished cartridge on a single stage press before moving on to a progressive press, because with a progressive it is doing a lot at once and will definitely confuse you.  

[DD78]

I don't know if someone's mentioned this, but I highly recommend the book "The ABC's of Reloading".  It does a great job of walking a complete beginner through the basics.  

 

From there reading the loading manuals typically will give you a bit more info, and then start watching some reloading channels on youtube.  Ultimate Reloader has videos where he's just loading various cartridges, but watching what he does helps.  He's also really good at explaining what he's doing as he's doing it.  

[Miranda]

making ammo...
Get the primer IN there.
Make sure you have powder in each case before you seat each bullet.

all other mistakes can be seen or prevented.

 

the choice of powder is not critical...  ummm  buuut...
please do not ignore the advice to pick a less dense variety
so that is is hard to double charge.

 

the press you pick will make a difference in how long you spend
making each round.
Automation can get complicated and finicky.
As long as you understand what the press is doing for you,
making good ammo is not hard.

 

reloading as a hobby/skill/craft has a lot of gizmos available.
Get a reloading scale to confirm your powder charge.
It may seem a gizmo and is not really an option.

 

miranda

 

[Tophernj]

On 10/23/2020 at 11:44 PM, DD78 said:

I don't know if someone's mentioned this, but I highly recommend the book "The ABC's of Reloading".  It does a great job of walking a complete beginner through the basics.    

Awesome book.  If I hadn't already passed mine along to a newer reloader, I would have sent it to you.  It's worth it's weight in gold.  

 

I agree with those that said to start on a single stage.  It allows you to understand what each step of the process does and how it affects later processes.  Do 500 rounds of whatever caliber and you will begin to see why you're doing what you're doing.  I think it's invaluable.  Then move on to the progressive (I also agree that the LEE Pro is not the best machine for the money).  

 

Good luck in your journey.

[JoeSoop]

On 9/18/2020 at 9:18 PM, DLF1978 said:

Ok, totally new at reloading. Buying some older equipment from a friend that's in a money tight.. his step dad used to reload. Looking to also buy a Lee pro 1000 in 9mm also.. 

 Question is.. Is there a good place to learn all the basics and lingo of reloading? I have purchased a Lee reloading manual which is on the way to me. Will that tell me what I need to know? Or is there other books, chat rooms, videos etc... 

 Thanks 

 Update... just saw there is a reload section. I will also research there as well.

Lots of good advice in here. A few things: 1) get a buddy who KNOWS what they are doing it show you the ropes. I have been reloading for years and still phone a friend from time to time. 2) Rely on your eyes versus sensors and alerts. For instance, I visually check that powder is in every case before I put a bullet on top. Ever though I am running a progressive press at ~450 rounds an hour, there is still plenty of time to visually inspect for powder. To me that is the most important check in the entire process. No one wants a squib. 3) Like others said - go slow while loading. When I started I can’t tell you how many time i got distracted like 50 rounds into my session and had a mental block as to whether I saw powder drop in the last few cases. So, i put them in the scrap bin to pull later and started over. Good luck...you will love it once you get the hang of it!

[hlsccsfa]

I have had good luck with youtube for instructional videos before I purchased X750 last year. I have no doubt that videos on other presses are also easy to find

[ts199982]

On 9/21/2020 at 11:14 AM, Steve RA said:

Get the Pro 1000 and the best single stage (from Lee), deprime with the single stage and clean brass (I suggest wet).  Then, prime with a hand primer.  Remove all the priming parts from the 1000 as you will only size (remove the depriming rod from the sizing die) add powder and then bullet.  

 

This all works best if you have a lot of brass and do it all in stages.

 

I like this technique for a new loader, in fact I still find myself doing this often. Lee makes a desk mounted primer, so much better than the hand primers with no blisters. You can prep brass at anytime, just store the primed cases, then when you are ready to load, half the job is already done, and the presses work so much smoother not having to deprime and prime. 

[Merldizzle]

Make as many friends as possible that reload. Visit their setups, ask questions, observe, try, etc. you’ll see common themes that people follow as just 1 person isn’t the best source for information. Others have mentioned reading the manuals and watching YouTube. Then comes a point where you’ll learn by doing and still make mistakes to learn from. Hope this helps 

[smfort]

Buddies coming over to help me setup my press and show me how to reload was the most helpful to me.  I also watched youtube videos and even watched the Dillon DVD!  

[bludog]

I've been reloading for about a year and have stumbled into some Ginex small pistol primers. Seems like one out of twenty is too tight to fit the primer pocket.  Most of the other brands of primers I use seem to work OK.  Is the answer to swage the primer pocket before using this particular primer or are there certain brands of brass that are known for smaller pockets ?

[MuayThaiJJ]

Start slow, load one round at a time so you see how each station functions, once you get it going 100%. Make it 2 cases and get better at watching each function, then go all the way to 5 and you will be good. YouTube is great too

[ChuckS]

Just a comment: if you guys are talking to the OP, he probably doesn't hear you.

 

[Johnny_Chimpo]

On 10/19/2022 at 11:25 PM, bludog said:

I've been reloading for about a year and have stumbled into some Ginex small pistol primers. Seems like one out of twenty is too tight to fit the primer pocket.  Most of the other brands of primers I use seem to work OK.  Is the answer to swage the primer pocket before using this particular primer or are there certain brands of brass that are known for smaller pockets ?

 

I've gone through about 5K Ginex primers this year, and last year ran through 10K Murom (Russian-made) small pistol primers.

 

In general, European primers are harder to seat than American primers.  In general, all primers (regardless of brand) are easier to seat in American-made brass and harder to seat in foreign-made brass.  In my personal experience that includes 9X19 brass from Mexican, South African, German, Turkish, Serbian, Brazilian, and Italian ammo companies.

 

I suppose you could swage or ream primer pockets.  I don't have time for that.  I hand prime and I just crush the s#!t out of the tool until the primer bottoms out.  If I do that I don't get failures to fire even with 13 lb hammer springs (CZ).  As a plus my priming process is also a hand strength exercise and I shift hands every 100 rounds.

[boatdoc173]

all new loaders need t read a manual or 3. lymans, sierra, lee,hornady all make good reads.

 

THEN( a s  suggested) go slow. be sur e your primers seat properly. most important to be sure you get the right powder load( use the manuals to find the right loads)> start low and work your way up withthe powder loads.  seating and crimping are easy once th e loader is set up.

 

 # os  rounds produced  is NOT important at first. making  quality ,safe round sis the goal

good luck