Warning! Rookie alert.
01-03-2003, 09:44 PM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lubbock Texas USA
Posts: 4,256
Warning! Rookie alert.
Well here I am. I've got my bench all set up and ready to go.
Have the Hognod powder data book, Speer reloading, Lyman reloading handbook, cast bullet handbook, brass for 3006, 3030,6.5x55 sweedish, 38 and 357. Die sets for each, RCBS reloading press, MRC loader for the 3030 and 3006, Rifle and pistol primers, case trimmer by lyman, Powder trickler, powder and bullet scale by reding and rcbs, Caliper by RCBS and US Midway, lube pads, deburring tool, Lee powder measurer with stand and a few more things.
Powder
Full unopened containers of Unique, 2400,bluedot,7,Imr 3420,3031,4350, and some Curtiss and Harveys type F gunpowder.
Most of the tools I have double of and will be doing some swaping around.
I know that the first thing is to start reading but would like some input on what other basic tools I might need.
Hope everyone is ready for some basic reloading questions. That is if you dont mind.
Thanks in advance,
Rick
Lifes not about knowing the answers, its about asking the questions.
Have the Hognod powder data book, Speer reloading, Lyman reloading handbook, cast bullet handbook, brass for 3006, 3030,6.5x55 sweedish, 38 and 357. Die sets for each, RCBS reloading press, MRC loader for the 3030 and 3006, Rifle and pistol primers, case trimmer by lyman, Powder trickler, powder and bullet scale by reding and rcbs, Caliper by RCBS and US Midway, lube pads, deburring tool, Lee powder measurer with stand and a few more things.
Powder
Full unopened containers of Unique, 2400,bluedot,7,Imr 3420,3031,4350, and some Curtiss and Harveys type F gunpowder.
Most of the tools I have double of and will be doing some swaping around.
I know that the first thing is to start reading but would like some input on what other basic tools I might need.
Hope everyone is ready for some basic reloading questions. That is if you dont mind.
Thanks in advance,
Rick
Lifes not about knowing the answers, its about asking the questions.
01-04-2003, 12:27 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Oakland OR USA
Posts: 2,929
RE: Warning! Rookie alert.
Rick when I first started all I had was a reloading press a set of dies and a scale and I started from there . Sounds like you have a good start on it already , If you have question I'm sure somebody here will have the answer for you or know where to get it. Fire away
01-09-2003, 10:02 PM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Allen Texas USA
Posts: 210
RE: Warning! Rookie alert.
I guess first of all, do you have it fixed in your mind what the basic steps of reloading a centerfire cartridge are? If not, then read the first part of the manuals... preferrably all of them, to get the same lesson presented to you in several different ways. The way I see it is basically this... to turn a fired case into a loaded cartridge, you need to:
Resize the case... squeeze it down to its original dimensions. Anything other than straight-walled cases must be lubricated before sizing.. the straight-walled ones don't need it, if you have carbide sizing dies..if not, lube them.
Knock out the spent primer... this usually happens when you size the case.
Put a new primer back in the case...seated fully to the bottom of the primer pocket. Try not to touch the primer with anything oily (like your fingers, etc..) oil kills primers. Primers can also explode... be careful with them.
Put a correct charge of powder in the case. For most pistol cartridges, the case mouth should be slightly flared, or "belled" before putting the powder in. This "belling" allows the bullet to be seated more easily.
Seat the bullet in the case, crimp it if necessary. Crimping is usually done on pistol cartridges, and rifle cartridges that will be used in a semi-auto rifle, or perhaps a rifle with a tubular magazine, like a lever action.
That's the basic steps. You can load shootable ammo just by doing these steps. You can elaborate on any of the steps by any number of ways, such as, trimming the cases to a uniform length, chamfering the case mouth, deburring the primer flash-hole, uniforming the primer pocket, cleaning the primer pocket after the old primer is knocked out, tumbling (cleaning) the brass cases, etc...... start out knowing the basics, and add your own personal touches as you go, and your knowledge develops. Ask any question, anytime... listen to ALL the answers before you make up your mind... mostly, be safe, and enjoy the sport.....
"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness..those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Santayana
Resize the case... squeeze it down to its original dimensions. Anything other than straight-walled cases must be lubricated before sizing.. the straight-walled ones don't need it, if you have carbide sizing dies..if not, lube them.
Knock out the spent primer... this usually happens when you size the case.
Put a new primer back in the case...seated fully to the bottom of the primer pocket. Try not to touch the primer with anything oily (like your fingers, etc..) oil kills primers. Primers can also explode... be careful with them.
Put a correct charge of powder in the case. For most pistol cartridges, the case mouth should be slightly flared, or "belled" before putting the powder in. This "belling" allows the bullet to be seated more easily.
Seat the bullet in the case, crimp it if necessary. Crimping is usually done on pistol cartridges, and rifle cartridges that will be used in a semi-auto rifle, or perhaps a rifle with a tubular magazine, like a lever action.
That's the basic steps. You can load shootable ammo just by doing these steps. You can elaborate on any of the steps by any number of ways, such as, trimming the cases to a uniform length, chamfering the case mouth, deburring the primer flash-hole, uniforming the primer pocket, cleaning the primer pocket after the old primer is knocked out, tumbling (cleaning) the brass cases, etc...... start out knowing the basics, and add your own personal touches as you go, and your knowledge develops. Ask any question, anytime... listen to ALL the answers before you make up your mind... mostly, be safe, and enjoy the sport.....
"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness..those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Santayana
01-09-2003, 10:41 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Lubbock Texas USA
Posts: 4,256
RE: Warning! Rookie alert.
Sorry guys,
Between work and trying to squeeze in the last few days of hunting I havent messed with reloading yet.
RR half was given to me by a older friend who decided to hang it up the other half I bought from another man who did the same.
Rem. All the powder came from my friend and is sealed from the fact. The curtis's and harvey's F gunpowder is manufactured in Germany for Nobels Explosives Company Limited out of Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland A subsidiary of Imperial Chemical Industries Limited.
I need to find out more about these. He did BP hunt.
Rem. there is more but I did not list it. Lead melting pot, Big set of powder scoops, brass, the one I bought had about 12 boxes of factory loaded shells for 3030 and 3006. One large scale (like you might use in High School), 3 storage cabnets (hobby type 11x6 drawers in each and I havent even started to sort all that out).
CEH Got the chair but love the smell but cant stand the taste of coffee.
HG. Ive got to get a couple of (I think they are called turrents) that go on top of the press and hold the dies. That way I dont have to change them out once I have them set.
Ive got to figure out how to set the dies. I need to learn how,where,when,to mike the cases and what all this means when you look at it.
Future project. To load for a .25 Remington.
Well got to hit the sack.
Thanks again for the help.
Rick
Lifes not about knowing the answers, its about asking the questions.
Between work and trying to squeeze in the last few days of hunting I havent messed with reloading yet.
RR half was given to me by a older friend who decided to hang it up the other half I bought from another man who did the same.
Rem. All the powder came from my friend and is sealed from the fact. The curtis's and harvey's F gunpowder is manufactured in Germany for Nobels Explosives Company Limited out of Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland A subsidiary of Imperial Chemical Industries Limited.
I need to find out more about these. He did BP hunt.
Rem. there is more but I did not list it. Lead melting pot, Big set of powder scoops, brass, the one I bought had about 12 boxes of factory loaded shells for 3030 and 3006. One large scale (like you might use in High School), 3 storage cabnets (hobby type 11x6 drawers in each and I havent even started to sort all that out).
CEH Got the chair but love the smell but cant stand the taste of coffee.
HG. Ive got to get a couple of (I think they are called turrents) that go on top of the press and hold the dies. That way I dont have to change them out once I have them set.
Ive got to figure out how to set the dies. I need to learn how,where,when,to mike the cases and what all this means when you look at it.
Future project. To load for a .25 Remington.
Well got to hit the sack.
Thanks again for the help.
Rick
Lifes not about knowing the answers, its about asking the questions.
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