tips to reloading?
 

Well i am only 16 but i am very instered in learing how to reload my dad is teaching me and i also have some friends and family also and i was wondering if there are any tips for a kid learing how to reload little tricks and whatnot ty

RE: tips to reloading?
 

Since you have live & in-person people to teach you, you are WAY ahead.:D The best thing you can do is be VERY attentive to what they show & tell you and ask questions about everything that isn't 110% clear to you.

Reloading is a GREAT hobby and way to further your shooting efforts - but like all things firearm-related........... there are some inherant dangers to be on the watch for. Take the safe route in all things (even if it seems silly to you) and you can be loading your own ammo for the next 60+ years. :)

AND if your help there can't/don't answer your questions to your satisfaction - then check in with us here and on other forums to see if you can find out what you want to know.........take advantage of ALL of the knowledge you can get your hands on.

RE: tips to reloading?
 

Here's a tip if you get frustrated walk away and come back to it later. Good luck.

RE: tips to reloading?
 

Safety Glasses!

RE: tips to reloading?
 

Read the manual and follow it to the tee with no substitutions or changes from the published data. Max loads are just that. There is no need to max out on a cartridge. The most accurate reloads are many times in the middle of the powder range. Any changes you make in brass, primers, seating depth and especially powders, can cause dramatic increase in pressures over the formula in the manual. Do not go by what a friend recommends unless it's by the book. And a big one, don't be distracted while your reloading. Follow the instructions step by step and you'll enjoy the hobby for many years to come. Take your time and have fun.:D

RE: tips to reloading?
 

Never Never reload when you are sleepy or tired.

Or never reload when other disstrations are around
like a tv set or other people talking to you.

You have to really pay attention to what you are doing.

And always go by the book.

It could save your life.
It only takes one mistake to kill you.

So be carefull.
And have fun

RE: tips to reloading?
 

Ok, now for a worthwhile tip. Gosh guys. Safety glass's?

Anyway, use a fabric softener sheet to clean out the dust and stuff i your funnel and powder thrower and wieght pan. Keeps those little flake powders from sticking up the mess.

Second. When seating a bullet, turn the case 3 or 4 more times when seating to get alignment right

Here's another. Square you dies before tightening down the setup. The threads on dies are so course, you can get bad alignment. To do this, use a very straight washer and raise the shell holder to the top against the die. use only the wieght of the handle and carefull tighten down the lock ring.

To make straight ammo, raise the expander ball as high as it will go. Deprime with a universal deprimer. That way, when pulling the brass out of a sizing die, it will immediately be caught on the ball and make "straighter" ammo.

The powder that produces the best velocity usually doesnt produce best accuracy. If a slow powder doesn't work, try a little faster one. It pays off sometimes.

Hottest primer isn't always the best route.

Thats all I can think of right now.

RE: tips to reloading?
 

Get all of the reloading manuals and read them from cover to cover. Many of the folks who do the write ups on each cartridge are experts and you will find a lot of info about the whole shooting industry. Never load to many shells at once. You can get burned out and careless. Its a great hobby and has given me much joy and passed many cold winter night In the Dakotas. Also there are some great vidios on reloading from Sierra and many other companies. I should have spent some of that reloading time learning how to write and spell.:D

RE: tips to reloading?
 

You bet, Safety first and foremost. After all we are talking to a 16yr old. Having a 14yr old son myself i thought it was a pretty good tip. Hard to be a reloader with no eyesight.

bigcountry....your comment was directed to me since no one else mentioned safety glasses so i'll address it. You've gained my respect on this forum with your knowledge of guns/reloading as well as other subjects and i always look forward to reading your imput when you respond to a post. However, i must admit that at times i don't understand your sarcasm. Even though i've been reloading for 16yrs there's no doubt i'm no reloading guru as you are but we can't all be. The kid ask for a tip and in my opinon i gave him what i consider to be a very (worthwhile) tip especially when it comes to reloading. After all, i would consider eyesight very worthwhile or at least i do. Your response to what i said is your opinion, and you know what they say about opinions. Hey, i can live with that. :D Mike

RE: tips to reloading?
 

Well, it would only take once I guess for me to change my mind. For instance when I worked a logging job whe I was a kid, I detested safety glass's. So I half ass'd them on my head. One day a chainsaw thru a chunk into my cornia. Well, after a in house operation, it healed but my right eye pretty well sucks. So when it comes to chain saws and weedeaters, I am the safety glass nazi. So yes, I have never really gave safety glass's a thought while loading until recently with a experience from mossy.

I didn't mean it to be real harsh. Just more sarcasitc humor. You got about 5 years more experience than me actually reloading.

So tell me do you wear them the whole time or priming? Reason I ask, is Mossey on here had something happend that freaked me out a little. He was using a kinetic hammer on a dummy load with no powder and the primer went off. I mean I have litterly took apart 100's of loaded rounds with the hammer. So it made me think a tad on how a person could be a dead man pretty quick. I just never thought it was possible. So when priming I am kinda wondering if anyone had the primer go off?