Brand new to reloading resources

[HairyScandinavian]

I realize this has probably been beaten to death but I just finally took the plunge due to a great deal locally (I think) and I'm currently searching RS and YT for a playlist to keep me busy for a few weeks when I'm supposed to be working.

For brand new completely ignorant to reloading tutorial style videos, articles, resources, and instructions if you've seen any in particular that stand out to you as a good starting point I'd love to hear about them or get a link and such. Usually I'm great at picking through random google results but I fear I don't know enough about this topic to decipher what's worth reading and what's going to blow up my Tikka.

I know I still need some things to get started, this is what I picked up today all brand new still plastic wrapped for $175.
The dies are 9mm and 800 large pistol primers I may put to use later, but I'm mainly interested in reloading for rifle accuracy, likely going to start for my Tikka 6.5 CM and branch out to wife's 6mm ARC and then to the 223 with TMK's. I have a good bit of brass for it all already just need to buy a tumbler to clean it all up but it'll all be Hornady which I realize may not be the best. I've got a bunch of random primers and powders I've been stocking up on that probably won't be applicable lol and some RCBS 6.5 CM dies which probably won't work with this press.

Anyhow, I'm not educated enough to actually ask questions or even purchase the other pieces yet, mainly just wanted to ask about some good tutorial videos or reading material that's RS Reloading forum approved for a green beginner who doesn't want to blow himself up.

 

[Erict]

I've been reloading for a long time and while I can't refer you to tutorials I will give one piece of advice:

Write down every step of the process from beginning to end for each load, and refer back to it later if that load proves to be what you are looking for. Do not rely on remembering things. The key to assembling reliable and accurate ammo is repeatability. Good luck.

 

[brianwesson1]

When I started out I found a YT channel Panhandle Precision . Lot of great step by step videos that helped me a lot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jbmagill79]

I realize this has probably been beaten to death but I just finally took the plunge due to a great deal locally (I think) and I'm currently searching RS and YT for a playlist to keep me busy for a few weeks when I'm supposed to be working.

For brand new completely ignorant to reloading tutorial style videos, articles, resources, and instructions if you've seen any in particular that stand out to you as a good starting point I'd love to hear about them or get a link and such. Usually I'm great at picking through random google results but I fear I don't know enough about this topic to decipher what's worth reading and what's going to blow up my Tikka.

I know I still need some things to get started, this is what I picked up today all brand new still plastic wrapped for $175.
The dies are 9mm and 800 large pistol primers I may put to use later, but I'm mainly interested in reloading for rifle accuracy, likely going to start for my Tikka 6.5 CM and branch out to wife's 6mm ARC and then to the 223 with TMK's. I have a good bit of brass for it all already just need to buy a tumbler to clean it all up but it'll all be Hornady which I realize may not be the best. I've got a bunch of random primers and powders I've been stocking up on that probably won't be applicable lol and some RCBS 6.5 CM dies which probably won't work with this press.

Anyhow, I'm not educated enough to actually ask questions or even purchase the other pieces yet, mainly just wanted to ask about some good tutorial videos or reading material that's RS Reloading forum approved for a green beginner who doesn't want to blow himself up.View attachment 940953View attachment 940956

The first thing you need to buy are a couple of reloading manuals. And then read them all the way through. The rifle precision reloading handbook is one I would definitely recommend. It’s a green paperback you can buy on amazon and you may save yourself a lot of time and money buying things once instead of trial and error.

 

[North of 60]

Good for you Hairy S, as this is a fun rabbit hole

I'll second panhandle precision...i enjoyed watching his videos even though i have a lot of experience.

 

[TaperPin]

Welcome to the club!

All the major reloading brands will have good basic tutorials. With everything there will be basics, advanced techniques and techniques that seem to contradict other techniques, but in the end something that seems strange will have some thought behind it, it’s just not always clear.

I like a book to thumb through and buy a few printed manuals. The cartridge descriptions and history are interesting to read and it’s nice to have a data source that’s mostly error free.

Following nothing but the bare basic tutorials either online or in the front of one of their reloading manuals, will get very good accuracy. Many folks stop with the basics and are happy.

Everything feels clunky at first, but it’s so repetitive it will feel more natural after a few hundred cases.

A little journal book, or a big 3 ring binder both work well to write down what you do each time. Many like preprinted pages and just as many only write what they like to track on blank pages.

 

[North of 60]

Taper Pin is right, there should be plenty of basic info out there, and as he and Erict mentioned, write every step down for each cartridge as some of it will vary, for example, when to crimp slightly, and when it isn't needed.

I keep a separate 3-ring binder for each rifle or pistol to better keep things straight.

And always, always, double check your powder charges in primed cases in a tray before seating bullets. An empty case resulting in a squib when fired is more likely than a double charge as most cartridge/powder capacities are designed to prevent double charges unless you are choosing to load reduced or subsonic loads, where a double charge may happen if not careful.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

Appreciate the pointers y'all. I'll be rereading through all this again once I'm ready to get crackin.

 

[Caseknife]

Yep, get a manual or two, good reading and data. Penlight flashlight to look into EACH case after filling with powder to verify they are all the same. NO DISTRACTIONS, no kids, no podcasts, no music, no food or drink, concentration and repetition is what you want when reloading. Your dies should work with the L-n-L press, just need an adapter. Take everybody's internet load with a grain of salt, you are the one pressing the trigger.

 

[RockAndSage]

NO DISTRACTIONS, no kids, no podcasts, no music, no food or drink, concentration and repetition is what you want when reloading.

The only thing I'd really add is keep your pistol and rifle powders in entirely different cabinets, and never have more than one powder on your bench at one time. It's the kind of thing where you don't want to do things so it can go right - you want to do things so that you can't possibly do anything wrong. So, eliminating distractions and complications as Caseknife noted is important, especially while you're learning.

One good resource on YT is Impact Shooting. Piet is a South African doing some interesting stuff, and he actually has a formal online course on handloading, via his website.

 

[Caseknife]

The only thing I'd really add is keep your pistol and rifle powders in entirely different cabinets, and never have more than one powder on your bench at one time. It's the kind of thing where you don't want to do things so it can go right - you want to do things so that you can't possibly do anything wrong. So, eliminating distractions and complications as Caseknife noted is important, especially while you're learning.

One good resource on YT is Impact Shooting. Piet is a South African doing some interesting stuff, and he actually has a formal online course on handloading, via his website.

Good point on the one powder on the bench at a time. That also keeps you from dumping the excess powder from the meter, scale, trickler, into the wrong cannister, one of those "Oh shit" moments.

When priming cases, run your fingertip across the end of the case to check for flush insertion and that the primer didn't get flipped over and get pressed in backwards.

 

[NoDakhunter]

RCBS YouTube videos are great for getting started. I started about a year ago and they helped a ton!

 

[mtnbound]

I realize this has probably been beaten to death but I just finally took the plunge due to a great deal locally (I think) and I'm currently searching RS and YT for a playlist to keep me busy for a few weeks when I'm supposed to be working.

For brand new completely ignorant to reloading tutorial style videos, articles, resources, and instructions if you've seen any in particular that stand out to you as a good starting point I'd love to hear about them or get a link and such. Usually I'm great at picking through random google results but I fear I don't know enough about this topic to decipher what's worth reading and what's going to blow up my Tikka.

I know I still need some things to get started, this is what I picked up today all brand new still plastic wrapped for $175.
The dies are 9mm and 800 large pistol primers I may put to use later, but I'm mainly interested in reloading for rifle accuracy, likely going to start for my Tikka 6.5 CM and branch out to wife's 6mm ARC and then to the 223 with TMK's. I have a good bit of brass for it all already just need to buy a tumbler to clean it all up but it'll all be Hornady which I realize may not be the best. I've got a bunch of random primers and powders I've been stocking up on that probably won't be applicable lol and some RCBS 6.5 CM dies which probably won't work with this press.

Anyhow, I'm not educated enough to actually ask questions or even purchase the other pieces yet, mainly just wanted to ask about some good tutorial videos or reading material that's RS Reloading forum approved for a green beginner who doesn't want to blow himself up.View attachment 940953View attachment 940956

Pick up a few more die bushings so you can easily swap between cartridges. It's more money, but their Auto Charge Pro is straightforward to use and is fast. Once you have the process down, consider adding one to your setup. Hornady, Sierra, Hodgedon, and Vihtavuori all have an app for loads. The Hornady app has a Tips and Tricks section for reloading that you might find helpful as does VV.

 

[slm9s]

Buy 2 presses, Lee Classic are a great value.
Buy an RCBS Chargemaster or chargemaster lite
Full length die set for your chambering
A primer seater (I like K&M)
Of course you'll need brass, bullets, primers, and powder

Set your chargemaster and have it start pouring your first charge.
Full length size brass #1 on press #1
seat primer
pour powder into brass #1 (chargemaster will automatically start charge #2)
seat bullet on press #2
full length size brass #2 and repeat

This assembly line technique is very fast as you're never waiting at any step. It also reduces the possibility of no powder or double charge.

 

[Dave Thomas]

You have been given some good advice but no one mentioned yet that 9mm uses small pistol primers. Lots of good info in the front of most reloading manuals.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

You have been given some good advice but no one mentioned yet that 9mm uses small pistol primers. Lots of good info in the front of most reloading manuals.

Thanks for the heads up. This was just all stuff that was included, I may not even ever reload the 9mm but good looking out on that it's a good catch. I might actually try some cost-effective 10mm loads at some point so I can shoot it more, 10mm factory ammo is freaking expensive. Might just end up trading some of the components once I get a handle on what I'm using all this stuff for once I get going.

 

[RockAndSage]

I might actually try some cost-effective 10mm loads at some point so I can shoot it more, 10mm factory ammo is freaking expensive.

That's where reloading and handloading really shine for me, personally. Years ago, it was bulk 45, then 40, then 9mm for awhile, because it allowed me to shoot high volume at a fraction of factory costs. But along the line, between low cost of factory ammo and high cost of components, it really just stopped being cost effective to load those rounds. Same with practice .223. Especially if I calculate my time as part of all that, which I'm inclined to do for high-volume practice stuff. But for expensive rounds like 10mm or something obscure, doing it cheaper or tuning high-quality custom loads, and making sure I have options to keep the primary guns fed if the shelves get emptied of factory ammo again, it's a hobby and skillset I enjoy having.

 

[jlchester5045]

My two pieces of advise:

1. When reloading, don't allow yourself to get distracted by anything else. As a father of three, a husband, full time job, running a side business, etc. It's easy for me to get distracted at any moment. When I reload, everything must be set aside or put on hold so I'm only focused on the reloading bench.

2. If you don't write it down, it didn't happen. Your records are crucial. I keep hand written notes for every single thing I do at the reloading bench and then later record my notes into my computer for a back up.

As for tutorials, just look up Little Crow Gunworks on YouTube. Currently, they are putting out some of the best reloading advise in terms of the process and "how to" that I can find for precision reloading. It's easy to get off in the weeds but find a process that works for you and stick with it.

 

[flyfisher117]

Panhandle Precision and Johnnie’s reloading bench are the only 2 reloading YouTubers I have found putting out good info consistently. There are others I will occasionally watch but not as often because they are either selling a product, pushing fuddlore, or chasing statistical noise.

Johnnie’s actually has intro series for many common cartridges. I haven’t watched one in a while but the one I did watch quite a few years ago he shared some of the quirks of loading that specific cartridge.