Getting Started Reloading - Avoid These 5 Mistakes! 

I've been reloading six or seven years. One of the mistakes I made when I was getting started was having other people in the powder room with me when I was reloading. The smallest amount of distraction can be dangerous. The first time it happened I ended up with some 40 grain V-Max that I clocked around 6000 fps coming out of my .22-250. The second time it happened I caught it before I started seating bullets. I stopped having friends hang out with me while I was reloading and haven't had that problem anymore. I live out in the country and people always stop by unannounced, and I appreciate all of them. If someone stops by while I'm in the powder room, I just stop what I'm doing. I removed all the extra chairs so they usually don't stay too long.

Amen. Reloading is also very relaxing and a means to disconnect from the world. Plus, finding “that” one round that produces outstanding results is very rewarding.

Another thing I have seen (up close) is some guy in Montana does his load development in early spring when it's 50 degrees outside but then come July in Southeast Texas when it's 98 degrees in the shade some guy copies the guy from Montana's load data and wonders why it doesn't work or why he's popping primers. That extra heat outside can take a 'hot load' from hot to unsafe real quick. In other words DON'T use other people's load data! And if you do WORK UP TO IT. If you see unsafe signs half way there, STOP.

Number 1 rule: Never assume anything. Number 2 rule: Check everything twice. You can redo a handload but you can't redo losing an eye or even worse.

When I started loading 45 years ago I was too poor to make many mistakes most of my equipment was free and second hand. I mostly loaded 38 special with a Lee Loader with a dipper and a hammer, cost me about $2.50 to load 50 wadcutter loads.

Yeah... I get asked about it being cheaper too... I mostly reload because I enjoy the process and find it to be a good way to de-stress from a long day or week. Plus my kids think it's fun to help dad make bullets. If you were to calculate time and tools into the cost of making rounds it would almost be cheaper to buy a new gun for every round I shoot...

#6 - don’t shoot anyone else’s reloads!!

Been loading for 5 years now. Anyone saying they know everything is doomed to fail. I'm subbing.

This is excellent advise for the new reloader. I am fortunate enough to have a friend that has been reloading for over 20 years and he was very up front about everything from initial cost to how you will eventually morph into something bigger. I still remember the first 9mm I reloaded, I was stressed to the hilt. Thankfully everything went well. When I reload the reload room is off limits to everyone including my wife to ensure I don’t miss the mark. Now I reload everything from .380 Auto, 9mm, 40 S&W to 223/556 and .308. I find reloading to relaxing and enjoy the actual process from start to finish. Luckily I started pre pandemic and was able to purchase my supplies at “normal” prices. I too laugh when people ask how much you will “save” and I quickly inform them that there are really no true savings but you have the ability manufacture when things are overpriced as in today’s current environment. To this day I still use single stage presses by choice and enjoy developing, shooting and documenting the results to further improve.

This is great advice to beginning handloaders. I was blessed to have a mentor and also an uncle who was a highly accomplished competitive marksman, hunter, and outdoor writer. I started out with a Rockchucker kit in 1991. The kit had all that was needed to start. Some months later, I started adding peripherals to enhance the handloading experience. Don't think you need all the bells and whistles to get started. Accuracy comes from consistent and repetitive attention to detail, no matter what level of handloading you have achieved! ALWAYS: Safety first! Be smart, err on the side of caution w/charge weights, etc. Keep a clean, uncluttered bench. READ AND STUDY YOUR MANUAL: Get a great manual from Nosler, Lyman, Barnes, Hornady, Lee, etc. ( I own eight or more manuals from different companies). It's very rewarding to research and compare data in these books. KEEP GOOD RECORDS: Label your loads so you know what in hell you're shooting! DON'T GO ON A SPENDING SPREE: After a few years of reloading, I thought I needed a progressive press, so I bought one. A year later, I had so much pistol and rifle ammo, I didn't know what to do with it all! After settling down with a Lyman turret press, I found that sweet spot between volume and production efficiency. The Rockchucker is used for developing, higher performance accuracy & Incremental pressure loads, and the Lyman press for my standard pistol reloading. Good luck and have fun!

This hand waving from the edge of the screen reminds me of the ending shots of the Swenghoulie show on MeTV.

I can get behind these recommendations. They make sense.

A great quick overview of what's to expect once you start down the rabbit hole. I been reloading for pistols for 15+yrs...got into casting/Power Coating also & just started reloading for rifles 2yrs ago ....it still amazes me how every day I seem to learn something new about reloading & also need to acquire a new tool or equipment.

Everything you said is spot on. Especially the freebore issue, and the (LOL) money saving part.

Thanks for the information and video. I have grew my selection of tools and equipment for reloading over the years. Started with a basic Lee turret set up. I didn’t have any way to clean my brass other than fine steel wool. It’s not cheap for sure.

Very good video,I’ve been reloading for a few years now and love it.I have never got the tool for setting depth of bullet but I am now.

GOOD, common sense information! Appreciate it very much!

Awesome, practical advice! Spot on, and some of the best reloading advice I have heard!

I've been handloading for more than 50 years. Not to save money, (of course!) but because I seem to be attracted to odd and mostly unavailable (obsolete) calibers. Also cast my own bullets, for the same reason. Thanks for the video!

New subscriber here. I just did my first .38 special reloads a couple of weeks ago and it was heavenly. It felt so good. I showed my reloading data with a much more experienced reloader whom I trust and he saved me blowing up my Ruger GP 100 six inch by catching that I overloaded my .357 magnum rounds by 2 1/2 grains. It was Titegroup powder. I was using a 158 gr. bullet when it called for a 124 gr. One. Too much pressure. I learned a valuable lesson. I enjoyed your video and will check out the rest of your postings. BTW, I get having to work with what you have. Your hand simply is an emphasizer and is not distracting to me. For others if it is, don't look but listen. Easy peezy.

Great info & perspective. Appreciate your channel.

Excellent information

Well done. Keep’m coming

Told you I would come and watch it after JRB. Nice job and very truthful

Wonderful - quick, informative, slick.

Great info, thanks for sharing

Great video! Thanks for sharing!

Great video. Thanks for the info.

Yes, agreed: people asking online for other people’s reload recipes is a bit like asking for people’s fishing spots. Don’t be lazy! Do what others do and start with the published data, and work up a load just like everyone else does; it’s heap of fun, and you just might learn a thing or 2 along the way. Remember that my load works in my rifle, but it may not necessarily work in yours. Great video. Very simple and to the point. Some may say just stating the obvious, but sometimes that’s just what you have to do. Cheers from Down Under.

Thank you for making these videos

When your starting out buy Lee. Until you know if you really need the high level/Price version. Trimmers, dies, etc. I started with a rcbs kit. Bought expensive redding dies for rifles that didnt need it. And my reloading skill was not high enough to use the extra edge of the redding dies anyway. Its RU-vid channels like this One that make all the difference. Lapua brass in a Lee die is better than range brass through a redding.

If I could tell my past self one thing, it would be to get a Forster Co-Ax instead of a Lee Turret. Little did I know I'd get addicted to accuracy. After measuring things at every stage of the process (shoulder bump, charge weight, case base to ogive, and total indicated runout) I might as well have a single stage at this point. Less sloppy without the turret.

Good info. Just starting so this is valuable.

Good video as always.

Just subscribed, great channel. I've reloaded for decades but am always open to more (correct) knowledge! Thanks.

Good advice 👍🏻

i have been reloading for 25+ years and still add new tools now and then! getting into casting now for pistols and subsonic rifles rounds.

I live in the People's Republic of California...I know...I know...but living hear is the sole reason I got into reloading. I figured the politics would eventually get to the ammo, like it has with buying guns here, and it's now looking this way for the whole country! Anyway that's why I reload...to insure that I will always have a way to have ammunition when I need it. Love the channel! Please keep doing what you do! Thanks

Thanks for this info I’m totally new to reloading so new I haven’t even bought any equipment just getting in the research and vids like these are very helpful, I will check out your other vids before I make any decisions and any advice would be very helpful keep up the great work thanks again cheers Yogi Australia 🇦🇺 🤙🤙

Great points. Especially the c.o.a.l. I've had more than one "reloader" tell me I was an idiot for deviating from published c.o.a.l.

Great list, with my experience I agree with this list.

All very good points. I started loading in 1979. There was no internet to teach how to do it. So I have a very large collection of loading manuals and would never use any loads found on line with out checking them out in a manual. Save money HA! But I have shot 10's of thousands of rounds when I wouldn't have shot near that much if I had to buy loaded ammo.

My reloading kits have everything you would need because I put the dies set, the length gauge and everything else I need to reload that one caliber in a Plano Waterproof Stowaway box. I have a stack of them in every caliber I own so no matter what, I can load ammo when others are scrounging for ammo.

When I buy a new rifle, I also buy the reloading dies for it but use factory loaded ammo to see what my rifle likes and then I reload copying the advertised velocity of the most accurate round and working a load up from there. I like the slower burning powders that will fill up the case.

As a former reloader, This is well said! Now over 70 yrs old, I have sold my reloading equipment but I still have the books of which he speaks. LISTEN TO HIM ! ! !

This video was very helpful THANK YOU. At the time of making this comment I have not made one bullet but I've done a lot of research. Watching your video reinsured me that I was heading the right direction. I was hoping to get started this weekend but now I realized that I have no way to check my scale so I will wait for the check scale weight to come in the mail and get started.

Very very nice video.

Bud, great video, much appreciated. Subbed, looking forward to checking out your other videos.

I'm relatively new to reloading. Got an old single stage RCBS press from a buddy of mine, got all my gear offline from Midway. The only thing I had left to buy was a reloading manual and most of those were sold out. Then I found out Nosler, the company I was going to buy a manual from, offers all their load data online for free. Given I only reload 8MM Mauser, 9MM, and 30-30, I downloaded their pages and printed them off. They are now hanging up behind my reloading press on a cork board for easy access

I started reloading in 1976. In the last 2 years I bought a Hornady comparator gauge. I sure wish I had one in 1976. I am reloading the best ammo of my life since buying the comparator. With rifle ammo I measure the length of the cases and throw out the short stuff and shorten the long stuff to something within a safe range as per SAAMI specs. Checking out RU-vid videos is a huge help.

I wish I could find someone in my area (NC) that I can watch and learn basics

May I suggest that for people who are new or experienced that when it comes to reloading, buy the rarest or hard to come by/highest in demand equipment/parts/components FIRST. An example would be to buy certain reloading dies first then buy the press (the press is more common while the reloading dies may or may not be available.)

I agree in the very beginning nobody told me about headspace or anything like that it was all Sammy spec stuff. The other thing is about saving money most of the time I spend more money for around and if you had to factor in the price of everything that us Reloaders invest. I remember just starting out and ordering about 90% of everything I needed off of Amazon and it was about $2300...and that wasn't everything...but I also made mistakes... I bought a single stage Lee press and then I bought a progressive press from hornaday. I got different dyes for each caliber for each press....So there was some money wasted but I use Lee with Lee and so forth

Agree on writing down all your load data in a accessible place, I've lost my perfect recipe when I moved and can't rember the exact powder I was using for 357mag so have to start again

With COAL which is new to me trying it out i find the projectile stays in the chamber so adding a cleaning rod from the front to to keep the projectile in place is the right way

The OAL has more to do with the safe pressure peak limitation. Heavier bullets possess more inertia and will result an earlier peak pressure than lighter bullets of the same caliber. Less "quick" propellants allow you to increase the safe charge as the effective volume increase (as the bullet moves down the bore) faster than the powder oxidizes producing more gas.

#7: Not washing your brass to remove oil residue etc. #8: after loading, check each round individually by weighing to ensure all rounds are loaded with the proper amount of powder, any lapse of concentration can cause some powder to drop out of the casing, or not be inserted at all. It happened to me when I loaded my second lot of rounds. A squib load is an unpleasant ecperience in the field or on the range.

I watched this because there was a coax press and thought I was going to get some nugett of wisdom .... it was a good video though , new loaders heed the advice

Mistakes made when using a cartridge overall length gauge! Most people buy the gauge and a modified case but don't use them properly and I'll tell you why. When the gauge is used it's indicating the mod case to the shoulder in your chamber and then you push the bullet to the lands. Most will then measure from the tip of the bullet to the base of the case. BUT your shoulder on your sized fired case will very likely not be the same as the mod case. So let's say the mod case shoulder is 5thousands shorter then your sized case. Your distance to lands will now be 5thousands further then you think it's is. What you should do is take your comparator and measure the mod case from it's shoulder to base and subtract that from mod case base to bullet ogive. That will give you shoulder ogive to bullet ogive distance. Subtract your bullet jump from that number. Then when you seat your bullet in your sized case do the same. You could just add the difference between the shoulder of your mod case and your sized case to the measured overall length but it's more accurate to seat the bullet to the shoulder then the base. I for one will just take a sized empty case with lots of neck tension and seat the bullet long, remove the ejector from the rifle and attempt to chamber the cartridge seating the bullet further by further until it chambers with little effort. Then measure that cartridge band seat the bullet back the desired amount. Then put that cartridge in a bag labeled with the rifle it was fitted to and the bullet it holds. Anytime I need to reference it I have it available. I got one for each bullet I'll load in that rifle.

I save a ton on reloading but I focus on being a cheap butt. 556 is the cheapest I can reload those for 23c round pulled ball powder and projectiles and hertz begonia primers they very hard and but have reliable ignition. I scored some “450” powder recently theorized to be the mk262 powder it’s been great seems a much faster burn. I just use primers indicators for pressure max but I recently got a Chinese chrono and I love it very impressed.

40 years handloading. I have old manuals that are crazy over pressuer. I use a chrono and ... uh.. pressure tends to be a function of velocity.. I am not into rifle so much as handguns. I load both cast and jacketed and I know I can load cast loads at jacketed power but not the reverse. I agree.. shoot more not save money but.... I have bought expensive stuff that was worthless in the end. I am using a RCBS press from 1975 and it works just fine. Lee trimmers and primer seaters work really well for cheap. LEE bullet molds and bullet sizers. Bought stuff WAY more expensive that did not work as well.

The best thing about reloading is being able to load to your guns preferences. More accurate and effective shots

I was at an indoor range where a guy was shooting his own reloads in his revolver. The report was loud, louder, super duper loud, super soft, i.e., his loads were all over the map. I got out of there and went to the other side of the glass to protect myself. Turns out he was well known for his inability to measure powder. Yikes.

Appreciate the content you are putting out. When using shorter/lighter projectiles for the caliber (ie 123 gr 6.5 CM) and trying to achieve a .020" jump to the lands, the projectile is not seated deep enough to engage the full length of case neck. What is your thought on the minimal amount of neck engagement when trying to minimize jump? Is it generally acceptable to seat with less contact between the projectile/neck by some percentage of case neck length? Thanks for sharing any opinions.

I don’t know if it be for everyone but something I learned from my father 50 years. ago about reloading was when you’re working out a load try to work it to where you can never double charge cartridge it’s a safety thing lol

Short and to the point. You would have made can excellent military instructor.

Why don’t you do a video about what happens when you reload a rifle round and tumbling media remains/lodged in the brass. How it effects pressure, accuracy, and how likely it is to blow up the gun. You make awesome videos and I'm most grateful for all the work you do.

It's always good to know where your ogive jam length is, but some bullets simply cannot be seated to jam minus 0.020". Trying to do so will leave hardly any of he bullet's bearing surface in the neck. The standard is 1 caliber length of bearing surface in the neck for a solid bullet seating in the case neck. You can fudge that a little, but too much will leave the case barely holding onto the bullet. On my 6.5 Creedmoor, the 130gr Berger VLDH bullets have that problem. They have a long boat tail and a long pointed tip. In order to get decent seating amount of the bearing surface into the neck I have to seat at least 0.180" off the lands. If I loaded to 0.020" and didn't consider the amount of bearing surface in the neck, I would only have 0.084" in the neck to hold the bullet. By contrast, the Hornady 123gr SST will have enough bearing surface in the neck at 0.033" off the lands and the 143gr ELDX will be at ogive jam and have 0.026" of EXTRA bearing surface in the neck. With reloading, math and knowledge are your friend.

thabk you for the video I just picled umy first press I am looking to mostly reload 450 bushmaster for hunting I can buy loaal ammonuition butI want t otry differnt projectiles to find my best deer round

Sense Covid it cost me $12.50 for 50 rounds including lead, primer, powder in 2020. Now in 2021 it is close to $20 for 50 rounds. The dies cost me $90 for all sets. Thankfully I am handy with tools so I had to make a few basic items i needed.

I always confirm data with atleast 3 different sources before using it. Loaded thousands of rounds in multiple calibers including 5.7x28mm and still haven’t had an issue.

#6 Follow the bobbing hand! you can't go wrong

Yep. Ur. Right

When you have the luxury of reloading, you don't save money - you shoot more. I've been reloading for for 35 years - mostly .38, .357, .40 in handguns and .308 and .223 in rifles. I thoroughly enjoy the task of reloading. At our shooting club when I first started, we had an older gentleman who was an armourer in the military. He "made me his pet load" for deer hunting. Loaded in a .308 he used a 3030 bullet NOT loaded to maximum velocity. I still use it when I hunt. It was very accurate ammunition.

Looking to get in to reloading, both pistol (9, 40, and 10) and rifle (5.56, 270, various .30s, and 350) cases. For rifle, I am thinking of doing two press set-up assembly. First would be a single stage to decap, then tumble, then back to the single stage to neck size, following with a trimmer. Changing neck sizing dies to match caliber. Second press would be a progressive set up to prime, charge, seat bullet, and crimp neck. Changing the turret with dedicated dies mounted for each particular caliber. Buying a new caliber components and turret set up each year until I have what I need to load for the rifles I have. Would Lee's loadmaster progressive be acceptable for a budget minded, able to grow set-up?

excellent video ; you get to the point , don't go on endlessly about your personally stories and you speak up and don't go ummm ummm ummm at the end of every sentence. Your videos are just as good as Brownnell's video which are also excellent. Oh and 4 to 6 mins. is just enough time.

Extending the COAL shouldn't be a problem. I see a lot of people claiming they go the opposite way though. That could end up with a dangerously compressed load!

Well done, Sir! Since I don't own a "precision" rifle, the book data is good enough for me. All my handloads shoot more accurately than factory ammo. True: Reloading costs more round for round than factory ammo. It is what it is. Be well!

I'll use people's data from forums or whatever. Sometimes I find a bullet and powder combo that I can't find published data for, well, someone on a forum has loaded those up before. I try to find at least two different sources that agree, and even better if they provide chronograph data with it

If you make a lot of ammo and majority of the components yourself it can get really cheap though, and you can do so much shooting.

Excellent advise. Other mistakes: Don't use your bodies loaded ammo and don't give as gift to anyone your own loaded ammo. You are no Remington or Federal ammo making company. Don't start with a progressive press and don't make thousands of rounds that you may end up to undo. Decide if you are loading for hunting or precision target shooting because the levels of precisions are different and you need different grade of tools. Safety don'ts: Never reload without wearing your safety glasses. Don't reload when you are tired. Don't reload when you are in rush and you need some ammo to take to the range.

So I have a question about bumping the shoulder.. so I've been reloading some new lapua brass and brand new it's about 5 thousands less then after firing in my rifle. Now after I load a new case and check it again it grows about 10 thousandths.. I'm still pretty new so am I dumb for checking it after it's been loaded?

Saving money reloading is not something that will happen quickly. Maybe in time it will. I have not reached that point yet. I was able to find ammo that was imported that was relatively inexpensive and worked very well in my 1903 A3 30-06. I have found it difficult to reload ammo cheaper than this, but it is the reloading process itself that I seek. Reloading my own ammo is a rewarding and fulfilling process, but be ready to spend more than you planned. There is always some new gadget out there that you just have to have. Plus if you find reloading not to be a pleasure and to be a dull task, then likely you should not be doing it. It should be as much fun as shooting.

With very few published exceptions, start off with lowest loads. Many manuals played one upmanship games so there have been many really scary top loads. Develop a good relationship with a scale and case trimmer. Speedy re loads can come after you confidently put five rounds through one hole in paper at 100 yds. Dirt clods don’t count until much later!

I take my old K31 Swiss with a scope on it. Put a cartridge in it and get sub-MOA groups.

RCBS says to cam into the shell holder an eighth of a turn for the sizing die and that if you back off the die the other way you may have clambering issues. They tell you to back off the sizing die if you are using a carbide sizing die. So if I hear you right you are saying I should back off the sizing die regardless of the type of die.. It is always disconcerting when one hears contradicting instructions.

How are you liking that dillon press in the background??? I used my stimulus check wisely and upgraded my rcbs partner press to the dillon rl550c and went all out with all the little gadgets that goes along with it but ran out of primers and powder before I got to reload the first round on it. I'm almost to the point of pulling bullets from some of my 55gr 223 bulk ammo I've loaded just to get some powder to use my new press with some 77gr OTM bullets I got in. LOL

Saving money reloading is not an absolute yes/no. It depends entirely on how much you reload. If you reload (and shoot) a lot, as I do, you spread the cost of the equipment over a large number of rounds. In the short term, you will be in the hole in terms of overall cost, and you WILL save money in the long run. Especially if you just load common loads for general shooting and aren't out to set accuracy records.

As a California resident, I’m looking int re load ing out of necessity. Not (worried) about saving money aspect

Ok. Does you best overall length for a Caliber depend on the length to the ogive, not coal, correct? And if so, you must use a comparator, correct?

I absolutely hate when someone talks about whether or not you save money reloading because no matter which side of the spectrum they are on, they always get it wrong. The ONLY way to determine whether or not you are saving money is to look at it on a per round cost…period. Sure, you’ll shoot more because you have more ammo, but that is a direct result of the cost savings per round. If you simply look at it from a cost savings per round, over time you absolutely will be saving money…per round. You may spend the same amount of money, or maybe even more money, because you enjoy the reloading hobby but you get more from the dollar spent.

I’ve never seen a video on this but I assume there’s one out there I’m curious what would happen if you took 10 factory ammo five set to Sammy‘s and pull 5 bullet from factory ammo resize and set your specific rifle lands to see the improvement just over the correct cartridge overall length for your specific rifle, because that would be the same powder same primer the only difference is the cartridge overall length me know if you do it I’d love to see

One of the biggest questions I have and questions I get asked all the time as a reloader. What is the best set of die brand to use? Myself, I can't answer this question. My grandfather gave me my first dies. Pacific and RCBS are the only ones he ever used. Now that I have tried venturing into long range I've bought Redding competition dies for my 300wm and Forester dies for my .223 and .243 Other than that I've never tried Horady, Lee or anyone else's dies. Back in the 60's and 70's when I first started no one I knew used or would use Lee, Lyman or Hurters dies. Now I used a Hurters press for years and loved it. But now I use RCBS Rock chucker and Forster press depending on my purpose. All long range stuff goes on my Forster press. Hunting unless long range is on my RCBS. If you have time can you please do a video on what dies are better or is there a difference in today's world? Thank you, Jeffrey O. Dohl

I have been reloading for more than 40 years. My mantra to people interested in reloading is, "You can spend hundreds of dollars to load thousands of dollars of ammo or you can spend thousands of dollars to load hundreds of dollars of ammo." I can load ammo cans of blasting ammo for range fun relatively cheaply by buying in bulk, not getting caught up in every shiny new reloading toy, and having inventory when times are bad for component availability. If your shooting for money or food you can spend a bunch of money getting an accuracy edge over mass produced ammo. If you know where you want reloading to take you it is smart to investigate what is out there and get advice from people that have the same strategy you are looking at reloading for. I couldn't be happy loading 10 cartridges to go on an annual hunt and let expensive gear sit in a safe for 51 weeks. I prefer to hit the range for a few hours a week which makes reloading extremely cost effective.

Who makes the shelf on the wall for Your dillon tool heads?

When sizing the case I only neck size so the shoulder does not ge pushed back,mainly in the smaller 224 rounds. Thoughts ?

I'm having a hard time finding a cartrige headspacing bushing for my 8 x 57 mauser. Anyone help?

I started reloading so that I understand ammo. Guns and Ammo(50-50). I could not understand things like headspace without actually making some ammo.

Bullet seating is my number one problem now. I have lots of reloading manuals I have tried religiously to stay with the recommended COAL. My belief has been that COAL is directly related to the recommended powder charge, and that if you vary from that you could change chamber pressure? Apparently I'm wrong? Really confused and frustrated about this. I have been using the case gauges a d follow the due manufacturer instructions for setting up the die. I don't understand the process for finding the headspace for my rifle

.020” starting bullet jump might be okay with some bullets. Don’t even try it with Barnes. They will tell you that their bullets like a lot of jump.