As the title states I have no reloading experince other than watching it on YouTube (guess Cole Trickle had as much experince driving NASCAR...).  I thought I had posted a thread about reloading before but looked and didn’t see one here, maybe wrong forum?

In my past I have always gotten my ammo out of a green can and given 40 times the amount my magazines could hold, a speed loader was my friend (not necessary but helpful).

Now I have to buy my own ammo and somehow the expensive stuff just seems to be more accurate (go figure, who would have guessed ).  I don’t expect to surpass quality loads but in time I figure I can get better ammo making my own than buying the cheap stuff, as a bonus low stock on the shelves won’t affect me as much (but still some depending how long the shortage of ammo last).  I have to start somewhere so here it goes.

I probably need to read a few books, I have seen a few suggestions in the reloading area inside other threads.  Some of the suggestions I am not sure are for beginners or more experienced reloaders.  I need a book that could teach the 5 year old kid what to do and not do, hint I used to eat crayons and was given a Micky Mouse towel to disassemble my weapon .  Here is my understanding so far, feel free to correct anything I screwed up.

1.  Quality brass is important, Lapua seems to be the best but Hornady and a few others are not a bad choice but cheap stuff is a bad idea
2.  Make sure you clean the brass, a tumbler is your friend
3.  If super precision and longer brass life is important annealing is very helpful
4.  Resize the brass if needed, case gauges are preferred here
5.  Lube the cases
6.  Now your ready to reload.  (Reloading machine, correct primers, powder of choice, and bullet of choice needed)

I plan on reloading the following, the .40 and .45 ACP would be more for friends and not as important on the list to me (primer sizes listed next to ammo size):
9mm = SP
.40 = SP
.45 = LP
.223/5.56 = SR
.308/7.62 = LR
6.5 Creedmoor = LR? (Did not see listed)
.300 Win Mag = LRM
.338 Lapua = LRM
50 BMG = CCI 35

My first question is type primer needed for these calipers, I assume I read the chart online right but wanted clarification.  One of the things I have no clue about is type powder needed.  I totally get that each gun might need a different load and bullet weight but I have no idea if the type powder is that critical if you have perfected the load for your gun.  I don’t know if it matters if its a semi-auto or a bolt gun to determine the powder type either, some of the calipers listed above will run in both types.  I hope to buy stuff in bulk but something tells me that I can’t use the same powder for everything I have listed above.  I know I can’t use the same primers except ones that are the same size.  Sometimes I will have to use different bullet weights depending on which gun of the same bullet size I will shoot.

It seems like primers are the most important thing to keep on hand, also most helpful to buy in bulk due to hazmat fees.  I would guess powder is right behind primers.  These are then followed by bullets and brass to keep a high supply of (bullets might rank higher in demand if not common such as .338 Lapua).  I only listed brass last since hopefully you have collected enough to keep your supply high.

Preferred brands:
Primers- Federal or CCI
Powder - Not a clue
Bullets - Probalby more depends on your gun.

Reloading machine:
I value my time and money is not critical but I don’t have an endless supply either.  I see myself starting with a Dillon 650 and several caliper conversion kits.  From my list of reloading I know the 50 BMG and believe the .338 Lapua will not work on this, probably buy a Lee BMG 50 single stage press for these to start.  Later on I if I really get froggy I see a Dillion 550 for the .338 Lapua and in the extreme case a Dillon BFR 50 BMG (this would be expensive to run this much ammo reguardless if I make it or buy it).  Before that happens I might see a second 650 so I don’t have to change the primer station but again an extreme case.  Most of the extreme case situations are because I have the room to have the reloading equipment and they don’t, plus more than one could be reloading at the same time.  If there are equipment suggestions to keep caliper changes to short duration of time for the calipers listed I am all ears.

The biggest thing I need to do at this point is understand the reloading process and be able to duplicate the correct process.  For this the case gauge and a scale are needed.  I have probably forgotten many things but at this point I am brain storming out loud and not sure if I am correct.  I like looking up stuff on the internet but doesn’t mean its right either.  I figure in a gun forum there is a higher chance someone has been down a similar road.

I will probably have to edit this several times because the preview function is not working so I can correct my errors....

First, become a member and use the site's unlimited resources. Other than that, sounds like you are on the right track.
Reloading Forums

Thanks, I thought I had seen another reloading area of the forum.

for now I suggest putting off annealing till you have been used to reloading.

there will be replies saying to NOT start with a 650. some people aren't mechanically inclined. I am so for me it wasn't a problem.
a 650 is for volume, I'm glad that's where I started.

each station requires tweaking at first, be sure to buy separate toolheads for the things you will make frequently at some point.
I started with a 650 because I knew I would appreciate the volume from it. I also use it like a single stage for
testing and small runs.

I make the common calibers
9mm
40
45
223
308

the reloading process can be like going down the rabbit hole, lots to see and do.
more tools and gizmos to buy. but I like doing it for many reasons.

check out the thread about reloading benches if you have not. LOTS of ideas in there.

Have fun.

there are a ton of choices for you to make OP, on everything from do you want to throw all your charges, trickle them or dispense them thru a charge master,   to do you need a single stage or a turrett or both.....My opinion, starting out with the calibers you mention...get a quality single stage and a turret...I will say that for the 338LM at least you are going to need a long single stage such as the RCBS single stage summit if you plan on using quality dies like Redding competition or forester, a standard press won't allow enough room to seat bullets and remove them from the press without unscrewing the die each time...
 I don't have a turret press, I do all my loading on 2 single stages...I deprime and resize on an old rock chucker, and seat bullets on the summit...So here is a standard process from sitting the spent cases on the bench, to loaded ammo...
First  I deprime with a universal deprimer, then the cases get run thru a liquid tumbler with SS pins.. Once cleaned and dried the cases are inspected for obvious flaws and the primer pockets are uniformed and deburred on an RCBS prep station, Then the cases are annealed, next the shoulder is bumped back and the neck sized with a bushing die, if this is new/once shot ammo I will then run the cases over a neck expander and then turn the necks before running thru the neck die again, the cases are then trimmed for case length, chamfered/deburred and tumbled in corn cob..Once clean, I seat new primers with a hand primer, then dispense powder and seat bullets, then the loaded rounds are checked for concentricity and ready to shoot....
 Oh and thru out that process everything gets measured and inspected multiple times, including running a pick over the inner case web looking /feeling for internal cracks around the case head....My setup is very basic, many guys have much more invested and can turn out far larger numbers...I concentrate on turning out high quality precision rifle ammo...

Summit press showing the extra clearance needed for the longer magnum rifle cases loading heavy bullets with forester die...
Attached File


My basic reloading bench...
Attached File


A better look at the bench without everything on it...
Attached File


Ready to load....
Attached File

If your searching for " ultimate" accuracy, like a bench rest shooter does, then yes, you need to use super high quality components, brass, bullets, primers, etc. however, if your only wanting to shoot cheaper, and are happy with average accuracy,( like you get with most factory ammo), you don't need the best of everything to get that. on sale primers, once fired military brass, cheap bullets, etc will give you as good accuracy as most factory ammo can.  reloading is like anything else, it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. the benefit to reloading as far as accuracy, is your ability to adjust your powder loads. for example, my ruger sr762, is extremely accurate. but with IIRC 168g SMK bullets and 40g of 4895 I was getting 1" groups, ( which is great ) however, by dropping down to 38g of powder the groups shrunk to around 1/2". that's plenty good enough for my purposes and I stopped messing with it and cranked out 500 rounds.

Reloading can be tedious, but relaxing IMHO. I have three single stage presses, and shitloads of free time. I prep cases for hours / days / a week at a time until I have thousands processed. trimming brass, resizing it, depriming, polishing, etc. its a lot of work. but I enjoy it. however getting into extreme accuracy, that's about three times as much work, and about 2x as much for components. they weigh each bullet, weigh each casing, measure all kinds of things. to me that's way too much work, and its way to expensive.  currently im set up for the normal stuff, .9mm / 45 / .308 / 44 mag / 45/70 , recently I added .50bmg, and very recently I bought bullet casting equipment and im getting geared up for that.

as far as a reloading table / gear. pretty much anything will do. i have been at both extremes of it, I have had only a few basic tools, and a little table in the corner of the kitchen, up to what im building next spring, a 12x16 concrete vault, with wrap around steel tables, that have tool boxes under for drawers, and enough reloading gear for three people to reload at once.  you can make quality ammo with only a few basic tools, at the kitchen table.

steps. there are basic steps you have to take, but many people have their own way of doing things, and add extra steps to suit their needs / wants. i usually vibrate / clean my brass before i do anything.

1. inspect the brass as you deprime the brass.
2. trim the brass, clean primer pockets etc.
3. resize the brass.  ( good idea to try to chamber it in your guns, if you can chamber it easily your usually GTG , expecially bottle neck stuff ) i had to resize my surplus 7.62 brass twice to get it to chamber easily in my sr762.
4. i usually vibrate it a second time. because i like it clean.
5. prime the cases
6. add powder. ( im super anal about powder, i usually weigh each charge 2-3 times, and redo a load if i have any doubts about it. )
7. seat the bullet. (this takes a little time, as you usually have to measure and tinker with the die to get it just right )
8. try to chamber a loaded round. to confirm everything's working right. safely of course.
9. reload say 10-20 rounds go shoot those and see how they do. ( really sucks to crank out 500rds, and discover it wont shoot / function )
10. since your 10-20 rounds worked well... crank out a bunch of them. if they didn't work well, rework your load.
11. i usually vibrate them one last time to make them pretty.

when i say make 10-20 rounds, that's of each powder level start at the low end, and work up. 35g 35.5g 36g 36.5 etc. you shoot a few of each and see what your accuracy is like, and pick the best one. many time your group will start shrinking, then at a certain point start opening back up again. max power / velocity does not always equal best accuracy.

good luck and have fun !

Sorry I’m late to this thread but when I was starting out one of my most helpful resources was the ABC’s of reloading. This is WAY before the internet but the basics don’t change.

Now a few other points. You can get as much accuracy as you’re willing to spend the time to do.  I’ve gotten sub .2” (yes 0.2”) three shot groups from a stock rem 700 by paying attention to what I was doing with my Dillon 550B.

You can't learn reloading by getting a walkthrough on the internet. Buy one or both manuals, read. Then, if you are serious and committed, buy a 650 and start by loading 9mm. It's simple and a reasonably safe place to learn. Use HP38 (or Win231, the identical powder) because it will work for multiple calibers and is hard to double charge without noticing in 9mm. Do not start rifle until you are at least 6 years old :)

When I first thought about getting into reloading I found a bass pro shop actually putting on a "class" on how to reload.  It was an hour drive 1 way for me, but I figure that was worth not time to see if I wanted to do it or not.  When I got to the class, I was the youngest 1 in there... by at least 25 years  when the instructor was asking for volunteers for this or that no 1 was wanting to "be the one" so I did...and I ended up pretty much standing up there with the instructor for the 2 hour class and being the test dummy.  

But since I liked it i then went and got the book, The ABC's of Reloading, and read it.  I then went and got 2 reloading manuals (lyman and hornady) and learned all the termenalogy.  Also add in I real alot of posts on here and other reloading sites.  Ended up getting a Dillon 550B.  Mostly cause they are local and their CS is awesome.  But even then, when I made my first 223 rounds I was "scared" to blow up 1 of my AR's so i bought some cheap bolt action 223 rifle for $200.  Took it out and my reloads worked.  Also learned I needed a case gauge and that just cause you have a sizing die doesnt mean its sized right  but after about 100 rounds and no KABOOM I shot them through my AR's and sold that rifle (for more than i bought it for).

Fast forward 7 years and i cant think of the # if rounds I have made/shot.  I'm sure it's still "rookie numbers" but I'm sure I'm in the  low 200k range.   *not bad for being on a 550!  But that's also why I went and got me a 650 with case/bullet feeder.

As far as advise, I'm sure it's been said...but just take your time.  Have the right tools.  And have fun.

Consider trimming after resizing - cases change length when you resize them...  I was spot checking my case length last night before and after sizing (308 cases).  Some cases get longer by up to 0.010" - most are 0.005" to 0.010" change.  I've also noticed that if you have a bunch of firings on your cases, they seem to grow less after sizing.  The cases I was resizing last night only had 3 firings on them.

You might want to get a Wilson head space gauge for each caliber.

link

I've found that an accurate scale is a requirement if you expect precision.

Pick one manufacturer of brass  and stick with them.    Don't mix them up.

I got started by watching Youtube "Sniper 101", parts 47 - 52.    by Tiborsaurus Rex.   link

I second the keeping of brass sorted by headstamp.  Precision is a byproduct of uniformity, keeping everything the same to achieve predictable and repeatable results.

Check your IM (click on the highlighted envelope symbol on the upper right hand corner of your screen).

The beginners book you need is titled “Making Ammo” and is available on Amazon.

I just purchased the Lyman 50th edition to start my education.  Thanks for the help.

You might start by understanding the difference between caliper and caliber. Sorry just couldn't help myself.

OP, your questions are too many. You're going to lose information by trying to get too much. Focus on the basics for now and get into the weeds later. Also, advice to pick up a "650" I would flatly ignore. That's a great way for a beginner to hurt themself and waste a ton of money. Find a single stage press used on ebay, a rockchucker is a good one. Grab a set of shell holders, a scale, a chamfer tool, a set of dies, dial caliper and a loading block & funnel. Learn how to use those tools before spending time or money on more complicated tools. Find a set of dies for your first caliber (caliper is a tool, caliber is a size)

Pick 1 chambering/caliber to start with. I'd start with a pistol round like 9mm because they're cheap to load for so mistakes don't cost so much and pistol cases that are straight walled have more steps than usually found with bottlenecked rifle ammo so you learn more.

Let us know what region you're in so if someone is willing to take you under their wing and mentor you they can do so.

Your big confusion seems to be powders and primers so here it is: there are a few sizes, large, small, .50 and 209. .50cal and 209 primers are special. 209's are for shotgun shells. .50cal primers are for things based on a .50BMG case and other rifle type cases with HUGE powder capacities. Large and small primers come in rifle and pistol varieties. So you can have large rifle or small rifle and large pistol or small pistol. Those are about the size of the primer pocket hole and have little to do with the size of the case itself. Among the large and small rifle and pistol varieties there are 2 more division points, magnum and non-magnum. If you're using a magnum gun, you'll normally use a magnum primer. If not, it depends.

Powders are a whole universe and you should not expect to do anything but read a recipe and recreate it for your first several years. Then when you've not been injured enough you can start doing like I do and get adventurous and go off the reservation and just start making up your own load data. Buy manuals from Lyman, RCBS and any others you can find. Read them. Your dies will also come with some instructions. Read them.

Once you've completed the above, grab some brass you're willing to destroy and start learning how to set up your dies, 1 at a time. Don't put primers or powder in anything until you can get the size/decap, case mouth bell, bullet seat and crimp operations done without wrinkling any brass. Then post some results. We'll gripe at you about what you've done too much or too little of. Fix that then you can start looking at priming and charging cases before stuffing a bullet in it. When you're done with that you should have your first viable ammo and be on the road to self sufficiency.

DO NOT RUSH. You'll cross the hard part of the learning curve faster than you think and then you won't need us anymore and you wont' even come around to say hello anymore. Damned kids.

Slow down, take a deep breath and relax.

Pick the caliber you shoot the most and start with it.

Lapua brass is reserved for tournament use at 600+ yards. Winchester and even Lake City brass will work great and save a ton of money.

.308 and .223 are forgiving cartridges to load and will really shine with quality bullets.

You will always need a single stage, so that's a good place to start.

I like Forster dies, especially their ultra series. Redding is a very close second.

You can load .223 and .308 using:
Varget
RE-15
H4895
VihtaVuori N140
IMR-8208-XBR

Buy several reloading manuals, Hornady, Sierra and Nosler manuals have excellent data for their respective bullets. Read them extensively. If you have questions posts them here.

Good luck.

You want to dive in headfirst without knowing how deep the water is.  I was the same way lol.  Start with the ABC's of Reloading as has already been recommended.  I started with pistol (.45 ACP) which is much simpler than doing bottlenecked rifle stuff.  Only after feeling comfy doing that did I move on.  Reloading is a great hobby but be warned.  It is addictive.  I am one of those "shoots so I can reload" types.