Getting Started Reloading

[1852legend]

I would probably try what you said and prime a few cases and fire without powder or bullets.

About primers. There are large, small, and magnum pistol primers. The same goes for rifle. There are also what they call benchrest primers which are suppose to have more equal charges but I have never even seen them. Your book should tell you what kind of primer to use with what cases and powder.

Powder burns at different speeds so it is very important that you follow the book and use what it says to use.

For bullets I plan on ordering some from Montanagoldbullet.com. I have also heard good things about Deltapercision.com.

Dirty cases will ruin your dies by scratching them. I tried to go awhile before I bought a tumbler and only made it about 200 rnds and went and bought one. I avoid anything electronic that comes from harbor freight. I own a Frankford arsenal tumbler that I just paid $45 for and a week after I bought that I found a deal on an almost new RCBS tumbler with media and a media/case seperator for $40 bucks. So now I have two. One for corn cob and one with crushed walnut.

All that said I too am new to reloading but I think I got everything right for ya. Hope it helps.

[twice barrel]

You can wash your cases in hot soapy water and rinse in hot water. Shake'm out and let them dry completely. You do not need to polish them and your dies will be just fine.

I bet the primers are good too and I'd sure use them.

Spend the time to sort all of the stuff out and clean everything up. Gasoline will clean up the press just fine and then lightly oil/grease it.

Same for the dies.

Keep those old load manuals since you'll sometimes stumble on a good deal for a load not listed in the newer books. Likewise some new powders may not be listed in the older ones.

Best piece of advise I can give you is to construct a heavy workbench dedicated to loading with a good 48" flourescent fixture suspended above it just high enough you don't whack your head on it if you lean over the bench.

Have a ball,

TB