Best round to start reloading for?

[krashmania]

I know I'll be buying a 357 revolver soon, and I understand that while 38 isn't the most expensive out there, it definitely isn't the cheapest either. Would this be your suggestion to start with? Like buy a press here, powder there, shells over there, and just kind of work my way there? I want to do this, not just because of money saving, but it seems like a fun hobby to get into as well.

So, start with this, or with 9mm, as I already have the gun for that?

What would I need to start, and average cost to start?

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[zombiehunter]

If you scrounge and cast your own bullets for .38/.357 you can reload for ~4c each. Depending where you get components anyway.

 

[Deep Creek Rock]

Revolvers would be easier to load for IMHO then a semi auto. Semi Auto takes a little more know how especially with establishing Cartridge overall lengths, for feeding.

I find load data with 9mm, that recommend certain cautions because it is a high pressure round for its size. Bullet seating depth is critical, to avoid overpressure (If you overseat a bullet) . Also I run into a few manuals that really recommend you sort headstamps with the 9mm to avoid ballastic variations and potential problems.


45ACP is a great starter semi auto pistol round. It runs at far lower pressures then the 9mm, and is a little more forgiving.

Nice part about revolvers - they can take a gammit of bullet styles without being too fickle - since the round does not have to chamber from a magazine - up a feed ramp and into the chamber. They are great for cast bullets as well (although semi auto can use cast too!) Most revolver bullets will have a crimp groove - to where the bullet needs seated, and then roll crimped VS a semi auto straightwall, which need to be tapered crimped, and may have to experiment with lengths to give best/reliable feeding.

As far as equipment - kits are a great way to start off. But Id recommend you pick up a book like the "ABC's of Reloading, which will cover styles of equipment and techniques. Make a decision based on what you can afford- how much space you have to reload, as well as how many round you go through normally.

 

[vin]

Keep in mind it's a whole lot easier to collect spent revolver brass

You can get into a lee kit for $150 ish I think. A Dillon is $500+. How much do you want to spend?

Larger availability of lead bullets for 38/357 even if you don't cast your own. And you can use the same set of dies for 38 and 357. But if you shoot the 9 more, then get set up for it to take advantage of the savings on what you'll shoot more.

 

[BlackBart]

38/357 easy rounds to do.

 

[OldSchool1959]

I know I'll be buying a 357 revolver soon, and I understand that while 38 isn't the most expensive out there, it definitely isn't the cheapest either. Would this be your suggestion to start with? Like buy a press here, powder there, shells over there, and just kind of work my way there? I want to do this, not just because of money saving, but it seems like a fun hobby to get into as well.

So, start with this, or with 9mm, as I already have the gun for that?

What would I need to start, and average cost to start?

Sent from my VS910 4G using Tapatalk 2

Start picking up your 9mm cases first off.
You might start at the shallow end like I have. This isn't the way everyone should do it but its the way I decided to do it. Others here with far better kung fu than mine may offer more profound advice. If they do, take it.
Build youself a sturdy bench. Acquire a single stage press, Lee auto prime, beam scale or good electronic one, Lee 4 die set for 9 mm if that's what you'll start with, a pound of Bullseye, a good powder measure, a box of small pistol primers, a digital or dial caliper, a bullet puller, a cheapo rock tumbler from Harbor Freight and a bag of lizard bedding, The ABCs of Reloading, Hornady's reloading manual and a couple of boxes of Hornady bullets.
If you like doing it as much as I have so far, you'll buy dies for .38, 45, etc as I have done. When I decide that I'm ready for a progressive, virtually everything I've invested in with the exception of the single stage and the powder measure will move nicely to that platform or be complimentary.
Seek and integrate as much info as possible from people here like DeepCreek, BradMac, Machodoc, byf43, Rockzilla, coopermania, et al.
Have fun!

 

[Bikebreath]

All good advice so far.

I started with light loads on .357, then for fun and try my hand at rifle I went to 7.62x54R...(It was the only rifle I owned). Then on to .45ACP and finally 9mm which is what I wanted experience for in the first place. Now that's about all I load for.

 

[lx1x]

any straight walled handgun rounds are good start. personally.. i've started loading 9mm first and then after i get confidence (a month or two later) on my loading.. i jump to rifle/bottle necked rounds.

 

[krashmania]

All good advice so far.

I started with light loads on .357, then for fun and try my hand at rifle I went to 7.62x54R...(It was the only rifle I owned). Then on to .45ACP and finally 9mm which is what I wanted experience for in the first place. Now that's about all I load for.

How is it reloading for 54r? I think it might be nice in a heavy rifle like a mosin to download it a little to introduce a new shooter to a centerfire rifle without all the kick.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Strieght walled , rimmed , revolver rounds are a dream to load for. Headspaces on the rim. No COL or nose shape issues for feeding. .38/.357 very flexable with a wide range of powders. Seat the bullets by eye to the center of the crimp groove. Ability to tailor rour rounds to a wide variety of performance levels.

9mm is trickier with high pressures , small powder capicity makes small charge differences have big pressure effects, and many pistols are COL sensitivies. The performance level has to stay close to factory for reliable functioning. And the least cost savings of any popular round.

You will have partisans of all the different flavors of equipment touting theirs as best.

The biggest factor that rarely gets mentioned is your inclinations as a reloader. Do you like to experement with different powders , and bullets ? Develope several different loads for different uses ? Or do you want to hit on a single loading , and just shoot that forever and ever ?

My default recomendation is a turret press. It can be used as single stage , or in *neo-progressive* mode to load a cpl hundres at a time.

 

[krashmania]

I think I'll mostly want to just get a soft shooting 38 load worked up that'll be pretty accurate, a 357 loaded, to hit a little harder if I do plate shooting or something that needs to get knocked over, and maybe some hotter hp loads for sd or hd use, should I ever need it. That seem like a tall order?

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

My view is, start reloading the ammo, that you are going to be shooting. I also feel that if you reload what you shoot, then you also have a feel for factory ammo feels like and performs. If you're going to compare apples, then it may as well be compared to apples. No sense in reloading oranges.

These are by far the prettiest things you've ever seen, but, after a few more rounds I finally got the equipment to work properly with the guy doing the reloading. These are some of my very first .38 Special+P loads that I have ever done. They shoot fine and are quite accurate.

Practice it does take, mistakes will make...

 

[krashmania]

So, most basic set up possible here, I'll need a press, scale, tumbler, dies... What else? Other than consumables, of course.

 

[SOMDSHOOT]

So, most basic set up possible here, I'll need a press, scale, tumbler, dies... What else? Other than consumables, of course.

Lots of spare money.

Reloading will dollar you to death. Every piece of equipment has its own required accessories. It never ends. Bullets, primers, powder, other consumables as you stated.

The tumbler is not important unless your brass is really nasty. 50/50 water & vinegar is quicker than tumbling to me.

The next question is, do you plan to cast your own bullets or simply buy them already cast ? I cast all of my own bullets and that's a whole other mortgage payment. However, I would suggest buying your bullets from someone who casts them. It's much cheaper than buying them retail and depending on your purpose you do not have to forgo the cost of gas checks, just lube them.

The basic set up investment is the hard part, just getting it all together first is time consuming. I don't use a scale to put the powder in my cases, I use the Lee dipper method, it works well for me, however, I do use a scale to find the proper powder charge when I start a new caliber.

The very single most important thing to do before you even consider reloading anything is to read and understand, and master the art of gauging the proper charge for your bullet weight, etc. one you have developed a load recipe and that becomes "your load" the think part is done. Why is this important, because if you anyone, and I mean anyone, who is a reloader for the specific recipe they use, you will NEVER get an answer to that question.

Read, learn, understand, master. You can ask certain questions, but, do not expect specific answers. You'll find by the end, you will be finding the answers to your own questions, on your own.

 

[krashmania]

Sorry to ask so much, I just keep flip flopping on whether I'm really sure I want to get into it right now. Going away to school in a few months, not sure if it's worth going through with it now.

 

[zmayhem]

I'd start with the round you shoot the most, which would probably benefit you the most because you'd see more "savings" that way than you would reloading on another round that you may rarely use. Honestly once you get the hang of one round, there isn't too much difference between most of the others as long as it's handgun. Rifle and Shotgun cartridges are different, but if you get one round down for handguns the process is very similar for other calibers.

 

[rseymorejr]

I like to use the Lee hand primers. That way I can prime a bunch while watching TV

 

[OldSchool1959]

I like to use the Lee hand primers. That way I can prime a bunch while watching TV

Lol, ditto. I just did 100 38 special cases during the first 1/2 of the LSU/Auburn game.

 

[lseries]

.38 spl. and .357 mag. are both very easy rounds to reload. I've been doing it for years. In particular, .38 with cast bullets can be very cheap to reload, and result in a lot of extremely accurate fun at the range. If you use mild loads and otherwise don't work the brass much, the cartridges will last a very long time.

A search will turn up plenty of information about what equipment is needed. Which brands is something of a religious--or at least Chevy vs. Ford--thing. The bottom line is that they will all get the job done. I'm personally fond of Lee carbide dies and moulds (because they are both cheap and good quality). I've had an RCBS single-stage press for decades. It still soldiers on. So I've never replaced it. Again, however, they'll all get the job done, and there's something out there for every budget.

Get a copy of the Lyman handbook. It has the most information in one place. Get their cast bullets handbook if you plan on casting your own or loading cast bullets.

Reloading is easy but it isn't simple. There are several steps, all of which have to be done correctly with attention to detail. Like everything else related to guns, reloading has to be done by the numbers. If you're careful and keep your wits about you, you'll make ammo that's cheaper and more accurate than anything you can buy, and you'll be able to afford to shoot more. (Forget any idea of saving money by reloading. I don't know anyone who does. The "savings" go into making more ammunition!)

If you have a Glock and thus can't shoot cast bullets, it's very hard to reload 9mm more cheaply than you can buy it on sale and in bulk.

 

[mbz300sdl]

Just get the dillion 550b with the caliber exchange kits for every caliber you need, i produce about 300/hour .45Acp or 9mm using 230gr or 115gr berry's Round nose and it happens that 4.4gr of Bullseye works for either round, so i get about 1590 rounds per lbs of powder.

9mm cost

1000 bullets 82.78
1000 primers 25.00
enough powder to do 1000 about $14.00
1000 cases free

cost per 1000 $122.78

.45 180.76