Hi, I was wondering it there was any kind of book that would help me understand reloading my own rounds I use to help my dad do his but that was 14yrs ago and he has not passes i have a scale for weighting out the powder. but i am not really sure about the rest of it. i know he use to warn me of overloading shells all the time. every thing was done by hand from resizing the brass punching the primers out replacing them adding the powder then we would hand tap the led on the brass i really would like to learn to reload the price of shells are get getting to much just 2 boxes of 30 -30 and 30-06 were 77$ i am just a disabled vet and cant afford one of those larger facey loading stations i have seen that hold sever rounds at once any help would me out apricated

I'm going to caution you to not expect reloading to be the fix here. Reloading is fairly easily to jump into, but I'd only consider it if you can see yourself loading a large number of rounds to make up for the cost.

A barebones reloading setup can be had for around the prices listed below:
Press-$125
Dies-$35 per caliber
Shellholders-$15
Hand priming tool-$25
Deburring and Chamfering tool-$15
Calipers-$20

I'm probably forgetting something, and leaving out the small things, but is pretty much the smallest amount of stuff you can get by with. And this isn't taking into account a case trimmer, which will be necessary for reloading 30-30 and 30-06 cases more than a couple times. A good case trimmer will add another $75-$100 onto this cost, but you can make do with inexpensive options like the Lee Quick Trim.

For all of this barebones setup, you're looking at just $235 in startup equipment cost. If you save $.30 per round ($6 per box), you'll have to reload upwards of 750 rounds to recoup your startup cost. If you want to throw enough money at it to save time and effort, you're looking at an even larger startup cost when you purchase a case trimmer, powder dispenser and tricker, etc. If you imagine an extra $150 for those items alone, that makes your break-even point around 1250 rounds.

Sure, there are ways to reload more economically (like casting your own bullets-great for 30-30), and only purchase when items are on sale, but this isn't really a cheap hobby to get into. You're just simply able to shoot more for the same money.

Think on it, but in the meantime, look at sites like sgammo.com as a place to save some money. And you should probably get the retailer you bought those rounds from to buy you dinner, because they [censored] you.

If you aren't looking to do a whole lot and just wanting to build some hunting ammo to save money get you a couple Lee Loaders for $30 a piece. Lee's book is also pretty good, you have to read around a lot of him singing the praises of his own products, still very informative. If you are local I'll loan you my copy.

http://www.amazon.com/Precision-Modern-Reloading-Edition-Format/dp/B000N8OKAU

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/508946/lee-classic-loader-30-06-springfield

What calibers are you wanting to start with?

This cracks me up. And yes, I've used one.

Me too. I loaded 1 box of 222 Remington forever, seemed like. I did it because the price of ammo was through the roof. It was probably a whole $6 or 8 bucks but that was a fortune at the time. I forget the name of it but the big hardware store in Brownwood had a huge amount of reloading supplies that got me started. I still have that old lee loader and a couple others.

If you can find a tutor to help you learn you might get off super cheap. What part of the state are you in?

Good question. Might get some more specific assistance with this information.


Once again, good question. Location might produce a volunteer mentor.

Get a Lee hand press kit ,calipers and a digital scale plus dies and components and your ready to reload cheap. Then you can decide to upgrade or if reloading is for you.

Reloading allows you to experiment with different powders and bullets to get the best results out of YOUR rifle.
It is not going to save you a lot of money unless you reload hundreds of rounds and target practice extensively.
That said, killing a deer with your reloaded ammo gives you some satisfaction that YOU developed a cartridge that did the job. Depending on the next few elections, it may be the only way for you to hunt and shoot.
Lay in a good supply of powder and primers. Just sayin...

I started reloading with Lee Loaders in .30-30, .30-06 and 8mm Mauser. I moved on to a turret press years later.

They work just fine for hunting or plinking rounds.

I have 222rem 223 22-250winchester varmint 220swift 270rem 700 30-30winchesrer 25-06 30.06 not counting the shot guns and muzzle loaders wich i shot the most as they dont have much recoil I live next to ft hood so we can use the rang for free i meet a guy who is really in to reloading every thing he does my hand gun amo. that we seem to blow through 9 mm 10mm 38special 357mag 380. 40.cal 45.cal i dont pend on reloading them as of yet he does not charge me to do them i just have to pay for the suplys. and looking for a 243 to do my back i cant handle much of of a recoil more then a few time my favor is the 22-250 the thing weighs a ton with that bull barrel and bark like no tomorrow. but there is something abut hitting varmint at such a long way off you can shoot lift you head hear the round inpackt the target weather it is a perry dogs or wood chucks or coyotes and your right it is very satisfying to know you loaded your own rounds when hunting and take an anime. it kind of like making my catfish bait then taking someone out and filling 120qt cooler with it. knowing you did that just make me feel good when they go home with all those fish. the sad part is my father had all the stuff for this but when he passed every thing would not fit in the car i put it in boxes to be mailed but his wife sold it to her brother even thou it was not hers to sell. when he loaded our stuff our guns shot much tighter groups and at a further distance then store bought amo. yes it was time consuming with this basic kit . but what els do i have to do. i am 38 and retired. spring and summer i am busy with eight making bait or taking people catching. weather it is a paid trip or the family of an other disabled vet. time is not an issue for me. I keep 10 of each caliber he loaded so that it can be copied or a good starting point. i am not concerned with the start up some of it i have like the shake for scales calipers and my be a few more things if i look. it will pay for it self. i am not looking or big bench set up. one i dont have the room I would like to get the kids my father had i just cant remember them. I lost a lot of my memory after being stuck in the head when an IED when off near me. Me and my boys love to shot my wife even goes some days it is something we can do together and i dont have to drive real far. but being factory amo is just getting to expensive. I can remember my dad saying with it a year his stuff had a paid for it self. my fathers did not have a press it was basic the was every thing was don by hand i can re call the scale and weighing the bulets first it they was more the a few grams in in weight variation the were sent back to the company and they alway send him replacements he did the same thing with his arrow heads. there was something to punch the prime and set in the new one a resize for the brass and there was something that set the bullet it went over the top and it was tapped on with i want to say a hamer i cant recall and there was the saker to clean the brass I still have this but i can not call it all i was hopping someone here new of the kits i was talking about they were not overly expensive I believe it was the every ting as done by hand now i have a horrible memory i suffers a head wound in iraq so i have trouble recalling all the details i just bought 4 boxes 2 for 30-06 and 2 of 30-30 it was 84 dollars i know its not cheap to set up and get started I am not looking for supper high tech set up I would be happy with the kit like he had and a digital scale i just cant recall what every thing was i was hopping someone cold help point me to possible what he had with the info i have given I have tones of reloading books but they dont talk about equipment just bullet weight powder and stuff like that. my kids and I shoot a lot even though i cant handle the recoil more then then a few times on most of the guns so i mostly stick to the 22-250 and 220 and my muzzle loaders not much kick one of the reasons i was looking for a 243 for my self something the is decent enough to go hunting deer with. and then there is the fact i am doing them the same way he did it is a good feeling i dont recall a lot of thing just bits and pieces but doing something i struggle with the memories helps me recall more of the memory. I have someone who is here at ft hood to help me and walk me through loading them right but he has an entire garage dedicated to reloading when i asked him to thlpe me henpeck the most espexice stuff on the market. that is not me i would be happy to sit at the kitchen table and do it like he did. so if any one knows what i need to do this it would be great if you could point me to someplace to get it. raw name of the kits or just a list of iteam i wish i could remember more about it but thats it besides he use to weigh every thing 3 times I would like to just start with the 22-250 it was his baby and now its mine i just love hitting this i can barely see if it did not weigh so much i would take it deer hunting and just take head shots thanks for the help i really apricate it

Buy a Lee reloading manual and press kit. Read the book, and load ammo.

THis

I have been reading reloading manuals like they were a novel for years. Will continue to do so.