[Firpo]

Hopefully he’s just busy shopping for the manuals.

 

[BlackEagle]

This is a fairly simple task, the guy doing t normally makes the problem. Learn first to make good safe rounds and when your there, then spread out!

Reloading is a simple task, but it needs to be done correctly with careful attention to detail.

You need a good knowledge foundation from the books. While you are studying, you can start looking for materials.

We want you to make safe, reliable ammo. We all like to answer questions to help you make that good safe ammo.

So when you have done your foundational reading, get back to us.

 

[C5Mackie]

I brought a novice to my house this afternoon, he wants to know how to re-load, so I let him load 100 sp .45 acp's with 230 gn LRN...Made him look up the recipe first, took him some time to get familiar with the pubs, but he found the right place, determined that we were safe with the powder selected, and then he chambered 100 spm primers for my Dillon..figure with spp would be fine to use the spm's...He's tired, but we 'got 'er done, and he's now anxious to acquire his own setup...He also has one of my manuals for homework...(and now he knows how to field strip his Glock, I showed him, but it was my first time to even hold a Glock)

An afternoon with a newbie, looking over his shoulder is right on target!
All the written descriptions in the world cannot fully outline the process of reloading.
The gun clubs I belong to typically allow members to bring their reloading stuff in on a Saturday afternoon for demonstrations.

 

[sharps4590]

All the written descriptions in the world cannot fully outline the process of reloading.

Really? Except for Dad teaching me to load shotgun shells with the old Lee hand loader all I ever had was books. I believe I've done fairly well at learning over the last 60 years.

 

[ms6852]

All the written descriptions in the world cannot fully outline the process of reloading.

There is some validity to your statement. In my life time, I have known many people can read, but many cannot comprehend what they are reading. I was one of them.

 

[C5Mackie]

Really? Except for Dad teaching me to load shotgun shells with the old Lee hand loader all I ever had was books. I believe I've done fairly well at learning over the last 60 years.

I learned by reading too, and am still learning - reading and sharing with others.
Reading, watching, and being mentored, may shorten the newbie's learning curve to less than 60 years!
How about it?

 

[Screener]

I wasn't fortunate enough to have a mentor. I started reloading about 35 years ago, and still refer to the manuals very often. Like has been said, read the manuals several times before anything else.

 

[sharps4590]

The day I stop learning something new about rifles, revolvers, loading, forming, turning and milling cases, load development, swaging and casting bullets they will be shoveling dirt in my face. 160 years wouldn't be long enough to absorb half of it.

I'm always ready to help anyone but, they need to take a little more initiative than popping onto a web site and asking a question they don't even know what they're asking. If those who know recommend reading a book first and suggest several books, maybe that person oughta take the advice. Especially when 95 out of 100 say the same thing. Maybe the question should be, "I want to start reloading, how do I go about it?" The answer is always the same, first, read a manual or book on reloading.

Of course a mentor would help and, would no doubt have expedited some things, if you wanted one. There was times I wish I had had one. I didn't so, if it was going to be learned it was incumbent upon me. Not having one also helped make for an extensive library I still use, even Phil Sharpe's book from 1937.

 

[Clipper]

I wish I had a mentor for a coach during my early years in re-loading...like most of the others, I am self taught, still rely heavily on the books, and I do stress the manuals when introducing a newbie to the craft....I made enough simple errors early on, and I still make a blunder now and then, but that's what the lights over Mr Dillon are for, and my handy "eraser" with the plastic handle works very nicely, now not quite as often as before.

 

[accident]

That is a great post Mackie - for someone who knows even a little something about reloading. It appears that Imbearwolf70 knows nothing about it, so everything you said is Greek to him. What's a lube, what do you mean by size, what are all these "powder things" you mention? I understand it and you understand it, but I don't think the OP has the foggiest idea, he doesn't seem to know what dies to get to load his for his guns. He needs to read some manuals before we hit him with the specific things that need to happen.

I'd have to agree with George on this. Far too much info for him at this point in his reloading endevour. There was even a Hornady bullet comparator mentioned. It's way too soon for him to need one of those. I still don't own one, I still use a cleaning rod with a blunt tip and use a knife blade to mark the rod at the muzzle for measuring to get my seating depth for a particular bullet. He can use the manual he gets. Like if he's using Speer bullets then the Speer manual will list a recommended COAL for that particular bullet. That should be fine for him just starting out.
On another note, I also had no mentor when I started out. I used the Lyman 47th and an old reloading book my Dad bought called The Handloaders Digest. For the Christmas Giveaway last year I won a copy of The ABC's of Reloading. WOW was I impressed with that book esp for a beginning reloader. The other manuals are fine but the ABC's book is IMHO a step above the others. For just one example in the ABC's book not only do they tell you what to look for in loading safe ammo, they include lots of pictures to actually show you what to look out for. An excellent book that I wish had when I started reloading.

 

[markr6754]

I suppose I had about 1,000 mentors....whatever the count of contributors to this forum turns out to be. I always wished I had a physical mentor to guide me, but I settled for the next best thing. The ABCs of Reloading was a recommendation from a forum member, and I, in turn, pass along that same recommendation to new loaders.
I also frequently turned to my brother for his guidance and instruction....though he lives 8 states away. Unlimited calling has certainly benefited my efforts.
Still learning, still trying. Not ready to mentor others, but I could let them watch and see what I do. Thus far the only one with a significant interest is my 6 y/o granddaughter.