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FREE Special Insert!Learn Howto Reload! Easy-to-UseGuide Load Pistoland RifleAmmunition Save Money CreateCustomLoadsStartReloadingToday!
Introduction toA CompleteStep-By-StepGuideReloadingAmmunitionStan TrzoniecIhear it all the time: “Whyhandload your own ammunition when commercialammunition today is just asaccurate?” Naturally, there is noeasy answer, but if you could condense it all into a few words, theymight be fun, saving money and theability to turn out custom ammunition that will perform well for whatever purpose – small game, biggame, target shooting, plinking, etc.with loads that produce best accuracy in your rifle or handgun.Introduction to Reloading AmmunitionA Redding starter kit includes a press, case trimmer,powder trickler, lube pad, case neck brush, chamfering tool, funnel, scale and powder measure.The fun factor in handloading is my favorite. First,I believe everyone needs a hobby, and the reloadingof ammunition is a great place to start. You can review the history of ballistics, see how propellantshave changed over the last 100 years and dig intothe past with reference to firearms and how theyevolved into modern state-of-the-art handguns andrifles. Choosing a cartridge from times gone by andfiguring out how to make it fit into modern times isa personal passion, and since I enjoy varmint hunting, I like to resurrect older .22-caliber wildcats likethe .219 Donaldson Wasp, .220 Weatherby Rocketor the .22 K-Hornet. Going along with that also inwww.handloadermagazine.com3
Pistol Ammunitionvolves the process of perhaps refitting a barrel to an existing rifleto chamber the new round orscouring the countryside for avintage rifle already made toorder, just waiting to be taken inthe game fields again. Better yet,if time and money permit, havinga custom rifle built to your specifications – fit, finish and chambering – all topped off with ascope of your choice is yet another alternative.Saving money is a good deal formost folks in these times when ahobby is an enjoyable pastime,1competition, and when you needa lot of ammunition in a shortperiod of time, handloading startsto pay off.Finally, the tuning of a rifle toshoot groups under .5 inch at 100yards or more is a bit of a challenge, which most of us can handle with aplomb. Small gamehunting demands small groups torid the farmer’s north forty ofannoying woodchucks, and it isyour job as a hunter to take suchgame in a quick, efficient manner. Accurate rifles not onlyget the job done, but go a longway in instilling pride of ownership and confidence in the fieldas well.21. Using new brass, visually checkall the cases for grit, packaging orbrass chips before lubing, for steeldies, or running them into acarbide-sizing die.32. Lubricate all cases if you are using standard dies, but eliminate thisstep if carbide dies are employed. The latter are getting more popularfor loading handgun ammunition, as they are cleaner and eliminatethe need for cleaning all the cases after lubing.43. Insert the sizing (first of three)die into the press. Die sets areadjustable and allow the handloader to set the base of the dieso it just touches the shellholderon the up or downstroke of thehandle, depending on howthe press is set up.4and you don’t have to spend tonsof money to pursue it. Sure, theinitial investment is moderate,but if you shop wisely, it’s possible to find a reloading “kit” thatincludes all the tools and a pressto get you started in a very smartand efficient way. Bullets, primersand powders are part of the expense, but as you move along,they start to gather on your shelfas “stock,” and the cost processis less painful. Brass cases aregood for sometimes hundreds ofreloads, and a press, dies andrelated tools will last manylifetimes. If you are a novice toshooting and reloading, sooneror later you will develop an interest in a special part of hunting or54. Insert the cartridge case (weare using the .38 Special throughout this sequence) in the shellholder that you installed onthe press.www.handloadermagazine.com5. Run all the cases all the wayup and into the sizing die. If afired case is used, the primer willbe expelled at this time also.Introduction to Reloading Ammunition
GETTING STARTEDSince most aspiring handloaders will be using a press that generates sufficient force to resizecases, a corner of a basement is agood place to start; a walled in“gun” room is even better. Makethe bench sturdy by employing2x4 bench work, covered witha pine, oak or, better yet, aFormica top. Bolting the table toboth the wall and floor is a goodidea, as a compound press develops a lot of force, and the lastthing you need is to have thebench moving around as youwork.Below is a list of equipment toget you started in either the pistol or rifle reloading process.Items with an asterisk (*) can bepurchased in a reloading kit, saving money over the purchase ofindividual pieces. Double marked(**) products are those you needwith the kit, and unmarked itemscan be purchased as you movealong. Individual reloading diesare needed for each cartridgeyou load, but like anything else,there are exceptions. For instance, in pistol calibers, thesame die works for the .38 Special and .357 Magnum; the samefor the .44 Special and .44 Magnum. Get yourself a good loadingmanual or subscribe online toLoadData.com. A manual (and/orthe website) is the bible for allyour work, and for the mostpart, one will last for manyyears. Manuals are published byBarnes, Hornady, Lyman, Sierra,Swift and a host of other independents, including the powdermanufacturers, like Hodgdon,Accurate Arms and Ramshot.(LoadData.com offers onlineover 200,000 loads for a widevariety of cartridges.) In addi tion, most if not all will give youa complete rundown on loading practices, bullet types andweights and primers, helping tofill in the blanks and answerquestions on items not coveredin this insert.66. After cleaning (if a case lubewas used), check each case forthe proper overall length. This iseasily done on a dial micrometeror the inexpensive plastic gaugessold by many of the loading manufacturers.71010. Theamount offlare (orbelling) ofthe casemouth isshownhere. Inseating thebullet,make sureit goes instraightly.117. If any of the cases exceedrecommended length, trim themto ensure proper chambering anda uniform crimp on all rounds.811. Pick the appropriate primerfrom the listing in any loadingmanual. In this case, CCI 500Small Pistol primers are correctfor the .38 Special cartridge.128. After trimming, where necessary, a deburring tool is used toclean up the case mouth. Usingthe pointed end creates a slightchamfer in the case mouth; theopposite end is for the outsideedge.99. Replace the sizer die with theneck expander (second die in theset) setting the case flare to accommodate the bullet base. Donot over flare the case mouth.Introduction to Reloading Ammunition12. Seat primers carefully. Onemethod is on the press, asshown, with the attached primerarm. Another is to use a handpriming tool, and a third wouldbe a special automatic primingtool. Make sure the primer isfully seated to the bottom ofthe pocket.www.handloadermagazine.com5
Pistol Ammunition13LIST OF EQUIPMENT:1. a good, high-quality bench pressin either a C or O configurationwith provisions for a primer feedand a spent primer catcher*2. one set of appropriate dies –carbide for pistols, standard forrifle calibers*3. shellholder to match the caliber*4. powder scale*5. powder measure*6. case trimmer with the appropriatepilot*7. deburring tool*8. case lube kit*9. powder funnel*10. primer flipper**11. loading block**12. case neck brushes*13. primer pocket cleaners*14. reliable handloading manual**15. powder trickler*16. dial calipers**17. cartridge storage boxes**18. bullet puller19. notebook – for record keeping*20. case tumblerYou’ll also need unprimed brasscases, bullets, powder andprimers for the cartridge you areloading.PUTTING IT ALLTOGETHER –HANDGUNAMMUNITIONReloading handgun ammunitionamounts to nothing more thantaking a cartridgecase and runningit through a number of predetermined steps. Assimple as it maysound, there are a few items tobe considered as you progressthrough any loading session.The first is loading data. Research all your work from this in61616. With all the various weightson the scale zeroed out, the farend of the scale must balanceat zero.13. On the left is an unprimedcase. On the right is the primedcase flared and ready for apowder charge.171414. Consult a manual or other reliable loading data to ensure youare using the right powder andcharge for the cartridge. In thisexample, we are using a Barnes110-grain bullet and a startingload of 4.9 grains of RamshotZip pistol powder for a velocityof 918 feet per second (fps).Also, note the overall cartridgelength is 1.435 inches with thebullet seated, which will allow itto function properly in any .38Special revolver.17. Now is the time to set upthe powder measure on a rigidsurface or use the screw clampssome companies offer.181515. The next step is set up the scaleand zero it. With faster-burningpowders like Bullseye, attentionto details is mandatory, as overcharging could result in damageto the firearm and the user.www.handloadermagazine.com18. Adjust the powder measureto drop your load choice – fromthe loading manual. Adjust themeasure until you get the exactweight, as confirmed on thepowder scale.Introduction to Reloading Ammunition
22sert and loading manuals available at any retail sporting goodsstore or online. Never guess atany load, powder charge orprimer size, and always consult areputable and updated handbook. To do otherwise is foolhardy at best.General safety precautions area must. Never smoke or indulgein alcoholic beverages in yourgun room or work area. Keep thebench clean. Only the components relative to the cartridgeyou are working with should beon the deck. Nothing else. Weareye protection, especially whenpriming cartridge cases. Accumulated “dust” in the filler tubes canand has led to detonation ofprimers after months of heavyloading sessions. Blow the dustout periodically or just push acloth patch from one end to theother.If any problems crop up, stop!Don’t force any equipment. Investigate the situation and thenapply the corrective action.Record all data. Labels are supplied with each box of bullets, souse them on your storage boxes.Use or make up printed formsthat can be installed in commonthree-ring binders, and use bothas a cross reference. Take nothing for granted.Loading handgun cartridges isa serious shortcut to more shooting because it saves money. Thephoto sequence that followsshows a cartridge case movingthrough the various loadingstages. Fifty or even 100 cases ata time can be done at one stationbefore moving to the next to savetime and to ensure consistencyfrom round to round. Note thatnot all the smaller steps areshown in complete detail. Aquick check of any loading manual, die set instructions or loading press literature will round outyour sources of information,leaving common sense and experience to do the rest. 1919. Tip: to determine the averagecharge, throw 10 charges intothe pan and weight them as asingle batch, then divide by 10.2023. To crimpthe bullet fora revolver,back off theseating screwabout aquarter-turnand tightenit finger tight.Next turnthe die bodydown aboutthree-quartersof a turn andtighten. Thisis the crimpposition, orwhere thedie will turnthe case mouth into the crimpingcannelure to ensure the bulletdoesn’t move during recoil.2320. Charge all cases in an orderlyfashion by row until all are filled.Visually check all cases for adouble charge, which can happenwith light target loads. With asmall charge, it’s easy to mistakenly put multiple charges intoone case.21. Follow all the instructions forthe seating die. Stan finds it easyto adjust the die to stop when thecase mouth contacts the crimpingshoulder in21the die. Theninsert thebullet seater(top part),adjusting itfor overalllength as thebullet ispushed intothe case.Insert thebullet byhand intothe chargedcase mouthas shown,making sureit is straightand true withthe sides ofthe case.Introduction to Reloading Ammunition22. Screwthe seatingbody downuntil it justtouches themouth of thecase. Adjustthe seatingstem downward byalternatelyraising andlowering thecartridge case while adjusting thebullet seating depth.24. The finished product. Make avisual inspection to ensure thecrimp is even around the casemouth, the primer is just belowflush withthebottom24of the caseand, withthe firstcartridge,the overalllength iswhat themanualspecified.Record allthe data forthe nextsession atthe loadingbench.www.handloadermagazine.com7
Rifle AmmunitionLOADINGRIFLE AMMUNITIONGood quality rifle ammunitionis loaded in virtually the samemanner as handgun ammunition.And, unless there is a dramaticchange in metallic componentsin the near future, the processwill stay essentially the same.There are differences, minor inmost instances but different. Basically, the loading of present-daybottleneck cartridges involvesfour operations: sizing/decapping, priming, powder chargingand bullet seating. Some stepsare similar to those followed inloading handgun ammunition;others are unique to rifle cartridges and require complete understanding before proceeding.One obvious difference is thatpowder charges tend to be largerin rifle cases. Consequently, thepowder measure must be able todispense bulky, coarse-grainedpropellants. The powder measure supplied with the Redding kitis more than adequate for allyour handgun and rifle needs.With coarse-grained powders,some folks prefer to weigh eachindividual charge a few grainsunder the specified chargeweight, then trickle the chargeup to balance the beam on the1scale. It does slow things down abit, but most rifle shooters don’tmind the slightly slower (relaxed) pace if it makes for accurate ammunition.Depending on your rifle, cartridge or load, most cases requiretrimming every fifth or sixth reload; full-power loads, moreoften. For the .30-06 case that weare loading here, the case can beallowed to grow to no more than2.494 inches. Trimming back to2.484 inches would allow formany reloads before trimming isrequired again.Neck tension is very importantin rifle cases. It not only holdsthe bullet in place when loaded,2. Lube all the cases sparingly before they go into the sizing die.Take a half-dozen or so, roll themon the lube pad, then one by oneinsert them into the sizing die.www.handloadermagazine.combut also assures more consistentpowder combustion. Therefore,pay proper attention to the expander plug in the sizing die. If,when seating bullets, there islittle or no resistance, the plugshould be checked for properdiameter.Incipient head separationcaused by improper headspacingin a rifle is reason to check yoursizing die for proper adjustment.Overall or improper bullet/cartridge length can lead to difficultchambering. If you are gettingsmall dents in the shoulders ofyour bottleneck cases duringsizing, perhaps too much lube isthe culprit.321. The first thing you want to dois inspect all the new cases forfactory defects, such as mouthsplits or irregular-shaped casemouths as shown here. The sizingdie will take care of this problem.8Loading rifle ammunition is no different from handgun ammunition,and components are available on a grand scale.3. Lubricate the inside of the casenecks for an easy return out of thedie. Another possibility would beto use carbide expander plugs(not the dies), thus eliminatingthis step.Introduction to Reloading Ammunition
Finally, double-check everything you do, every step of theway. At the bench, monitor procedures; at the range check forsigns of abnormal pressure. Flattened primers, hard extraction orejector markings on the base ofthe case are a cause for concern,and never start charging caseswith the maximum loads in themanuals. Always start at least 10percent below the maximum,working up from there by firingthe rifle at each advance in powder charge weight. If you seeproblems, stop shooting, take theloads home and by using a bulletpuller (inertia or mechanical design – or pliers), empty the suspect cases and start again.Keep a record of what you havejust loaded. I mark the storage44. Insert the sizing/decapperdie (first one) into the press andadjust it according to the diemaker’s instructions. The usualprocedure is to screw this dieinto the press until it touchesthe shellholder when the ram(with the shellholder) is in theup position.6boxes with the loads to be tested.Stick-on labels work just as well.Maintain a three-ring binder forrecords and see how the firearmreacts to various powders and/orcharge weights.Keep in mind accidents nevertake a holiday. Attention toall phases of the reloading operation will assure a safe andmore than satisfying hobby. 96. Raise the cartridge case into thedie by running it up completelyfor full-length resizing. If it’s apreviously fired case, the primerwill be expelled at this time. Cleanthe primer pocket with a few turnsof the cleaning tool.9. If your cases are over length,you have to trim them back tofactory specifications. Likehandguns, you can use either atrim die or a case trimmer, asillustrated here. A case trimmerutilizes a pilot in different diameters to fit most popular riflecartridges.10510. Aftertrimming,chamfer theinside ofthe casemouth.77. Clean all the cases with a solvent or by tumbling in a mediapowder before going on.85. Slide a cartridge case into theshellholder, making sure it istouching the rear of the holderand enters the sizing diestraightly.11. Turn thetool aroundand do theoutside ofthe casemouth toremoveburrs.118. After sizing (new case out ofthe box) or resizing a case (afterfiring), check it for overall length.Introduction to Reloading Ammunitionwww.handloadermagazine.com9
Rifle Ammunition12. Before12loading, goback tothe loadingmanual topick a powder chargeand thevelocitydesired.Barnes bullets wereused atop astarting loadof 49.7 grainsof Ramshot Big Game for a velocity of 2,625 fps.201616. Working if possible at eyelevel, zero the powder scale,then use the powder trickler tobring the charge up to thecorrect weight.1717. Load each case with thecorrect powder charge, asverified on the scale. Move downthe line until all the cases arecharged, then visually checkthem for the proper volume.181414. Thepowdermeasureshould bemounted ona solid shelf.The onlypowder thatshould be onthe bench isthe one youare workingwith.151015. After fillingthe powderreservoir, set upthe powdermeasure tothrow a chargea couple ofgrains below thechosen load.21. Raise thecase againand adjustthe bulletseater stemuntil thecorrect bullet depth isattained aslisted for“overalllength withbullet” inthe loadingmanual. Verify this withyour dialcalipers.Now is agood time tomake adummy round (with no powderor primer) and check it forfunctioning in your rifle. If it’sa hunting round, make threeor four, load the magazine andcycle each round through theaction. This will guaranteeflawless operation in the field.211313. Priming is done using theprimer feed included with theRedding press.20. Lowerthe caseback downand installthe bullet,making sureit is straight.18. The nextstep is bullet seating,so installthe seating/crimpingdie (seconddie in the set).19. After19placing aprimed andcharged caseinto thepress, raisethe case andinstall theseater dieuntil thecrimping ringtouches thecase mouth. Unscrew the dieabout a quarter turn, then tightenthe lock ring by hand.22. Turndown thedie assemblyuntil theproper crimpis achieved.The bullet onthe left isuncrimped.The bullet onthe right has a22mediumcrimp for arifle with a magazine. The crimpensures the bullet will not shiftin the case during recoil.Introduction to Reloading Ammunition
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LIST OF EQUIPMENT: 1. a good, high-quality bench press in either a C or O configuration with provisions for a primer feed and a spent primer catcher* 2. one set of appropriate dies -
