Reloading Ammunition for Starters

For some people finding hobbies is easy, I am not one of these people. For years I have looked into different things never able to stay with one project or hobby for any good amount of time. There is also the money issue. Now that I am starting to get into firearms my hobby possibilities have increased exponentially. The next question I had to ask myself was what exactly to get further into. I decided to try my hand at reloading my own ammunition.

Reloading your own ammunition is more of an art and requires a higher degree of concentration, and a decent knowledge of machinery and measurements can go a long way. This was the basis for my decision, that and I get to save money in the process. After many months of research, I am now comfortable enough to order a reloading press kit and purchase the Speer reloading manual, it's like the re loader's bible really.

This manual by Speer covers of course only their materials since they are a company, but for technical information about reloading bullets no one has beaten them yet. This thing covers most types of powder and most common loads and bullet types. Interestingly enough it also goes into some detail about each bullet history and the needed history and information about the cartridge components and materials used in them. This book should be on everybody's list not just those who are starting out but also those that have been reloading for years. Good thing I'm not a superstitious person because the newest edition out is the 13^th edition complete with a ram skull on the cover.

The next hurdle was the cost of the press or kit, which ever cost less. After much looking and review reading I settled on the Lee 4 hole turret press from Cabela's. For roughly 90 bucks after shipping I really could not complain, the next closest thing was around 150 bucks without shipping. From all of the reviews I have read Lee makes good equipment too so I'm not worried about this one. With the turret press I can also press out more rounds per hour than with a single stage. Of course theres more than just this to get up a running with a finished final product.

I still have to get my hands on cleaning materials and drying materials for the casings. Then the actual bullets which are pretty costly and then some reusable casing. The casings are actually the expensive part being a good mixture of materials and alloys, these things are a good chunk of the reloading costs. But almost all store bought ammunition is able to be reused so I can just save up some casings from my range trips and maybe buy a bag or two to help supplement the stock. Then there is the powder, but which one to choose. From looking at the charts all over the web and in the Speer Manual I'll settle on a medium mix for now and then shift around as money on hand dictates and what function I'm exactly using it for. By tailoring the rounds I make I can improve my accuracy or change how the bullet works , this is the true benefit of reloading your own ammunition.

Not only is saving money a fringe benefit, but your firearm may never shoot better than when you made your own ammunition. By tailoring you ammunition to your style of shooting and your strengths, the normal day at the range turns into an experience not just throwing lead. You can customize a round to be powered down to shoot softer or load them up to kick and pull, but either way its truly your bullet.