New to Reloading #1: Tell me if my plan sounds reasonable

[Trriemferent]

I plan to start reloading hopefully in 6-8 months from now but want to start buying the components (bullets/primer/powders) now. Ive ordered a Lyman reloading manual to start reading for now. Im wondering if its advisable to start stocking up on bullets, primers and powder (using a reloading manual) when I wont be able to make any test loads to try out.

As of right now I dont know much about reloading..... just some basic things Ive read on the net/youtube. I would hate to stock up on a bunch of stuff and have it be the wrong stuff. So for those of you with experience, should I wait till I have a press and all the tools before I start investing in powder and primers or can I start stocking up now?

UPDATE:
My goal for reloading is to have ammo available for simple plinking, just having fun and some informal target shooting...... nothing competitive. I figure (in the coming years) factory ammo will be harder to find so I want to stock up on the components to reload for my self. Being able to save money on ammo is a plus but my main goal is having ammo available when ever I want it.

As far as what I plan on buying components for.....
1. 9mm and 45 acp for pistol shooting
2. 223/5.56, 308win and 7.62x39 for rifle shooting

[milotrain]

There are a number of ways to do this but what you reload for (purpose and firearm) will define your way forward.

If you want accuracy loads then you don't want to buy deep before working out what works well. If you want plinking ammo then you can buy deep in those components. If you have a factory load that works well then duplicating it should be pretty easy, so that might give you some direction.

You don't want to be sitting on 1000 bullets that don't do what you thought they would. Also you don't want to buy 1000 expensive jacked match bullets if bulk plated bullets would serve you just as well.

So:
What purpose are you reloading for?
What firearms/calibers are you reloading for?

[Divernhunter]

^^^More important is what CARTRIDGES you are planning to load for not just calibers. Also what is the purpose of the ammo you plan to load--hunting/informal target/plinking/target competition. These two questions will determine what supplies you look for. Even what equipment you would buy.

[Trriemferent]

Thanks for the fast replies . Im going to update my original post to answer these questions.

My goal for reloading is to have ammo available for simple plinking, just having fun and some informal target shooting...... nothing competitive. I figure (in the coming years) factory ammo will be harder to find so I want to stock up on the components to reload for my self. Being able to save money on ammo is a plus but my main goal is having ammo available when ever I want it.

As far as what I plan on buying components for.....
1. 9mm and 45 acp for pistol shooting
2. 223/5.56, 308win and 7.62x39 for rifle shooting

[roc_my_tims]

Buy some staple powders and primers now. Those will be the hardest to get come election time, which falls right about when you want to start.

[rm1911]

Buy some staple powders and primers now. Those will be the hardest to get come election time, which falls right about when you want to start.

Very good advice. For 9 and 45, there are lots of good powders that do double duty. Bullseye is of course on top of the list.

Here's a short list that I'd look for:

Bullseye
Unique
231 or hp-38 (I believe they are the same powder. Don't quote me on it though. Either way, both are good)
Power pistol (I love this stuff)
Accurate #5 (my all time fav, but try finding it now. AAARRRGGGGGGGG!!!!)

There are a couple of others but these are pretty much the most widely used.

As for bullets, plated for me are the way to go. I like 200's in 45 and 115's and 124's in 9.

And of course large and small pistol primers.

I think you're on the right track. Components are essential. And since you're shooting common rounds with very common and standardized components and load data, can't go wrong.

If you were trying to find a good rifle powder, that'd be a different issue. But pistol powders are kinda more versatile. And even if you get components first, you can always find people with reloading equipment. And there'll always be some used for sale. But the powder, especially the powder, yeah, that you need to load up on.

[dsltech]

Try to find some good deals before you buy. A couple of weeks ago Cabela's had free shipping, $20 haz mat fee on S&B primers for $17.99 per 1000. Check the forums for members selling powder at a discount like $20 per pound for individual bottles. You have time to find good deals.

[dogslayer1313]

Keep doing your research and see which powders are the most versatile for the calibers you mentioned. I would buy powder and primers as soon as you can afford it. Look for sales and possibly people in your area to split hazmat fees. Most powders and primers are available now so don't get caught panic buying later. With the election year and the recent shootings things are not going to get better.

[MarkG35]

Sounds like a great plan to me.
For plinking rounds,with the calibers your shooting,you can get quite a few brands of powder to work.Primers are a no brainer.Buy if you can.

[milotrain]

As far as what I plan on buying components for.....
1. 9mm and 45 acp for pistol shooting
2. 223/5.56, 308win and 7.62x39 for rifle shooting

Ok, well this is easy. Here is what you absolutely want regardless of later plans:

1. Varget for the rifle loads. Yeah it's hard to find, it always is but it also works in everything. It doesn't matter that it's a big long stick powder and that ball powder is easier to throw, in 90% of cases you can throw Varget with plenty of accuracy. If you are hell bent on not using Varget then get H4895.

2. Bullseye or Win231 for the pistol loads. They will both work in 9mm and 45, Bullseye is a classic 45 powder, and Win231 is a classic 9mm powder. Buy which ever you are going to load more of and buy an 4lb or 8lb jug, you'll never have to buy pistol powder again.

3.
• For .223 buy the Hornady 68gr HPBT bullet
• For .308 buy the Hornady 168gr HPBT bullet (unless you want to go out passed 500 yards then buy the 178gr HPBT.
• For the 45 and the 9mm buy plated cast bullets, make sure if you don't use a 230gr ball in the 45 that it will feed reliably before you buy deep in something that isn't a 230gr ball. Berry's 115 gr round nose 9mm bullet is good and cheap.

4. Use Tula/Wolf primers, they are every bit as good and cheaper.

5. Use whatever brass you want but I hate brass prep so I buy prepped once fired brass for rifles. The .223 brass will wear out faster than anything else if you are using an AR15, the pistol brass will last you forever. Get twice the amount of pistol brass as you expect to shoot in a big day of shooting and just keep rotating the stock through the reloading process.

6. Sometimes it's worth paying more for something from the same outfit you are buying other components from because of shipping and hazmat costs. Max out your hazmat if possible, and buy powder with friends once a year to do this. You will loose your shirt buying powder locally or in small mail shipments, hazmat destroys the savings unless you max it out.

[JustEd]

For the 9 and 45, can't go wrong with Hodgon Tightgroup powder, Xtreme plated bullets and CCI primers, those are cost effective choices as well. Oh, to start don't try SWC bullets until you know your guns feed them ok. Round nose and flat point should be gtg for plinking. Don't waste your money on hollowpoints for plinking.

[Rez805]

Depending on where you source your .45acp brass (e.g, store vs. range pickup) you might run into small primer pockets. There are some ammunition companies who are using small pistol primers in their .45acp offerings.

It's never too early to think about the space and organization requirements for your equipment and components.

Since you have quite some time until you truly start, it might be a good idea to start calculating what you are getting not only in terms of price, but for quantity as well. For example, there are 7000 grains per pound. If my load is 3.5 grains, I can expect to produce 2,000 rounds per pound of powder. Granted, the numbers don't always work out perfectly especially when you are just starting out (learning curve).

If you are curious, there are online calculators that help you get a "cost per round" figure based on the cost of your components and how much powder you use. For a truly accurate number you'll have to keep the startup costs in mind too.

There are also sites that help you find deals online (gunbot, slickguns). As has been stated by others, try to find a dealer that has as much of what you need in one place. Paying multiple hazmat fees sucks.

Regardless of the type of press you get, start slowly and measure often. The reward for your diligence is the big grin you'll have when you for your first hand loads.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Trriemferent]

Wow I really wasnt expecting so much help (both in this thread and via PMs) from everyone. I was really apprehensive about buying components without starting to reload but you guys are starting to put my mind at ease. There is a lot of info to absorb but you guys are answering my questions before I even ask them. Its really appreciated.

[rm1911]

Wow I really wasnt expecting so much help (both in this thread and via PMs) from everyone. I was really apprehensive about buying components without starting to reload but you guys are starting to put my mind at ease. There is a lot of info to absorb but you guys are answering my questions before I even ask them. Its really appreciated.

Well this is calguns. Where all questions are answered thoroughly and politely, and all disagreements are handled with tact and courtesy.

[Trriemferent]

Next noob question....... Are primers interchangeable from one brand to another when reloading 9mm and 45ACP as long as Im not loading at max pressure?

One of the post above mentioned that Tula/Wolf primers are just as good as other primers. Does that mean if a recipe calls for CCI 500 (small pistol primer), can I use Tula or Winchester small pistols primers instead as long as Im not maxed out? If so, does this rule apply to rifle primers as well?

Im just wondering if I should just start buying the cheapest primers I find or should I be more selective. Thanks