FREE Special Insert! - Redding Reloading

1 free Special Insert! Learn Howto Reload! Easy-to-UseGuide Load Pistoland RifleAmmunition Save Money CreateCustomLoadsStartReloadingToday!Int roduction to Reloading 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 re-view 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 hunt-ing, I like to resurrect older .22-caliber wildcats likethe .219 Donaldson Wasp, .220 Weatherby Rocketor the .22 K-Hornet. Going along with that also in-Stan TrzoniecIhear it all the time: Whyhandload your own ammu-nition when commercialammunition today is just asaccurate? Naturally, there is noeasy answer, but if you could con-dense it all into a few words, theymight be fun, saving money and theability to turn out custom ammuni-tion that will perform well for what-ever purpose small game, biggame, target shooting, plinking, loads that produce best accu-racy in your rifle or toReloadingAmmunitionA CompleteStep-By-StepGuideA Redding starter kit includes a press, case trimmer,powder trickler, lube pad, case neck brush, chamfer-ing tool, funnel, scale and powder you don t have to spend tonsof money to pursue it.

2 Sure, theinitial investment is moderate,but if you shop wisely, it s possi-ble 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 ex-pense, 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 inter-est in a Special part of hunting orcompetition, and when you needa lot of ammunition in a shortperiod of time, handloading startsto pay , the tuning of a rifle toshoot groups under .5 inch at 100yards or more is a bit of a chal-lenge, which most of us can han-dle 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 man-ner.

3 Accurate rifles not onlyget the job done, but go a longway in instilling pride of owner-ship and confidence in the fieldas the process of perhaps re-fitting 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 speci-fications fit, finish and cham-bering all topped off with ascope of your choice is yet an-other money is a good deal formost folks in these times when ahobby is an enjoyable pastime,4 Introduction to Reloading Ammunition1. Using new brass, visually checkall the cases for grit, packaging orbrass chips before lubing, for steeldies, or running them into acarbide-sizing insert the sizing (first of three)die into the press. Die sets areadjustable and allow the hand-loader to set the base of the dieso it just touches the shellholderon the up or downstroke of thehandle, depending on howthe press is set insert the cartridge case (weare using the.)

4 38 Special through-out this sequence) in the shell-holder that you installed onthe Run all the cases all the wayup and into the sizing die. If afired case is used, the primer willbe expelled at this time 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 most aspiring handload-ers will be using a press that gen-erates 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 devel-ops a lot of force, and the lastthing you need is to have thebench moving around as is a list of equipment toget you started in either the pis-tol or rifle Reloading with an asterisk (*) can bepurchased in a Reloading kit, sav-ing money over the purchase ofindividual pieces.

5 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 in-stance, in pistol calibers, thesame die works for the .38 Spe-cial and .357 Magnum; the samefor the .44 Special and .44 Mag-num. Get yourself a good loadingmanual or subscribe online 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 inde-pendents, including the powdermanufacturers, like Hodgdon,Accurate Arms and Ramshot.( offers onlineover 200,000 loads for a widevariety of cartridges.) In addi -tion, most if not all will give youa complete rundown on load-ing practices, bullet types andweights and primers, helping tofill in the blanks and answerquestions on items not coveredin this to Reloading After cleaning (if a case lubewas used), check each case forthe proper overall length.

6 This iseasily done on a dial micrometeror the inexpensive plastic gaugessold by many of the loading Replace the sizer die with theneck expander (second die in theset) setting the case flare to ac-commodate the bullet base. Donot over flarethe case Theamount offlare (orbelling) ofthe casemouth isshownhere. Inseating thebullet,make sureit goes Pick the appropriate primerfrom the listing in any loadingmanual. In this case, CCI 500 Small Pistol primers are correctfor the .38 Special If any of the cases exceed recommended length, trim themto ensure proper chambering anda uniform crimp on all After trimming, where neces-sary, 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 Seat primers carefully. Onemethod is on the press, asshown, with the attached primerarm. Another is to use a hand-priming tool, and a third wouldbe a Special automatic primingtool. Make sure the primer isfully seated to the bottom ofthe OFEQUIPMENT:1.

7 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* 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 HANDGUNAMMUNITIONR eloading hand-gun ammunitionamounts to noth-ing more thantaking a cartridgecase and runningit through a num-ber of predeter-mined steps. Assimple as it maysound, there are a few items tobe considered as you progressthrough any loading first is loading data. Re-search all your work from this in-6 Introduction to Reloading Ammunition15.

8 The next step is set up the scaleand zero it. With faster-burningpowders like Bullseye, attentionto details is mandatory, as over-charging could result in damageto the firearm and the Now is the time to set upthe powder measure on a rigidsurface or use the screw clampssome companies Adjust the powder measureto drop your load choice fromthe loading manual. Adjust themeasure until you get the exactweight, as confirmed on thepowder On the left is an unprimedcase. On the right is the primedcase flared and ready for apowder With all the various weightson the scale zeroed out, the farend of the scale must balanceat Consult a manual or other re-liable 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 grains of RamshotZip pistol powder for a velocityof 918 feet per second (fps).Also, note the overall cartridgelength is inches with thebullet seated, which will allow itto function properly in any.

9 38 Special Follow all the instructions forthe seating die. Stan finds it easyto adjust the die to stop when thecase mouth contacts the crimpingshoulder inthe die. Theninsert thebullet seater(top part),adjusting itfor overalllength as thebullet ispushed intothe thebullet byhand intothe chargedcase mouthas shown,making sureit is straightand true withthe sides ofthe to Reloading Tip: to determine the averagecharge, throw 10 charges intothe pan and weight them as asingle batch, then divide by Screwthe seatingbody downuntil it justtouches themouth of thecase. Adjustthe seatingstem down-ward byalternatelyraising andlowering thecartridge case while adjusting thebullet seating To crimpthe bullet fora revolver,back off theseating screwabout aquarter-turnand tightenit finger turnthe die bodydown aboutthree-quartersof a turn andtighten. Thisis the crimpposition, orwhere thedie will turnthe case mouth into the crimpingcannelureto ensure the bulletdoesn t move during The finished product.

10 Make avisual inspection to ensure thecrimp is even around the casemouth, the primer is just belowflush withthe bottomof the caseand, withthe firstcartridge,the overalllength iswhat allthe data forthe nextsession atthe Charge all cases in an orderlyfashion by row until all are check all cases for adouble charge, which can happenwith light target loads. With asmall charge, it s easy to mistak-enly put multiple charges intoone and loading manuals avail-able at any retail sporting goodsstore or online. Never guess atany load, powder charge orprimer size, and always consult areputable and updated hand-book. To do otherwise is fool-hardy at safety precautions area must. Never smoke or indulgein alcoholic beverages in yourgun room or work area. Keep thebench clean. Only the compo-nents relative to the cartridgeyou are working with should beon the deck. Nothing else. Weareye protection, especially whenpriming cartridge cases. Accumu-lated dust in the filler tubes canand has led to detonation ofprimers after months of heavyloading sessions.