I’m just now looking at getting into reloading. Right now 6.5 CM, 6.5 PRC, 7 PRC, and .300 WSM are what I want to load. Any all recommendations are welcome. I have the opportunity to buy the following Hornady kit at a good price. Any thoughts on it?

Lock-N-Load® Iron Press® Kit Auto Prime
Includes:

Automatic Priming System
Die Caddy
Component Feed Bin & Bracket
Lock-N-Load® Die Bushings (3)
Lock-N-Load® Bench Scale
Powder Measure
Reloading Handbook
Unique™ Case Lube
Powder Funnel 22-45 cal
Digital Caliper
Bullet Comparator Set of 6
Shell Holder Kit
Chamfer & Deburr Tool
Six Neck Brushes
Large & Small Primer Pocket Cleaners

If you are sure you'll keep on with it, that may not be a bad way to start if the price is good. I assume the kit does include the press, of course.

I couldn't see a case trimmer mentioned. For precision, you'll need one and they're not cheap.

In case you want to save money, it will take decades to amortise the cost of all that plus dies, components, range trips etc but it can be fun if you have the right mindset.

Not sure about the lock and load bit.

They might use proprietary dies.

In which case I suggest you avoid them.

Any standard press and standard die are better.

Buy a case trimmer. Many types out there.
Fully understand your powder measure and how to calibrate it for zero.
Read everything on reloading you can by the masters gone by.
I've been reloading for over 60 years and it is fun and very rewarding.
I reload thousands of rounds a year from .17 to 20M/M
I mainly shoot long range every weekend. My loads have never left me down.

Lock N load use standard dies. The quick die change design uses bushings that standard 7/8 x14 dies. Buy it if it is a good price. The "iron" press is a unique design.

Thanks for asking, Southwesthunter. You are about to embark on a rewarding and fascinating aspect firearms.

10 Advices for the novice handloader
Here are 10 advices I composed for the new reloader. My perspective is that of a handgun reloader, but most will apply across all cartridges.

When I first started (with a single stage press) I could produce about 50 per hour. I recommend doing things one process at a time. Multiple operations at a time are too complex for me to keep track of. My due care kept me moving too slowly. I used progressives for a while, but but finally have settle on a Lee Classic Turret as my preferred machine. Others may choose differently, but this one suits my style and temperament.

I have thought of a few things I think are useful for handloaders to know or to consider which seem to be almost universal. So much is a matter of personal taste and circumstance, though. So, all advice carries this caveat, "your mileage may vary".

Bonus advice: Advice zero, if you will, "Why load?"

At the same time as I bought my first gun (.357 Magnum Dan Wesson revolver), I bought a reloading setup because I knew I could not afford to shoot if I did not reload my own ammo. It cost me about 1/4 of factory ammo per round and paid for itself pretty quickly. However, most shooters will not realize any savings at all. Instead of shooting for 1/4 the ammo cost, you will shoot four times as much for the same cost. However, handloading can be more than a means to an end (money savings or increased accuracy), it can be a satisfying pastime in itself.

Now, here are my Ten Advices.

Advice #1 Use Reliable Reference Sources Wisely - Books, Videos, Web Sites, etc.

Study up in loading manuals until you understand the process well, before spending a lot of money on equipment.

I found "The ABC's of Reloading" to be a very good reference. Short on loading data but full of knowledge and understanding of the process. Check out offerings in your local library. Dated, perhaps but the basics are pretty unchanging.

Read as many manuals as you can, for the discussion of the how-to steps. What one manual covers thinly, another will cover well. As far as load data in older manuals, the powder manufacturers and bullet manufacturers may have better information and their web sites are probably more up to date. But pay attention to what the ammunition was test-fired from. (regular firearm vs a sealed-breech pressure test barrel, for example)

The reason you want more than one or two manuals is that you want to read differing authors/editors writing styles and find ones that "speak" to you. You also get better coverage of the subject; one author or editor may cover parts of the subject more thoroughly than the others.

The public library should have manuals you can read, then decide which ones you want to buy.

There are instructional videos now that did not exist in the '70s when I started.

Richard Lee's book "Modern Reloading" has a lot of food for thought, and does discuss the reasoning behind his opinions (unlike many manuals, and postings). Whether right or wrong, the issues merit thought, which that book initiates. It is not a simple book, though and you will find it provocative reading for many years.

Only after you know the steps can you look at the contents of of a dealer's shelves, a mail-order catalog or a reloading kit and know what equipment you want to buy. If you are considering a loading kit, you will be in a better position to know what parts you don't need and what parts the kits lack.

Advice #2 All equipment is good. But is it good FOR YOU?

Almost every manufacturer of loading equipment makes good stuff; if they didn't, they would lose reputation fast and disappear from the marketplace. Better equipment costs more generally. Cast aluminum is lighter and less expensive but not so abrasion resistant as cast iron. Cast iron lasts practically forever. Lee makes good equipment, but is generally considered the "economy" equipment maker, though some of their stuff is considered preferable to more expensive makes. Just think about what you buy. Ask around. Testimonials are nice. But if you thing Ford/Chevrolet owners have brand loyalty, you have not met handloaders. Testimonials with reasoning behind them are better.

Be aware that many handloaders don't use brand names, prefering the manufacturer's chosen color, instead. RCBS equipment is almost all green; Dillon, blue; Lee, red. Almost no manufacturers cross color line, so many handloaders simply identify themselves as "Blue" or whatever. But this is not 100%. I have a Lee Powder Scale that is green.

On Kits: Almost every manufacturer (and retailer) makes a kit that contains everything you need to do reloading (except dies and the consumables). A kit is decent way to get started (with less puzzling over unknowable questions). Eventually most people wind up replacing most of the components of the kit as their personal taste develops, but you will have gotten started, at least.

Advice #3 While Learning, don't get fancy. Progressive or Single Stage? Experimental loads?

While you are learning, load mid-range at first so overpressures are not concerns. Just concentrate on getting the loading steps right and being VERY VERY consistent (charge weight, crimp strength, seating depth, primer seating force, all that). Use a "fluffy" powder that is, one that will overflow your cartridge case if you mistakenly put two powder charges in it, and is easy to verify that you have not missed charging a case with powder.

Learn on a single stage press or a turret press. Do not learn on a progressive press. Too many things happen at the same time, thus are hard to keep track of. Mistakes DO happen and you want to watch for them ONE AT A TIME until handloading becomes second nature to you. You can learn on a progressive, but it is easier to make mistakes during the learning process.

Note: A turret press is essentially a single stage press with a moveable head which can mount several dies at the same time. What makes it like a single stage rather than a progressive is that you are still using only one die at a time, not three or four dies simultaneously at each stroke.

Also, a good, strong, single stage press is in the stable of every reloader I know, no matter how many progressives they have. They always keep at least one single-stage.

Advice #4 Find a mentor.

There is no substitute for someone watching you load a few cartridges and critiquing your technigue BEFORE you develop bad habits or make a dangerous mistake. (A mistake that might not have consequences right away, but maybe only after you have escaped trouble a hundred times until one day you get bit, for instance having case lube on your fingers when you handle primers 99 times, no problem because primers are coated with a sealant, but the hundredth primer may not be perfectly sealed and now winds up "dead")

I started loading with the guy who sold me my press watching over my shoulder as I loaded my first 6 rounds to make sure I did not blow myself up, load a powderless cartridge or set off a primer in the press. I could have learned more, faster with a longer mentoring period, but I learned a lot in those first 6 rounds, as he explained each step. I educated myself after that. But now, on the internet, I have learned a WHOLE LOT MORE. But in-person is still the best.

After you have been mentored, mentor someone else. Not necessarily in loading or the shooting sports, but in SOMETHING in which you are enthusiastic and qualified. Just give back to the community.

Advice #5 Design your loading space for safety, efficiency, cleanliness

When I started reloading, I did not use a loading bench at all. I just mounted the press on a 2" x 6" plank long enough to wedge into the drawer of an end table My loading gear all fit in a footlocker and spread out on a coffeetable, end table and/or the lid of the footlocker. Good leverage meant the table did not lift or rock. I still use the same plank, but now it is mounted in a Black & Decker folding workbench. A loading bench "bolted to the center of the earth" (as some describe their setups) would be more stable, but I do not feel deprived without it.

You will probably spill powder or drop a primer eventually, so consider what you have for a floor covering when you pick your reloading room/workspace. I would not try to vacuum up spilt gunpowder unless using a Rainbow vacuum which uses water as the filter medium.

Advice #6 Keep Current on loading technology

Always use a CURRENT loading manual. Powder chemistry has changed over the years. They make some powders differently than they used to and even some powder names may have changed. However, if you are using 10 year old powder, you may want to check a 10 year old manual for the recipe. Then double check with a modern manual and then triple check with the powder maker.

Read previous threads on reloading, here are a couple I read.

TheFiringLine.com, "Handloading, Reloading, and Bullet Casting"
THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS - Powered by Social Strata
RugerForum.com :: View topic - Interested in reloading
RugerForum.com :: View Forum - Factory Ammunition and Reloading
The second one is a thread started by a new recruit to reloading which the moderators thought highly enough of to make it "sticky" so it stays on the top of the list of threads.

Advice #7 You never regret buying the best (but once)

When you buy the very best, it hurts only once, in the wallet. When you buy too cheaply it hurts every time you use the gear. The trick is to buy good enough (on the scale between high quality and low price) to keep you happy without overpaying.

Advice #8 Tungsten Carbide dies (or Titanium Nitride)

T-C dies instead of regular tool steel (which require lubrication for sizing your brass) for your straight-walled cartridge cases. T-C dies do not require lubrication, which will save you time. Carbide expander button for your bottlenecked cases. Keeps lube out of the inside of the cases.

Advice #9 Safety Always Safety All Ways.

Wear eye protection, especially when seating primers. Gloves are good, too, especially if using the Lee "Hammer" Tools. Children (unless they are good helpers, not just playing around) are at risk and are a risk. Pets, too unless they have been vetted (no, not that kind of vetting). Any distractions that might induce you to forget charging a case (no charge or a double charge, equally disturbing). Imagine everything that CAN go wrong. Then imagine everything that you CAN'T imagine. I could go on, but it's your eyes, your fingers, your house, your children. Enough said?

Advice #10 Remember, verify for yourself everything you learn from casual sources. Believe only half of what you see and one quarter of what you hear. That goes double for everything you find on the internet (with the possible exception of the actual web sites of the bullet and powder manufacturers). This advice applies to my message as much as anything else and especially to personal load recipes. Hare-brained reloaders might have dangerous habits and even an honest typographical error could be deadly. I heard about a powder manufacturer's web site that dropped a decimal point once. It was fixed REAL FAST, but mistakes happen. I work in accounting and frequently hit "7" instead of "4" because they are next to each other on the keypad.

Good luck.

Lost SheepMy first advice: Read "The ABC's of Reloading", an excellent tome on the general processes of reloading. Some people have found it a little intimidating, but just remember, handloading is not rocket science. It does involve loud noises and things that go very fast, but it is safer than driving and a lot simpler than baking a souffle or changing a tire. Just follow the directions assiduously.

Thanks everyone for the replies. Just the kind of advice I’m looking for. I’ve got 5 kids and they all actively hunt/shoot with the wife and I. Having the ability to stock up on components instead of relying on what’s available on the shelf is a large factor for me. Reloading has been something I’ve considered for years and for varying reasons never gotten into it. Looking forward to learning the process. I’m sure I’ll be back asking many more questions.

I have been reloading for a very long time and have always enjoyed it. A couple of points I can add:
If something doesn't look right, feel right or seems 'off', stop, sit back and take a look at what you are doing. Maybe ask some questions, get out the books and sort things out before proceeding.
No matter how much equipment you have you will always 'need' something else.
It can become addicting. I know people that shoot so they can reload.
Get a chronograph and keep good records. With out one you are just guessing.
C.G.B.

Second the shoot to reload experience (personal)

Mike

One of my first safety rules is-----Heep ONLY the components on the bench that you are just about to use!

Hip

Southwesthunter,

If you need help or shown how to do anything give me a shout. I am about 40 minutes south of you. Be glad to help if you need it.

A number of others have already suggested additions. Here's another (but fortunately it can be cheap or even home-made):

Shell trays.

Using a shell tray allows you to easily ensure that all your cases are reasonably consistently charged, in other words that you have not skipped a case or double-charged a case. Apart from using the wrong powder, the above two are the most common dangerous mistakes.

I don’t know if it was a bad example or what, but for me, I had thought the Lock and Load system would be a good deal.

I could not get it to consistently seat to the same OAL.

Called Hornady and they essentially said that was within tolerances (+/- .015) which I could better with my Dillon equipment (didn’t want to buy all the stuff for high volume) it also changed more when switching dies-

I got a RCBS press and that problem went away. Yes, I reset the dies whenever I change, but it stays consistent.

So I’m not really sold on the lock and load setup.

Earl I appreciate that. Camp Verde is a short drive. Actually down that way for work fairly often. Park our trucks and equipment in McGuireville when we work that area.

Crbutler that’s great info. Hate to spend the money on something that I can’t get consistent results out of.

advice for starting out -
get digital calipers - even HF ones can be fine
get a chrono - even the cheapest shooting chrony
until you KNOW, use book medium loads, eventually working up to book max, so you can see pressure progression
take your time - if you EVER think you've made a mistake, start it over -
check everything - you'll get over this part, but shouldn't

ANY change - case make, primer, bullet weight or shape, anything, fall back to book medium and work up

the rest is practice!