This comes up off and on. My take:

1. for handgun calibers: low pressure rimmed cartridges, eg 38 sp

2. for rifles: belted magnums (they headspace on the belt) so all the reloader beginner has to do is make sure the OAL for the brass is within spec. there are many tools for this.

So whats your input?

For rifles, any rimmed round, belted mags can be tricky sometimes.

Handguns: low pressure and rimmed is OK, but fast burning powders in small quantities makes double charges possible. Given a powder checker die .38 or .44 Special are ideal. .45 ACP is not a bad idea, too.

Rifles: less about what cartridge and more about the round's history. A cartridge of recent design is better so reloading data isn't complicated by having been chambered in WW1 vintage rifles, or trapdoors etc. Something like 7mm-08 seems perfect. .308 or .223? Well, except for military brass/capacity and primer crimp. .222 is nice, not too high pressure, not finicky. Also, some rounds have - for whatever reason - data that's all over the place. An example is the 7mm Rem mag. Victim of it's poularity, I guess. Even .300 Roy has this problem b/c RP brass is so much heavier/thicker.

When I first started loading as a kid I found that the 30/06 and 22/250 (insert any like cartridge) were really easy to load for. Taking a step to the 30/30 Win was more complicated because of the necessary crimp. After that it was all similar and easy.

38 spl.

I started in 1967 with 30-30 and 357 mag. Do not start out learning how to manage belted cartridges; not as simple as it seems.

I started off with the 06 and 44 mag, in 1959. 06 about as simple and straight forward as you can get. Today, might go with the 308.

30-40 Krag and 357 Magnum.

Why the Krag? Because the farmer I rode a tractor for all summer had one rebarreled in 25 Krag FL Improved with a Fecker scope for $35 dollars, which included a tong tool and mold.

The 357? My Father could buy me a new 6" S&W Highway Patrolman for $135 dollars, and that was three weeks (after taxes) riding a tractor for a buck an hour back in 1964.

Today, I would go 30-06 and the 357.

Rich

Rifle: either a 30-06 or a .308. limitless info and components.

pistol: .357 long established cartridge with a wealth of info. you can also reload .38's with the .357 eq.

.308 Win and 357 mag.

I've only been reloading for a few years but, the easiest calibers I've loaded are those derived from the 308 Win. I have loaded for the 308 Win, 358 Win and, most recently, a 7mm-08 Rem and they are easy to load. Available powders seem to be very flexible and forgiving and accuracy seems to be easier to achieve.

I'd go with learn to load what you shoot. If you have a 9 mm learn how to load for it. I started with .45 ACP my first rifle was .222 Rem Mag.

I started with the 30-06 and .357 Mag in the early 1960s. A good combo to learn on.

quote:

Originally posted by Leo L.:
I started with the 30-06 and .357 Mag in the early 1960s. A good combo to learn on.

Same here except the 70's!

Duh! The best first calibers would be the ones you have guns for!

IMHO the 9mm Luger cartridge is NOT a good beginners round to reload. Stick with a straight wall cartridge with a roll crimp like the 38 Special if you are a newbie. Invest in a powder check die to avoid double charges.