Where do I start?

[1Shooter]

I'm brand new to reloading - hardly know a thing about it Could someone post a detailed video, from START to FINISH, of ALL of the steps they go through to work up a load for a new gun? I understand that you need to use a caliperto measure how far in your bullet needs to be seated in the case, but I have no idea of how to go about this. HELP?! I've got some CCI primers, H380 powder and some .22-250 brass. + reloading equip.

[bucksnbears]

best advice is to get a GOOD reloading manual and read it. than read it again!!!!!. it can be as complicated as hell or real easy with the right tools. do you have the needed equiptment.??? do you know a person nearbye that can show you???. if your savage is like mine, its the easiest gun i've ever loaded for. not picky at all on what it shoots. shoots everything great

[LeviM]

youtube!! Its a good starting point.

[lyonch]

Here's a website that should more than confuse you, and keep you busy for a couple weeks reasearching the technical side of it.

http://stevespages.com/page8.htm

[1Shooter]

This is the equipment I've got (minus the caliper, I forgot to include that in the pic.) :

Do I need anything else?
Can anyone tell me how to figure out this scale?

I think I'd like to start with 38 grains of the H380 and step up in .5 grain increments. How do I determine the amount of head space needed and how far in to seat the bullet?

[LeviM]

Like bucks said a good manual will give you all the information you need about your bullet.

[1Shooter]

Nevermind the scale, I got that figured out.

[rorycoyote]

a manual to start with. i started just a few years ago without any help. just get a good manual and read it several times like bucs and levi mentioned. i think the speer is the best one i have. the hornady isnt as easy to understand. on seating i would start at the longest legth in the books. after a little experience i would say you could start messing with the loading depths more. just my 2 cents but many of the other guys here have way more experience to talk.

the hogdon manual is cheap and lists lots of loads and is a good one to have.

[1Shooter]

Is one manual good for many brands of bullets? Say, if I got a Speer manual, would I be able to find load info. for a Berger or Nosler bullet?

[xdeano]

for the most part, just look at what grain bullet you are planning on using and correlate it with what the book says for that grain bullet. So if you have a 50 nosler Ballistic tip and all you can find in the book is 50g Softpoints, just use that info. Same thing if you were going to be using some 52g Sierra match, just use the 50g load data as a baseline.

xdeano

[bucksnbears]

for the most part, just look at what grain bullet you are planning on using and correlate it with what the book says for that grain bullet. So if you have a 50 nosler Ballistic tip and all you can find in the book is 50g Softpoints, just use that info. Same thing if you were going to be using some 52g Sierra match, just use the 50g load data as a baseline.

xdeano

agree'd

[Coyotehunter]

G. David Tubbs and Sierra bullets have a great reloading video out. I do not remember for sure but it might as much as 6 hours long. very detailed step by step instructions. Plus he is a stud competition shooter. Lots of great info.

[ilike2hunt]

If your still looking for a video, search youtube for a guy called ammosmith, he has some very good stuff up there that will at least get you headed in the right direction. That said, I agree you need a good manual, or 5. To answer your question, yes most manuals are good for a variety of bullet brands, as long as you are matching up the same weights and style of bullet. For example, if you have a manual with data for a Hornaday whatever weight Vmax, you can use the same data to start working a load for the same weight Nosler BT, or a Sierra same weight HPBT. Just make sure you are using the same style, and absolutely the same weight bullet (1 or 2 grains in bullet weight wont matter much) as bullet weight changes, so does the powder charge range). Best advice I have is to 1- get, and actually read, as many manuals as possible (I recommend Sierra, Lyman, and Lee as very good first manuals, all 3 will teach you something), 2- befriend another reloader/handloader who is willing to help you out until you understand what you are doing and why, and 3- ask lots of questions and don't be embarrassed about it...remember we were all noobs to the game at some point, and asking that question is always better than destroying a gun or yourself.

[bucksnbears]

good answer ilike2hunt. you make a good point on "the same type of bullet". now, i know most people ar'nt going to shoot a cast bullet out of a varmint rifle but i don't think you can shoot a 50 cast at the same velosity of a copper clad one. also, the speer brand TnT bullet should not be pushed as hard as a similar bullet of same weight.

[ilike2hunt]

I believe your correct on the cast and the only thing I have ever shot a TnT in is my 7mm rem mag (110gr TnT as a long range varmint round back when that was my only centerfire rifle), but I believe you are correct that they have a lower limit. The biggest problem with pushing cast bullets too hard is that they will lead the hell out of your barrel, which opens up a whole new set of potentially dangerous issues. Also, I know for sure the Hornady SPSX (soft point super explosive) has to be kept down (to 3200fps I think) or it will separate (well, pretty much disintegrate) in flight if pushed too hard. In case your wondering why I know, I had them up to 3900 in a 22-250 while trying some things, and it didn't go so well.

Glad you brought up the cast bullets though, when I posted this I was actually thinking about the fact that different styles have different seating depth (OAL) requirements so they are not jammed into the lands and/or causing compressed loads and/or raising pressure drastically.