Anyone willing to teach a lesson or two on this? Be happy to pay

Alright. Weird question. Who would be willing to teach a little something on this?

I’ll get to it. I enjoy meeting new people and figured this would be a good opportunity to learn a thing or two if someone was willing. Be happy to throw someone a few bucks. Name it and we can talk.

It’s something I’m looking to do for myself personally, beginning here shortly, so. I’d rather learn.

I stink with YouTube videos. Plus, it can be dangerous, no? So, I figured I would reach out.

Thanks!

edit: I probably should have included I am in SC, not far from Savannah.

Nevermind

? hmm

I didn’t see that this was under reloading and asked what “on this” meant. Wasn’t paying attention.

Ah, gotcha. Darn.

I just don’t want to injure meself ha. I feel weird for asking but I am actually nervous on doing this before I get the scoop in person if someone will be kind enough. If not, maybe I’ll just, keep buying ammo lol.

It’s been decades since I’ve reloaded so I’m not the guy to help, but I can tell you it’s not difficult. I shot many a deer with reloads when I was young.

Some of us still reload. When I was younger I pulled that single stage RCBS press like Nana at the 5 cent slots. Reloading takes time. Rushing it takes fingers and eyes. Now I mostly reload my long range ammo. Someone here said it best ; “between the time and cost I don’t even bother with 9mm reloading.”
I can answer questions if I can. Most will not give you loading data. I won’t. I’ve had one reloading failure in all my reloads- a squib - bullet stuck in the barrel. I missed the powder drop obviously.

Loading data?

loading data=

How much powder? Prepping brass clean -size/length - Then you can start reloading. Then what bullet -what powder what primer?

Many books on reloading - you need a few.

Oh! Dang sounds like a lab formula people guard haha ? Like grandmas pie recipie guarded? Haha

Do some research. A lot of research. Like with everything you need to put in the time to read, learn and comprehend the subject. If you haven’t shown initiative, no one will spend the time to pour knowledge, experience and every detail out for you on silver platter.

I thought about reloading for the past 45 years. I always figure out that it’s expensive, time consuming and while it would be worthwhile, it isn’t cost effective.

If I ever win a reloading kit, I would still question whether it was worth buying the brass or cleaning and prepping it, hundreds of dollars of powder and bullets, correct size does for each caliber, etc.

Yeah what a weird thing to say here @bonamoleonard . No one was asking for a…”silver platter”.

Which is why I offered to pay. A silver platter would be knowledge exchange for free.

What an unprovoked weird thing to say here. I have been reading, but AGAIN, my original post mentioned I’d have a few questions for people in person.

Thanks again!

Absolutely. I was getting paid while I reloaded on the slow nights in FD. Did all my case prep there. Helped that I took the House Captain shooting. Fringe benefits. :+1:

When I was 19 ( in 1978), I became fascinated with electronics. My Uncle was an Air Force electronics technician and worked on aviation pilot trainers at Pensacola Naval Air Station after separating from the service. He had a TV &Radio a repair shop in his garage.

I would go over on weekends and ask him a million questions. He stopped me, and said that I was not allowed to ask him another thing unless I learned the color code for resistors by heart. This entailed not only the value on ohms, but also the tolerances, and types.

I did not get discouraged, but took it as a challenge, and that drove me to learn it, and prove not to him but myself that it was something I wanted to pursue, or was it just a curiosity or passing interest…

I went in the Air Force, and scored high on electronic and mechanical portion of entrance exam. But at first not an electronics technician. A B-52 gunner. But after 10 years, I retrained into Radio Electronics. I started out like anyone else, went to technical training, then apprentice, journeyman, then Master Technician.

When I retrained, I was an E-6, going to school alongside E1’s and E-2’s. Finished the school with a 99.125% grade average. After 17 blocks of instruction, and 17 - 100 question tests, I missed a total of 5 questions. There was also demonstration/performance evaluation on the actual radio equipment.

I had to apply myself, and spent 6-8 hours every night after school to learn for myself. They asked me to become an instructor upon graduation, but I declined, because I wanted to go out into the field and be a technician, not teach something that I had never actually done and had real world experience with.

You being a Marine, know what level of dedication and personal resolve it takes to make it in this world.

All I wanted to impart to you is to do some research. That is the first step. I wish you luck with reloading and know you have what it takes to learn it.

  • Semper Fi. I got two uncles that are Marines. One is 92 years old, the other passed about 5 years ago. They taught me a lot. My Dad too, (Army and Navy) he was born in 1917 and served the entirety of WW2 in Europe. :us_outlying_islands:

Much respect @bonamoleonard . My full, 100% respect, and I mean this sincerely. Thank you for your service..

We could probably actually connect on electronics if you’re still into it. Especially radios.

Allow me to clarify on why I got a little annoyed with your reply (I’m already over it, we’re brothers).

Silver platter to me was a bit of poor wording choices in all fairness. If I had asked for someone to just come over because I purchased a reloading machine, and never touched it before? I’d consider that a silver platter.

But, offering to pay someone in person to clarify a few things before I actually load my first round to make sure I am doing it correctly, so that I don’t injure myself, or worse, someone else? I cannot see that as a silver platter. Perhaps this whole thing was a lack of communication, due to the lack of details of where I am with this.

Which is: Never loaded a round before, but I’ve been reading on it for a while. Not great with YouTube videos, so I figured the next best step was to just ask someone, and offer some money in exchange for knowledge. No big deal. Friendly little deal.

If anything I said was a little rude, I apologize. Again, service members, regardless of time period, rank? Family for life. At least on my side.

It’s all good. We all get on each other’s nerves once in awhile. Sorry if I was rude, presumptive or came off sounding like I was your Dad or Grandpa. I am old and sometimes ornery though. :rofl:

“Sometimes “?

:winking_face_with_tongue:

Check your local community college if you’re willing to pay. Some will have “Gunsmithing” classes but they will not be listed with the regular curriculum. Check the Continuing Education (ConEd) or Personal Enrichment. These classes are designed to be one off classes that last anywhere from 1 night to a full semester. My local community college offers all kinds of gun related classes including reloading. That’s how I learned how to do it since I did not have anyone I knew that was seriously into it.

The RCBS Rockchucker is a fantastic press to start on. Get you the kit if you don’t have everything else, that way it will save you time. If you get the kit, it should come with a RCBS reloading book. It won’t tell you how to do it but what it will give you is a lot information for recipes. If you use a lot of Hornady projectiles, go and get you a Hornady book too. They will have SIMILAR information but not the same.

If you want a man’s lifetime of information that is still relevant today, buy Ken Waters’ “Pet Loads”. It’s not the cheapest but if you have oddball calibers or unique firearms, his collection will be a giant invaluable resource.

Get you a notebook and take notes on everything you do. Bullet weight and brand, powder and powder charge, etc. Those books I mentioned earlier will get you in a good ballpark of what you want but you will ultimately have to adjust it for your taste.

What was said about reloading 9mm is kind of true. Reload what you shoot the most to get into it. I did 9mm to learn it because that’s what I shot the most. Same with 5.56. Reload what you shoot and learn it. Then, branch out when comfortable. I have some .25 auto dies that I’ve have for awhile. I have full intentions of using them, they just scare me lol

I myself, am ornery. I think it’s the Marine thing lol. <3. Much respect bud.

@Welder really appreciate that. It was a wealth of information. I did look into a dillon precision starter but this seems more cost effective for a beginner. aka me

I have started recently, not hard or hard to learn just need to be careful and no distractions. I think it took me about 4 weeks to load my first round, 45acp and 10mm. I shot them this pass weekend, was impressed how easy it is to load up like 185gr 45acp and they are semi-hot, about 925-950 fps so interesting stuff.

But I bought Lyman’s 51st edition been thumbing through it and tons of videos. I think I would have got started faster but I bought the Hornady AP Progressive press. So take a bit more setup time and learning.

I shoot a lot, 200rounds or so a trip to the range and I generally like to go 2 times a weekend. Depends on weather a bit. Not sure I will ever get an ROI but fun hobby and a way to stay busy during the long dark winter, but then I shoot all winter also unless just really horrible cold.

Well worth getting into, there are tons of help out there though without paying anyone. I am not a big Reddit fan but there is a great group there /reloading been a super big help.

Oh and it was Massively satisfying and a bit scary shooting that first round! :rofl: