Introduction

Many beginners are confused by reloading and the procedures involved. This short article attempts to show those who have never reloaded just how easy the process can be with the minimum of equipment.
What you see below is by no means a comprehensive guide, but hopefully enough for you to grasp the very basics and give you enough knowledge to understand more in-depth articles elsewhere.
I hope to add more detailed articles later.... watch this space :)
If you follow this guide, your ammo may not be quite up to benchrest winning standards, but it will produce ammo that is at the very least as good as, if not better than, factory rounds at a fraction of the cost.

The disclaimer!

Reloading has the potential to destroy your rifle and / or kill you.
Never attempt to reload any ammunition without a thorough understanding of all the procedures and known safe powder / bullet combinations.
You should always use a good reloading manual and preferably have an experienced reloader show you the ropes the first few times you attempt it.
ShootForum.com accepts NO liability for accidents in using the information below!

Step 1 - primer removal and sizing

You will need reloading dies for your calibre and a reloading press. Dies come in many types, but the three common ones are:

• Neck sizing die - this removes the spent primer and squeezes the case neck ready to hold another bullet. This die is the best choice for bolt action rifles where you are using cases previously fired in the same rifle you are reloading for. Neck sizing often gives better accuracy than full length sizing.

• Full length sizing die - this removes the spent primer and as well as squeezing the case neck ready to hold another bullet, it also returns the case body to "factory" dimensions. This die must be used in place of the neck sizing die when the brass is (a) previously fired in another rifle, (b) reloaded many times and becoming hard to chamber or (c) to be used in a lever action, pump or semi-auto rifle.

• Bullet seating die - as the name suggests, this die pushes the bullet into your case which must have been sized using one of the above sizing dies.

Here is a picture of the three die types mentioned:

A pic of a reloading press with die installed in the top:

So, take your fired case

..and run it through the reloading press with either the neck or full length sizing die installed (you must read the manual for the dies in order to set them up properly).
Here is the case going into the die:

The deprimed and sized case will now look something like this:

Step 2 - brass cleaning and trimming

As you can see from the picture above, the primer pocket is very dirty. Leaving the primer pocket in this state will still produce a working cartridge. However, it is believed that the residue prevents the primer flame from flowing smoothly on subsequent firings and the result is reduced accuracy. It is well worth cleaning it out.
There are many different types of tools for cleaning the primer pocket. Here is a pic of a common type which you simply insert into the primer pocket and twist round a few times:

Here is the same case with the primer pocket cleaned out:

You can also clean the entire case, inside and out, at this stage using either an ultrasonic cleaner or tumbler - however this is mainly for cosmetic reasons and I wont cover it here.
Now you should measure your case using callipers accurate to one thousandth of an inch:

The case must be the same length or shorter than the maximum case length stated in your reloading manual. If it is not, it needs to be trimmed. In general, most cases will last a few firings before this is required, so I won't cover trimming here.
However, if your case is longer than the max length given in your manual - do not use it without trimming! Overly long cases can produce dangerous pressures which could result in white hot metal in your face!

Step 3 - priming the empty case

This is an easy and quick procedure. Simply take your primers:

Empty some into your priming tool:

Onve you ensure the primers are all the correct way up (as in the above pic), simply slide your case into the tool and squeeze the handle:

You must check each primer and ensure the primer sits flush or below the case head. Protruding primers can cause misfires or accidental discharges! You primed case will look like this:

Step 4 - charging the case with powder

I must reiterate the point made at the beginning - it is essential that you only use powder charges given in your reloading manual for the exact calibre, bullet and powder you are using. Never guess or use "near matches".
The main tools you will use here are a powder thrower and powder scale as shown in the next two pictures:


The powder thrower is a "rough" tool, generally used to throw a approximate charge (on the low side) into your scales powder pan. Here is a charge been thrown:

Once the scales are zeroed and set to the exact charge weight (see your manual), place the pan on the scales and you should see the charge measuring slightly under weight:

You then use a powder trickler to bring the charge up, granule by granule, to the EXACT weight given in your manual:


You then simply use your powder funnel and empty the charge into the case:

Here is the sized, primed and charged case ready to accept the bullet:

Step 5 - seating the bullet

This is the last step in making your round. Take your bullets:

Install the seating die in the press and adjust it as per the user manual. Leave the die so that it seats the bullet very long - i.e. barely into the case. We will adjust the die further later.
Here is the bullet just sitting on top of the case about to be run through the die:

And here is it seated:

At this point you must measure the overall length of the round and ensure that it is the same as that stated in your reloading manual:

If it is longer, it may not be safe, so adjust your die a little at a time and run it back through time and time again until it measures the same as indicated in your reloading manual.
Likewise, a round that is too short can also be dangerous as it may produce excessive pressure. Short rounds are best "pulled" using a kinetic hammer and reloaded.

Done!

That's all there is to it. You will now hopefully have a loaded round ready to fire:

I hope this breif intro has helped demystify the world of reloading a little.
Kev.