brand new to reloading

[loadingrookie]

I recently purchased an rcbs explorer plus reloading kit, manual case trimmer, and dies. in that box is the nosler 8 manual, i have read through the book. will reread it a couple more times to attempt to be more familiar before i venture further into this.
any tips or other literature i need to read before i start setting this equipment up? i do not want to crack this open and set it up before i get as much info as i can.

any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for any help you can give.

 

[BigSlick]

Do a search on youtube. You will find numerous videos on how to setup your bench and reloader. What calibers do you plan on reloading?

 

[loadingrookie]

i plan on reloading 308 winchester and 300 win mag.
not sure about 9mm for handgun yet...it seems to still be in the affordable range.
i may dive off into 223 for the ar 15.
also i have an nm m1a, reloading for this one will come at a later date as i have been doing a little research and it appears to be a little easier to mess up on this one and i would rather not injure any bystanders, myself or destroy a fairly expensive piece of equipment.

 

[Arc Angel]

My suggestion? I think you're on the, 'right track'. I really do; and the more reading you do before you go 'hands on', the better! Personally, I'd recommend, 'Link Removed' to you. It's one of those basic reloading manuals that everyone who spends a lot of time and money in this sport can still learn from. Another really good reloading manual — one that everyone seems to have — is the, 'Speer Reloading Manual (#14)'. It's like the Holy Bible of reloading!

Good luck! Reloading is one of the most enjoyable hobbies you're ever going to find. Me? I've been reloading for more than 40 years; and there have been days when it was a very relaxing, 'great escape' for me. The only thing is that I'm not really sure how much money I saved? 'Why?' Because over four decades of reloading I, somehow, managed to end up with every sort of reloading gadget, and multiple presses. (But, I've had fun!) :tongue:

 

[loadingrookie]

I will make sure to check out the a b c's of reloading. I got the opportunity to speak with an old school comp shooter, who like many here has been reloading for years.
one of the recommendations i got from him was also the speer reloading manual....if i am remembering correctly, that was the first one mentioned.

i am looking forward to learning the loading craft both as a knowledge that cannot be stolen and a chance to escape as you mentioned. who knows, maybe in 30 or 40 years i might even be able to contribute here.

 

[noylj]

Keep it simple. You don't need to worry about much except, for bottleneck cases, keeping them trimmed below the max length and NOT setting the shoulder back more than ~0.005".
So, you need a sizing die and a seating die for bottleneck cases, a press, and a trimmer (as the cases almost always do grow). Check the fit of the seating stem and if the seating stem only contacts the bullet on the meplate (nose of the bullet), contact the die manufacture about getting a seating stem that fits your bullet better. All the ones I know will make a custom seating stem for a sawbuck or three.
Don't worry about primer pockets or anything. About the only thing I found that makes a difference, and you need an accurate rifle and a range beyond 100 yards to see the difference, is to minimize bullet run-out (i.e., the bullet should be a parallel/coaxial to the bore as possible. Again, a good seating stem fit helps with this.

 

[tinytank]

I think you're pretty much on the right track. I would suggest looking at a few YouTube videos because that is the only way you can actually see a visual representation of how you should be reloading your gun and all.