Reloading Checklist

Joined
Aug 8, 2011
Messages
8,422
Likes
1,527
Feedback: 37 / 0 / 0
As I collect the final items to get started reloading, I'm thinking about the process.

Does anyone have a checklist of things to do when reloading? Something like Reminders of what you should be doing at each step?
 
Lock the door behind you and dont listen to music. Distractions are your enemy. Also, if your using an auto progressive, make sure you check the powder visually EVERY TIME.
 
Lock the door behind you and dont listen to music. Distractions are your enemy. Also, if your using an auto progressive, make sure you check the powder visually EVERY TIME.

This!

I'll add, I visually check that the primer is facing the right way in the cup on my 550 every single time as well, I pressed a primer in backwards when I first started, noticed it after I was done loading a batch. Now I watch as the primer bar slides back and then look over to station 3 to check for powder. Pretty easy to get in a routine of doing.
 
Lock the door behind you and dont listen to music. Distractions are your enemy. Also, if your using an auto progressive, make sure you check the powder visually EVERY TIME.
Turn off your cell phone and wait till the wife goes to work.
 
Take EddieCoyle (Jim's) reloading course if you haven't already done so....

Can't be stressed enough. Read, read, read manuals until then.

-Proud to be dad every day, a licensed plumber most days, and wish I was a shoemaker on others.
 
Take EddieCoyle (Jim's) reloading course if you haven't already done so....

Already took it and I have the general process I want to follow in my head, but I was looking for tips to build in that would prevent careless issues. Checking the primer seating and putting eyes on the powder charge are great examples.

I've been toying with making a little gadget that would warn me when powder was getting low or there weren't primers in the feeder.
 
One thing that helps for me is I have a small amount of brass (500 223) that is in circulation. I will resize it 6 times or until I feel loose primer pockets or neck splits.
That group of brass is then put away until I get into annealing or decide to load it one last time? Be a while before I get there.
Keep your brass buckets tucked away. My wife put a handfull of unsized be deprimed brass in my "sized and ready to load " box. Not a fun day at a match. Fail to chamber sucks on rapids.
Go slow have fun
 
I read my manuals front to back and also obtained a intro to reloading book. No distractions. and I lay everything out infront of me so I do not have to get up from my bench
 
I did a thread on this last year, I suck at searching for stuff, but it is here. My process will be changing. Tossing the Lee for a Big Blue 650!
 
I plan on putting together a list, probably for a future GOAL paper article.

Most of it depends on the press you're using. The steps/checks are going to be different with a single vs. a progressive, and different from one progressive press to the next.

I suggest holding off on any gadgets until you do it a little. Some can be more of a distraction than an aid. For example, you might find that it's really easy to tell by feel when you're out of primers, so anything else is superfluous.

The checks that you'll need to do during/immediately after setup are pretty universal though.
 
As far as things to read, while it is old and outdated in some ways, this book is a bible and really gives you a foundation in reloading, and explains its history. Plus has some great oddball loads for powders that are still on the market like 2400 and Unique. Gives you an understanding of the giants who laid the groundwork for the excellent components we enjoy today. I loved reading it. Copies are out there if you look.

61jRpU0zoWL._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


For more modern discussion, Sierra probably provides the most succinct, easy to follow guidance; Lyman the most thorough especially for cast bullet reloading.
 
Lock the door behind you and dont listen to music. Distractions are your enemy. Also, if your using an auto progressive, make sure you check the powder visually EVERY TIME.

I listen to music all the time when I reload and I've only ever produced a single squib out of about 15,000 rounds reloaded (and that's being conservative... I probably loaded more than that but I've lost track. ) When I made that squib I knew it even before I finished the run and I quarantined that batch in its own little ziplock baggie.

Not having people/dogs/etc interrupt you constantly, though is probably a good thing. At best it destroys your productivity, at worse it could lead to a very stupid mistake. If I have to stop for some reason the other thing I do is "clean the table" EG, I finish what I was doing until the press stations are all empty, that way I know where I'm at when I come back to it.

This is going to sound retarded, but having a mantra in your head helps too... eg, "Case, powder, bullet, wash rinse repeat..". The 2nd one being the most important... I visually check for powder drop on each round if I can see into the case easily. Obviously with rounds like 9mm and .45 this is pretty easy, with longer cases you may want to rig up a mirror or use some kind of powder check alarm toy if your press has a station for it.

-Mike
 
Last edited:
I listen to music all the time when I reload and I've only ever produced a single squib out of about 15,000 rounds reloaded (and that's being conservative... I probably loaded more than that but I've lost track. ) When I made that squib I knew it even before I finished the run and I quarantined that batch in its own little ziplock baggie.
-Mike

I listen to music myself. Although at the beginning, I found music too distracting.
 
As I collect the final items to get started reloading, I'm thinking about the process. Does anyone have a checklist of things to do when reloading? Something like Reminders of what you should be doing at each step?

You thinking way too much as engineer. Just relax, sit down and settle down. Take what you learn from the class and try to apply it. Double/triple check your work. It's OK to start out slow and easy. Crank out your first batch and go shoot it. If needed, ask question. After firing your first reload, you will build up your confident. This is how I started, not sure this will fit you.

Sent from my Tinfoil hat
 
Yeah, im an engineer type who likes an established process and procedure. Ill just stop overthinking it.

Eddie: I was resting my eyes, not sleeping.
 
Back
Top Bottom