Need a reloading mentor in Northern Colorado

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<SLV>

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I'm planning on getting into reloading handgun and rifle ammunition, and I would like to find someone in northern Colorado (Loveland, Longmont, Greeley, Fort Collins) to show me the ropes. I'd prefer someone who...

1. Has many years of experience
2. Has spare time and a flexible schedule (retired?)
3. Has used the Lee Classic Turret press

I'm planning on reloading .30-06 Springfield, 9mm Luger, 7.62x39 Russian, and 7.62x25 Tokarev.

Please drop me a private message if you are available to help me get set up and running.

Thanks!

SLV
 
Yep. That the idea behind mentoring. I mentor others all the time, and I don't charge for it. Some people enjoy sharing what they know without getting paid for it.

I'm not looking to hire someone. Just hoping to make a friend and learn from someone who has the time and desire to share what they know.
 
I applaud your high road answer SLV.

I'd be more than willing to share my knowledge on the subject except I used to live in CA and even worse, am currently working in Korea.

The payment in this equation is seeing another gunnie expand their firearms related hobbies and gain a substantial amount of knowledge in the process.

Ed

I forgot to add this earlier, but I would suggest picking up a few books and start reading on your own. Load manuals are a (Sierra, Speer, Nosler, etc..) great place to start. Most manuals have a few chapters that will explain the basics. When you find someone worthy of your time, speaking the same language from day one will save a lot of pain in the long run.

Best of luck.
 
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Thanks, Ed. I think that is true of most enthusiasts regardless of the field. When you have become an expert at something it is rewarding to pass it on to an attentive student.
 
Yep. That the idea behind mentoring. I mentor others all the time, and I don't charge for it. Some people enjoy sharing what they know without getting paid for it.
Click to expand...

No, if you look up the definition of mentor there is no reference to compensation.
Most mentors are counselors, teachers or advisers...many of which get paid.
I suggest reading 'The ABC's of Reloading' and if you still require handholding post back to this thread.
 
SLV, I agree with you. Everybody I know and myself would be happy to help a new reloader and not charge them no matter what the definition of mentor means. It is always a good thing to help someone get into the sport and make a friend along the way. Good luck, I hope you find somebody close by to reload with.
Rusty
 
I suggest reading 'The ABC's of Reloading' and if you still require handholding post back to this thread.
Click to expand...

Yep. It's not rocket science. I just takes paying attention to what you are doing. I suspect regulars at a shooting club or a range will reload or know someone who does, so you might ask around at your local gunshop or range.
 
I am close....you would have to travel to North Platte, Nebraska.

Might be able to sneak a prairie dog hunt in as well.
 
Move to Oregon and I'll be more than willing to teach you! Knowledge gained through experience has no price, as far as I'm concerned. It's greatest value is in passing it along to someone else who is willing to learn.

I've taught quite a few people to reload, or helped them with problems they've run into while learning to reload. It's very rewarding, for both of us.

Fred
 
Otto, I was just trying to follow the advice I received on this site. I've also heard others say that it is wise to learn from someone who is experienced. Notice that I didn't begin this thread by asking IF anyone thought I needed a mentor, so perhaps you should start your own thread to oppose the idea of mentoring in reloading, because you are off-topic.
 
SLV: Another possibility which will help along with a very good manual like Lyman's, and several others of course, would be a good video. Not quite a mentor, but possibly the best alternative in absence of one in your area. You can replay segments on topics that may appear more challenging. Then you have guys here that are willing to mentor, just not as visually!;)
 
You might check with the nra. They have instuctors listed for some states. Its worth a look. read as much as you can on the subject.when I started back in 1970, my cousin helped me set up my used lyman rig. He had no reloading experience but was mechanically inclined. I have helped a few fellows get started in reloading and it sure helps for someone to walk you through. I considered it a privilege to help someone get started with loading your own. Reloaders are a good bunch and we will certainly help out.
 
I finished reading the Lyman's guide today. Lots of good information, but I felt that they assumed a little too much on a few regards:

1. They talk about the primer "anvil" side, but they don't explain which side that is!

2. They talk about bullet "jump" being ideal at 0.010-0.030, but they aren't very good at explaining how to get a starting measurement. I'm assuming you don't use the Lyman's OAL measurement and subtract, because that would mean that the bullet is resting against the barrel when chambered.

3. Pictures are dark and non-descript - they should use arrows to identify significant things.

4. They don't say a WORD about loading for 2nd ammendment purposes - just hunting. Likewise their bullet choices are bland... need to find out the neat alternatives (like tactical bonded 9mm HP).

Still wouldn't mind meeting an experienced reloader in the Fort Collins, Greeley, Loveland, Longmont areas. I'm planning a trip to Sportsman's Warehouse in Loveland this week to pick up my equipment... would be nice to have a little help and guidance!

I'm planning on getting the Lee Classic Turret. It seems to have a few drawbacks, but nothing I won't be able to work around.
 
The primer consists of a cup, compound and anvil. When you look at a primer, the cup is the exterior container. The anvil is the piece of metal inside the cup, which can be either two legged or three legged in most cases. The compound is what's between the anvil and the cup, and when crushed between the two, it explodes. Yes, explodes. Powder burns, but primers explode.

When they refer to the anvil side of the primer, they mean the open end.

Bullet jump is the space between the where the bullet rests before firing and the point at which it contacts the throat where it constricts and guides the bullet into the rifling. Some firearms have a long throat, or "leade", and some have a short throat. There are various ways to measure this distance pretty simply. It can be made with homemade tools. When you get your loading gear, remind me and I'll tell you how to do it. Or someone else can.

I can't help you with the pictures.

They don't talk about 2nd Amendment issues because it's a loading manual. They also don't talk about self defense issues due to liability and lawyers.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
Thanks for the info. When I said "2nd Ammendment" I was refering more to loading for self-defense rather than the legal issue itself. All of their bullet talk is about shooting 4-legged animals rather than 2. I would have like to have seen something about self-defense bullet selection.
 
I'm having some second thoughts on reloading. I'm not sure it's for me. Not that I wouldn't enjoy making handloads and reusing brass. It's just that I've done the math and I don't see much cost savings in my calibers. I went to Sportsman's Warehouse today, and by the time I added up the cost of components I realized that in some cases it was more expensive than the mil-surp ammo I'm buying!

I know a lot of people like to reload so they can punch paper in singular ragged holes, but for me it was just interesting as a way to save money.
 
Wow if you can buy ammo that cheap that's great. I haven't been shooting or reloading as long as most people here but I have never seen 9mm for $70 per 1,000 or 223 for $100 per 1,000. That's what I can reload them for.
Rusty
 
Well, here is what I can buy it for:

7.62x39 - $165/case of 1,000
7.62x25 - $8/box of 72
9mm - $240/case of 1,000 (... I think)
.30-06 - $14/box of 20

The volumes I will shoot the most will be 7.62x39 and 9mm. Here is what I come up with for component costs (from Midway):

7.62x39
Cases (1,000) - $260 (Winchester... questionable quality)
Powder (5 pounds) - $90 (H335)
Bullets (1,000) - $110 (Hornady 123 FMJ)
Primers (1,000) - $23 (WLR)

So, here you see it would cost me $483 in parts to build 1,000 7.62x39 when I could buy a 1,000 round case of steel case mil-surp for $165. I know that I could pay a premium and get brass case 7.62x39 then reload, but it would still cost me $223 just to RELOAD the brass!

The 9mm makes more sense (especially since I can reload factory brass), but I'm still not sure it is justified.

9mm
Cases (1,000) - $115 (Remington)
Powder (1 pound) - $15 (Power Pistol)
Bullets (1,000) - $86 (Remington Golden Saber 124)
Primers (1,000) - $22 (CCI 500 Small Pistol)

So, to make 1,000 9mm rounds it will cost me $238 - basically the same as buying factory ammo. Now, if I reload 1,000 rounds it will only cost @ $125 / 1,000 rounds. This is the ONLY way that reloading might make sense for me. I also like the fact that 9mm can be resized in a carbide die without the tedious application and removal of lubricant.

However, if I save $115/1,000 rounds of 9mm I reload with factory brass, then I would need to reload AT LEAST 3,000 rounds to "break even" with the cost of equipment. I will probably go through about 500 rounds / year, so we are looking at 6 years to recoup original investment! (That is assuming that bullet prices don't increase... not likely.)

So that is my delimma. Can I really justify the investment in reloading for what I need to do. It occured to me last night that one of the reasons I chose the calibers that I shoot was precisely due to the price and availability of the ammo.
 
Reloading isn't for everybody. I do it because I enjoy it. Sometimes I find myself shooting up some old ammo just so I can reload the brass and make it better the next time. If it's not your "thing", then you're probably better off not jumping into it. I never got started into reloading because I thought it was cheaper. I got into it because I wanted to make better ammunition, and I've been doing that for about 44 years now, and intend to do it for quite a few more, if possible.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
9mm cases 1x fired (BHHS) $31.00 per M
9mm 124 ball (rainier re-strike) $24.20 per 500 (BHSS)
Winchester WSP primers $19.00 per M (Powder Valley)
Hodgdon HS6 1lb $14.25 (BHSS)

1k 9mm rounds costs me less than $120.00 and two hours of my time on a 550.
 
Lymans says NEVER use once fired (unless you fired the factory ammo) because you don't know the condition of the chamber in which it was fired. Also, FMJ is fine for target shooting, but it doesn't serve my self-defense purpose. I don't want to target shoot unless I'm shooting the ammo I will need to depend on in a tense situation. So, for my purposes reloading might not be best.
 
My thoughts...

Depending on who you ask, reloading is a good way to save money, or shoot more for what you spend. As for me, I got into it to save money, but I am not sure how long it's going to take me to recoup what I spent on the equipment. But it doesn't matter now, though, because, for more reasons than I'd feel comfortable relating here, reloading gives me a sense of pride and accomplishment that I can do something like that. And that's something money can't buy, so even if I broke even I'd probably still load my own.
 
<SLV> said:
Well, here is what I can buy it for:
7.62x39 - $165/case of 1,000
7.62x25 - $8/box of 729mm - $240/case of 1,000 (... I think)
.30-06 - $14/box of 20
The volumes I will shoot the most will be 7.62x39 and 9mm. Here is what I come up with for component costs (from Midway):
7.62x39
Cases (1,000) - $260 (Winchester... questionable quality)
Powder (5 pounds) - $90 (H335)
Bullets (1,000) - $110 (Hornady 123 FMJ)
Primers (1,000) - $23 (WLR)
So, here you see it would cost me $483 in parts to build 1,000 7.62x39 when I could buy a 1,000 round case of steel case mil-surp for $165. I know that I could pay a premium and get brass case 7.62x39 then reload, but it would still cost me $223 just to RELOAD the brass!
The 9mm makes more sense (especially since I can reload factory brass), but I'm still not sure it is justified.
9mm
Cases (1,000) - $115 (Remington)
Powder (1 pound) - $15 (Power Pistol)
Bullets (1,000) - $86 (Remington Golden Saber 124)
Primers (1,000) - $22 (CCI 500 Small Pistol)
So, to make 1,000 9mm rounds it will cost me $238 - basically the same as buying factory ammo. Now, if I reload 1,000 rounds it will only cost @ $125 / 1,000 rounds. This is the ONLY way that reloading might make sense for me. I also like the fact that 9mm can be resized in a carbide die without the tedious application and removal of lubricant.
However, if I save $115/1,000 rounds of 9mm I reload with factory brass, then I would need to reload AT LEAST 3,000 rounds to "break even" with the cost of equipment. I will probably go through about 500 rounds / year, so we are looking at 6 years to recoup original investment! (That is assuming that bullet prices don't increase... not likely.)
Click to expand...

Forget about mentors...you need a CPA.
And I agree with Fred, "reloading isn't for everyone"
 
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