I like to start a reloading setup exclusively for shooting 44 mag.

Not only are the prices for such ammo rediculous locally..but ammo distributers have seem to forgotten the fact that this is a MAGNUM cartridge...the ballistics for these are a joke.

Could someone please point me in the right direction?

I have no clue what I would be starting with...only vague ideas.

What am I looking at costwise to get the ball rolling?

I like to start a reloading setup exclusively for shooting 44 mag.Could someone please point me in the right direction?
What am I looking at costwise to get the ball rolling?Before you buy anything, go to your local gun shop, sporting goods store, or public library and get a book on basic reloading. It will tell you what equipment you need and how to reload. If you purchase a reloading book, get one that lists cartridge components and powder loads, you will need this data to reload safe cartridges. If you still want to continue on, shop around for a good starter set which will give you most of the equipment that you will need. If you are on a budget like the rest of us, consider slightly used components from sources like eBay. What it will cost depends on the equipment choices that you make but a rough estimate would be from two to three hundred dollars for starters. Remember that this equipment is built to LAST and that you get what you pay for. Some of the responses that you get will be "Buy XYZ brand because . . . etc.!" We are only human and tend to be opinionated so do your homework and make your own choices BEFORE you pull out your wallet! Come back with questions and we will be glad to help you out. :)

Get hold of Midway and buy Lee's reloading manual, or better yet get Lee's Anniversery kit with the manual at around an hundred bucks or less and a Lee four die set of 44 magnum dies. Add cases, primers, powder and a batch of Marshal's excellent cast bullets and your ready to go. By the way here is a secret for a new reloader. Hardcast gas check lead bullets can be pushed faster than jacketed ones.

I've been using this setup for a bunch of years with great success.

Read the how to reload part from front to back a couple of times and see how easy this reloading is.

Gotta tell you though, if your idea is to make super hot loads your kind of decieving yourself. I've been hunting and shooting steel targets with the 44 mag now for over thirty years and though hot loads are required to knock over those metal rams at 200 meters for hunting a 250-285 grain hardcast lead bullet with a wide meplat and a gas check at 1350 fps does as well as anything hotter that you want to load and is mild and accurate and extremly fun to shoot.

If you really need something hotter than the 44 you might want to consider some of the bigger guns like the 500 Smith the 480 Ruger, the 454 Casull.

These all can be reloaded for and carry more energy than the 44. Though after a pile of deer and 19 black bears, one at 200 yards I havn't found the need for anything bigger.

These are the 44 mags I shoot and my granddaughters reloading 41 mag rounds for the Taurus Tracker. We cast all our revolver rounds and come pretty close to the cost of shooting a 22 Rimfire with the 44's and the 41.

Good luck to you and after 45 years of reloading I've got to tell you it's a great hobby.

Get hold of Midway and buy Lee's reloading manual, or better yet get Lee's Anniversery kit with the manual at around an hundred bucks or less and a Lee four die set of 44 magnum dies. Add cases, primers, powder and a batch of Marshal's excellent cast bullets and your ready to go. By the way here is a secret for a new reloader. Hardcast gas check lead bullets can be pushed faster than jacketed ones.

I've been using this setup for a bunch of years with great success.

Read the how to reload part from front to back a couple of times and see how easy this reloading is.

Gotta tell you though, if your idea is to make super hot loads your kind of decieving yourself. I've been hunting and shooting steel targets with the 44 mag now for over thirty years and though hot loads are required to knock over those metal rams at 200 meters for hunting a 250-285 grain hardcast lead bullet with a wide meplat and a gas check at 1350 fps does as well as anything hotter that you want to load and is mild and accurate and extremly fun to shoot.

If you really need something hotter than the 44 you might want to consider some of the bigger guns like the 500 Smith the 480 Ruger, the 454 Casull.

These all can be reloaded for and carry more energy than the 44. Though after a pile of deer and 19 black bears, one at 200 yards I havn't found the need for anything bigger.

These are the 44 mags I shoot and my granddaughters reloading 41 mag rounds for the Taurus Tracker. We cast all our revolver rounds and come pretty close to the cost of shooting a 22 Rimfire with the 44's and the 41.

Good luck to you and after 45 years of reloading I've got to tell you it's a great hobby.

Much thanks for the replies...they were very helpful. I have two 44 mags I'm planning on reloading for...

First my 44 mag superredhawk w/custom grips(pic at bottom), and my henry big boy in 44 mag(on the way). I'm primarily loading for the big boy for hunting. I don't shoot the ruger as often...I keep it loaded with Buffalo Bores +p+ 340 grain heavies...it's some serious recoil...I always get looks at the range:)

My guess is that whatever I can shoot out of my superredhawk I can shoot out of my henry 300 fps faster more accurately and more comfortably at a greater range.

In my opinion, there is nothing that the 44 mag properly loaded can't do compared to the 480 or 454. By proper loads...I'm referring to such loads as Randy Garretts Hammerheads...which demonstrate the excellence of the 44 mag round utilized properly.

I'm glad to see we are both mutual fans of the superredhawk:)

Years ago when I started it was initially due to the amount I was shooting handgun (9mm). I ended up picking up a Lee Loadmaster kit and it had all the basics I needed and it has served me well. Only thing I didn't like about it was it's auto prime but I just did the priming by hand. I think Lee sells some single stage kits for $100 or maybe less. Check Midwayusa as you can get all this pretty reasonable there. You can add other things later as you get more involved. Be sure to get a good reloading manual and read it as you will learn lots and see that it is a relatively simple process as long as you follow some simple guidelines and be safe.

Warlock,

When you get around to doing your shopping, I recommend you check out http://www.bosesguns.com for a good selection and the best prices. Compare them to MidwayUSA, Natchezz, Graf and Son's, and Midsouth Shooter's supply. I think you will find their prices won't be beat, except maybe for a single item or two. Ranch Dog recommended them to me, and I'm very glad he did, so I am just passing it down the line so to speak.

As others have suggested, I encourage you to purchase at least one good reloading manual before doing your equipment purchases. Lyman's 48th Edition Reloading Handbook is very good. The ABC's of Reloading, 7th Edition is another one (this one is more of a how-to and educational; i.e., no load data in it). Most folks agree that buying two manuals is better than one for a more complete picture (no single author ever gets it all right, and you can cross-check load listings). However, only one should be required prior to equipment purchase. By getting your understanding straight before purchasing, you will save yourself some S&H costs by consolidating your orders as much as possible.

Although many advise starting with a single stage press, if you ever think that you may load for more than one caliber, consider a turret press. You can operate it as a single-stage process if you like, so it is versatile, and you won't have to keep adjusting your dies since you just leave them stored on a turret. Should you decide to load other calibers, than just buy another turret and the corresponding dies.

One last thing, although there are varying opinions on Lee's equipment thrown about, MOST people agree that the Lee Factory Crimp Die for the caliber you load, is a very good investment you won't regret.

I just recently purchased my first reloading set. See this link http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=22880&page=1 for a list from another newbie to reloading. It may give you a loose framework for what type of equipment you may want, irrespective of which brand you decide on.

Good luck :cool:!

buying a book is great advice, when it comes to actual equipment, for pistol (and pistol in rifle) loads, I would seriously consider Dillon Precision equipment. I don't have one yet but I hope to eventually get a 650 to do 357 and 223 loads, I may even do some 243's. check em out

the best way to learn how to reload imo is to have an experienced friend who is patient enough to teach you... that's how i learned, i call it the mentor method, some of the things about reloading i never would or could have learned from reading anything.........



LIFE IS SHORT...........

the best way to learn how to reload imo is to have an experienced friend who is patient enough to teach you... that's how i learned, i call it the mentor method, some of the things about reloading i never would or could have learned from reading anything.........



LIFE IS SHORT...........


This is excellant advice, if possible. I learned how to reload out of a RCBS loading book. Lyman books are also good, but do not use their hot loads in your pistol, they may be too hot. Its very important to learn the pressure signs of when your load is getting hot. The RCBS manual shows some pretty good pics for that.

I started out with a Lymn turrent press and master loadingkit. While it was O/k I fount that the powder scale didn't work right, and you can't load safely without an accurate powder scale. Possibly the most important piece of equipment you can buy.

I would recommend a RCBS master reloading kit if you can afford it. As for priming tools I love the Hornady priming tool. I would alos recommend using light loads until you have everyting figured out and are confident. Also remember a revolver will not handle as a pressure as an auto or a single shot.

Safety! Safety! Safety.

Always follow all recipes to the letter, using the exact components listed, even the primers will very a lot one from the other. And never , ever subsititute a different powder or bullet for what is listed.

Have you thought about a Lee Loader?It is simple,its portable,all you need is a little rubber mallet ,I have a Lee turrent press and its great.But just a couple weeks ago I loaded 200 rnds with the Lee loader for 357 Mag,and it was very enjoyable when working up loads.For no more than 14.00 bucks you could have a Lee loader for the 44 mag and get your feet wet and see what you think,and like others have said get a couple good loading manuals,LEE,LYMAN,etc,etc, :)

Have you thought about a Lee Loader?It is simple,its portable,all you need is a little rubber mallet ,I have a Lee turrent press and its great.But just a couple weeks ago I loaded 200 rnds with the Lee loader for 357 Mag,and it was very enjoyable when working up loads.For no more than 14.00 bucks you could have a Lee loader for the 44 mag and get your feet wet and see what you think,and like others have said get a couple good loading manuals,LEE,LYMAN,etc,etc, :)
I agree; I use the Lee loaders for .223 and .30-06. They're easy to resize, as they only size the neck and that's all I need. Plus with a little practice, you can seat the bullets as consistently with the loaders as you can with a press. The trick I use is to use a dremel to cut slots into an unprimed case mouth so it'll easily hold a bullet, and check the depth with that.

I do use a cast press for .357; I had some difficulty resizing some very hard brass a while back, and it saves my fingers... :eek:

There's gotta be a better way than using a hammer to put explosives together

There's gotta be a better way than using a hammer to put explosives together

Well,there are faster ways.But with the Lee loader you can put just as good ammo as you can from a press.Its just slower,but ive put together more than 100 357 MAGS in an hour with one.But for just getting started in reloading or developing loads,or only load a few at a time,The Lee loader is a cheap way to get your feet wet and get aqainted with THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF RELOADING ;)

Warlock: Just a side note. I noticed in your intitial thread that you mentioned you plan to reload for the 44 mag only. I remember when I first started reloading, I was just going to limit it to one or two cartridges myself. I was a 30-30 nut back then, and fancied that was all I really needed to reload for. What a laugh. You're about to embark on one of the most addictive activities known to man. The more I learn, the deeper becomes the well of what there is to learn. Now I reload for .223, .221 Fireball, .17 Remington, 9MM, .45, and .357 Magnum, and of course my original 30-30, and that's not very much compared to a lot of folks.

As for advice, I think Gringo Loco and others have already said the most important thing: Before you buy anything read something on the topic. I read The ABC's of Reloading by Rodney James, available from Amazon. Puts it all right there before you in nice, linear fashion so it makes sense. I bought the RCBS reloading kit when I first started. Never regretted it. It comes with the Speer Manual, which will do for starters. Do yourself a favor and get a kit with a real press. A bit more expensive, but just so, so much easier and pleasurable. Just my two cents. --Mykal

I'll try not to choke while I type this, but you can get a lee kit with a real press at a fairly reasonable price, if that is your biggest factor. As I have said elsewhere, i like RCBS and if I was reloading primarily for pistol, I would be looking at Dillon