As is normal this time of year, I have been out shooting a lot.  I have to add that I have been hitting things, too, for those of you who were aiming a snide remark at the page.  What I’ve been hitting is mostly various air particles along with a good supply of dirt, a number of trees, a few fence posts and the windshield of a 2013 Suburban, the latter of which runs about $267.63 a pound, dressed out.  That price can change depending on where you have it “processed.”

          While you are probably having better luck than I am, most hunters tend to expend a great amount of ammunition at this time of year.  Depending on the frequency of your shooting, for whatever reason, this can run into quite an expense if you’re not frugal with your shots – or if you can’t shoot.  In an effort to reduce the cost of my getting out of the house on weekends, I have done some research into loading my own shells, or “reloading” as it is commonly known.

          My brother actually helped me get started in reloading.  I think it was so I could afford to practice more so I could become more proficient and he would not have to worry about his family and friends while I was out and about with a high powered firearm.  He is not the first member of my family to whom I am a disappointment.  Anyway, let me pass on to you some of the information I have gained from him and other sources.

          Let’s get started with the basics.  First we’ll need something in which to put our bullet.  Sure, a firearm is necessary eventually and a cardboard box will work, too, but what I’m talking about here is the casing of the shell which is traditionally made out of animal intestines and can be purchased at any butcher shop.  These can be stuffed with… Wait… that’s for the sausage making article.  What we need is a case, typically a brass constructed cylinder capped on one end.  Each case is specifically designed for a particular firearm so it fits within strict tolerances.  This tight fit keeps the pressure from the expanding gases from forcing its way backward into the breach thereby removing thrust from the projectile and hair from your eyebrows – or worse.  If the fit is too tight, it can cause the shell to become stuck in the loading mechanism; a situation termed firearm “jam.”  I, personally, have never actually seen this happen, but I believe many rifles are equipped with this option to help hunters save face when they come home empty handed.

       “Yeah, I tracked the thing all day – knew it was a big one by the size of the        tracks.  Finally, just about sundown, I was standin’ by this juniper tryin’ to smell like a rock and the darn thing came through the trees.  I tell ya’, Bill, it was huge!  He had a rack on ‘im looked like two dead birch trees – had telephone lines hangin’ from the tops of  ‘em!  I brought up my rifle and wouldn’t ya’ know, the thing jammed on me!  I coulda’ touched the thing, I tell ya’.”

          The next critical component we need is the round or bullet.  These are, of course, the projectiles which are forced from the barrel of the firearm.  Historically, bullets were made from lead because lead melts at a low temperature making it easy to form to the required shape.  Also, it has enough mass so that it carries the energy of the shot and is difficult to deflect from its course, more so than, say, spit wads.  Today lead, in an alloy form, is still the basic material used for bullets because, well, I don’t know why, really.  I didn’t want to do that much research.  The same reasons, I would guess and it’s cheap.  Good enough for me.  Nowadays they often use a copper or alloy coating around the lead.  This is called a jacketed bullet and helps keep the soft lead core from distorting its shape due to the explosive pressures of the firing chamber.  I think the jacket also keeps the core of the bullet warm, which is where the term “hot lead” came from…maybe.

          Now that we have these parts we could make a cartridge that looks complete.  We’re missing a few components, however, and this ammunition would not fire – which to a lot of hunters would make no difference whatsoever, netting them the same amount of game they usually bring home.  However, since they would probably miss the loud noise that usually accompanies the pull of the trigger, we will continue what we started by adding the gun powder.  This, of course, is a chemical propellant which, when ignited turns to a gas and expands explosively – much the same as that greasy pepperoni and green pepper pizza when you mix it with beer.  At any rate, this sudden increase in pressure is what forces the projectile from the front of the firearm.

          All we really need now is a reliable way to get the powder to ignite – we need a powerful flare to set it off.  That’s where our last component, the primer, comes in.  Aside from keeping the powder from running out that little hole in the case once it’s friction fit into the bottom, the primer contains a small amount of a highly volatile mixture of chemicals.  Extreme care must be taken with this portion of the cartridge – these things will go off faster than a spouse after a forgotten birthday.  Actually, during a time when firearms were still using an antiquated system of flints and black powders, these primers were invented by a dentist as a quick means of removing teeth…maybe.  The unknowing patient would be instructed to bite down on a little cup with the bad tooth and the extraction would be over.  Of course, problems were experienced with additional teeth being removed from the explosive reaction, so use for this purpose was discontinued.  Kinda’ gives a new meaning to the term “blasting caps”, though, doesn’t it.

          These are the basic components we need to build our cartridges.  We can’t just put them together in the field, however.  Some of these parts are really small and precise measurements are necessary so they’re kind of hard to put together in a stiff wind on a cold day with coveralls and gloves on.  We’re going to need some tools in order to assemble these parts so let’s look at them as we need them.

          For this step, we’ll have to start with a priming tool.  This is often a small handheld press which slowly and evenly pushes the priming cap into the shell case.  It may be possible to use a wide, flat punch to force the primer into the case.  As a matter of fact, if you were very, very careful you could probably do this successfully on 3 out of 4 attempts.  Of course, the other one would be kind of hard on your bench, tools and fingers.  Also, if you decide to use this method, remember to place your powder and your other primers a good distance away from the bench at which you’re working.  Personally, I would strongly advise against this approach and urge you to spend the few bucks on a priming tool.

          Once we have the primer in the case we need a means to precisely measure the amount of powder we put in each cartridge.  You should note it’s not a good idea to just fill it to the top each time since this could cause minor difficulties in your shooting.  Things like various pieces of your weapon escaping in a number of different directions upon firing.  This is generally not a desirable outcome and if it happens to you and you are still upright and able, don’t bother looking for your missing pieces… they’re not going to be any good, anyway.

          In filling, or charging, the cases, the beginner can use a set of powder measures as a starter.  These are like a set of measuring cups you have in your kitchen except they’re larger…  The ones in the kitchen, I mean.  They work the same way, too.  All you have to do is follow the recipe’ for the bullet you want to load with the powder you are using.  This is important because each powder has a different expansion rate, volume and percentage of calories from fat.

          Finally, we need to insert the bullet into the charged case… or you can pay cash, that’s up to you.  For this purpose we need a press and a die set.  The use for the press is obvious.  We’re “pressing” the bullet into the case.  The die set is a press accessory which is made within strict tolerances to the exact measurements of your bullet size.  When the proper depth and neck pressure is set, the bullet can be set atop the shell and pressed together to form the completed product.

          If you have followed these instructions, as I have written them, you are plainly quite gullible.  You should, however, have a completed cartridge which you can turn upside down without having any of the components fall out.  There is a possibility, however slight, that it may even fire.  This essay serves the simple purpose of giving you the basic idea of how this process works and is in no way intended as a comprehensive guide to reloading.  For that objective I would direct you to purchase any one of a large number of books published strictly for the purpose of promoting the wealth of the person who wrote the volume.  These publications will have many diagrams, charts and technical terms which you will find difficult to understand, thereby making them well worth the money.

          In addition to the components and tools I have mentioned here, there are optional items which are very handy; things like shell gauging tools, a powder scale and supplemental homeowners insurance.  And if you get through this with any money left over, you should be able to save enough to take some shooting lessons.