New to reloading...

...and, boy, do I have questions.

I have been reading a lot about it and think I may try it in the future. In the mean time, I have an old manual in the "reading room" and read a couple pages every day.

Today's question- How often do you buy a new book? I am guessing once you have a load that works well, you stick with it. But with new bullets and powders coming out does the manual need to be updated annually? Every five years?

Also, do you buy it from the bullet manufacturer of the powder guys? Or both? Which tend to be more accurate with their data?

I am still in the very beginning of my learning- case inspection and prep.

One more question. Best resources for the beginner? Obviously there is a ton of online info. Where can I go, besides here, to get my childlike questions answered?

I don't buy reloading manuals any more. The major powder distributors have good data online. Especially Hodgdon which distribute powders in three brands, Hodgdon, IMR, and Winchester.

The exception is Barnes bullets, which if I'm using, I get data from Barnes. Their construction is different from the usual cup and core bullet types.

If you must have paper, Hodgdon puts out an annual that shows up on the larger magazine racks.

I personally subscribe to Handloading magazine for general knowledge of reloading. Not perfect, but a better fact-to-bullshit ratio than most of the gun magazine industry.

There is one area of reloading that requires specific guidance and that is reloading old blackpowder cartridge era calibers. Mike Venturino has a good book on that rather narrow topic.

Update with electronic books from amazon.com when you think you need an update. Cheaper. Can read online or print the pages you need.

Sometimes i just need to quickly confirm something and can pull it up on my phone, especially if im not near the books.


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My newest manual is probably 15 years old. I only keep it around to loan to new reloaders. On- line is the answer.

Ask your questions here. Lots of super experienced guys here who enjoy helping.

The internet really makes hard copies unnecessary these days.

I?m a little old fashioned though so I have a stack of manuals. I usually get them cheap when someone else is done with it or has gotten a newer version. I think several of them were even given to me. Probably most of my books don?t even show things like the 6.5 Creedmore or the 300 Blackout. (Most have 300 Whisper data which is essentially the same thing.)

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Originally Posted by eddiememphis

Today's question- How often do you buy a new book? I am guessing once you have a load that works well, you stick with it. But with new bullets and powders coming out does the manual need to be updated annually? Every five years?

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As mentioned by others, I have a few books that are old, but are nice to have a quick reference on the desk and to compare with other data. Most of the load information can be found online.

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Originally Posted by eddiememphis

Also, do you buy it from the bullet manufacturer of the powder guys? Or both? Which tend to be more accurate with their data?

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I have from both. Powder guys have plenty of free ones, the bullet mfrs tend to make you pay for theirs, but this isn't always the case.

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Originally Posted by eddiememphis

One more question. Best resources for the beginner? Obviously there is a ton of online info. Where can I go, besides here, to get my childlike questions answered?

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Best resource is probably a friend who reloads. Though opinions on what is is best vary and the care taken during the loading as well. Outside of that, there are classes that some places offer, online forums like here, plenty of online information elsewhere, and the the reloading manuals that you already are reading.

Thanks guys.

I see a lot of load data online. What I am looking for now is instruction and reasoning behind the methods. I see a million videos but before I dive into that dark realm, I want a basic knowledge in order to hopefully sort the salient from the nonsense.

I have my bathroom... I mean my library, hard copy of an old manual and I have a Lyman's PDF of their book. I think that should give me a solid idea of what's going on. Right now I am in case neck turning and while I understand the quest for uniformity, is it really necessary in any application I may find myself in? However, I want to know and understand it all, if and before I set out on this journey.

One more thing that I just thought of. The book I have is 1996. Am I wasting my time reading this? Has the game changed enough in 25 years that what I learn is now obsolete?

The principles of reloading haven't changed in decades (100 years?). On-line (Reputable from powder or bullet manufacturers) are the way to go. work your own loads up from published minimums in your guns (chambers may vary)...use extreme caution as you approach max loads, checking for pressure signs.

Johnny's Reloading Bench channel on YouTube has some good content.

Ugh. Case neck turning.

I had a rifle barreled and chambered by a guy that built serious benchrest competition rifles. It was a 223 Ackley with a tight neck and I had to turn quite a bit of brass for that thing.

That being said, I?ve never felt the need to turn the necks for any other reason.

Unless you?re trying to squeeze extreme accuracy out of something (say .5 MOA just isn?t good enough for you and you?d like to shoot closer to .3 or maybe .25 MOA) things like turning case necks aren?t necessary in my opinion.

I used to dread neck turning. Tried a few different brands. Ended up with a 21st Century. Makes life so easy.

http://www.xxicsi.com/powered-neck-turning-lathe2.html

Hoser has the coolest toys. There are photos somewhere of his reloading room. I'm not looking for them because they inspire a great deal of envy in me which is not how I like to start a New Year. [Flower]

This is the only hard copy book I still look at from time to time: https://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloadin.../dp/1440213968

My recommendation is find someone near you who reloads. See how they do things. Watch lots of YouTube videos. Choose your first caliber (straight wall pistol would be my suggestion) and take it slow. You will find a process that works for you. Reloading isn't hard but it does require attention to detail and focus on safely moving through your process. Over time you will reevaluate your process and find better/simpler/faster ways to improve your process. Money for good tools will save you time but starting out, save your money and focus on understanding your process and why you are doing what you are doing. Decide early on what your goals are for the ammunition you are reloading. Long range precision is not the same process as short range pistol ammunition.

Ask lots of questions and evaluate the answers you receive against your process and goals. Use what works for you and bypass information that doesn't work for you.

Enjoy and Be safe.

Next question.

I read a bunch more and watched a few videos. One guy was loading .30-30. My books and online say overall length is 2.550. He was pressing in to 2.520.
He was loading 31 grains of IMR4064 and a Sierra flatnose 150 grain bullet.

I used to build engines and know thirty thousandths is a lot when you are talking precision. I was reading and think I understand freebore.

So my questions are these. How much pressure is he adding by pressing the bullet in that far? When there is a lot of freebore, does some of the gas escape in front of the bullet before it enters the rifling and seals the barrel?

I have been trying to find the answer elsewhere, but as with anything on the 'net, everyone has a conflicting answer.

OAL in manuals is usually list MAX OAL and "as tested OAL"....you have to change your actual OAL based on the length of bullet you are loading and your chamber. Thats why you start with lower powder charges and carefully work your way up to desired load/pressure/velocity, checking for pressure signs along the way.

Seating bullets deeper could in theory raise pressure but the actual effect in minimal in most rifle cartridges. Its more pronounced in pistol calibers because of the smaller case capacity makes the volume change proportionally greater.. Seating a bullet out to touch the lands of the barrel actually will increase pressure more significantly as it combines the beginning of bullet movement with the resistance of engraving the bullet in rifling.

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Originally Posted by spqrzilla

Johnny's Reloading Bench channel on YouTube has some good content.

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Huge +1 on Johnny's reloading bench. I just recently started reloading and I spent a few weeks watching his beginners reloading series before I started. I like the no BS way he walks you through the process.

Seating a rifle bullet deeper typically reduces pressure, just the opposite of pistol cartridges. SPQRZILLA has it right.