New to reloading...

[eddiememphis]

...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?

[spqrzilla]

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.

[gnihcraes]

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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[Tim K]

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.

[ray1970]

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.)

[whitewalrus]

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?

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.

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 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.

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?

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.

[eddiememphis]

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?

[20X11]

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.

[spqrzilla]

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

[ray1970]

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.