Reloading manual help

73Ranger100 · January 7, 2013, 01:46 PM

I am just beginning to get interested In reloading. I am looking for a good reloading manual to start off with. At this point I am gathering information before purchasing everything. I am currently reading "Reloading for Handgunners" by Patrick Sweeney. I am leaning toward the Hornady 9th Edition.

jwrowland77 · January 7, 2013, 01:54 PM

Go get the "ABCs of Reloading" and the Lyman 49th manual. These are two great books to read and study.

Misssissippi Dave · January 7, 2013, 03:20 PM

Just one more to add to the list of reading material. Speer Manual 14. You can't have too many. The ABC's of Reloading is a good book to understand what it is all about. You don't get load data with it. The other manuals tend to lean in the direction of the equipment their company makes. They also have load data in them.

CADILLAC HOOSIER · January 7, 2013, 03:21 PM

I got Lee's 2nd Edition and got a good basic education to start off..Sweeney's ABC's and Handguns books also helped. Just got Lyman's 49th under the tree. You never waste your time when you're learning, and man there's a lot to learn! Wealth of stuff on line including HERE. B SAFE, HOOSIER

oneoldsap · January 7, 2013, 03:25 PM

Never rely on one manual . Always have a second one to verify what the other is telling you ! Typos happen all the time , and reloading manuals are no exception . The bullet makers manual should be the first choice , with the powder makers manual second . The Lyman manual is an independent source that should be on every reloading bench IMO .

73Ranger100 · January 7, 2013, 03:38 PM

Thanks for all the help, another question, I am leaning toward starting off with a Lee turret press. Wanting to reload 250-500 rounds a week without spend all my spare time in the shop

m&p45acp10+1 · January 7, 2013, 03:40 PM

If you are going to start with handguns. I would suggest Lyman Pistol & Revolver 3rd Edition. It should run you around $15 most places. Lots of good information for the beginner. Very simple illustrated examples, and a section dedicated to casting. Lots of good load information for handgun calibers, with a lot of listings with cast, and jacketed bullets.

Misssissippi Dave · January 7, 2013, 04:40 PM

The Lee Classic Turret seems to be the best bang for the buck in turret presses. You can use it as a single stage or a progressive turret. It won't produce as much ammo as a progressive press will but once you get comfortable with the Lee you can produce 1 to 200 rounds per hour. You still will pull the handle the same number of times per round as a single stage press.

A full progressive press loads one round everytime the handle is pulled starting when you have all stations filled. You can produce at least twice as many rounds per hour compared to a turret press. They are also more complicated than either a single stage or turret press is.

Most reloaders started with either a single stage or turret press. Most people still use a single stage or turret press years later. The people with progressive presses mostly fall into 2 catagories. They load a lot of ammo on a fairly regular basis or they don't want to spend much time loading the ammo they do make. There are a few that might fall into a third catagory. Those that need to have the most expensive machine you can get as a status simbol.

Getting a press that serves your needs, really is the only important thing.

73Ranger100 · January 7, 2013, 05:18 PM

For what I will be reloading 250-500rnds a week I figured a turret would be the most economical. Simple enough for a beginner but a bit quicker then a single stage.

**Unclenick** · January 7, 2013, 05:50 PM

That's a fair perception. For a beginner it's got the advantage over a progressive of making you watch each step with each cartridge and not have several things going on at once. I think that's good early on if you are teaching yourself from books. Figure three or four hours a week will get you the ammo volume you are after.

Okcafe86 · January 7, 2013, 07:35 PM

I've found these great little manuals at cabelas. They make small manuals called "the complete reloading manual for the (insert caliber here)" It's basically compiled load data from the bullet and powder manufacturers. I really love them.

Nathan · January 7, 2013, 07:54 PM

There has been the std Lyman and ABC's of reloading suggestion. . .Both are good books. Lyman has good data, albeit slightly low pressure in some cases. They do a good job of directing the reloader to fast burn powders at low velocities for cast loads and slower burning powders for jacketed ammo.

Still, I generally like Hodgdon powders and load data best. So, I would highly reccomend their manual although, they give their data away for free on the web. Hodgdon

IMO, Lee makes some usable equipment, but if you can buy a better press, you will be rewarded by an easier path to quality ammo.

I suggest

I would go with the Lyman turret kit if I were in your position.

abq87120 · January 7, 2013, 09:52 PM

I still consider myself a noob reloader. I started with a Hornaday LnL AP, a progressive press. I figured I was committed to reloading enough to start where I was likely to end up. I still make one round at a time. The Lyman 49th, a most excellent manual. I'm eye-balling the new Speer on Amazon.

My brother has a single stage press and claims he can make around 200 rounds an hour, if that's any help to your decision making.

Lee four-die sets are good for straight case hand gun rounds and inexpensive. They are carbide which theoretically can load without any lube on the cases. I do use Hornaday One Shot which smooths out the feel of the press pull. It is a dry lube that doesn't require it to be cleaned off after the bullet is made. Spray it into a zip lock enough to run on the sides of the bag, dump in a handful of cases and massage them through the bag. This keeps the lube out of the case mouths.

You will probably find that you will run over your initial budget quite a bit once you make your decision so take that into consideration. You can do with an inexpensive case vibrator and no media separator. Turn the vibrator over into a bucket while it is running after the cases are shined. The media will run through the tumbler grill. There are not many other short cuts to economize the initial outlay unfortunately.

Ordering powder and primers online at this time is impossible because of the current political situation and current events. Ordering these online also incurs a HazMat fee of around $25 which makes buying a pound of powder and primers a hundred or so at a time at your LGS more economical.

I use range pickup brass. I have enough to separate by head stamp. My shooting does not demand this however. I could use mixed cases and you could not tell by my results, lol. I keep reloading the same 150 cases until they start crapping out. Then start on the next 150.

If you can start with a couple thousand bullets ($200~), this is a great place to buy economical jacketed bullets. Usually comparable, price-wise, to plated bullets:

http://www.precisiondelta.com/product.php

Reload to suit your budget, take your time and enjoy the learning experience. BTW, my library has a lot of reloading manuals. I have to "hold" them to actually get my hands on them. Then I Xerox the loading data I need before turning them back in.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 8, 2013, 04:54 PM

For a media sperator I use a spagetti strainer I picked up for a dime a yard sale with a car washing pail. Pour contents of tumbler into the trainer that is on top of the bucket. Shake for a bit media goes into the bucket. Brass stays in the strainer. Whole set up cost me less than a dollar. If you go to a dollar store and buy the stuff new it will cost less than $2.50 for the bucket, and strianer.

kwm1971 · January 9, 2013, 02:48 AM

I've been reloading for about 3 months, rifle & pistol rounds with a Lee single stage press. I started out with the Lee 2nd Edition manual and then bought the Hornady 8th. The Lee manual has load data for many different powder and bullet configurations per each caliber. The Hornady manual is great if you are just using hornady bullets only and their powder choices are very limited.

They are both good books. I'd recommend the Hornady if you're loading one of the Vmax, Amax or FTX. Use the Lee manual for all others.

mumbo719 · January 9, 2013, 04:29 AM

I use the LEE 2nd edition mostly when using a manual. The LEE has lots of good info for a new reloader. The LEE manual also has lots of propaganda extolling the virtues of LEE products over everyone else's.

With that said when I'm working up a new load I usually start with the powder manufacturers load data.

Sure Shot Mc Gee · January 9, 2013, 06:01 AM

Quote:

I am currently reading "Reloading for Handgunners" by Patrick Sweeney. I am leaning toward the Hornady 9th Edition.

Off to a good start with your selection no doubt. I would suggest to someone to purchase the manufactures manual who's bullet/s they currently intend to use. As one grows more proficient at their reloading bench. You will probably look into books like (Ken Waters Pet Loads) and other similar authors. Quite possibly the best stress relieving indoor hobby there is. Reloading is. Good luck with your section.

S/S

Eppie · January 12, 2013, 01:50 PM

I love books so I have a tendency to overbuy. I bought 8 since I started exploring this new hobby. A lot depends on what you'll be reloading and your goals. My objectives have evolved since I first started.

If money is scarce I would buy two books
1. The ABC of Reloading - it is a good overview and general info
2. Sierra's Rifle & Handgun Reloading Data - it is like a bible. The more and closer you read it the more you get out of it.

Don't forget videos. My current favorite is "AGI 321 - Handloading for the Long Range Shooter" . Be careful of YouTube Ultimate Reloader, its there to sell stuff, the problem is not in what they tell you, but in what they don't.

The best way would be for you to find someone that reloads near you and start asking for advice. Since I'm interested in long range, I'm hanging around the guys that shoot long range. What they know is incredible.

mmb713 · January 12, 2013, 07:24 PM

You can never have too many reloading manuals, and I have several, but the one I started with was the one that came with my reloading kit, Speer's. I had no one to show me how to reload but that manual takes you step-by-step through the entire process and my first loads were a success from just reading and following the instructions in that manual. I have found it to have more ins and outs and tips and techniques than the other bullet manufacturers' manuals. I would highly recommend it.

emcon5 · January 12, 2013, 08:36 PM

I own the manuals from the bullet manufacturers I use most. For me it is Hornady and Sierra, so I own those manuals.

reynolds357 · January 12, 2013, 10:53 PM

I use loading manuals published in the 1970's for the cartidges they cover. I consult the new manuals as well.

January 7, 2013, 01:46 PM	#1
73Ranger100 Junior Member Join Date: September 25, 2011 Location: Southern US Posts: 8	Reloading manual help I am just beginning to get interested In reloading. I am looking for a good reloading manual to start off with. At this point I am gathering information before purchasing everything. I am currently reading "Reloading for Handgunners" by Patrick Sweeney. I am leaning toward the Hornady 9th Edition.

January 7, 2013, 03:40 PM	#7
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	If you are going to start with handguns. I would suggest Lyman Pistol & Revolver 3rd Edition. It should run you around $15 most places. Lots of good information for the beginner. Very simple illustrated examples, and a section dedicated to casting. Lots of good load information for handgun calibers, with a lot of listings with cast, and jacketed bullets. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 7, 2013, 05:50 PM	#10
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,063	That's a fair perception. For a beginner it's got the advantage over a progressive of making you watch each step with each cartridge and not have several things going on at once. I think that's good early on if you are teaching yourself from books. Figure three or four hours a week will get you the ammo volume you are after. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

January 7, 2013, 07:35 PM	#11
Okcafe86 Senior Member Join Date: October 15, 2012 Posts: 102	I've found these great little manuals at cabelas. They make small manuals called "the complete reloading manual for the (insert caliber here)" It's basically compiled load data from the bullet and powder manufacturers. I really love them. __________________ PRIDE RUNS DEEP US NAVY SILENT SERVICE MM2/SS A-GANG/LOWER LEVEL MAFIA

January 7, 2013, 09:52 PM	#13
abq87120 Junior Member Join Date: November 7, 2012 Location: Prescott, AZ Posts: 7	I still consider myself a noob reloader. I started with a Hornaday LnL AP, a progressive press. I figured I was committed to reloading enough to start where I was likely to end up. I still make one round at a time. The Lyman 49th, a most excellent manual. I'm eye-balling the new Speer on Amazon. My brother has a single stage press and claims he can make around 200 rounds an hour, if that's any help to your decision making. Lee four-die sets are good for straight case hand gun rounds and inexpensive. They are carbide which theoretically can load without any lube on the cases. I do use Hornaday One Shot which smooths out the feel of the press pull. It is a dry lube that doesn't require it to be cleaned off after the bullet is made. Spray it into a zip lock enough to run on the sides of the bag, dump in a handful of cases and massage them through the bag. This keeps the lube out of the case mouths. You will probably find that you will run over your initial budget quite a bit once you make your decision so take that into consideration. You can do with an inexpensive case vibrator and no media separator. Turn the vibrator over into a bucket while it is running after the cases are shined. The media will run through the tumbler grill. There are not many other short cuts to economize the initial outlay unfortunately. Ordering powder and primers online at this time is impossible because of the current political situation and current events. Ordering these online also incurs a HazMat fee of around $25 which makes buying a pound of powder and primers a hundred or so at a time at your LGS more economical. I use range pickup brass. I have enough to separate by head stamp. My shooting does not demand this however. I could use mixed cases and you could not tell by my results, lol. I keep reloading the same 150 cases until they start crapping out. Then start on the next 150. If you can start with a couple thousand bullets ($200~), this is a great place to buy economical jacketed bullets. Usually comparable, price-wise, to plated bullets: http://www.precisiondelta.com/product.php Reload to suit your budget, take your time and enjoy the learning experience. BTW, my library has a lot of reloading manuals. I have to "hold" them to actually get my hands on them. Then I Xerox the loading data I need before turning them back in. Last edited by abq87120; January 7, 2013 at 10:13 PM.

January 7, 2013, 01:54 PM	#2
jwrowland77 Senior Member Join Date: March 23, 2012 Location: Conway, Arkansas Posts: 1,398	Go get the "ABCs of Reloading" and the Lyman 49th manual. These are two great books to read and study.

January 7, 2013, 03:20 PM	#3
Misssissippi Dave Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Posts: 1,411	Just one more to add to the list of reading material. Speer Manual 14. You can't have too many. The ABC's of Reloading is a good book to understand what it is all about. You don't get load data with it. The other manuals tend to lean in the direction of the equipment their company makes. They also have load data in them.

January 7, 2013, 03:21 PM	#4
CADILLAC HOOSIER Member Join Date: August 28, 2010 Location: INDIANA Posts: 62	I got Lee's 2nd Edition and got a good basic education to start off..Sweeney's ABC's and Handguns books also helped. Just got Lyman's 49th under the tree. You never waste your time when you're learning, and man there's a lot to learn! Wealth of stuff on line including HERE. B SAFE, HOOSIER

January 7, 2013, 03:25 PM	#5
oneoldsap Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2009 Location: I live in the foot of the Green Mountains of Vermont Posts: 1,602	Never rely on one manual . Always have a second one to verify what the other is telling you ! Typos happen all the time , and reloading manuals are no exception . The bullet makers manual should be the first choice , with the powder makers manual second . The Lyman manual is an independent source that should be on every reloading bench IMO .

January 7, 2013, 03:38 PM	#6
73Ranger100 Junior Member Join Date: September 25, 2011 Location: Southern US Posts: 8	Thanks for all the help, another question, I am leaning toward starting off with a Lee turret press. Wanting to reload 250-500 rounds a week without spend all my spare time in the shop

January 7, 2013, 04:40 PM	#8
Misssissippi Dave Senior Member Join Date: December 5, 2009 Posts: 1,411	The Lee Classic Turret seems to be the best bang for the buck in turret presses. You can use it as a single stage or a progressive turret. It won't produce as much ammo as a progressive press will but once you get comfortable with the Lee you can produce 1 to 200 rounds per hour. You still will pull the handle the same number of times per round as a single stage press. A full progressive press loads one round everytime the handle is pulled starting when you have all stations filled. You can produce at least twice as many rounds per hour compared to a turret press. They are also more complicated than either a single stage or turret press is. Most reloaders started with either a single stage or turret press. Most people still use a single stage or turret press years later. The people with progressive presses mostly fall into 2 catagories. They load a lot of ammo on a fairly regular basis or they don't want to spend much time loading the ammo they do make. There are a few that might fall into a third catagory. Those that need to have the most expensive machine you can get as a status simbol. Getting a press that serves your needs, really is the only important thing.

January 7, 2013, 05:18 PM	#9
73Ranger100 Junior Member Join Date: September 25, 2011 Location: Southern US Posts: 8	For what I will be reloading 250-500rnds a week I figured a turret would be the most economical. Simple enough for a beginner but a bit quicker then a single stage.

January 7, 2013, 07:54 PM	#12
Nathan Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2001 Posts: 6,336	There has been the std Lyman and ABC's of reloading suggestion. . .Both are good books. Lyman has good data, albeit slightly low pressure in some cases. They do a good job of directing the reloader to fast burn powders at low velocities for cast loads and slower burning powders for jacketed ammo. Still, I generally like Hodgdon powders and load data best. So, I would highly reccomend their manual although, they give their data away for free on the web. Hodgdon IMO, Lee makes some usable equipment, but if you can buy a better press, you will be rewarded by an easier path to quality ammo. I suggest I would go with the Lyman turret kit if I were in your position.

January 8, 2013, 04:54 PM	#14
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	For a media sperator I use a spagetti strainer I picked up for a dime a yard sale with a car washing pail. Pour contents of tumbler into the trainer that is on top of the bucket. Shake for a bit media goes into the bucket. Brass stays in the strainer. Whole set up cost me less than a dollar. If you go to a dollar store and buy the stuff new it will cost less than $2.50 for the bucket, and strianer. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 9, 2013, 02:48 AM	#15
kwm1971 Member Join Date: August 30, 2012 Posts: 33	I've been reloading for about 3 months, rifle & pistol rounds with a Lee single stage press. I started out with the Lee 2nd Edition manual and then bought the Hornady 8th. The Lee manual has load data for many different powder and bullet configurations per each caliber. The Hornady manual is great if you are just using hornady bullets only and their powder choices are very limited. They are both good books. I'd recommend the Hornady if you're loading one of the Vmax, Amax or FTX. Use the Lee manual for all others.

January 9, 2013, 04:29 AM	#16
mumbo719 Senior Member Join Date: June 27, 2008 Location: Tampa Bay, FL. Posts: 346	I use the LEE 2nd edition mostly when using a manual. The LEE has lots of good info for a new reloader. The LEE manual also has lots of propaganda extolling the virtues of LEE products over everyone else's. With that said when I'm working up a new load I usually start with the powder manufacturers load data. __________________ CZ 75 P-01 . CZ-75B . CZ 912 . CZ 920 . Glock 26 Gen 3 . Kimber Pro Crimson Carry . XDm 45 3.8 Compact . Ruger 22/45 MKIII

January 12, 2013, 01:50 PM	#18
Eppie Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2010 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 802	I love books so I have a tendency to overbuy. I bought 8 since I started exploring this new hobby. A lot depends on what you'll be reloading and your goals. My objectives have evolved since I first started. If money is scarce I would buy two books 1. The ABC of Reloading - it is a good overview and general info 2. Sierra's Rifle & Handgun Reloading Data - it is like a bible. The more and closer you read it the more you get out of it. Don't forget videos. My current favorite is "AGI 321 - Handloading for the Long Range Shooter" . Be careful of YouTube Ultimate Reloader, its there to sell stuff, the problem is not in what they tell you, but in what they don't. The best way would be for you to find someone that reloads near you and start asking for advice. Since I'm interested in long range, I'm hanging around the guys that shoot long range. What they know is incredible. __________________ "Socialized Medicine is the Keystone to the Arch of the Socialist State.” -Vladimir Lenin "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson (An early warning to Obama care) Last edited by Eppie; January 12, 2013 at 01:57 PM.

January 12, 2013, 07:24 PM	#19
mmb713 Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2011 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 421	You can never have too many reloading manuals, and I have several, but the one I started with was the one that came with my reloading kit, Speer's. I had no one to show me how to reload but that manual takes you step-by-step through the entire process and my first loads were a success from just reading and following the instructions in that manual. I have found it to have more ins and outs and tips and techniques than the other bullet manufacturers' manuals. I would highly recommend it.

January 12, 2013, 08:36 PM	#20
emcon5 Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 1999 Location: High Desert NV Posts: 2,850	I own the manuals from the bullet manufacturers I use most. For me it is Hornady and Sierra, so I own those manuals.

January 12, 2013, 10:53 PM	#21
reynolds357 Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2012 Posts: 6,165	I use loading manuals published in the 1970's for the cartidges they cover. I consult the new manuals as well.