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Old March 12, 2013, 06:55 PM   #14
pathdoc
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Join Date: February 12, 2013
Posts: 669
ABC's of Reloading was my go-to book when I was starting out. I kept it by the bench and referred to it constantly. Consequently it took me quite a while to reload each of my first few rounds. But I never blew anything up or set anything off except in the right place and the right way, so I consider that time well-wasted.

I have the sixth edition. I imagine the basic instructions for rifle, pistol etc. reloading are the same in every one. If I could be sure all the other articles were different between editions, I'd consider hunting down all the other editions. While load data and new calibres du jour might change over thirty years, the basic methods for reloading metallic and shotshell cartridges have not.

A lot of reloading all-in-one kits will come with a reloading manual included, if that's what you end up buying - e.g. my single-stage Partner Press starter kit came with the Speer 14th Edition manual in-box, and I'd imagine that Lee and Hornady might do something similar (I also bought the Hornady manual, and quite like it).

Once you have absorbed everything these books have to say about method and safety, then (and ONLY then) venture onto YouTube and watch people actually use the equipment, over and over again if necessary. This helps a hell of a lot. Where it contradicts the book, trust the book.

(The other thing I like to read, even though some of the info may be "thirty years out of date", is Handloader's Digest. Much of it may never be relevant to the calibres I shoot, but it's interesting to absorb ideas by osmosis, and I never know what I'm going to try "down the road". I'm slowly but steadily collecting all of those too. The latest edition I've seen anywhere is the 18th, which I bought new in 2004 or so - do they even print this any more?)
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