Reloading literature

JAXX · June 25, 2007, 04:07 PM

Can any of you recommend any books that would be informative on getting started in reloading your own ammunition? I know nothing about it but it is sounding more and more appealing everyday. Thanks

TrimixDiver · June 25, 2007, 04:20 PM

Several of the reloading manuals have basic reloading information in them Speer, Hornady, etc. There is a book IIRC called ABC's of Reloading which is pretty good. The NRA even offers a course on reloading metallic cartridges. Another thing you may do is to find a knowledgable reloader that can mentor you in the process and provide insight on the type of equipment that may best suit your needs.

Tibu · June 25, 2007, 04:29 PM

I am in the same boat. I am fairly certain my next purchase will be a Desert Eagle in .50AE or a rifle in .223. I could save a lot of money on both (specially the DE) if I setup a reloading rig. Thing is, I'm not sure where to start

jdm357 · June 25, 2007, 04:39 PM

I'm in the same boat, although I have found a few "starter kits" (Lee) on midwayusa.com under $100, without dies. I think that's my next purchase. I somewhat suspected they'd not be worth it at that cheap, but I've heard otherwise.

(after, of course, thorough research)

Trapper L · June 25, 2007, 04:52 PM

Here are some online vids for you to review. They have the Lee twist to reloading but you can get a decent idea from them. Make sure to look at the vids for the single stage press towards to bottom of the page as well as setting up the dies, etc. Most of the loading manuals do a decent job of explaining the reloading process. My favorite is the Speer manual but then again it was my first manual about 40 years ago. The Lee manual is also a good one but again with the Lee twist of what tools to use.

http://www.leeprecision.com/html/HelpVideos/video.html

Hope this is helpful,
Trapper L

TimRB · June 25, 2007, 04:58 PM

Don't forget to check manfacurer's home pages (reloading equipment and supplies). Most at least have FAQ sections, and this one:

http://www.rcbs.com/guide/default.aspx

has a step-by-step guide.

Tim

Edit: Trimix in Kentucky?

steveno · June 25, 2007, 04:58 PM

Lyman # 48 reloading manual

boltgun71 · June 25, 2007, 08:25 PM

The Lyman reloading books are very informative, they should be a good place to start.

moose fat · June 26, 2007, 01:35 AM

Check out the sticky threads on the Reloading Forum. Thats where I started with my literature search.

Midway has a good list of reloading books, and everything else.

Al Norris · June 26, 2007, 06:41 AM

There is a wealth of good information in the "ABC's of Reloading." Lyman's 48th edtition also contains much good stuff - As well as having bullet weights/varieties and powders, other manuals may lack. You can never have too many reloading manuals!!

Also, the Lee Anniversary single-stage package is among the best to learn with. You won't have a huge investment tied up, should you decide that handloading is not for you.

As stated, the Handloading and Reloading section of the board is the place to ask all your questions. Really good folks over there, and the sticky post, For the New Reloader: Equipment Basics -- READ THIS FIRST has just about everything you will need to know to get started.

With that being said, off we go to the Handloading section....

MADISON · June 26, 2007, 09:12 AM

I believe RCBS
www.rcbs.com
has a pamplet that is downloadable
Also check out
www.hornady.com
they may have downloadable information, also.

TrimixDiver · June 27, 2007, 08:12 AM

TimRB,

You can dive mix in some of the deeper lakes here in KY. I prefer the deeper wrecks off of the Florida Keys though.

PeteQuad · June 27, 2007, 08:18 AM

I've bought and read about 6 reloading manuals since I started. The ones I felt were the best for a beginner were the ABC's of Reloading, Lee Modern Reloading, and Lyman (either the 48th edition, or if you are doing pistol only, then that one). Even if you do not go for the Lee equipment, I recommend that one because it is the least textbook like to read, and goes through each step in detail with specific equipment, so you get a real feel for it. Lyman probably has more overall information in it though, and the ABC book is just a great starter book if you know nothing.

If you can afford it, get all 3!

lgsracer · June 27, 2007, 11:31 AM

The NRA does have an intro to reloading only $7.00.

http://materials.nrahq.org/go/produc...tid=EF%2013527

If you want to get into reloading training, check out this page for course materials:

http://materials.nrahq.org/go/produc...Text=reloading

Basic Metallic Cartridge Reloading Course Wall Charts
http://materials.nrahq.org/go/produc...tid=EF%2013531

Basic Shotgun Shell Reloading Course Wall Charts
http://materials.nrahq.org/go/produc...tid=EF%2013534

UniversalFrost · June 27, 2007, 06:27 PM

ABC's and the Lyman 47 or 48 are the best places to start. Then get the 2nd edition of the Lee book. RCBS has a good and free how to step by step guid on their site. barnes also has a good guide, but it is pricey. Check eBay and Amazon (I got the latest ABC's last year for 15 bucks shipped off Amazon brand new)

BigJimP · June 27, 2007, 06:58 PM

Hodgdon, one of the powder companies, has some good reloading manuals and some good reference books as well. But for a first book, I would prorbably recommend you go to a good sporting goods store - like sportsman's warehouse, cabellas, etc and they will have a number of good books to start with.

When it comes to equipmen, I would look over the Dillon Precision Mfg site / or go to a local distributor of Dillon equipment - they also sell a VHS/DVD for about $8 that is pretty good on their machines.

croc4 · June 30, 2007, 10:48 AM

I was not too impressed with the ABC's of reloading, I had heard good things about it, and purchased it from midway. I have gone through it several times, and it just didn't have enough technical info for my taste, more like a collection of stories by various people that I found to be not very relevent to the subject at hand.

There are sections that are ok, I have reloaded for a number of years and I know enough to know that I don't know a whole lot, so I picked it up to learn something new or just improve my reloading experience. I find that the most reloading manuals cover the same material plus you get load data to boot. My advice would be to get a load manual, of all the ones I have looked at over the years contain a section of reloading how to's

Chris McDermott · July 3, 2007, 02:27 AM

There are actually two different books titled "ABC's of Reloading", you want the one by Dean Grennell, not the other guys.

Martyn4802 · July 3, 2007, 06:21 AM

I found the Hornady Reloading Manual very good for describing the loading procedure.
In any case, after you've read the reloading basics, if you have any questions, just post them here. Lots of reloading experience available here.

Martyn

June 25, 2007, 04:07 PM	#1
JAXX Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2007 Location: Northwest Wyoming Posts: 371	Reloading literature Can any of you recommend any books that would be informative on getting started in reloading your own ammunition? I know nothing about it but it is sounding more and more appealing everyday. Thanks __________________ Lifetime member of The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

June 26, 2007, 09:12 AM	#11
MADISON Senior Member Join Date: January 1, 2000 Location: Roanoke, Virginia Posts: 2,678	Free Information I believe RCBS www.rcbs.com has a pamplet that is downloadable Also check out www.hornady.com they may have downloadable information, also.

June 27, 2007, 06:27 PM	#15
UniversalFrost Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 2,300	ABC's and the Lyman 47 or 48 are the best places to start. Then get the 2nd edition of the Lee book. RCBS has a good and free how to step by step guid on their site. barnes also has a good guide, but it is pricey. Check eBay and Amazon (I got the latest ABC's last year for 15 bucks shipped off Amazon brand new) __________________ Lifetime member VFW and NRA "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (when all else fails play dead) -Red Green

June 30, 2007, 10:48 AM	#17
croc4 Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2006 Location: Idaho Posts: 191	ABC's -- so so I was not too impressed with the ABC's of reloading, I had heard good things about it, and purchased it from midway. I have gone through it several times, and it just didn't have enough technical info for my taste, more like a collection of stories by various people that I found to be not very relevent to the subject at hand. There are sections that are ok, I have reloaded for a number of years and I know enough to know that I don't know a whole lot, so I picked it up to learn something new or just improve my reloading experience. I find that the most reloading manuals cover the same material plus you get load data to boot. My advice would be to get a load manual, of all the ones I have looked at over the years contain a section of reloading how to's

July 3, 2007, 06:21 AM	#19
Martyn4802 Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2007 Location: Grayling, Michigan Posts: 737	I found the Hornady Reloading Manual very good for describing the loading procedure. In any case, after you've read the reloading basics, if you have any questions, just post them here. Lots of reloading experience available here. Martyn __________________ US Army Retired NRA Benefactor Life Member JPFO

June 25, 2007, 04:20 PM	#2
TrimixDiver Junior Member Join Date: March 15, 2007 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 12	Several of the reloading manuals have basic reloading information in them Speer, Hornady, etc. There is a book IIRC called ABC's of Reloading which is pretty good. The NRA even offers a course on reloading metallic cartridges. Another thing you may do is to find a knowledgable reloader that can mentor you in the process and provide insight on the type of equipment that may best suit your needs.

June 25, 2007, 04:29 PM	#3
Tibu Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2006 Posts: 214	I am in the same boat. I am fairly certain my next purchase will be a Desert Eagle in .50AE or a rifle in .223. I could save a lot of money on both (specially the DE) if I setup a reloading rig. Thing is, I'm not sure where to start

June 25, 2007, 04:39 PM	#4
jdm357 Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: south Indiana Posts: 133	I'm in the same boat, although I have found a few "starter kits" (Lee) on midwayusa.com under $100, without dies. I think that's my next purchase. I somewhat suspected they'd not be worth it at that cheap, but I've heard otherwise. (after, of course, thorough research)

June 25, 2007, 04:52 PM	#5
Trapper L Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2006 Location: South Texas Posts: 804	Here are some online vids for you to review. They have the Lee twist to reloading but you can get a decent idea from them. Make sure to look at the vids for the single stage press towards to bottom of the page as well as setting up the dies, etc. Most of the loading manuals do a decent job of explaining the reloading process. My favorite is the Speer manual but then again it was my first manual about 40 years ago. The Lee manual is also a good one but again with the Lee twist of what tools to use. http://www.leeprecision.com/html/HelpVideos/video.html Hope this is helpful, Trapper L

June 25, 2007, 04:58 PM	#6
TimRB Senior Member Join Date: May 18, 2004 Posts: 1,049	Don't forget to check manfacurer's home pages (reloading equipment and supplies). Most at least have FAQ sections, and this one: http://www.rcbs.com/guide/default.aspx has a step-by-step guide. Tim Edit: Trimix in Kentucky?

June 25, 2007, 04:58 PM	#7
steveno Senior Member Join Date: June 18, 2004 Location: Minden , Nebraska Posts: 1,407	Lyman # 48 reloading manual

June 25, 2007, 08:25 PM	#8
boltgun71 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 547	The Lyman reloading books are very informative, they should be a good place to start.

June 26, 2007, 01:35 AM	#9
moose fat Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2006 Location: Alaska, Yukon R. delta Posts: 421	Check out the sticky threads on the Reloading Forum. Thats where I started with my literature search. Midway has a good list of reloading books, and everything else.

June 26, 2007, 06:41 AM	#10
Al Norris Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2000 Location: Rupert, Idaho Posts: 9,660	There is a wealth of good information in the "ABC's of Reloading." Lyman's 48th edtition also contains much good stuff - As well as having bullet weights/varieties and powders, other manuals may lack. You can never have too many reloading manuals!! Also, the Lee Anniversary single-stage package is among the best to learn with. You won't have a huge investment tied up, should you decide that handloading is not for you. As stated, the Handloading and Reloading section of the board is the place to ask all your questions. Really good folks over there, and the sticky post, For the New Reloader: Equipment Basics -- READ THIS FIRST has just about everything you will need to know to get started. With that being said, off we go to the Handloading section....

June 27, 2007, 08:12 AM	#12
TrimixDiver Junior Member Join Date: March 15, 2007 Location: Central Kentucky Posts: 12	TimRB, You can dive mix in some of the deeper lakes here in KY. I prefer the deeper wrecks off of the Florida Keys though.

June 27, 2007, 08:18 AM	#13
PeteQuad Senior Member Join Date: March 9, 2007 Posts: 198	I've bought and read about 6 reloading manuals since I started. The ones I felt were the best for a beginner were the ABC's of Reloading, Lee Modern Reloading, and Lyman (either the 48th edition, or if you are doing pistol only, then that one). Even if you do not go for the Lee equipment, I recommend that one because it is the least textbook like to read, and goes through each step in detail with specific equipment, so you get a real feel for it. Lyman probably has more overall information in it though, and the ABC book is just a great starter book if you know nothing. If you can afford it, get all 3!

June 27, 2007, 06:58 PM	#16
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Hodgdon, one of the powder companies, has some good reloading manuals and some good reference books as well. But for a first book, I would prorbably recommend you go to a good sporting goods store - like sportsman's warehouse, cabellas, etc and they will have a number of good books to start with. When it comes to equipmen, I would look over the Dillon Precision Mfg site / or go to a local distributor of Dillon equipment - they also sell a VHS/DVD for about $8 that is pretty good on their machines.

July 3, 2007, 02:27 AM	#18
Chris McDermott Senior Member Join Date: March 30, 2000 Posts: 245	There are actually two different books titled "ABC's of Reloading", you want the one by Dean Grennell, not the other guys.