Which book?

[tom2]

Yea I like the Lyman manuals. Some of the other manuals are useful but only address the components of the manual publisher. And I got the latest Lyman manual too. It is full of powders I never heard of and certainly cannot get now. I have cans of powder that have ten dollar stickers on, so you know how long I have been at it. Some are 18$ a pound, really steep priced, LOL. I guess I was a cheapskate or I would have a bigger stash of powder. Who knew?

 

[IAM Rand]

If you are a reloader and only have 1 reloading book then you may be selling yourself short. Look on ebay and get some older ones as well as several new/up to date books. I also use the internet. Barnes bullets has a good site that I use all the time. I also check the websites for the different powder manufacturers. Most of the manuals are for the bullets they sell. You can kind of fudge the recipes a little based upon bullet weight. Just remember to start lower on the powder when doing said fudging. You already have to do that when using something like Lyman.

 

[garbler]

A small library of reloading manuals, (three or more ) , is a must and even old time loaders and wildcatters like myself constantly pull them off the shelf as reference sources along with my trusty Powley handloaders slide rule. No need to buy every yearly edition as there are rarely serious info changes so wait and pick up the older ones like every five years or so. In addition to reloading manuals if you you think you may get the bug and spread out down the road keep your eyes open for Ken Waters' 'Pet Loads'. A two vol set covering everything from the earliest black to smokeless conversion cartridges to most of the rest with hand loading analysis and insightful tips on not only brass prep, seating, pressure reading, powders, primers, the whole enchilada. One of the best reference sources by a man who forgot more than this collective may ever know.

Back in the 80's I was approached by my favorite gun shop and two local clubs to help put together a reloading class. There were three of us and we ran three sessions on successive Saturdays. Each of us taught specific areas of the reloading spectrum and swapped around from time to time. After a couple of month the word got out and we had some sponsor help from gun shops, Thompson Contender, Accurate Arms etc. We limited the class to eight at first then with donated presses and tools it grew to sixteen. Everybody enjoyed the class but after six months we shut down due to health issues and one club with a fear of liability.

So look around in your region for reloading classes cause even a one day session will get you started.

Good luck

 

[mtgianni]

Get two or three old used manuals and read everything but the data before you settle on a modern one.

 

[Peak53]

Get two or three old used manuals and read everything but the data before you settle on a modern one.

There are two different issues at stake: the reloading process and powder/bullet/caliber data. Look for Lyman 45th or even the (gasp) Lee volumes for good descriptions of what to do and why. Must read. These will describe the basics. For the most up to date loading data look into online formulations from the powder companies - Hodgdon, Winchester, etc. Match as closely as possible to your bullets. I find the powder manufacturers to have more complete data than the bullet manufacturers for the simple reason that the powder guys are interested in selling powder and the bullet guys are interested in selling their bullets.

 

[rkrcpa]

https://www.redding-reloading.com/images/stories/PDFfiles/ammo_reloading_guide.pdf

This is a good overview of the process for a beginner.

 

[HorizontalMike]

If you want to KNOW/LEARN as much as possible about reloading, then I suggest Modern Reloading by Richard Lee.

That said, HOWEVER don't trust the Lee Manual for the actual reloading tables. Why? Because Lee gleans nearly all of his information from "other" sources, and that information may not be the best or most current. Modern Reloading is a great source for learning, so don't under-estimate it as the learning tool that it is.

After you understand the reloading process and principles, then go to the ACTUAL manuals that match WHAT bullets, powder, primers, brass you plan on using. Plus decide just how much you are going to spend on reloading equipment (press, dies, etc.).

Just my $0.02 worth.

 

[gwpercle]

I was just out of the Navy and I thought 5gr of Unique and a 160 was a light .38spl target load. 11gr with a 429421 in .44 Mag and 7.5 in a spl............

I bet you had Speer #8 ... Like Me !

 

[ddixie884]

No, I didn't get one till a year or two ago. Just the Lyman 45th but except for the 4756 loads they are close to the same. and Unique was all I used in handgun loads until I bought some 2400. I'm getting to like VV powders but they are expensive.....

Lots of good manual suggestions here. You can't get too much info. Start low and work up.

I was afraid of Bulls Eye. I heard too many horror stories about double charges and I wasn't a formal target shooter.

 

[mikld]

"The ABC's of Reloading" is an absolute must for noobies. I read mine at least once a year as a refresher. I believe they just published a new edition.

Yep, I believe the OP needs a basic text on the "How To" of reloading. The ABCs of Reloading is perhaps the best, most popular. Load data comes next and the suggestions above are good. In order of my use;
Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th and 50th (depending on where I am, at my desk or in the shop).
Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook
Hornady
Nosler
Hodgdon annual magazine/manual
Speer #11 mostly for reference.
I have 4 or 5 others in my shop mostly for reference.
Lee Modern Reloading (good "front half", bur don't care for data section)...

 

[mikld]

Thanks for all the great information. I've got a lot to chew on so far. I'm planning to pick up the reloader in a couple months, so for now I'm just awaiting the delivery of the tumbling/cleaning system and looking around for inexpensive once-fired brass.

I guess I should've included the calibers I plan to reload.

9mm
.357 Magnum
.38 Special
.45 Colt

I really don't see myself reloading any other caliber in the near future, but that might change.

Thanks again for all the sage advice.

I believe strongly in starting out K.I.S.S., so I'd say 38 Special or 45 Colt as first handloads. Basic, straight forward reloading for 2 very forgiving, very versatile cartridges. The 357 is basically a long 38 with higher pressure and velocities, but a bit more thought/care is needed. The 45 Colt is also dirt simple, easy and versatile. Reloading a semi-auto round is a little more involved with dimensions a bit more critical for good feeding and performance. But all these have been reloaded millions of times and all the "problems" worked out and solutions are readily available.

Some have started out with a progressive press loading semi-auto rounds and done OK, but I believe I got an excellent start with aa Lee Loader in 38 Special (in '69, way pre-web) then a single stage, then a turret, and now a Co-Ax (haven't gone to a progressive mainly because I am in no hurry and don't need a lot of ammo, right now!).

I think of learning a new undertaking is kinda like learning to drive, which is easier to learn with, a Toyota Camry with auto trans or a cab over Peterbilt with a 13 speed stick and split rear end?

 

[gwpercle]

Thanks for all the great information. I've got a lot to chew on so far. I'm planning to pick up the reloader in a couple months, so for now I'm just awaiting the delivery of the tumbling/cleaning system and looking around for inexpensive once-fired brass.

I guess I should've included the calibers I plan to reload.

9mm
.357 Magnum
.38 Special
.45 Colt

I really don't see myself reloading any other caliber in the near future, but that might change.

Thanks again for all the sage advice.

That's exactly what I said 50 years ago when I bought that first 38 Special "classic" Lee Loader ( $9.95 mallet powered) ...
I can guarantee you things will change ...
Reloading Are Fun !
Gary

 

[nbedford]

I got started with the Speer #9 manual. I think Speer is up to #15 now. Great how-to info.

Speer #10 was my first. Still are some good 38 Special loads in there. Recent Lee and Hornady manuals are also good. Shoot, I reckon I have around 8 manuals. Another good one is the NRA Handloading Guide.

 

[smithra_66]

I'm slowly getting into reloading. I'll be using the Hornady Lock N Load AP reloader, and the Frankford Arsenal tumbler. What I need is to find a book that I can use to figure out the basics of reloading (some king of cookbook). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Pick up a reloading manual from any of the major bullet or powder manufacturers. They always contains a wealth of information on the process. You'll need it anyway for load data. Better yet, buy several.

Also, check out Youtube for tons of tutorials. You can learn a lot in just a few hours.

 

[H Richard]

I've been reloading about 40 years. I have a couple feet of bookshelf filled wit loading manuals. Lyman is my go to usually, but they are always introducing new powders so on-line mfg web sites are also needed. When developing new loads I have used as many as 3 or 4 different manuals to determine loading combinations. Most important, the final a curacy comes down to the bullet seating OAL, AND a chronograph if you are serious about loading for accuracy.

 

[rockquarry]

It's good to see that many continue to see the worth of paper manuals.

I suppose it's pure marketing and I can't fault those in the business, but we have far more powders than anyone really needs. Many of these powders serve little or no purpose, but duplicate one or several powders, some of which have been available for decades.

Conversely, in a time of shortages as we're currently experiencing, maybe it's good to have duplicative powders.

 

[gregintenn]

I would suggest an assortment, and add Modern Reloading, not for the load recipes, but for general reloading knowledge and procedures.