Note especially that a lot of them are put out by powder manufacturers or bullet makers and cover only their own products, and if you're really lucky they're under a corporate umbrella with a maker of the other so all their loading formulas only use combinations of those brands. So you really do need to look for books or websites of all the ones that make relevant-looking products.
Rifle reloading - the one book to own?
- Thread starter 0faustus0
- Start date
Note especially that a lot of them are put out by powder manufacturers or bullet makers and cover only their own products, and if you're really lucky they're under a corporate umbrella with a maker of the other so all their loading formulas only use combinations of those brands. So you really do need to look for books or websites of all the ones that make relevant-looking products.
Funny, I keep a brick on the floor beside my bench specifically for pulling bullets... But then again I started with pulling 7.62x54r and you really need to give'r to get the sealant around the bullet to free up, all a 2x4 did was dent. Lol
Run them through a seating die to break the seal. It will be a night and day difference.
redbirddog
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Maple Syrup land Ontario
Lyman is my go to for over 25 years.
I back it up with the Nosler, speer and Hornday books. But in 25 years. I have most of my favorites already worked out.
I back it up with the Nosler, speer and Hornday books. But in 25 years. I have most of my favorites already worked out.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
I actually go check the Nosler books frequently - so far as I have found, they are the only ones showing the case volume (in grains of H20) for the seating depth of the bullets they used - no one else does that - so an actual "volume" measurement when wandering into non-standard loadings, or when using non-standard cases formed from something else - for example, forming 7x61 Sharpe and Hart from 7mm Rem Mag brass - how much volume is my "home made" ones, compared to the earlier Norma "Re" cases or the later Norma "Super" cases, which themselves are about 5 grains difference (using IMR 4350).
The Hornady, Berger and Sierra manuals all focus on their products.
The Lyman manual uses components from a variety of suppliers, as well as cast bullet loads using their molds. The Lee manual doesn't tell you what components they used.
However, it is the "how-to" sections of all the manuals that contain the tidbits I referredto earlier.
I have been told this, however when I was doing this in the past I was reloading for an Enfield using a Lee Loader and didn't have a press or dies. I haven't really played with the Enfield since I got a real press, shes been sitting in the safe for some time while I attend to other projects and haven't bothered to get dies in 303brit yet...
No books to own really (anyways not in my case),
Just go to your local Fclass section (I don’t shoot Fclass BTW), and offer to pay the match winner for reloading teaching.
He will tell you to buy expensive tooling, but if you brought your notepad and got everything down you’ll be loading like a top pro in no time!
Just go to your local Fclass section (I don’t shoot Fclass BTW), and offer to pay the match winner for reloading teaching.
He will tell you to buy expensive tooling, but if you brought your notepad and got everything down you’ll be loading like a top pro in no time!
I'll be the broken record and agree that there is not one "great" source, at least what I have found. I reload rifle for hunting and target practice, and currently reload for rifles in 243 Win, 7mm Weatherby Magnum, 300 Savage, 303 British, 30.06, 7.62x39, 7.62x54R, and 8mm Mauser. I'm a big fan of neck sizing only for my bolt action rifles, although I do own full-length resizing dies for all those listed (range pickup, loading for friends, just because...)
I use mainly Lee dies and Lee presses, although I have a few Hornady (7mm), RCBS (357 Mag), and CH4 (300 Savage) dies too.
If you can get past the Lee "we're so great" propaganda, I like the Lee manual, followed by Hornady, then Lyman. I've also read the sections from the powder manufacturers and bullet manufacturers that are free online. Lots of Youtube videos too.
So, in summary, IMHO, best free resource is Western Powder's free PDF manual. Best "my money" is Lee.
I use mainly Lee dies and Lee presses, although I have a few Hornady (7mm), RCBS (357 Mag), and CH4 (300 Savage) dies too.
If you can get past the Lee "we're so great" propaganda, I like the Lee manual, followed by Hornady, then Lyman. I've also read the sections from the powder manufacturers and bullet manufacturers that are free online. Lots of Youtube videos too.
So, in summary, IMHO, best free resource is Western Powder's free PDF manual. Best "my money" is Lee.
And a great read, just in and of itself. - dan
For "mousefart loads", Lyman is likely the best to start with. I would even recommend you see if someone has some 30cal cast bullets, they suit mousefart loads better than jacketed. Jet bullets, Western Metals, Bullet Barn, Cdn BDX, Rusty Wood, places like them, if you have an indoor pistol range in the area, they may have some, or can get them. BUT, you have to read the Lyman Cast bullet manual for that, Lee apparently has some cast bullet info as well. Trailboss is a good powder for that purpose, just pay attention to the warning to not compress it. And you absolutely should use a scale.
The Nosler book with their most accurate loads and most accurate powder weights is something that I have used as starting points for other manufacturer's bullets has served me well.
Using Sierra 60 grain HP and the load data from Nosler for their 60 grains bullets produced desired results.
Sierra's Infinity 6 program is good too but now that I have an Apple it is not compatible and it takes an hour to get the old lap top to function.
They list the most accurate load and hunting loads. Their data produced desired results with the 190 grain MatchKing and for hunting the Hornady 190 grain boattail was in the one MOA range.
With the range of powders being developed today even the book publishers will have trouble keeping up.
Using Sierra 60 grain HP and the load data from Nosler for their 60 grains bullets produced desired results.
Sierra's Infinity 6 program is good too but now that I have an Apple it is not compatible and it takes an hour to get the old lap top to function.
They list the most accurate load and hunting loads. Their data produced desired results with the 190 grain MatchKing and for hunting the Hornady 190 grain boattail was in the one MOA range.
With the range of powders being developed today even the book publishers will have trouble keeping up.
I've had some good results with this website also https://castbulletassoc.org/forum/thread/1387-the-load-is-13-grains-of-red-dot/
Bingo! I've got several manuals that I've "collected" over the years. I worked in a Big Box store where out of 20 employees in the Hunting Department, I was the only reloader. I always recommended to customers/prospective reloaders that they buy the Lyman as the prime reference, for the reasons stated by old303 above. I was consistently able to get a decent match and starting load for almost any of the bullets I was reloading across 8 rifles/9 calibers. Where if I only reviewed a Speer manual, or a Hornady manual, I often could not find a bullet profile and/or bullet weight for my process since I use a variety of bullets/powders/primers depending on the firearm cartridge in progress.
I also cross-checked with the Hodgdon reloading site, where I often could find some variances. Went with Hodgdon as a guide when using one of their powders, with Lyman for pretty much everything else.
O.N.G.
