Reloading manual

[wraithen]

Ok I recently bought a lever gun and for some stupid crazy reason I apparently want to make my own rounds now. I mostly want to start handloading just so I can make my own bullets and actually use them. I know that for a 30/30 it isn't really worth it but I also have a .223 and a .40 that wouldn't be worth it  so it seems like a really grand dumb idea. Anyway, I want to know which manual to pick up to arm myself for this new adventure. I know the ones from the 70's are still good but I was hoping there was something more modern that would have updated information. Is there such a thing? Which manual should I get?  I welcome all suggestions and reason's and experiences to support them. Thanks guys, I really like all the advice I get from this place. Sometimes there's a few extra grains of salt to take it with but I'm used to that by now. 

[high country]

If you have a favorite bullet mfr.....start there. The calibers you list will be in every manual made in the last twenty years. What will be missing from old manuals is new powders and bullets, of which there are many.

[JackOfAllTrades]

No body should ever say that 40S&W or 223 are not cost effective to reload for! Never! Go back to that other thread and use that reloading calculator. If you buy bulk bullets for either then you're money ahead. Then if you're shooting long range, the 223 handloads will trump most any bulk loaded spray and pray fun corrosive loads you can buy off the retail shelf. Now... the 40.. with the right powder and bullet choice, (I've got 1500rnds of 40 brass I'll sell ya cheap! -Just make a donation to Hunting-Washington "Dale"), you can load for less than retail. That other thread did have some pretty good bulk prices, but once you add in shipping and tax, you're money ahead with reloading for it too.

So... !!!  Not one manual is good enough. I've been reloading for near 28 years, and I've always kept relatively recent four or so manuals on the shelf. Speer, Sierra, Nosler, Hornady, ABC's of Reloading.  For the basics of reloading process, each explains something different, and none of them duplicate all loads tested, so you'll get a good variety of options.  Don't use the powder sites/manuals. Go with the bullet manufacture's manuals and once you're more experienced, branch out from there.

JMHHO.

-Steve

[6x6in6]

^^^^^^^^ What Steve said!!!

[JJB11B]

No body should ever say that 40S&W or 223 are not cost effective to reload for! Never! Go back to that other thread and use that reloading calculator. If you buy bulk bullets for either then you're money ahead. Then if you're shooting long range, the 223 handloads will trump most any bulk loaded spray and pray fun corrosive loads you can buy off the retail shelf. Now... the 40.. with the right powder and bullet choice, (I've got 1500rnds of 40 brass I'll sell ya cheap! -Just make a donation to Hunting-Washington "Dale"), you can load for less than retail. That other thread did have some pretty good bulk prices, but once you add in shipping and tax, you're money ahead with reloading for it too.

So... !!!  Not one manual is good enough. I've been reloading for near 28 years, and I've always kept relatively recent four or so manuals on the shelf. Speer, Sierra, Nosler, Hornady, ABC's of Reloading.  For the basics of reloading process, each explains something different, and none of them duplicate all loads tested, so you'll get a good variety of options.  Don't use the powder sites/manuals. Go with the bullet manufacture's manuals and once you're more experienced, branch out from there.

JMHHO.

-Steve

I have noticed that Noslers Load for a 55gr bullet is way different than Hornady's load for a similar bullet with the same type of powder.... That said. I use my Nosler book a lot more than any of my other ones. I have 6 or 7 different reloading handbooks.

[bobcat]

I like my Hodgdon manual because that's the only powder I use. Other good manuals to have are the Nosler, Sierra, and Barnes- depending on which bullets you prefer.

[Biggerhammer]

My Nosler reloading guides and I are tight , way tight!

[Helix]

Manuals to match the bullet mfg. That said, my press RCBS rock chucker supreme came with manual, scale, powder measure, priming tool, scale. All the basics you need. if you want to clean your brass skip the tumblers or vibratory cleaners and get a harbour freight ultrasonic cleaner.

Check out the hornady leverevution bullets for the 3030.  Best bc for anything you can shoot from your lever gun.

[carpsniperg2]

Nosler and hodgdon's manuals for me

[wraithen]

Ok so I get the different manual for different manufacturers, but what if I'm the manufacturer of the bullet?

[wraithen]

Sweet guys, thanks for the info. Looks like I'll look into the hornady and nosler manuals. I appreciate all the middle of the night help too. You guys must be insomniacs like me!

[high country]

Remember, different bullets of a common size and weight will slug up differently, so don't use one mfr as the gospel for bullets other than,their own.

[wraithen]

I'm starting to see that trend. I also found that lyman seems to have made a great manual for home cast bullets but from what I've found the 4th edition isn't as good as the third, but the third, where it can be found, is selling for a vastly inflated price. Amazon lists 3 sellers starting at 90 bucks 

[cascademountainhunter]

I dont remember what manual we used but we got a video it was an RCBS one with jim scoutten in it. Helped me out

[JackOfAllTrades]

Ok so I get the different manual for different manufacturers, but what if I'm the manufacturer of the bullet?

OK.. What mold are you pouring from and what size are the bullets being sized to, or are you just using them as poured/lubed? What is your lead/alloy mix? Water quenched? Frozen? What lube are you using?

All factors to consider when loading to extreme pressures, (yes even with lead).  But not so much concern when loading home cast bullets of soft lead for medium to slow velocities and not higher pressures.  The Lyman cast handbook is a good place to start even though you might be using a Saeco, RCBS, Lyman, Lee, or Hensley and Gibbs mold. Most of the bullet molds available are based off of designs older than we are, and are so similar that the Lyman book is valuable. I invite you to: http://castboolits.gunloads.com where you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about casting and loading your own lead pours.

-Steve