Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: wraithen on January 09, 2012, 08:52:56 PM

Title: Reloading manual
Post by: wraithen on January 09, 2012, 08:52:56 PM: 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 :chuckle: 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? :dunno: 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. :tup:
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: high country on January 09, 2012, 09:05:10 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 09, 2012, 09:05:43 PM: 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
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: 6x6in6 on January 09, 2012, 09:09:01 PM: ^^^^^^^^ What Steve said!!!
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: JJB11B on January 09, 2012, 09:12:15 PM: Quote from: JackOfAllTrades on January 09, 2012, 09:05:43 PM
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.
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: bobcat on January 09, 2012, 09:13:32 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: Biggerhammer on January 09, 2012, 09:33:03 PM: My Nosler reloading guides and I are tight , way tight!
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: Helix on January 09, 2012, 09:47:29 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: carpsniperg2 on January 09, 2012, 10:11:37 PM: Nosler and hodgdon's manuals for me :tup:
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: wraithen on January 10, 2012, 05:04:00 AM: Ok so I get the different manual for different manufacturers, but what if I'm the manufacturer of the bullet?
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: wraithen on January 10, 2012, 06:59:31 AM: 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!
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: high country on January 10, 2012, 08:19:27 AM: 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.
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: wraithen on January 10, 2012, 08:26:00 AM: 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 :yike:
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: cascademountainhunter on January 10, 2012, 08:56:22 AM: 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
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 10, 2012, 09:50:29 AM: Quote from: wraithen on January 10, 2012, 05:04:00 AM
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
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: Heredoggydoggy on January 10, 2012, 10:06:46 AM: The only thing I can add to the above advice is to get bullet moulds that allow for a gas check on the base to allow higher pressure loads with cast bullets. They are cheap, and crimp on as you swage the bullets, so no extra tools are required.
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: wraithen on January 10, 2012, 11:31:59 AM: I'm not sure which molds I will be using yet but I do plan on having gas checks. As far as casting my own I only plan on doing that with the 30-30. I know I need to get some calipers and measure my chamber/bore to decide what diameter mold I want to use. I will most likely be water quenching to get a little extra hardness. I am thinking of using ww lead initially. I have been lurking around castboolits. I just want study material at this point to know what I'm doing as much as possible before I get my feet wet. I just really like the idea of firing something I made myself as much as possible.
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: Curly on January 10, 2012, 12:17:18 PM: Get this One (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Reloading-Manual-Remington-Caliber/dp/B000VK0P8Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326226441&sr=1-3) for the .223

This one for the .40 S&W (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Reloading-Manual-10mm-Caliber/dp/B002H61COS/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326226441&sr=1-4)

and this one for the 30-30 (http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Reloading-Manual-30-Winchest/dp/B001JV75LQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326226441&sr=1-5)

And you'll only be setback less than $30 and you'll have info from several different bullet and powder manufacturers. :twocents:
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on January 10, 2012, 12:41:03 PM: I cast a lot of 45acp.. (almost all of my competition bullets) I shot about 28,000 rounds 2008 through 2010. (took 2011 off)

Do not measure your barrel/lands with calipers. Slug it with soft lead or cerosafe then measure the slug.
Title: Re: Reloading manual
Post by: Helix on January 10, 2012, 01:16:45 PM: Also you might check out shooters forum. Lots of great info on there just play nice or they will boot yah out. :chuckle: