reloading books

tom308w

Well-Known Member
hi i am thinking about starting reloading and i am wondering what are the best books to buy to read up about the basics before i make my mind up any advice would be most helpful
atb tom
 
I have maybe 75+ reloading manuals from 1900 through the present. I will offer this advice: Forget those produced by bullet makers. Instead, stick with those published by powder makers. The best and most used book I have is "Modern Reloading, Vol II". It has a huge amount of information and the data was generated in cooperation with Hodgdon and others. Don't limit yourself to data derived from one bullet makers' production line.~Muir
 
I started a little while ago and was iin a similar position to you.

I read Lees book which was good if you can ignore the constant advertsing and self promotion, although I did find his kit to be the cheapest and good quality, which is mainly what I bought. also his loading tables and diagrams are good with dimensions.

Also I have read the ABC's of reloading by chevalier (it is also on ebay). A lot easier to read than Lees, but does not tell you much more than Lees overall, plus diagrams pretty amateur.

It was good to have a comparison to get started with and refer to.

Hope that helps
JP
 
When I started reloading a year ago I bought Richard Lees Modern Reloading and the single calibre guide which gives a lot of load data but not much else.
I found the Lee book to be one large advert and so I sold it within a month and the single calibre guide is out of date with a lot of load data and I also sold that as well.
I use the internet for powder loads (Vihtavuori) but the 2002 not the 2008 one as the loads in the recent one are hot.
There is a lot of info on the web EG ammosmith.com and manufacturers web sites.
The most important thing is to ask if unsure and keep records.
 
jack said:
When I started reloading a year ago I bought Richard Lees Modern Reloading and the single calibre guide which gives a lot of load data but not much else.
I found the Lee book to be one large advert and so I sold it within a month and the single calibre guide is out of date with a lot of load data and I also sold that as well.
I use the internet for powder loads (Vihtavuori) but the 2002 not the 2008 one as the loads in the recent one are hot.
There is a lot of info on the web EG ammosmith.com and manufacturers web sites.
The most important thing is to ask if unsure and keep records.

Lee does advertize his stuff but if you read past that, you will find data there you cant get anywhere else. Did you actually read it? If not, when you sold it you sold yourself out of s lot of interesting data and techniques. I have read it two or three times. I never found any "advertising" in the data section. No. I don't think you read it carefully because otherwise you wouldn't have such a shallow view of it's contents.~Muir
 
as someone who is just starting to reload, i too find lee s modern reloading a good book with lots of really good info easily imparted especially the background info on loads and pressure ,..... whats actually sunk in well see when i fire my first reloads . :) .sb
 
I've got a small collection of reloading books that have been bought over the years nothing like the 50 or so that Muir has, though I have to agree with him that the powder manufacturers manuals are generally better than the bullet makers books.
I also agree with him that the Lee book contains information not available elsewhere, but I still don't like the format of the book, and some of the hype for Lee products has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Lee's method of testing bullets by shooting into his swimming pool probably wouldn't go down too well in this country.

My favourite reloading manual is the Nobelsport handloading book. It's very limited in that it only gives information on Vectan powders but the reference sections and general information on reloading betters most other books. It's particullarly good with regard to european calibres, something that many of the American manuals have neglected in the past.
 
Muir said:
jack said:
When I started reloading a year ago I bought Richard Lees Modern Reloading and the single calibre guide which gives a lot of load data but not much else.
I found the Lee book to be one large advert and so I sold it within a month and the single calibre guide is out of date with a lot of load data and I also sold that as well.
I use the internet for powder loads (Vihtavuori) but the 2002 not the 2008 one as the loads in the recent one are hot.
There is a lot of info on the web EG ammosmith.com and manufacturers web sites.
The most important thing is to ask if unsure and keep records.

Lee does advertize his stuff but if you read past that, you will find data there you cant get anywhere else. Did you actually read it? If not, when you sold it you sold yourself out of s lot of interesting data and techniques. I have read it two or three times. I never found any "advertising" in the data section. No. I don't think you read it carefully because otherwise you wouldn't have such a shallow view of it's contents.~Muir

My reading of it was quick and probably superficial so you're right in what you say.
But I read books for information and not to read adverts, which put me off, so it is a criticism of the author to have so much advertising in the book that meant I sold it.
I'll have a look at another copy next time I am in a gun shop.
 
After reading many different manuals I found Lee's advice and style to be a breath of fresh air. When you compare some of his tools e.g. Lee primer tool its half the price of RCBS and my own one is over 11 years old and has primed thousands of cases. The trimming tools Lee manufacture are simple and fool proof. I recently bought a Lee zip trim and its performance is excellent and also saves tumbling cases and sometimes damage to my hornet cases. Sorry I've went off thread but I think Lee are somewhat downgraded by reloading snobs. Cheers reiver xxv
 
I also use the Zip Trim. I really like it. One pull to brush the case neck, another to trim, two short smooth ones to chamfer and deburr (using Lee's tool: the others chatter sometimes) and the last with 0000 steel wool to polish. After a look at the primer pocket, the case is completely prepped. Did you get the three-jawed chuck? As I load for a variety of calibers it made sense to me. Takes practice to get the case set correctly but once you get the knack it's very versatile.~Muir
 
I have a couple of books, the one I find most helpful is Richard Lees, if only because it has so many easy to grasp pages of load information, yes it does ramble on about how Lee saved the world :D but as far as good quality low cost reloading gear is concerned he probably did :p
 
The best reloading book I have is Handloading for Competition by Glen D. Zediker.
although its mainly for the experienced reloader and target shooter there is some great advice
on what equipment to buy and how to use it to produce quality ammunition.
 
The best reloading book I have is Handloading for Competition by Glen D. Zediker.
Yes, its an excellent and unique piece of work (now in its 11th print run), but quiet tough going with its slightly rambling style...
I would start out with 'The ABC of Reloading" and then get load data for whichever bullet or powder you choose off the bullet and powder makers' websites.
If you really get into it, check out the Precision Shooting Reloading Guide and then the above Zediker book.
 
Lees modern reloading, vol 2. It is a great book, easy to read and the load data, for my loads anyway, is still bang upto date. I always cross reference powder weights with the powder companies websites, just to be sure. The real benefits of homeloading, for me anyway, is not getting clover leaf groups. It is aiming at the target with 100% confidence that the poa is where the bullets going. No more fliers and rounds that do not perform. No doubt, if i could shoot as well as my loads perform, i would be doing well. Ed.
 
I will have a look at the three jawed chuck though I have the Lee trimmer bases for all my calibres except the 6.5 x 57 which I trim with an RCBS trimmer. I wonder if I was to get a Lee 6.5x55 trimmer guage and make a shin at the threaded base to lengthen it by two nil ? Any advice would be appreciated as I prefer the simplicity of the Lee system. Thanks
 
I will have a look at the three jawed chuck though I have the Lee trimmer bases for all my calibres except the 6.5 x 57 which I trim with an RCBS trimmer. I wonder if I was to get a Lee 6.5x55 trimmer guage and make a shin at the threaded base to lengthen it by two nil ? Any advice would be appreciated as I prefer the simplicity of the Lee system. Thanks

Sure. That shim would work fine as long as it was smaller or identical in diameter to the rod. I modify the Lee units all the time. My 9.3x57 trimmer is a 1" long sleeve epoxied to an 8x57 trimmer stud and then turned on a lathe to the correct diameter. I also like the Lee Trimmer studs. Always the same results, every time with no measuring and fiddling. I have a Forester trimmer I use for neck turning, and a Lyman I picked up at some point for doing cartridge case reforming, but I use the Lyman 98% of the time. As to the three-jawed chuck: If you don't need it, don't bother. I load a wide variety of cartridges and it keeps me from needing to shuffle through a bunch of lock-studs looking for the right one. It also is "universal" so I can stick any darned rim I want in there and use home made trim gauges if I want. (I shoot some odd-balls) Keep it simple and stay happy.~Muir
 
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