Reloading reading/literature for beginners?

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JeffDilla

JeffDilla

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Hi folks,

In the near future I'd like to start reloading. Can anyone recommend some good rifle and handgun reloading books/literature for a novice? While there is lots of great information here, I also enjoy reading books.

I do have a friend who has offered to teach me how to reload when we both have the time, probably this summer, but for now I'd enjoy just reading up on the topic.

Thanks in advance.
 
The ABC's of Reloading. The Lyman Reloading Manual. These are 2 of the best to start with in my opinion. Other manuals after are also good but I would start with these two.
 
jcwit said:
The ABC's of Reloading. The Lyman Reloading Manual. These are 2 of the best to start with in my opinion. Other manuals after are also good but I would start with these two.
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Agree! Reading these two texts (and rereading them) will also give you an idea of the equipment that will suit your reloading needs...
 
Agree! Reading these two texts (and rereading them) will also give you an idea of the equipment that will suit your reloading needs...
Click to expand...

That's precisely what I'm looking for. Thanks!
 
JeffDilla said:
In the near future I'd like to start reloading. Can anyone recommend some good rifle and handgun reloading books/literature ... for now I'd enjoy just reading up on the topic.
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Very good plan as you'll be exposed to a lot of information. Doing some reading before you start reloading will allow the information to "soak in". You may find yourself reading some sections multiple times.

+1 on Lyman #49 Reloading Handbook. Sections 1 - 4 provide good introduction and basics of reloading rifle and pistol cartridges along with good coverage on reloading components. These sections should address most questions new reloader may have about reloading but THR forums are great for asking any question you may have.
 
Read some of the stickies above. Understand what a cartridge does and what needs to be done to/with the case to reload it. It's pretty simple.
 
Lyman #49 and this forum. There are a lot of threads here from beginners, that may answer questions you have. Go back a few pages, skim the titles, maybe even try searching for questions The stickies have a lot of good information too.
 
I have some older manuals converted to PDF. I think I have the ABC's of Reloading and Lyman #48(not the newest one). Shoot me your email and I will share.

Read the manuals. Read the forums. YouTube "how to's." There are also some manufacturer's videos out there that are simple and informative.
 
The ABC's of Reloading and the Lyman manual are the two I started with. Both were great. I also watched alot of Youtube videos but many of those included some less than safe methods....
 
I just loaded my first rounds today. To get there I read here, watched u tube and read Lee's Modern Reloading book. I'm in the process of reading the ABC's and am gong to read Lyman's after that. I find the books to be the most fun. But I'm kind of a geek and enjoy learning from them.
 
Find someone who is reloading now to mentor you. I have a father in law that reloaded in the past and a local reloader who is a wealth of knowledge. Easier to comprehend the book when you have someone you can talk to about what you read.
 
I started with Speer and Hornaday books, but Lyman's good too. Heck, if you're going to read for a while before starting (great idea, and generally what I did, too), read 'em all!
 
+1 on ABCs' of Reloading and Lymans' 49th edition. If you per chance have a VCR ( old school I know ) I have 2 of Sierras' instructional videos one for metallic rifle reloading and the other for handgun I could part with. I liked the visual aide when I first started after having read a couple books first and did both before I started reloading. Made it a smooth and easy transition into the world of reloading. Great and rewarding hobby.

10 Spot
 
Nosler #6 is still my favorite hands down. Other manuals don't go into the kind of detail they do, not even close. Little things like most accurate powders and charges, and notes from the testers have been vey helpful, plus the other manuals I have don't even list 6.5x55 data for modern actions Nosler does. Simply the best, I cannot wait until my Nosler #7 gets here :)
 
When I started reloading I bought the Speer #10 and found it the easiest to understand of the other's out there. It laid out the process in easy to understand terminology, while providing the technical deffinitions needed. As for data, it doesn't contain much so for that information I turn to the powder, bullet manufacturer's.

GS
 
Lyman's tells you what to do and often tells you why.
This will help build up your sense of observation and move you along the learning curve.
You will start understanding internal ballistics.

I found that re-reading the manual from time to time helps me gain insights that had escaped me the first couple times.
 
ATLDave said:
I started with Speer and Hornaday books, but Lyman's good too. Heck, if you're going to read for a while before starting (great idea, and generally what I did, too), read 'em all!
Click to expand...
Lyman's & ABC's but I agree, the Hornady & Speer have great theory material...just a bit more than basics. I pick up just about all reloading manuals I find for that reason and possibility of loading those bullets.
 
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