HuntingNut » News » Essential information for new handloaders!

Home • Community Forums • Photo Albums • Register

Modules

• Home - Top 30
• Treasury
• Tell a Friend

Articles: Submit New
• Articles: Topics
• Contact Us
• Community Forums

Members List
• Photo Albums
• PointBlank Ballistics
• PointBlank Online
• Privacy Policy
• Private Messages

Reloading Database
• State F&G Agencies
• Statistics
• Your Account

User Info

Welcome Anonymous

(Register)

Membership:

Latest: patrad69

New Today: 0

New Yesterday: 0

Overall: 13133

People Online:

Members: 0

Visitors: 105

BOT: 1

Total: 106

Who Is Where:

Visitors:
01: Forums
02: Forums
03: Forums
04: Forums
05: Forums
06: Forums
07: Forums
08: Forums
09: Forums
10: Your Account
11: Forums
12: Home
13: Forums
14: Forums
15: Forums
16: Photo Albums
17: Forums
18: Your Account
19: Forums
20: Forums
21: Photo Albums
22: Forums
23: Home
24: Home
25: Forums
26: Forums
27: Forums
28: Forums
29: Forums
30: Home
31: Forums
32: News
33: Photo Albums
34: Forums
35: Home
36: Home
37: Forums
38: Photo Albums
39: Forums
40: Home
41: Forums
42: Forums
43: Home
44: News
45: Photo Albums
46: Home
47: Your Account
48: Forums
49: Forums
50: Photo Albums
51: Forums
52: Forums
53: Forums
54: Forums
55: Home
56: Forums
57: Forums
58: Home
59: Home
60: Forums
61: Contact
62: Home
63: Forums
64: Photo Albums
65: Home
66: Photo Albums
67: News
68: Home
69: Forums
70: Forums
71: Home
72: Home
73: Photo Albums
74: Home
75: Forums
76: Reloading Database
77: Home
78: Photo Albums
79: Home
80: Forums
81: Forums
82: Forums
83: Forums
84: Forums
85: Forums
86: Forums
87: Forums
88: Photo Albums
89: Forums
90: Forums
91: Forums
92: Forums
93: Forums
94: Forums
95: Forums
96: Forums
97: Forums
98: Forums
99: Home
100: Your Account
101: Home
102: Forums
103: Forums
104: Home
105: Photo Albums

BOT:
01: Photo Albums

Staff Online:

No staff members are online!

Coppermine Stats

Photo Albums

• Albums: 308
• Pictures: 2455
  · Views: 824674
  · Votes: 1316
  · Comments: 85

Essential information for new handloaders!

Essential information for new handloaders!
by Mike Hines

I seem to see the same kind of question over and over again in the online forums that are about reloading your own ammunition. “I just started reloading for my .373 Wiffenpoofer rifle and need to know what load to use …” Every time I see it I cringe a little. I have one simple answer to all these questions; READ A MANUAL!! There is nothing wrong with asking for information on favorite loads or for suggestions for better loads but every handloader should have a hand loading manual with the basic information readily available on his bench. Every bullet and powder maker has this information available. Most experienced handloaders have a favorite manual or two but all of them contain valuable information.

My first suggestion to anyone wishing to start loading their own ammunition is to just pick a reloading manual and spend some time studying it. There are plenty of them out there and all have recommended powders and suggested starting loads for any number of cartridges. You just have to take the time to read the information. When Billy Bob Reloader on the internet says a load is safe that doesn't mean that it really is. Double check the load against what the bullet and powder manufacturers recommend. Trying to gain a few feet per second at the possible expense of safety just isn't worth it.

Over the years I’ve seen and heard several people say that they didn’t need a book because someone had showed them all about loading their own cartridges. When I first started loading I had a “mentor” who was teaching me the ropes. I also bought a couple of books and read them on my own. I soon learned that my “mentor” was downright dangerous in his practices! He proved this by blowing up a cartridge and damaging the weapon. Luckily none of the three of us standing there was hurt by the pieces that went flying around. I’ve kept that case on my loading bench for over 30 years as a reminder to be careful.

If you looked on my loading bench you'd see that I keep a number of different reference books handy. Some are full blown manuals, others are little more than brochures. There are more, older manuals stashed on my bookshelves. My personal preference is to use the data from the manufacturer of the bullet I’m using for that particular load. I will also reference the manual from manufacturer of the powder I’m using. If there seems to be a difference I stick with the bullet manufacturer’s recommended load.

The manuals that I seem to pull out most often are, in no particular order;
"Modern Reloading, Second Edition" by Richard Lee
Speer Reloading Manual #14
Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, Seventh Edition
Hodgdon's "Annual Manual"

I would also recommend "Handloader" magazine to everyone interested in making your own ammunition. And don't forget that there are many component manufacturers’ websites which also contain reloading data

One of my favorite quotes is “Experience is learning from your mistakes. Wisdom is learning from the experiences of others!” An unfortunate fact of reloading is that gaining the initial experience on your own, without good reference material, could lead to damaged equipment or even severe injuries. Why risk that when there are so many good, proven sources of information already available?

Posted by Pumpkinslinger on Monday, December 30, 2013 (17:52:29) (2277 reads) [ Administration ]