Which manual?

[Alpha1]

I agree with Adam a good manual is a must as a reference most off the stuff on the net is pretty wooly.
I have been re loading more years than I care to remember but I still regulary refer to my manuals.
Re loading is not some thing you learn from youtube my advice would be to ask your questions here.
The section moderator Adam(DROMIA) is a very compotent re loader listen to what he has to say and forget the internet until you are compotent and cofident you fully understand the ABC of the dark art you are delving into.

[Dangermouse]

Dougan has already declared that he has bought the ABC's or reloading, so I assume that we can accept that he now knows how to put a round together safely.

My suggestion of making good use out of the Internet is best evidenced by Dougan asking what a Stoney Point OAL is, and what it is for, on another post.
He could buy several books which will not cover the subject before he finds one, and then he could find that he is left with questions which a book can not answer.
The simple link that Ovenpaa was able to provide, on the FORUM, quickly and cheaply gave Dougan the answers that he needed. Had he any questions he could have asked and almost straight away got an answer.
There are several shooting forums based in the UK, Currently I only use this one and take any information given cautiously, there are some that I will act upon and some that I won't.
I will say that Accurate shooter has so many members contributing that if someone comes out with some comment which is inaccurate or dangerous, several people are ready to steer the post straight again.

Say that he bought or was given a OAL gauge and found the instructions a little confusing, he can visit You Tube and find a number of videos showing how to use one.
Several companies now use You Tube to show customers how to use their products and one would hope that they know how to use their own equipment.
Brownell's/Sinclair's also have a number of simple instructional videos on a number of gun-smithing tasks.

So I argue that the Internet and all of it's tools are of use to the re loader, however Dougan did specifically ask which manual and the Internet is not a manual, Personally I still feel that he should not restrict himself and his knowledge to what is contained in one book - which if it is a modern edition will almost certainly have had some research completed on the Internet,

DM

[dromia]

I don't think anyone was suggesting that the internet wasn't of any use or not to be used, I think none of us would be here if we thought that. :?

[Dougan]

See, I knew there'd be total agreement :lol:

To put your mind at rest - as far as my own reloading is concerned - for the foreseeable future I'll only be loading .357, .303 and .308.

A club friend showed me the basics of .357, and I pretty much worked the rest out for my self (as I concidered it safe). I have to confess that I did use 'you tube' - I particularly liked the guy with the beers, who was seating bullets with a hammer :lol: . I have to also confess though, that the only reason I joined this forum, was to check that my .303 reloading was safe - and not only were the first batch safe, they were obviously better than PPU (job done on that...thank you ). A year ago I would never have cosidered loading for my .308, as it's an Enfield TR conversion, but with some more experience, I'm now thinking that I may even be able to make some practice rounds that would actually be 'kinder' on the rifle than the 'factory'....

However I do want to shoot competitively, and reckon that some of the advanced F class stuff (especially when it's about consisency) can be relevant to even basic reloading. So I want to understand the details - I'm not worried about powder data etc (can get that specific). , it's more the materials...cases, dies, tools...what they do, how they work (pictures are good) - and also maybe (may have expand to more than 1 book :-P ) info on chambers etc...I only fully understood what a 'jump' is when I looked at the link about 'COL' yesterday...

I think the internet is a 'mine' of info, and at the moment consider this forum my no. 1 source of information (what a 'suck ass' :roll: :lol: )....However You can read a book in the bath :)

So, so far, 'The Complete Reloader' is on the list (and probably the 'Lyman manual')....but what about one for the more 'mechanical' stuff ??

[Alpha1]

What do you mean by the mechanical stuff ?.

[Dougan]

What do you mean by the mechanical stuff ?.

I'm not worried about powder data etc (can get that specific). , it's more the materials...cases, dies, tools...what they do, how they work (pictures are good) - and also maybe (may have expand to more than 1 book ) info on chambers etc...I only fully understood what a 'jump' is when I looked at the link about 'COL' yesterday....

[Robin128]

Dougan

That will be the Sierra manual.

:shifty:

[dromia]

What do you mean by the mechanical stuff ?.

I'm not worried about powder data etc (can get that specific). , it's more the materials...cases, dies, tools...what they do, how they work (pictures are good) - and also maybe (may have expand to more than 1 book ) info on chambers etc...I only fully understood what a 'jump' is when I looked at the link about 'COL' yesterday....

That is exactly what The Complete Handloader by John Wooters deals with and is image rich.

[Dougan]

Thank you all for your advice - I'll probably end up getting 2 or 3 of the titles recomended (will try and get some second hand).

I'll have to put this on the 'accounts' as 'a book shelf cost'...so that it still shows I'm making a good saving by reloading .

[Robin128]

Reloading pays by improving accuracy...nothing to do with marginal costing.

:)