Good References for Equipment Recommendations

[6ShotsOr5?]

Experienced shooter but no loading / reloading experience. I will start loading in a few months, so time to get educated. What are some of the better general reference books or articles that go into a lot of stuff like what equipment to buy based on shooting types, ammunition consumption rate, etc? Preferably written by people not selling or sponsored by reloading equipment companies, as an unbroken stream of recommendations for the same brand of gear brings out the skeptic in me. If you recommend more than one book or article, please tell me which one you like best and why.

 

[retired]

consider any two reloading manuals, and read both.
then read again
its like ford vs chevy
most of the stuff works so it becomes taste and wallet.
for volume i like dillon
i hand load all else for benchrest accuracy 100-2000 plus yds.

 

[Wirelessguy2005]

I have always found the Lyman #49 reloading manual to offer good information on procedures,equipment,and load data. I believe they have a #50 manual out now but I haven't looked it over so I can't speak to the content in it.

 

[22DASHER]

Experienced shooter but no loading / reloading experience. I will start loading in a few months, so time to get educated. What are some of the better general reference books or articles that go into a lot of stuff like what equipment to buy based on shooting types, ammunition consumption rate, etc? Preferably written by people not selling or sponsored by reloading equipment companies, as an unbroken stream of recommendations for the same brand of gear brings out the skeptic in me. If you recommend more than one book or article, please tell me which one you like best and why.

The accurateshooter website will be way more valuable than any book you can buy or read. Use the search bar and you will likely find your answer as non biased responses in a short period of time.

 

[Milo 2.0]

I'd definitely solicit info here on equipment to purchase, based off the degree of accuracy desired. Not all things in this game created equal.
The equipment I use produces what I ask of it and more, guys on here way more advanced than myself.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Experienced shooter but no loading / reloading experience. I will start loading in a few months, so time to get educated. What are some of the better general reference books or articles that go into a lot of stuff like what equipment to buy based on shooting types, ammunition consumption rate, etc? Preferably written by people not selling or sponsored by reloading equipment companies, as an unbroken stream of recommendations for the same brand of gear brings out the skeptic in me. If you recommend more than one book or article, please tell me which one you like best and why.

My advice is to go to some shoots and figure out who a couple of shooters are who are mostly towards the top at the end of the day. Talk to them and find out what is working for them. Look out for the typewritter shooters.

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Accurate Shooter is definitely my 1st choice to read and to ask questions, but I also like the “ask the pros at the matches” idea too. The reason I asked for a reference is to help me learn enough to know what questions to search on Accurate Shooter, and finally then what questions to ask that I can’t find already in the forum, and to get feedback on my plans before spending the money.

 

[marchboom]

Whatever you do, don't go cheap. Reloading equipment will last a life time and then some if properly taken care of. Buy the best equipment you can and if you can't afford it then save up for a few months. Buy the best and you only cry once. But if you buy cheap stuff it will be nothing but frustration, inaccuracy, parts breakage and parts replacement. Quality equipment doesn't cost that much more and you will retain your sanity. Also, just as important is what NOT to buy. Lots of unnecessary stuff that you just don't need. I always reference at least 3 reloading manuals when doing load development. I like the Lyman manual the best.

Remember, only rich people can afford to buy cheap stuff.

As mentioned in the above posts, talk to the pros at matches and see what they are using. Chances are they have gone through the cheap equipment game (most of us have back in our early days when money was tight) and have learned what the good stuff is. No sense reinventing the wheel. There is just too much info out there to help you make the right decision.

Good luck

 

[David Christian]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. Accurate Shooter is definitely my 1st choice to read and to ask questions, but I also like the “ask the pros at the matches” idea too. The reason I asked for a reference is to help me learn enough to know what questions to search on Accurate Shooter, and finally then what questions to ask that I can’t find already in the forum, and to get feedback on my plans before spending the money.

I would start by searching “loading steps”. Then go read the string started by Erik Cortina related to long range load development at 100 yards.

From there you can start to dig into what equipment is being recommended for each loading step.

Good luck!

 

[Richard Coody]

Experienced shooter but no loading / reloading experience. I will start loading in a few months, so time to get educated. What are some of the better general reference books or articles that go into a lot of stuff like what equipment to buy based on shooting types, ammunition consumption rate, etc? Preferably written by people not selling or sponsored by reloading equipment companies, as an unbroken stream of recommendations for the same brand of gear brings out the skeptic in me. If you recommend more than one book or article, please tell me which one you like best and why.

reloading for what rifles for what purpose. This is a precision shooting forum. matters a lot whether this is for hunting, plinking, volume for AR's or precision shooting.

 

[retired]

there is little printed on "what is best" as a lot is just opinion and the specific
task at hand.
so tell us what guns, and what type of shooting.

 

[dgeesaman]

Yep pretty much depends what your goal is now that you’ve chosen to reload. Is it accuracy or low cost you’re after?

 

[284winner]

Experienced shooter but no loading / reloading experience. I will start loading in a few months, so time to get educated. What are some of the better general reference books or articles that go into a lot of stuff like what equipment to buy based on shooting types, ammunition consumption rate, etc? Preferably written by people not selling or sponsored by reloading equipment companies, as an unbroken stream of recommendations for the same brand of gear brings out the skeptic in me. If you recommend more than one book or article, please tell me which one you like best and why.

Your on it right now. This website!

 

[Tommie]

This website is awesome but nothing can completely replace reloading manuals. I own about a dozen manuals and have learned something from each one.

 

[Richard Coody]

This website is awesome but nothing can completely replace reloading manuals. I own about a dozen manuals and have learned something from each one.

This website is awesome but nothing can completely replace reloading manuals. I own about a dozen manuals and have learned something from each one.

reloading manuals are a given. i own every one for the bullets i shoot.

The berger manual is my favorite.

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

My main interests are loading for long range precision. I shoot some PRS and some ELR. Calibers I’m using now are mainly 260 Rem, 6.5 CM, and 338 LM. Saving money after the reloading equipment is paid for will be a welcome bonus but not the main goal. I shoot around 200-300 centerfire rounds a month now, and will increase to probably 300-500 rounds in a few years, after I retire. I have plenty of AR15 ammo and rarely shoot it. The only reloading I might want to do in something that small is .224 Valkyrie which I don’t even have a rifle in that cartridge yet, but I think that’s gonna be a good choice for PRS.

 

[R.Morehouse]

Buy bushing dies and get rid of the expander ball. Get a quality caliper. Get a quality primer seater. Get high quality equipment first it will keep you from dumping it later for the stuff you wish you bought in the first place........Enjoy the ride....

Best Regards
Rick

 

[6ShotsOr5?]

I would start by searching “loading steps”. Then go read the string started by Erik Cortina related to long range load development at 100 yards.

From there you can start to dig into what equipment is being recommended for each loading step.

Good luck!

Thanks David C. I found the thread by Eric C which looks like it will be really helpful for load development. Can you be any more specific for the “loading steps” reference?

 

[retired]

i do not shoot prs, but have looked at it.
you need to define your actual accuracy requirements.
1/2 moa ?
requires a lot less work than sub 1/4 moa.
like a chargemaster will be good enough, not an fx120i
( i do know prs shooters that use the full blown fx120i plus auto trickler)
std off the shelf busing dies vs custom
solid single stage press, tho a dillon 550/650 may work depending on powder selection.
any std vib tumbler to clean/polish brass..fine ground corn cob and nufinish car polish
redding dies have a good solid following.
500-196-20 6" digital caliper by mitutoyo
0-1" micrometer digital is nice but not required, .0001 reading is, mitutoyo again

i would start with either the 260 or the 6.5 lots of data .

My main interests are loading for long range precision. I shoot some PRS and some ELR. Calibers I’m using now are mainly 260 Rem, 6.5 CM, and 338 LM. Saving money after the reloading equipment is paid for will be a welcome bonus but not the main goal. I shoot around 200-300 centerfire rounds a month now, and will increase to probably 300-500 rounds in a few years, after I retire. I have plenty of AR15 ammo and rarely shoot it. The only reloading I might want to do in something that small is .224 Valkyrie which I don’t even have a rifle in that cartridge yet, but I think that’s gonna be a good choice for PRS.

 

[22BRGUY]

I would suggest picking ONE of your rifles and just focus on getting it and your reloads to perform to your standards. In the process of doing that, you will undoubtedly learn many principles that you can then transfer over to the other cartridges.
I have found myself trying to do more than one thing at a time and it usually all turns out shitty whether in shooting, reloading, or most anything in life.
I noticed you are in the Houston area and I know there are some top shooters/reloaders down there that frequent this site that would be more than happy to help you also.
There's one thing I've learned since I've been on this site and that is that I have never been in a place where the people have been more honestly generous and wanting to unselfishly just to be helpful than right here so stick around and don't be afraid to ask anything because the only "dumb" question is the one never asked.
Best Wishes