I am looking to reload for my 44mag, 45-70, .30-06 and my 7x57. I am currently accumulating dies and reloading equipment. I think all I need at this point is a good book on reloading....nay suggestions?

 

Lots of good reloading manuals available. For a person just getting into the hobby I would suggest taking a look at the Sierra and Nosler books. Hornady and Speer have historically put out very good manuals as well.

Be cautious of buying the older manuals you will sometimes find in used book stores or at gun shows. Some of the powders have changed and their have been a lot of loads that have been reduced due to problems in some firearms and other reasons.

Whichever manual you buy, be sure to read the "how to do it" information at the start of the book. If you can find them the "P. O. Ackley Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders, Volumes 1 and 2" are really the best information I have found on reloading, internal and external ballistics and many other topics related to the sport. Reloading is a safe and fun hobby but has a potential for disaster. Much like many other hobbies and sports.

I would encourage you to join the NRA, National Rifle Association, which will give you access to many excellent books and manuals in the firearms field.

 

I agree... I have a library of older manuals... ( I also like the RCBS manuals ), but always try to load out of the newest manuals... as any good manual will tell you, start with a 10% reduced load, & work your way up... I much prefer an lower pressure, more accurate load, to an inaccurate but hot load... a good rule of thumb, is anything with millitary ammo, may take a reduced load, as well, because of the thicker brass... maybe it was my conservitive father in laws influence, but I prefer a single stage press, & like the old rock chuckers... I feel, that even though this is much slower than the multi stage presses, that I can better control / monitor, each step of the reloading process... I like to tape my reciepe, on each box, & if I like the load, I can duplicate it, & if I feel there is room for improvement, I can look at it, & see which direction I want to go in, & document how many times the brass has been loaded...

 

[quote]
Originally posted by: Ol
(You are serious about this long range stuff! My old eyes can't do much without some kind of scope anymore. Lots of fun shooting those oldtimers with iron sights for sure. Used to use a 32-40 single shot target rifle set up something like you are using. Never got that good at it however.)

 

I fired a gun yesterday that might be in the running for favorite thunder stick, and man does it THUNDER!

I shot my friends Weatherby .30-378. Its a "threat response" custom rifle with a Kreiger barrel, some crazy sniper scope and a mirage tube. The best part about it is the muzzle brake. It was literally as comfortable to shoot as my 870 with #8 birdshot. My .45-70 and the Model 70 .30-06 beat the heck out of me compared to this thing.

Right off the bat, I shot 2 groups of 2 shots that were figure 8s at 100 yds. Kinda like running a jet ski in a farm pond though....

Very impressive piece!

 

My Dad is working up another rifle for me, a thunder stick to end all thunder sticks. There is a picture of the round on My Page, it's called Pappy's Squirrel Gun.



http://forums.atvconnection.com/i/GalleryImages/27447/Pappy's%20Squirrel%20Gun.jpg

 

I found 2 cases of 7.62x39 ammo - 2000 rounds - in the basement that I had forgotten I had. I've been really burning up the AK the last few days. I just worked it over with a new stock and trigger group a few weeks ago and I'm really enjoying it. The folding stock and fore ends lightened it up and it is really handy to pack around now. The new trigger is really really good too. Much better than stock. I had some targets set out at 200 yards and I was doing pretty good with the iron sights. I worked over a junk pile pretty good and swiss cheesed an old car that gets hauled off this spring along with the junk pile. Getting pretty good with bump firing it which is a real gas. Losing the weight of the wood stock helps that trick I think.

 

UBE... that looks like a barrel burner for sure... I'm guessing a shortened & necked down .50 browning case, with either a .30 or .338 bullet ???

 

It's just a joke but you're close, it's a 20mm case and a .338 bullet:-)

 

I don't have the Ackley books at hand but in one of them there is a round called the "Eargersplittenloudenboomer" which was, if I recall correctly, a 50 BMG case necked down to 22 cal. This was a test done to see just how fast a bullet could be driven. I don't remember the velocities or many details of the test but seem to recall the best they got out of a 50 grain bullet was just over 5000 FPS. I'll try to remember to look this up when I get back to the farm and relay the info.

That 20MM/30 would be something to see fired at night. Be sort of like launching a bullet with a blowtorch.