Reddit mentions: The best hunting books

I was just checking into this subreddit to see if anything had ever been posted about whether folks here do IPDA/IPSC, and I find that something was just posted 18 hours ago. That's great, but I'm really puzzled why you posted two completely unrelated topics in the same post? And with a totally non-descriptive title?

I checked out my local IDPA meet's website and they basically said that before you compete you should (1) come and observe, and (2) have attended a training at something like Front Sight Academy.

A 2-day course at Front Sight is $1,000, so there is no way I am doing that, sorry. I'm sure the course is great, but there is nothing they can teach me that is worth $500/day. Anyone know some reputable yet cheaper alternatives?

I am currently waiting for this book to arrive in the mail. Several types of competition interest me in the long run...3-gun, IDPA/IPSC, bullseye, silhouette. Even some long-range rifle competitions (although I'm really a newbie to that type of shooting). But the first type of competition I'd like to get into, say in the next year or two, is definitely defensive pistol (IDPA/IPSC).

I've read a few marksmanship books, I feel that I am progressing to the point that in the near future I will have sufficient basic marksmanship skills to be ready to move from indoor pistol ranges, and shooting at non-moving paper targets from a non-moving position, to shooting at moving targets and/or shooting on the move. That said, I've only been shooting my own gun for a little over a year, so I'm pretty new to all of this. In his book The Perfect Pistol Shot , Albert H. League III states that the goal of a shooter who has the fundamentals of marksmanship down should be

• Three shots in one ragged hole at 7 yards
  
• Three shots within 4 inches at 25 yards
  
• Consistent torso hits on a full-size silhouette at 100 yards
  
  I do all my shooting within 20 yards...usually within 10. I can't say that I always get three shots in one ragged hole at 7 yards, but when I really focus, I can get pretty darn close to that. But that's with about 10 seconds between shots, so even if that accuracy were good enough for IPSC/IDPA (which it probably isn't...), the speed would have to improve by an unbelievable amount.
  
  Would be interested to hear the feedback of anyone who has competed.

Spent a year a half on the "informational product quest" by writing the definitive, balls to the wall guide on firearms training for the zombie apocalypse:

www.amazon.com/The-Zombie-Shooting-Guide-Worst-Case/dp/0989594505/

After about $7,000 sunk into making the book the very best that it could be (pro photos, layout design, cover art, edited 100 times) the books has maybe sold 150 copies. The people who did buy it genuinely liked it, but there were far, far, too few of them to recoup even a fraction of my time and investment.

Lessons:

1: Info products/ books seem like a great, no money upfront product. However, this fails to take into account the massive amount of time spent on research, writing, and worst of all, editing. Your time really is worth money and making the mistake of not valuing lead me to pursue this way too hard.

2. Making the mistake of working in secrecy. I foolishly thought that I had to keep the project a secret until it launched. Massive mistake. What I should have done was write one chapter with pictures, and then post it onto the numerous zombie and gun forums I belong to to get feedback from my peers. Since this was my chief target audience, I squandered a huge opportunity to find out if anyone actually wanted a OCD guide to making headshots.

3. Relying on Kicktarter for funding. The book was funded by kickstarter in addition to my own out of pocket expenses. A huge mistake I made was greatly overerestimating the amount of traffic/exposure Kickstarter would provide. The fact is that there are a never ending deluge of products going onto kickstarter, and after the first few days, The ZSG was buried an was not being funded. I basically had to hit up every single person I knew on facebook to fund my project, which was extremely humbling.

4. Not having a marketing plan. The actual content of the book was so good that I was certain that it would sell. Oy, such hubris! Not having a marketing plan for once the book was launched was the final nail in the coffin for the project. By the time I got my act together and got it on a few blogs, the Z themed trend was in a steep decline.

These were all lessons that I applied to my next business, which thankfully is doing much better. I hope this can help someone from repeating my mistakes.

Oh, lastly, physical products are much easier to sell than informational products. The slight increase in upfront costs needed to create a physical product is well worth it compared to the amount of time needed to generate and promote an info product. There are exceptions to this rule, but when you look at the vast majority of successful companies out there, they sell physical goods.

I wouldn't say that it is something to be taken lightly (you are making cartridges, after all, and if you make a mistake you could lose a body part or worse), but it's not rocket science, and I would argue that if you take it slowly, educate yourself, don't get distracted while reloading, and don't push the boundaries of the stated load data it is fairly safe, much like shooting and driving a car are fairly safe if you are smart about them.


As for reloading manuals... I am the wrong person to ask. I've done some shotgun reloading in my apartment and will be buying a turret press to load .357 Magnum and .38 Special rounds shortly. I've been reading the ABCs of Reloading and Reloading for Handgunners in preparation for my coming foray into handgun reloading, and they have been helpful. I'll also be getting manuals from the major powder manufacturers before I begin, as well as probably the Lyman and/or Hornady manuals as well. I'm sure others will chime in with their favorite books, and if not, check out /r/reloading.


I'll probably be getting a Lee Turret Press to start. Given that I already have a good scale for shotshell reloading (which I can do for $3/box, loading for low cost), which saves me $70, I figure I can get into handgun reloading for another $200 or less, plus the cost of consumables, and load light .357s for a ~$6-7 per 50 with plated bullets, vs ~$20 a box for commercially loaded .357 ammo and $14 or so for cheap commercially made .38 Special ammo.

Give this book a read: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Pistol-Shot-Albert-League/dp/1610045718

I've heard .40s are snappy but maybe it's your grip not the gun?

As for more comfortable guns. My G19 is not the most comfortable gun but I'm most accurate with it of my handguns. I have a slim Walther PPS M2 and that feels great in the hand, I'm just learning how to shoot tiny guns well. I've always felt the M&P9c is a super comfortable gun to hold.

Good luck in your quest for the perfect carry gun.

I'm only a C-class scrub, so take that with a grain of salt. Many of the things I'm pointing out are things I'm trying to improve on myself.

• Reloads are pretty slow. Spend more time in dry-fire there.
  
  
• Keep the gun up high with both hands when you're moving between positions that are close. It will help you get on the sights as soon as you move into position.
  
  
• Go downrange with the scorers to see all your hits, every stage!
  
  
• Bit of a nitpick, but they're not "hostages" in USPSA, as you said in your commentary.
  
  
• POPPERS. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that.
  
  Overall, good stuff. The stages look fun, you've got lots of video for your own analysis, and you're clearly analyzing yourself and looking for feedback.
  
  If you want to continue with USPSA (and you should!) I highly recommend Ben Stoeger's Practical Pistol Reloaded. It is the best book on pistol shooting fundamentals and USPSA shooting out there.

The NRA offers a solid set of rifle and pistol 101 classes. One of these would be a good way to get started. After that, competition is a great way to meet experienced shooters and grow your skills. The same applies with classes taught by a good instructor. Check out IDPA for practical pistol shooting. You didn't specifically mention what kind of firearm you're planning to learn.

There's a lot of culture and history wrapped up with firearms. Unintended Consequences is a great way to get a quick overview of that. I see that it's now out of print and rather pricey, but perhaps your library has it.

Tactical Pistol Shooting is a good text on serious use of a pistol. After that, Practical Shooting, Beyond Fundamentals is your guide to reaching the stars. The book will make no sense the first time you read it, but keep shooting and returning to it, and it will not only take your shooting to the next level but change the way you experience the world. Gabe Suarez's books are also good discussions on fighting with pistols. The hardware section in In the Gravest Extreme is woefully out of date, but the sections on legal use of lethal force still apply.

FM 23-10 is a good text on shooting a rifle. The Art of the Rifle is a very readable intro text but leaves out a lot of important things. Jim Owens's book on sight alignment and trigger control is a masterpiece, and his others are worth the price. Green Eyes, Black Rifles is the best book I've found for getting down to business with an AR-15.

But really, you're not going to learn all this from books. They'll mostly help once you've reached a level of proficiency where you can begin to accurately self assess your performance. Note that you'll be ahead of 95% shooters at that level. See Unskilled and Unaware of It for an overview of that. I thought I knew how to shoot a pistol when I showed up for my first IDPA pistol class and ended up getting my ass handed to me. It was quite a humbling experience. After that, I took some classes, spent time shooting with master-class pistoleros, and developed my skills. A few years later I was placing at the top of local matches and teaching other newbies to shoot. I've gotten fairly good with a rifle and carbine thanks to a few classes and shooting with guys that have spent time downrange.

Julie Goloski likely wouldn't appreciate the comments on male family members being the only ones qualified to teach shooting ;-)

Can't help you with shotguns.

I would start with the Lyman 49th Edition and The ABCs of Reloading manuals. They give you a detailed break down of the reloading process and talk about different types of equipment. After you've read the manuals I recommend really thinking about if you are a good fit for reloading. While reloading can be a very rewarding hobby, it is a very serious hobby. You can end up severely hurt or even killed if you make a mistake. Being able to concentrate for long periods and be very exacting in the details are important. Not trying to scare you off, just reminding you that bullets are little explosions going off in your hands/near your face. Mistakes can turn a little explosion into a big one.

I also made a post about equipment here, but it isn't a replacement for a good manual.

Why are you interested in reloading? Looking to save money? Increase accuracy? Just because it looks interesting? Either way I recommend you read this post on the economics of reloading.

What are you looking to reload? Rifle? Pistol? Shotgun? What are your time, space, and budget constraints? Knowing this we can help you pick equipment to fit your needs. Overall the basics are:

Manual
Scale
Calipers
Press
Dies(Sizing/Decap, Expanding, Seating)
Shell Plate
and probably a chamfer/deburr tool

There are different levels of each of these so knowing what your requirements are will help determine which level you should be looking at.

Agreed, learning from other's experience helped me the most. The Midway YouTube videos will walk you through a typical build process too. There's a tool to help with the front takedown pin that someone on here suggested to me and it's a life saver Real Avid .223 Pivot Pin Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078KSDGZ1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share plus decent vice blocks are good to have. This was good to have on hand too https://www.amazon.com/dp/1530568455?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share.

Also if your safety selector is so tight you rub your fingers raw trying to click it on and off (like it won't budge and acts stuck) then take out the spring. If it moves freely without the spring, then the spring is putting too much tension on the detent. I clipped about 3 coils off mine and inserted the clipped end into the grip. Works perfect with a satisfying click now. Also, on that note I learned it's good to have extras of some of the minor parts in case something bends, breaks, or flys off into nowhere.

9 mm isn't really cost effective to reload, but it is a lot more forgiving than 7.62x54r to learn on and you can basically get started reloading for 9mm with just a $30 hand press, a set of dies, and some basic components. Maybe start simple and then move on to rifle cartridges as skills and budget grow? I learned on .44 mag and branched out from there. I think straight wall revolver cartridges are the ideal "beginner" cartridge, but you already own a 9mm so that's probably the next best thing.

Highly recommend reading this book if nothing else. It'll help you figure out what you need to get started and covers most of the basic essentials.

Welcome!

Impulses can be a good thing, and a tool to learn. But controlling some of them, as I look at my bulging, overfilled, safes, can get away from me!😅

But I don’t judge. We don’t get to choose who or what we love.

There is a wealth of information out there. I just got four new revolver oriented books this week, and YouTube has a lot of vidyas out there as well from a plethora of different peoples on the subject of revolvers. Some are BS, but some have some good info.

Four books I got in this week and the S&W Bible, if your interested. I kinda get into the history and whatnot of revolvers, 1911’s and older battle rifles. Truth be told, I nerd out on a few things, but this is the only one I have time to mention now. 😅

The Secrets of Double Action Shooting
https://www.amazon.com/dp/098883684X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_jQvZDbM33Y3FV

No Second Place Winner
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0936279095/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_FRvZDbJF4049T

Protect Yourself With Your Snubnose Revolver
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1520384130/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_bSvZDbVACJRDB

Sixguns by Keith: The Standard Reference Work
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1626546061/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_FSvZDb282B7KB

Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson (Standard Catalog of Smith and Wesson)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440245630/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_pUvZDbMBEFA6A

Gotta go, late for work. Again....

A good way to increase your knowledge base is reading. Here are some books I have read and would recommend.

A. Navy Seal Shooting by Chris Sajnog.

Probably the best book to learn about the fundamentals. Chris covers the mental mastery of shooting better than any other book I am aware of.

B. In The Gravest Extreme by Massad Ayoob.

If you own guns for self defense I would recommend this book. While this was written in the 1980's it is still relevant today. It is the definitive work on deadly use of force law in the United States.

C. Combat Shooting (Or any other book) by Massad Ayoob

Ayoob has established himself as perhaps the authority on defensive handgun use through his extensive use of case studies.

D. The Book of Two Guns by Tiger Mckee.

This was written primarily revolving around the AR-15 and 1911. However, It's principles are applicable to any fighting rifle or handgun.

My standard response has been to suggest a bolt action 22, but really a 10/22 might be the better option. Its accurate and will give you the ability to practice your marksmanship for cheap, but will also let you go all "Rambo" when you just want to put rounds downrange (which happens to the best of us). They have a new takedown version which fits nicely in a backpack and is still accurate as anything, might be something to look into.

As for resources, not to toot my own horn or anything...

(Or shoot me a PM and I'll just send you a PDF fo' free)

You need to read some books on the subject. This one is my favorite. I advise you read it before attempting to load your first round.

The lee anniversary kit is a good low-cost single stage kit. You may be able to find them on sale for $100 if you are patient. You will also need a set of ~$30 dies for any caliber you wish to load.

Also check out /r/reloading once you get started. We like to help keep new reloaders safe.

I don't think he's got any guns like the AR-15, just 1-2 hunting rifles and a lot of handguns. Just a cursory Amazon search gives me some good starting points. This might be good for the history of handguns or maybe a more general interest history, like this one.

This is good advice.

​

If you're beginning to reload, and you are only doing rifle calibres, a single stage will be all you need. Beware that if you go the cheap kit route, you may want to upgrade some of the components. I picked up a Lee kit when I began, but then found I wanted a powder trickler and a digital scale almost immediately.

​

The Lyman book is great, and contains the 'how-to's , and the load data you will require, but when I was a beginner, I found that 'The Insanely Practical Guide to Reloading Ammunition' laid out the basics really well. There's nothing wrong with having more than one reading source!

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0989065286/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ordinarily I wouldn't recommend a progressive as a first kit, since there's quite a bit of reloading that I prefer to do on a single stage: Fine-tuning rifle loads for accuracy being one of them. Starting out on a single stage gives you the opportunity to see in detail what each die is actually doing and how to adjust them. But I'm sure you can still learn on a LnL AP. I use a Dillon, but in the end it's the same general idea.

This is what I always recommend to people who start out reloading:

1. Get this book and read it cover to cover.
   
2. Interested in reloading for semiautomatic rifles? Understand that you will need to be extra careful about what kind of primers you buy, and about the headspace of your cartridges. Read On Reloading for Gas Guns. Still interested? Buy the RCBS precision mic or similar type of cartridge headspace gauge, a wilson gauge, and start slowly and deliberately. Most of what I reload is for semiautomatic rifle.
   
3. Buy a reloading manual. If you ended up getting one with your press, buy another reloading manual from a different manufacturer. Reloading is an "engineering and science" activity. You don't want to trust data from just one source. You want different, corroborating sets of data that came out of different testing facilities.
   
   If you take the metallic reloading class, a lot of that stuff will be covered. But if you learn how to reload in the benchrest environment and then start reloading for some kind of autoloading rifle like an AR15, G3, M1A/M14, M1 etc then you are playing with fire unless you approach it from a different angle.
   
   

Buy these books and do the stuff inside of them. These are the only sources you will need, and if you put the time and effort in you will become a good shooter.



Practical Pistol Reloaded




Dry Fire Reloaded




Skills and Drills Reloaded



Breakthrough Marksmanship

It would be best to read them in that order. They are all short and to the point.

You could also become a member at Practical Shooting Training Group, it is about $25/month and up, but there is great information there as well.

I'd say it's a perfectly serviceable set if you're just getting into the handloading game. What it comes down to is what you're hoping to achieve by handloading, and buying equipment that supports that need.

Personal opinion time: I'd steer clear of using the factory crimp die. If you have your dies set up properly, you'll never need to use it. It can be used to coerce out of spec handloads back into shape if you've messed them up, but don't expect to see any repeatable results in accuracy after using it.

The Hornady and Sierra reloading handbooks are the two I go to most often, with the Lyman following close behind. I would highly recommend you get a copy of the The ABCs of Reloading by C. Rodney James and read that cover to cover just to see if there's any tidbits of info that you might not already know. It's a worthwhile read.

EDIT: I was corrected by /u/flange2016 on how the Lee FCD works on rifles. Please see his reply to me below.

Just did my first build with a Palmetto State Armory Rifle kit and an Aero Percision lower from local gunshop. I bought a bunch of tools since I had no idea what I was doing and I like tools, but only needed a couple things.

1. Armorer wrench (Got the NcStar off eBay)
   
2. Hammer and roll punch set (Real Avid Set, seems nice I have no complaints)
   
3. 4" Vise with magnetic soft jaws
   
4. Magazine block
   
5. Bench Block (did the Real Avid AR15 block, its nice but $30 vs $12 for a basic one)
   
6. Hex Keys
   
7. Gun lube, high temp thread sealent, red loctite
   
8. How to Build an AR15 book, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CFD3EYI?ref=dbs_p2d_P_R_popup_yes_pony_T1
   
   Only thing I forgot to get that would of been a huge help is a roll pin starter set. Took me about 4-5 hours to put together. The book was awesome, highly recommend. It's not hard just requires patience.

The FAQ on /r/reloading has good info. I'd also get The ABCs of Reloading and read it through before buying any equipment.

I just got started a few weeks ago loading for .38 Special and it's a surprising amount of fun. I'm already planning to expand to include 9mm and .223.

Mic McPherson has a good one out: https://www.amazon.com/Metallic-Cartridge-Handloading-Pursuit-Perfect/dp/1571573712

​

I subscribe to Handloader magazine, which is pretty good, albeit issues are not always about topics I may be interested in.

I'll shill a bit for a fellow Redditor and suggest Nick Leghorn's book "Getting Started with Firearms in the United States". I've been shooting for a little over 10 years now I have a copy that I loan to people who are interested in getting into shooting/guns. It's really a great primer on the subject.

I've done conceal carry for almost 10 years and tried a lot of different things. Here are my recommendations:

Get yourself a Shield or Glock 43. They're both solid stock pistols and the overall most versatile concealed carry pistols in terms of holsters, accessories, and trigger/sight upgrades. Get a good pocket or IWB holster for it. If you want to carry IWB, get a proper gun belt. I do both and now lean toward pocket carry, as it's the most comfortable and most versatile for any given wardrobe. You will simply carry more days of your life if you have a pocket setup available.

Once you get a holster, practice the draw without any ammo every day until you accumulate 300-500 repetitions. Start slow to get your form down. Use videos from top competitive shooters on draw stroke technique [1], [2] to get an idea of the fundamentals. Also see Ben Stoeger's Dry Fire Training and Practical Pistol: Reloaded for more on core shooting skill. Check out the entire Tactical Preschool series for a primer on tactics and mindset.

Whenever you get budget for it, get some training. You'll want to look for someone with a Master or Grand Master classification in USPSA for core shooting skill and a former SWAT or military instructor for tactics and mindset. If you can find someone with both, great, but it's fine to go to different, specialized trainers.

Upgrades never hurt. I just have seen so many people get equipment tunnel vision so I harp on it. Sounds like you have your priorties straight. If you have extra cash buy this
https://www.amazon.com/Dry-Fire-Training-Practical-Pistol-Shooter/dp/1497319633/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524539065&sr=8-2&keywords=ben+stoeger+dry+fire

It's cheap, and if you stick with it you will improve.

This is my first reloading press, and it’s setup for 9mm.

Here’s what I bought:

• Hornady Lock-N-Load AP Progressive Press
  
  
• Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension Nitride 3-Die Set 9mm Luger
  
  
• Hornady Lock-N-Load AP Progressive Press Shellplate #8 (30 Luger, 38 Super, 9mm Luger)
  
  
• RCBS Lock-Out Die
  
  
• Frankford Arsenal Reloading Scale
  
  
• Frankford Arsenal Electronic Caliper 6" Stainless Steel
  
  
• Hornady Primer Turning Tray
  
  
• Frankford Arsenal Impact Bullet Puller
  
  
• Frankford Arsenal Quick-n-Ez Case Tumbler
  
  
• Lee Primer Pocket Cleaner
  
  
• Shell Sorter Brass Sorter 9mm Luger, 40 Smith & Wesson, 45 ACP 3 Bowl Set
  
  And this is what I’m loading:
  
  9mm Luger
  
  
• Bullet: 124gr Montana Gold Bullet CMJ
  
  
• Powder: 3.8gr Titegroup (working up to 4.0 grains)
  
  
• Winchester Small Pistol Primers
  
  
• Mixed Brass
  
  
• OAL: 1.135-1.140"
  
  I fired my first 25 round last Saturday. They were soft recoiling, and from my novice reloader’s perspective, indistinguishable from 115 Grain Federal Champion I was comparing them to. I didn’t notice any smoke, and I had zero issues with my M&P9mm FS. Right after I got home from the range I loaded 300 more.
  
  All in all, I love the press and haven’t had any major issues with any of the equipment I purchased. The DVD that came with the press was excellent and made setup simple. The only issues I had came from using the large primer tube with small primers (inconsistent priming), using the rifle metering insert (gave me inconsistent powder throws), and static giving me sticky powder (grounding the press seems to have fixed that).
  
  Taking it slow, looking at every step, and confirming that I am moving in the right direction has made this pretty easy and so far successful.
  
  Edit: Here's my cost breakdown.
  
  Edit2: The reason I felt comfortable going this route is I did my homework, and I check my powder, and over all length constantly (every time for my first 100 cartridges or so, and now about every 10th round). Going the progressive route first take tons of concentration, and you need to be in a zero distraction environment. You need to triple check everything, makes some rounds, and then check everything again. You have to be aware that if you mess up, you will hurt yourself and destroy expensive equipment.
  
  I started /r/Reloading over a year ago to learn about reloading. I've read tons online, watched many video on the subject, and read a couple of books. Before you start reloading, make sure you know exactly what you are doing and make sure you are doing every step correctly.

First off, i have to say that your username is great. Check this one out:

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-People-Nothing-About-Firearms/dp/149280990X/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=149280990X&pd_rd_r=DHN4267DBSAW2YVS5ARK&pd_rd_w=5vIDW&pd_rd_wg=cqdIE&psc=1&refRID=DHN4267DBSAW2YVS5ARK

Also i got this DVD at walmart several years ago that explains in depth the history of guns. For most people it's a total bore to watch. But very historical and factual:

https://www.amazon.com/Guns-Evolution-Firearms-Kevin-Hershberger/dp/B00A2XQU54

Added Bonus:

https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Your-About-Safety/dp/045149492X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1522540718&sr=8-4&keywords=gun+safety+book&dpID=512slp93A4L&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch

Dry fire practice is great! Check out Dry Fire: Reloaded by Ben Stoeger. It has lots of great dry fire drills to gain proficiency.

The ABCs of Reloading is great. I happen to like the Lee manual and use it in conjunction with manufacturer websites when I am developing loads.

Thanks for sharing. I made this video, as many people that shoot USPSA/IPSC use dry fire training. Typically you just stick something like a zip tie between the slide and bore keeping it out of battery. This was something I stumbled across this after hearing that Bob Vogel, arguably the best Glock shooter, recommended it.

There were not any videos other than from the manufacture about it. All were from very far away and extremely low resolution.

This actually gives you approximately the same feedback as the actual trigger will when fired live. Combined with training regimes that you can find online or outlined in books like Stoeger's you can step your game up without spending as much time and money on the range. https://www.amazon.com/DryFire-Reloaded-Ben-Stoeger/dp/1542880246/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493316220&sr=8-1

$100 is definitely steep for casual shooters, but I'd recommend it for competition guys. $100 of ammo will be burned up in less than a month of training or matches for me.

Well then heres a great place to start on your own - ABC's of Reloading

Buy Mr. Hookhands Book ABC's of Reloading. Best book out there for anyone who reloads. Your press will come with the 9th or 10th Hornady book too.

As some one already suggest The Art of the Rifle, I will suggest another Jeff Cooper book, To Ride, Shoot Straight, And Speak The Truth.

Also Shooting To Live by W. E. Fairbairn and E. A. Sykes is also a interesting read.

EDIT: Also if you are interested in reloading, start with The ABCs of Reloading.

Quality of practice is more important than quantity. If you're just making holes and noise for 150 rounds, then that's all you're going to get. Practicing specific drills against a shot timer, augmented with a structured dryfire routine, and logging your progress, will show dividends fast.

https://www.amazon.com/Dry-Fire-Training-Practical-Pistol-Shooter/dp/1497319633/

The ABCs of reloading is a good place to start, or you can buy a load book and it will usually cover the basics of reloading. I believe all the reloading books run about $20-30

Here is an link to a copy of the ABCs of reloading on amazon, it is $16.58

http://www.amazon.com/The-ABCs-Of-Reloading-Definitive/dp/1440213968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372064847&sr=8-1&keywords=ABCs+of+reloading

you'll need a powder measure, scale, dies, shell holder, some callipers, a bullet puller, and consumables of course. Not necessary but reloading manuals and the The ABCs of reloading Personally I'd get the Lee 50th Anniversary Kit that comes with most everything you need, and upgrade as you see fit.

You might want to use this URL for the ABC's of Reloading.

http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloading-Definitive-Novice-Expert/dp/1440213968/ref=pd_sim_b_1

And this one for the Hornady book.

http://www.amazon.com/Hornady-8th-Edition-Reloading-Handbook/dp/B0047TASAW/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1

(You can't purchase the books from the links you posted, for some reason.)

Nice primer, though. (pun intended)

For the practical aspect of carrying & using your firearm (as opposed to the legal aspect), I recommend Combat Shooting by Massad Ayoob

Another good read is The ABC's of Reloading

I learned everything via youtube and reading The ABC's of Reloading.

https://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloading-Definitive-Novice-Expert/dp/1440213968

Iraqveteran8888 had some good videos on reloading that helped me out a lot. https://www.youtube.com/user/Iraqveteran8888

This book is good for getting all the info you'll need on how to not kill yourself and figure out what you'll need. No loading data really, get a lyman's manual for that. This is more of a beginner's guide. http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloading-Definitive-Novice-Expert/dp/1440213968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418410032&sr=8-1&keywords=the+abc%27s+of+reloading&pebp=1418410025785

Grab yourself a copy of the ABC's of Reloading (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440213968/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and a reloading manual. I like my Lyman 50th (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HH08L1A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Looking at two pages in Lyman shows that .308 needs large rifle primers while .223 needs small rifle primers.

I really can't recommend the ABCs book enough. The author lost his hands in an accident, so he's committed to safety, haha. Reading through that will, at the very least, let you know what you don't know.

And dry fire. This book has a lot of great drills and general pistol shooting advice.

This one. Not a reloading manual in the sense of being a bunch of load data, but is an entire book just about the process. It's fairly cheap on Amazon as well.

The ones I always suggest are Way of the Warrior, 400 Things Cops Know and then pick up a book on shooting techniques. I recommend Combat Shooting by Massad Ayoob. Another one is Verbal Judo, though I haven't read it yet.

/u/FlynnRetriever I'm going to tag you too so you definitely see this because I looked up links and everything for you fam.

Start with a reloading manual.

Something like this

/r/reloading is going to be your go to source for specific questions. Like you I've wanted to get into reloading, and before I make any purchases I will finish reading this:
http://amzn.com/1440213968

Do yourself a favor and borrow/buy a copy of this book.

Or, if you feel you're enough up to speed to start, take a visit to this site and do some shopping. See what you're willing to spend or do without.

As a starter, this setup/kit is a popular and common setup for what you're describing. Except for the 12ga stuff - that'd take a shotshell press and unless you do a LOT of that, may not be worth the expense/hassle. Up to you.

As for your question about die-setting: dunno but nothing about a "pressroom", so can't say for sure - but it could be.

edit: added 3rd link

This will answer all of your questions:

• You will not save money by reloading.
  
  
• Please read the /r/reloading FAQ in it's entirety!
  
  
• Read The ABCs of Reloading from cover to cover.
  
  
• Return to /r/reloading with any questions.

[The ABCs of Reloading is currently on sale for $2 at the Amazon Kindle store.] (http://www.amazon.com/The-ABCs-Reloading-Definitive-ebook/dp/B004GUSBP6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1334835938&sr=1-1)

The ABCs of Reloading is the book I recommend for people who are new to reloading. No load data, but a lot of info on many different aspects of the process.

Buy the ABCs of Reloading, you won't be sorry.

http://www.amazon.com/The-ABCs-Of-Reloading-Definitive/dp/1440213968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395151635&sr=8-1&keywords=abcs+of+reloading

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-ABCs-Of-Reloading-Definitive/dp/1440213968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394210797&sr=8-1&keywords=ABC%27s+of+Reloading

• UK: amazon.co.uk
  
• Spain: amazon.es
  
• France: amazon.fr
  
• Germany: amazon.de
  
• Japan: amazon.co.jp
  
• Canada: amazon.ca
  
• Italy: amazon.it
  
• China: amazon.cn
  
  
  This bot is currently in testing so let me know what you think by voting (or commenting).

http://www.amazon.com/The-ABCs-Of-Reloading-Definitive/dp/1440213968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332711862&sr=8-1

https://www.amazon.com/Dry-Fire-Training-Practical-Pistol-Shooter/dp/1497319633

First,

Read this book cover to cover:
https://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloading-Definitive-Novice-Expert/dp/1440213968

Then read it again.

Once you have done that, you should understand the basics of working up loads and what to look for in much more detail than you will get in a post from here.

sex toys

NO!

The 45 headspaces on the case mouth, so it hardly needs any crimping, just a bit to roll back the expanding that was done for the bullet.

These rounds no longer have a case mouth, so they will fall right through into the chamber. Which means that some of the case can get pinched in the throat, which may lead to overpressure.

Before doing anything else, get a good book on reloading, for example, this: http://www.amazon.com/The-ABCs-Of-Reloading-Definitive/dp/1440213968 - and read it before proceeding any further.

Sure!

I use this android app and do a couple of the drills that come with it.

I focused mostly on the IDPA String drill (draw, 2 to the body, 1 to the head), then a drill where you take one shot, do a magazine change, then a second shot.

I then moved the targets into a "mini" classifier that is sort of like CM 13-01 Disaster Factor (although with smaller top targets instead of no shoots) and then practiced doing that classifier - including the turn, draw, and shoot.

I also bought Dryfire Reloaded from Amazon and have started reading through

Yep, depending on how hot you load them and the quality of the brass. Check for signs of case fatigue like cracking, splitting, worn out primer pockets, etc.

I'd recommend the book The ABC's of Reloading, there is a ton of information on how to find signs of failing brass with photos of each type of warning sign:
http://www.amazon.com/ABCs-Reloading-Definitive-Novice-Expert/dp/1440213968/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419913730&sr=8-1&keywords=abcs+of+reloading

/am I missing a step

Yes. You are missing the step of buying the ABC's of reloading and reading it twice.

Making wild guesses and fumbling your way through the reloading process is a good way to ruin your gun and important body parts.

The first thing you're going to need is a good reference on the reloading process in general. The ABCs of Reloading is a very nice one, and it'll walk you through the basic steps of reloading.

You're then going to need your equipment. The Lee Challenger Kit comes with 90% of the equipment you'll need. Add some dies, a brass length gauge to complement the cutter included in the challenger kit, some calipers to measure... everything and lastly a bullet puller for the inevitable mistakes.

That should do it for equipment. You'll also need a load data book to tell you which combination of bullet and powder you need. The one by Hornady has a specific section about 7.62x54r.

Before you pick out your loads you'll want to slug your barrel so you know how wide of a bullet to use. Depending on your model and the level of wear in the bore, it should slug somewhere around .310 for Russian/soviet stuff and around .308 for old Finns. Make sure you know what that magic number is! a .308 in a .310 or larger bore will result in terrible accuracy. The opposite will probably result in a catastrophic kaboom.

Do I still have you? Good! Lastly you'll need bullets, brass, powder and primers.

Brass comes first. you can not re-use the milsurp brass available on the market the cases are made of steel instead of brass and aren't compatible with a reloading press. Also, they're primed with berdan primers, which, for all intents and purposes, can not be removed. I suggest getting a few boxes of Privi-Partisan commercial ammo and shooting it, then saving the cases. You can buy just brass casings, but they're very difficult to find.

Bullets:

You're probably going to want to shoot full metal jacket bullets. Just use the ones listed in your load manual with the proper diameter and you should be fine.

Powder:

I use H4895 personally. Again, look in your loading manual and do not exceed the amounts listed there. Powders are not interchangeable.

Primers:

I use CCI's large rifle primers. I can't remember if primers are specified in the loading manual or not but if you use the right kind and the right power level (magnum vs non-magnum) you should be fine.

That about covers equipment. If you want a rundown of the basic procedure I can write that up later today.

I have that exact kit. I would recommend buying the stuff separately, though. The scale is finicky at best. I struggled with it for a year and finally replaced it in December. Head over to /r/reloading and read the FAQ. There's a ton of good information.

The ABCs of Reloading is regarded as THE beginner's guide. You'll also need a reloading manual. I'd recommend Lyman's 49th as a starter.

For dies, I'd get the Lee Ultimate Die set for 308. It'll come with everything you'll need to reload for semi auto and bolt guns. The Lee Factory Crimp die and Collet Neck Sizing die are second to only $150+ die sets.

If you'd like me to build you a reloading setup with links, let me know.

> I'm curious to know if they are worth the money.

They work. As does Refinement and Repetition, the Ben Stoeger book, the SIRT pistol, and many other products.

The critical part isn't the fancy book/tool/gizmo that gets you do to the regular practice of 15-minutes per day, 5-6 days per week. The critical part is doing the 15-minutes-per-day of dry practice.

Two-handed frontal targets. Draw and fire. Turn, draw and fire. Step and fire. Left-hand only. Seated (including seatbelt) draw. Etc. Etc. 15-minutes per day.