Charles T. Richards - Cartridge Reloading in the Twenty-First Century: Tools, Tips, and Comprehensive Information

I began to reload at the age of fifteen. At that time, I purchased a Model 43 Winchester boltaction rifle chambered for the .218 Bee. This was the cartridge that introduced me to reloading. My equipment consisted of the handheld Lyman 310 Tong Tool and the Pacific Powder Scale. This powder scale was a balancebeam type and not magnetically dampened. It used the substitution method, in which you first balanced the scale with weights equaling the powder charge you wanted. Then you removed the weights and added powder to bring the scale back to balance. I think the 310 tool sold for about fifteen dollars and the scale cost about ten dollars. That was a serious outlay for a young teenager back then.

After a stint in the Navy, followed by a ten-year hiatus during my early years of marriage, I began once more to reload. By this time, in addition to the .218 Bee, I had acquired a custom .257 Roberts built on a commercial FN Mauser action and a Pre-64 Model 70 Winchester Featherweight in .30-06 Springfield, and I had upgraded to a Lyman Tru-Line Junior Press. This setup served me well until I began reloading for my fathers Remington Model 760 in .308 Winchester in the early 70s. Because I needed to full-length resize the cases for Dads .308 Winchester, I purchased an RCBS Rock Chucker Press and migrated from the 5/8-inch Lyman Dies to the standard 7/8-inch-14 dies.

As time progressed, so did my involvement in reloading. I acquired a number of rifles in various calibers ranging from the .204 Ruger through the .30-06 Springfield (yes, I still have that Model 70 Featherweight), as well as some handguns. I still use the old faithful Rock Chucker Press but have long ago graduated from the little Pacific Scale to a Lyman-Ohaus Magnetically Dampened M-5 Scale. I have also added an RCBS Uniflow Powder Measure for my handgun reloading needs and, more recently, I acquired an RCBS ChargeMaster Combo to speed up the powder weighing and charging process.

Today, all of my shooting is at paper targets at the local range and I get my satisfaction from shooting small groups with my handloaded ammo. I still experiment with different bullet and powder types, but I have settled on a few good loads for each caliber I shoot.

This book provides information that guides beginners through reloading metallic rifle or handgun ammunition and includes tips to aid you in selecting the equipment necessary to start enjoying this hobby. I also share some of the methods and opinions I have formed over the years. My hope for non-reloaders is that, after reading this book, you join our handloading fraternity and start enjoying the hobby of crafting your ammunition. If you already are a handloader, I hope you benefit in some small way from my experience.

With major advances in science and technology, we reloaders and potential reloaders of the twenty-first century have access to an abundance of tools and accessories that take some of the labor out of the reloading labor of love.

Also, with the improvements in smokeless powder and bullets, we are able to craft more reliable and accurate ammunition. There has never been a better time to enjoy the hobby of reloading!