There's a DVD on advanced reloading that's pretty good too. I think it was easier in some ways to get into reloading 50 years ago because the reference market was not dominated by published data but by how I did it books by the truly experienced. I bought Phil Sharpe's handloading book from shelf stock at the local book store and followed up with Naramore. Whelan's Why Not Load Your Own was floating around as well. George Nonte and John Wooters each produced a full book later and Bob Hagel's book from Knopf was pretty good. I can't imagine a publisher as well known as Knopf was then doing a reloading book today.
I started with straight walled pistol cases and both cast and jacketed bullets. I didn't know that the suggestions to match brands in cases and primers included paying attention to domed and flat primers - though today my Hollywood primer turret has a variety of punches for show only. I made no assumption that any particular set of dies would be all that great regardless of the brand and cartridge on the label. Rumor said that Winchester and Remington pistol cases were different case neck thickness and were better with different dies and technique. I looked for a sizing die that squeezed enough and far enough down and an expander that reached just far enough into the case and belled the case mouth usefully. That might mean a mix and match among 9x19, .38 Special, .38 S&W and .357 Magnum dies each with a different expander. I didn't and couldn't watch YouTube in the mistaken belief that if I went through the same motions I was guaranteed perfect results. Process control meant something different than matching the moving pictures.
Last edited by ClarkEMyers; 06/11/22.
