Sometimes your local reloading shop can help. Don't be afraid to shop locally! Prices are (can be) similar and the information is surely worth something! The owner or reloading clerk and customers can be a great source of info. Of course, if you buy at Academy, you'll get no help. Probably no help at Gander, Bass Pro, etc either. Take what you hear online with a grain of salt unless you hear it many times. Even then, a smaller grain of salt. If you ask people "What's your favorite load" and almost everyone says 40.0gr H4350 pushing a Hornady 140gr ELD-M w Lapua brass and Fed GMM205 primers ... then that's probably pretty valid. But, otherwise, you don't know enough from one posting. Is the guy pushing above recommended max? Does he have a longer chamber and is seating longer so it's not a compressed load? etc.
Each bullet maker tends to have their own book. We have Sierra, Speer, Berger, Hornady books. You also have Lyman & Lee. I think Lee has the most loads. Lyman book isn't great. The bullet makers will generally only have their bullets in them and, in the Hornady book, there aren't a lot of loads for each. Important point: just because your powder isn't in the book doesn't mean it can't be used! I just means they didn't test that combo. It's probably in a different book if it's appropriate for your cartridge. The powder makers also publish data.
As for presses, most all companies are rock solid on customer service. I have two Hornady presses and just got a Forster Coax to try. Haven't used it yet. I have very good intentions but rarely have the time.
Bad things can happen reloading, but it's also safe if you do it right. Watch your drops. Odds are you won't have a double drop and if you do, it'll spill over so you'll know. The risk, IMO, is the squib. You think you dropped powder and you didn't or it bridged or something (more common on a progressive press). Listen for the poof and feel the recoil.
I'm sure there's guys on here who have loaded 100,000 rounds with no glitches so it can be done. I'm also sure there's guys on here that have had more than one "oops". And if you even for a second think you did something wrong, just pull the bullet(s) and start over. Much safer and only takes a few seconds. Seated the bullet too deep, realized your scale is drifting and you're throwing 3gr heavy, forgot to zero your scale at first, not sure if you left old powder in the bottom of your dispenser, whatever. Even if you contaminate a whole pound of powder by pouring old powder back in the wrong jug, just dump it out. What's $30 compared to your safety? I've never done any of these, but I'm just imagining what could go wrong. I have lost my place in working up a load and dumped 10 cases out. They'd all be safe to shoot, but bad data because it might have been 40.1 or 40.4 gr and I'm working up a precision load with exactly 5 of each.
Each bullet maker tends to have their own book. We have Sierra, Speer, Berger, Hornady books. You also have Lyman & Lee. I think Lee has the most loads. Lyman book isn't great. The bullet makers will generally only have their bullets in them and, in the Hornady book, there aren't a lot of loads for each. Important point: just because your powder isn't in the book doesn't mean it can't be used! I just means they didn't test that combo. It's probably in a different book if it's appropriate for your cartridge. The powder makers also publish data.
As for presses, most all companies are rock solid on customer service. I have two Hornady presses and just got a Forster Coax to try. Haven't used it yet. I have very good intentions but rarely have the time.
Bad things can happen reloading, but it's also safe if you do it right. Watch your drops. Odds are you won't have a double drop and if you do, it'll spill over so you'll know. The risk, IMO, is the squib. You think you dropped powder and you didn't or it bridged or something (more common on a progressive press). Listen for the poof and feel the recoil.
I'm sure there's guys on here who have loaded 100,000 rounds with no glitches so it can be done. I'm also sure there's guys on here that have had more than one "oops". And if you even for a second think you did something wrong, just pull the bullet(s) and start over. Much safer and only takes a few seconds. Seated the bullet too deep, realized your scale is drifting and you're throwing 3gr heavy, forgot to zero your scale at first, not sure if you left old powder in the bottom of your dispenser, whatever. Even if you contaminate a whole pound of powder by pouring old powder back in the wrong jug, just dump it out. What's $30 compared to your safety? I've never done any of these, but I'm just imagining what could go wrong. I have lost my place in working up a load and dumped 10 cases out. They'd all be safe to shoot, but bad data because it might have been 40.1 or 40.4 gr and I'm working up a precision load with exactly 5 of each.
