Keep up to "DATE."

[old timer]

Started to get ready to go back to rolling my own. "So surfed the net" for
components. Only to find just how far out of date I am.
Newest reloading manual is a Speer Number 7, Lyman, Hornaday,, Sierra, are
all from the same era. Then went looking for powders, again every one I
used was either gone, or changed name or owners. Du Pont, Hercules just to name a few.

Guess I've got a ton of catch-up to do on books, components, sources, and most
of all the new COSTS.

So if I pop in and ask what seems to be a stupid, or newbe question, please
bear with me. TIA

[smmassociates]

Old Timer:

Not a lot of fun to take into the reading (bath) room, but most of the manufacturers you're interested in have web presences now. It's a little harder, sometimes, to find an answer, but you may be able to find it.

In my case, some buddies and I bought a bunch of reloading gear, and were about to get into .38Spl when somebody's wife or mother decided that she didn't want gunpowder in the basement. That was about 1970. I'm not sure what I did with the bullet casting goodies. With the price of ammunition going goofy, and a wife who'd probably go along, I decided to go at it again in October 2012. No casting (I really should get into that), and loading only .45ACP (added .40S&W a bit later), I was in fine shape when November 2012 hit and we all got drilled....

No regrets, and no manuals, either. My dealer gave me a starting load for the .45, and sold me some lead projectiles (my club won't permit jacketed rounds anyway). Worked like a charm. When it became difficult to find ball and powder, I'd already figured out how to get the data. (Fortunately, I remembered most of the other stuff, or at least what questions to ask.)

All that said, don't be afraid to ask! We have some serious experts around here.

I picked up a Dillon 650, btw. Probably overkill, but a local buddy had one, and we could share expertise and spare parts. Only one downside - the guy who wrote the assembly manual must have built a dozen or so first. I had to play around with the parts and figure out how they actually needed to work before I could put 'em into the press. Changing caliber on the Dillon is very expensive, too. I don't care much for Lee, but there are a bunch of good presses out there, and some people figure that you are better off getting a new press for each caliber. Can't do that with the Dillon ....

Regards,

[old timer]

Thanks, (if I may Stu) I've still got all my equipment, presses, 3 dozen plus
sets of dies, all the little stuff that goes with it, powder measures, case trimmers,
lube pads, scales ect. ect ect.
It just the expendables have changed. So its catch-up time again. But not as bad as
it was going from a Lyman 310 tool to "O" and turret presses.