Lost all my data

[Drew P]

Well the iPhone app I have been using to record all my developed loads and data has been eliminated, along with all my data. It was called “reload-IT”. It was a crappy app that I barely liked but given the lack of anything else suitable I was using it. It was cool because it was cloud based and so it would keep my data safe, across multiple devices, so I thought. Well, without even emailing me (which they did have my email, it’s how we logged in) they just evaporated. Needless to say I’m pretty bummed out. Lot of time and effort lost.

So, i dont think I’ll be looking to the digital world for my next solution for records. Seems as time goes by computers make zero advancements in safety, speed or security. Oh well.

So, I’d like a booklet that has fields and places for relevant data. Does anyone know of such a thing?

[ericandelaine1975]

I think Lyman does.

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[redhawk0]

I use excel spreadsheets and save all data on multiple computers. And I automatically backup all data weekly. I highly doubt MS Excel will be "evaporated" anytime soon.

redhawk

[fralic76]

I made one, I printed a number of pages and then used a binding machine to turn it into a book. I put the same data into an excel spread sheet on my computer.229576

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[ericandelaine1975]

Here you go. This is off of Lyman's website.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181030/463a27dd1da8ba91ed02f6f517c0295d.jpg

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[KMac]

I made one, I printed a number of pages and then used a binding machine to turn it into a book. I put the same data into an excel spread sheet on my computer.

That is a nice load data log.
Thanks for sharing.

[Larry Gibson]

Something to be said for being ....."so like last century" and using pre-analog......a pencil and paper...........

[mdi]

I kept it simple. I made up my own. Using a plain old word processing program I have the following "format" I started using in '89;

Cartridge_________Date Loaded____Date fired____
Bullet (mfg.)______Weight_______Lube__________
Powder Charge (min & max)_________
Case_____________
Primer___________
Other/Comments (crimp, alloy, etc. anything different about the load)_______________________________________
___________________________________________

I have a file in my computer for each cartridge I reload and I occasionally print some of the entries and keep them in a 3 ring binder out in my shop (in case of an electronic/cyber OOPS!)...

I also use Avery Labels with their template using most of the above info. above for sticking on my reload boxes/bags...

[Preacher Jim]

They fail. Electronic records are nice but paper in a book is always available
I use both log things in my note book along with target cutout then put it in excel spread sheet on external hard drive

[gwpercle]

Something to be said for being ....."so like last century" and using pre-analog......a pencil and paper...........
Electronic media , fancy apps and cloud storage systems are all wonderful, fine and good ....
Until they dump you like yesterday's trash.
Write stuff in a notebook , with a pen on paper...Oh My Lord how backwards and Low-Tech !
Who would keep notes like this....Only us old school reloaders who don't trust "The Cloud" .
Call Myself, Larry Gibson and our note books old school...cause we is !
Gary

[Shopdog]

Each rig here gets it's own pamphlet. Which is simply std typing paper folded in half. Each pamphlet is well marked on the front.All data in it applies to that particular firearm. It's a journal also in that there may be info from a tooling or parts standpoint that only has indirect data but,it still applies.When the rig goes to new home,it gets the pamphlet.

One of the reasons I handload and shoot CB's is relaxation..... to include hunting. For me,the last thing I want is more computer associated interface,YMMV.

[Guesser]

I use 3 X 5" recipe cards; been doing it that way since back in the 60's; about 10 years after I started casting and reloading. I realized I was duplicating my mistakes and looked around for a system. I saw a recipe card box on the shelf and blank cards. the rest is history......and a lot of it documented. No one ever stole my cards or the history documented on them. Works for me; even today. Keeps it stupidly simple. KISS

[JSnover]

I started with a nice boring five-subject notebook, devoted a section to each gun. "Data entry" is any format I want and every page is compatible with my Mk1 Mod 0 eyeball.

[Tackleberry41]

A simple piece of paper and pen has worked well so far. Several little flip note books w data wrote down, get to a point I will type it up on a word processor. Print it, review it real easy.

[lightman]

I'm a dinosaur! Like many, I started loading long before there was electronic stuff available. I designed a form, in spreadsheet style that I use. I punch holes in the sheets and keep them in a 3 ring binder. Each caliber and sometimes individual guns have a page, or several. MTM makes one very similar.

I'm learning to use I-phones and computers but I have not learned how to trust them!

[Rcmaveric]

I use Open Office spread sheat since i am too cheap to use Microsoft. I have note books i write in as i go. Then eventually every so often i convert everything over to digital storage. I have a spread sheet realoading long and text document diary. I keep like 3 copies of the digital data that all sync. One local drive, one cloud, one thumb drive and when it syncs to cloud it syncs rhe folders and files on my phone and second computer.

Maybe when i die my kids can publish it as my memoirs. Ode to Dads Addiction: The Chronicles of a closet cast and Reloader.

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[higgins]

When I shoot test targets that turn out reasonably well I keep them, write the load data on it, and put it in a 3-ring binder. If it's a terrible load I put a note in the binder that it was a terrible load and may or may not keep the target. When room gets tight in the binder I'll write the "terrible accuracy" loads on a piece of notebook paper and throw away the bad load targets. The targets make interesting browsing when seeing what may or may not have worked many years ago.

[Taterhead]

I do my initial record keeping in a 3 ring binder. Also input load data and comments into MS Excel since sorting and summarizing data is useful to me. I have several different backups. I do recognize that hard copy files can be lost or destroyed in many different ways, so I'm hard copy and digital.

[Gtek]

Notebooks, dividers, tabs, paper, pens, pencils and cut targets and can put in notebook. Has worked great for several decades without a charge, cord or crash! Also you do not need to thumb and finger to read and see THE page, IMHO it's not all progress.

[Czech_too]

I print out, as needed, one of the templates shown here, and keep everything in a 3 ring binder.
http://gunloads.com/album.php?albumid=11

[tsubaki]

I try to spread my data and results around forums so as to be able to reference it and possibly help others in problem solving but occasionally it gets bad names called to it by doing so.
Regular ole Composition Notebook does enough for me.
Test data gets sent to the back of the book.
229606

[dragon813gt]

Something to be said for being ....."so like last century" and using pre-analog......a pencil and paper...........

I’m all for technology and am an early adopter of a lot of it. That being said my load binder is full of Lyman sheets. I’ve been thinking about digitizing it so I can store it in multiple places. As it stands any reloading/firearm information I have is stored on my laptop, on a SD card, on two backup drives, in Dropbox and on my personal server(RAID configuration) at home. Digital information disappears in an instant and I have it in many places in case something happens to one version of it.

I really need to spend the time to create a simple spreadsheet for the load book. I started serializing the loads a few years back to make looking them up easy. Just need to find the time to create the spreadsheet.

[PJEagle]

Over time I have created an Access Database to keep track of my firearms, alloy batches, boolits, molds, brass, powder and reloading info. Since I don't trust the cloud, I back up often to removable hard drives and USB keys and keep a copy off site. The database continues to change and grow.

As you can see I suffer from several diseases; casting, reloading, shooting and database development. My wife calls it my science project. Some year I intend to start saving money, but for now I just keep investing.

[tazman]

I have been doing computers since windows 3.0. I understand just how quickly all your files can vanish due to a virus, hardware crash, or application failure/disappearing.
I keep mine in Open Office documents(like Rcmaveric) stored on several different drives on a couple of different computers and a thumb drive that is only plugged into a computer when copying files. I know, overkill.
I have a lot of other files that took me years and a lot of money to collect on those drives as well.
I periodically print out the loading data for reference at the loading bench. New testing loads are kept in a small pocket notebook until things are confirmed then added to the load data documents.
A bit complex and extreme perhaps, but I don't want to chance losing all that information.

[Rcmaveric]

Over time I have created an Access Database to keep track of my firearms, alloy batches, boolits, molds, brass, powder and reloading info. Since I don't trust the cloud, I back up often to removable hard drives and USB keys and keep a copy off site. The database continues to change and grow.

As you can see I suffer from several diseases; casting, reloading, shooting and database development. My wife calls it my science project. Some year I intend to start saving money, but for now I just keep investing.I wish i had the skills to creat an Access data base. I have tries to tinker in it. But i get lost quickly. I am a master spread sheat user though.

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[ROCKET]

I'm old fashion... pencil and paper . Works every time [smilie=w:

[HangFireW8]

OwnCloud, file versioning, instant replication across all my devices, boot disk images, backups... all mine... All Lan/local... nothing Amazon, Google, Apple or Microsoft can even see or give up on a subpoena... not a byte of it!

Not going back to medieval methods... Anything big enough to destroy all my data at once would also take out paper records.

I don't trust my data to public clouds, but I do trust it to digital. Properly managed digital.

[abunaitoo]

So glad to see I'm not the only one still using pencil and paper.
Always hear of people who lose everything, when their computer crashes.
I never want that to happen to me, so everything is on paper in a 3 ring binder.
People put to much faith in computers these days.
It's a fun tool, but unlike good tools, they don't last forever.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Family member that stole a bunch of my stuff also stole my reloading and gun records notebook.

So even if you go purely on paper, copy it all and keep a duplicate somewhere else.

That gives you reloading data and serial numbers / makes / models findable even if you lose the "master copy"

Wish I'd had a backup.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I try to spread my data and results around forums so as to be able to reference it and possibly help others in problem solving but occasionally it gets bad names called to it by doing so.
Regular ole Composition Notebook does enough for me.
Test data gets sent to the back of the book.
229606

Are you sure you didn't steal my note book, it looks just like the one I used to have. I now use a MTM log book that I got with my Midway gun cleaning box.

[ericandelaine1975]

I use the load data chart in the back of my Lyman book.

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[sharps4590]

My 3 ring binder dates to the 1970's. Still use it and after getting the chrono record sheets with my first chronograph 30 years ago even that data was better recorded. So far it's never disappeared with the click of someone else's button.

[Rick Hodges]

Excel made the templates to my tastes, then printed out and in a 3 ring notebook....all data pen and ink.

[northmn]

A cheap notebook makes an excellent back up. I had some spreadsheets and other stuff stored on an older computer and lost the stuff when I had to have it cleaned due to a virus. Newer ones are more secure but the notebooks seem to be better. That or get a printer with the computer and print out hard copies.

DEP

[Lloyd Smale]

I lost 30 years of documented load development on every gun ive ever owned about 10 years ago when my barn that had my loading area burnt to the ground. I remembered some favorite loads but many gun I had to start over. Anymore I keep a paper copy in the load room a copy in the fireproof safe and one on the computer.
Well the iPhone app I have been using to record all my developed loads and data has been eliminated, along with all my data. It was called “reload-IT”. It was a crappy app that I barely liked but given the lack of anything else suitable I was using it. It was cool because it was cloud based and so it would keep my data safe, across multiple devices, so I thought. Well, without even emailing me (which they did have my email, it’s how we logged in) they just evaporated. Needless to say I’m pretty bummed out. Lot of time and effort lost.

So, i dont think I’ll be looking to the digital world for my next solution for records. Seems as time goes by computers make zero advancements in safety, speed or security. Oh well.

So, I’d like a booklet that has fields and places for relevant data. Does anyone know of such a thing?

[lotech]

I have no idea what Excel is, but for many years have made handwritten entries in my "field notes", a small spiral notebook I take to the range. It takes a year or two of much shooting to fill up one of these.Once or twice a year, I'll transfer an abbreviated version of these notes to a 4"x6" index card file. My field notes and card files go back only about twenty-five years. Wish I had done this for the first twenty-five or so years.

This system may be too simple for some but it requires no electricity and always works. There is no dependency on something subject to failure.

[dragon813gt]

There is no dependency on something subject to failure.
You’re correct. But if you don’t have at least one copy stored in a separate area you leave yourself open to losing it just as much as storing it on a single computer. Things happen in life. Your notes could be accidentally thrown out. Worse case is a fire. Regardless of how you log your notes you need to have backups of this information. I’m saying this as a guy that needs to make backups of his data so I don’t lose it.

[ole_270]

Once I find a load I want to use, I just write it on a piece of note paper I keep in the die box for that cartridge. So far I don't have enough duplicate rifles to cause too much confusion.

[marek313]

Oh man I'm reading all these replies and while I like to write things down there are many benefits to the digital form of data. Maybe because i'm in IT let me play devils advocate and defend my tiny ones and zeros.

For one, most of you dont have another copy of your paper notebooks, binders, logs etc. Even if you do its more of a hassle to keep your backup up to date. I can send copy of my load data to secure location on every continent if I wanted to and you cant do that with paper and I know for a fact that most of you dont stand by copy machines and make copies of it every week. Its easier to store on USB drives, CDs, floppy or zip drives ( not sure if anyone remembers those) i dont care. Its still easier to manage, copy, backup, restore etc.
How many people have lost everything in floods, fires etc??? You dont always have time to grab what you want.

So lets talk about our wonderful computers. One of my professors told us long time ago that "computers are stupid, people are smart". Which is very true because the ONLY thing computer can do is tell a difference between 0 and 1. Thats it!!!
Now they can do that very very fast which is true but its always amazing to me what we do with that simple ability.
Its still your job to make a second, third, forth etc copy of your important data and it wont take long to do that neither. Dont depend on single file, app, database. Always have another way to get in. Thats why universal tools like MS excel or open office will always have another app available to open / convert old files.
Keep your paper version if you want. I have a notebook that i take notes in but I also have digital version of my load data.

[Wag]

For the last 30+ years, I've been a tech junkie. Excel and Access are in my DNA and I have every reason to think I could write the perfect app for my loading stuff. On several occasions, I've been severely tempted to get that project rolling but I refrain. My career that I use to pay the bills is in finance and accounting and I've seen a lot of tracking systems for inventory and manufacturing that would be perfect for reloaders but they are more complex than what we need and they're a pain to set up and get up and running. So, again, I defer.

I use a spiral notebook. On the right side, two loads per page and then, turn the page over and there are shooting notes, hand drawn targets/groups, etc. Works well for me at this point and I really don't have a need to do anything else. If I want to keep a copy electronically, my smart phone takes good photos and saves to my cloud automatically. Good enough.

--Wag--

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Paper and pen.

[fredj338]

Yeah I am old school, I write mine down in a loose leaf binder. Probably harder to lose that way? Tech is great, until it doesn't work.

[Texas by God]

I'm old fashion... pencil and paper . Works every time [smilie=w:This- and I need one of those wallet size phone books because now I don't know anyone's # outside of my family.....

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[mdi]

What I'm seeing is not just worrying about digital info being lost, but what one is comfortable using and the importance of keeping records. I have a 3-rig binder and the the first load data is dated 1986. Pencil on lined notebook paper (I do need to erase sometimes). But basically I have the particulars and performance of the load on hard copies handy. I have lost data from my computer, had a crash (?) in '95, but I still had historical data. I've not had any problems keeping my load data on my computer since, but I prefer to look in my binder for loads I've used (along with good targets) and have an old school backup (a young friend asked if I used clay tablets or just a chisel and rock).

One benefit of a hard copy binder is I also have a SAAMI drawing of the cartridge and any "special/pertinent" data in the front of each section that I don't have to dig for (cylinder throat measurements, barrel dimensions, factory load data, etc.)...

[mdi]

Yeah I am old school, I write mine down in a loose leaf binder. Probably harder to lose that way? Tech is great, until it doesn't work.
Yep, I have a cell phone (somewhere?) that only makes phone calls. It may do other stuff, but I have no need for any and I prolly couldn't fins any anyway...

[GregLaROCHE]

I used to use note cards in a box. Now I use a spiral notebook with dividers in it, a section for each cartridge I load. I planned on putting it on Excel, don’t know if I’ll ever get around to it.
It’s nice to have a hard copy. Even on Excel I would print it out from time to time to be safe.

[Drew P]

I love this forum. So many responses thank you! I see this discussion has illustrated that there are pros and cons for digital vs paper. For me, paper would only be in one place. So, that’s it’s limitation. An app goes everywhere inlcluding the range where notes can be added and even photos of targets which is a fun feature. Heck with the right software we could computer analyze shots on targets for all kinds of things.
So in my case the cloud aspect of the app lent safety to the data, so I thought. But low budget apps from sub standard developers like this guy don’t have provisions to back up to disk or paper. SO that’s what we need!

[sparkyv]

I use Open Office spread sheat since i am too cheap to use Microsoft. I have note books i write in as i go. Then eventually every so often i convert everything over to digital storage. I have a spread sheet realoading long and text document diary. I keep like 3 copies of the digital data that all sync. One local drive, one cloud, one thumb drive and when it syncs to cloud it syncs rhe folders and files on my phone and second computer.


^^^This is my approach^^^

I have a hardcopy LoadBook and also keep all the data electronically in a spreadsheet that I sync in the cloud to ge able to access remotely. It's extra work keeping redundant records on two media forms, but it meets my needs, and serve as backups.

[Dieselhorses]

Just keep a few backups for digital records. Written logs can often be misplaced, damaged or all of a sudden look Arabic. I keep an updated binder full of what I print out from computer numbered by "lots". Soon I will have a labeling/scanning system (SKU's) set up.

[Rcmaveric]

Just keep a few backups for digital records. Written logs can often be misplaced, damaged or all of a sudden look Arabic. I keep an updated binder full of what I print out from computer numbered by "lots". Soon I will have a labeling/scanning system (SKU's) set up.Yeah i have the Arabic problem. My hand writting is atrocious. It happens often.

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[HangFireW8]

It's your hobby, do it the way that makes you happy. But don't delude yourself that paper is immune from sudden data loss. One fire and its gone. Flood, mold, tornado, theft, repossession, vengeful Ex, etc.

OwnCloud replicates my file changes to my home server and from there to every OC client device. Takes about 2 seconds after I hit Save.

So I would have to lose all my PC's (and the server) at once to lose all my data.

Also, file versioning. If I accidentally save an empty file over a large one, or just mess up a spreadsheet or document, I just revert it.

Also, backups.

I have made Libre Office templates for each document I create frequently; Rifle Journal, Reloading, Inventory. If the format doesn't work for a particular case, I just change it.

I usually input in my shop, and then I can view or edit on any device. Often I run QuickLoad in the living room and save the loads to an OC shared folder, then pull them up on my shop laptop.

I still have my load books and old paper notes. The notes are all scanned in. It's really nice to refer to them while hanging out with the family and not have to drag them in from the shop. I can use them and QL to plan my reloading, then go to my shop later and reload, so I get more family time AND more hobby time.

I also photographed about 600 targets and have them cataloged and indexed, along with the range notes. It is a simple system using plaintext keywords, standardized gun names, shooting ranges, dates, and standardized load names. I am one command away from viewing targets for any query; targets of all loads for one gun, or one cartridge, or one bullet/mold, or powder, orany combination thereof.

[mehavey]

It's called a $1.99 student composition book for each weapon, a #2 pencil, the loadspec strip cut from a running-record WORD doc printout . . . and scotch tape.
:kidding: :happy dance:

http://i62.tinypic.com/2vtrz4h.jpg



With cast, of course, records can get more . . . "interesting"

https://i.postimg.cc/2y1VS9NB/recordexample.jpg

[tazman]

It's your hobby, do it the way that makes you happy. But don't delude yourself that paper is immune from sudden data loss. One fire and its gone. Flood, mold, tornado, theft, repossession, vengeful Ex, etc.

OwnCloud replicates my file changes to my home server and from there to every OC client device. Takes about 2 seconds after I hit Save.

So I would have to lose all my PC's (and the server) at once to lose all my data.

Also, file versioning. If I accidentally save an empty file over a large one, or just mess up a spreadsheet or document, I just revert it.

Also, backups.

I have made Libre Office templates for each document I create frequently; Rifle Journal, Reloading, Inventory. If the format doesn't work for a particular case, I just change it.

I usually input in my shop, and then I can view or edit on any device. Often I run QuickLoad in the living room and save the loads to an OC shared folder, then pull them up on my shop laptop.

I still have my load books and old paper notes. The notes are all scanned in. It's really nice to refer to them while hanging out with the family and not have to drag them in from the shop. I can use them and QL to plan my reloading, then go to my shop later and reload, so I get more family time AND more hobby time.

I also photographed about 600 targets and have them cataloged and indexed, along with the range notes. It is a simple system using plaintext keywords, standardized gun names, shooting ranges, dates, and standardized load names. I am one command away from viewing targets for any query; targets of all loads for one gun, or one cartridge, or one bullet/mold, or powder, orany combination thereof.

Very thorough. I like that. I don't do the cloud(that I know of) but the rest I can accomplish. I have my own file server at home, and that works for me.
Short of a fire that destroys everything, or a police confiscation, I should be covered.

[Mr_Sheesh]

A good backup option -

I plug a SanDisk Cruzer Fit (https://www.sandisk.com/home/usb-flash/cruzer-fit) into each of my better computers; You can get these up to 64GB in size. They're just BARELY larger than the USB plug. So hard for my Yeti hands to get at that I add a split ring to them so I can remove them easily, and next time I find my Paracord 1A baggie (I keep 100' of that around at all times, if not more) I'll put a short loop of that onto each ring, so I can grab these. Really nice to back up your critical files onto each time you think of it, and pretty cheap.

I'd buy them from a US seller, sadly some overseas sellers have occasionally sold counterfeit goods and I don't like supporting theft.

(If moving to another computer for a while as my "Primary", I do a backup, swap the Cruzer Fits, then restore onto the other hard drive and edit those. Better plan's in the works but isn't quite "Soup yet")

Also you could pretty easily put a couple large capacity USB Thumb Drives in your wallet and carry around 2 copies of your most critical files, just in case you have one go bad the 2nd will likely still be good; Probably smart to encrypt those in case of theft though.

[KenT7021]

I still have a large number of data sheets I printed out with a mimeograph machine during the 80's.More recently I've gone to using the Lyman data book.They both work well.I don't trust computers.

[dragon813gt]

Very thorough. I like that. I don't do the cloud(that I know of) but the rest I can accomplish. I have my own file server at home, and that works for me.
Short of a fire that destroys everything, or a police confiscation, I should be covered.

If you have your own server you can set up backups to a cloud service like Dropbox. This is how mine is set up. Dropbox is encrypted. But for certain files I encrypt them before uploading. Makes it so I can’t access them on my phone or tablet. But this wouldn’t be a concern w/ load data. You could also backup your sever to a portable hard drive periodically and keep this offsite. Could be as simple as an out building.

[ukrifleman]

I keep load data on individual spread sheets for every rifle I load for on computer and also the same data written down in my reloading log which is kept by my loading bench.

When a sheet has enough hand written alterations/entries, I enter them onto the computer and print off an updated sheet.

I would never trust just electronic information storage, sheets of paper don't crash!

ukrifleman.

[waco]

I have an old recipe box full of index cards that I keep all of my load data on. It sits on the loading bench where it's easy to access.

[dragon813gt]

I started to play around w/ a database tonight. Man am I in over my head. Tables, forms, queries. I created a simple spreadsheet in about five minutes. But attaching targets would be awkward. Then I started watching tutorials on databases. I may get it figured out. Lots of power in them but I’m not sure I need it. Needing multiple tables to keep it so you can read everything w/out scrolling is annoying. But I’d be able to tie everything together. Would be very convenient to have inventories, firearms and load data all in one spot.

[woodbutcher]

:D A friend in Fl has a huge set of index/recipe cards in file boxes dating from IIRC 1922 that he inherited from his Grand Father and Father.Has data on everything that you can possibly imagine.From first generation SSA and 1873 Springfield to .460 Wby.
Last that I knew the file boxes numbered 88.His back up is microfilm stored in his safety deposit box at his bank.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[LabGuy]

I lost all my data when I took a 20 break from shooting. I had it in a Ashton Tate dBase 3 file, on a 5.25” floppy. The disk would not read. If I had kept it on a hard drive I would still have it.

[44Blam]

https://www.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/5rtlro/well_played_xpost_from_rgifs/

[Drew P]

:D A friend in Fl has a huge set of index/recipe cards in file boxes dating from IIRC 1922 that he inherited from his Grand Father and Father.Has data on everything that you can possibly imagine.From first generation SSA and 1873 Springfield to .460 Wby.
Last that I knew the file boxes numbered 88.His back up is microfilm stored in his safety deposit box at his bank.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo
That’s super cool. I have great great grandpas SAA wheel gun but nothing else remains. He backed up all his data to the cloud9, but he didn’t leave a password for us to access it.

[Wag]

That’s super cool. I have great great grandpas SAA wheel gun but nothing else remains. He backed up all his data to the cloud9, but he didn’t leave a password for us to access it.

That's a bummer but if you contact the cloud provider and let them know that you're his heir, they will likely help you access the info. Documentation will be required, I'm sure.

Maybe........ Worth a try?

--Wag--

[tazman]

I lost a great deal of my data from the 70s when my basement flooded. Notebooks were under water for 3 days. All the papers that were there got destroyed.
I needed to develop new data in any case since powders and load data have changed since then.
Fortunately, all my ammunition from that time was stored in metal ammo cans with good seals. It all survived and worked perfectly.

[woodbutcher]

[smilie=s:Hi DrewP.The microfilming did`n really cost him anything as all of the equipment was his.Just cost his time.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[dragon813gt]

After a few days of trying I bailed on the database idea. Maybe one day in the future. I did create a simple spreadsheet. Has all the info I need plus a small area for notes. I can’t attach spreadsheets so I’m going to link them through Dropbox in case anyone wants to use them.

It’s nothing special and can be edited to suit your needs. There’s two loads per sheet of paper, I know old eyes will appreciate that. And they can be punched for a three ring binder w/out interfering w/ the data.

XLSM Format: https://www.dropbox.com/s/iq1yjfa6duuo6j3/Data%20Log.xlsm?dl=0

ODS Format: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dih0rizu8wsxizk/Data%20Log.ods?dl=0

The margins should be set correctly. But I didn’t check for multiple entries. So you may have to play w/ them a little after entering data. There’s always little issues when converting from ODS to XLS. But I know a lot of guys don’t use Libre or Open Office so I provided both formats.

[waksupi]

A good lesson for everyone, especially businesses. So many businesses don't keep hard copy records anymore. Major computer disruption, all the info is gone. Stores can't even make change anymore with electricity out.

[MOC031]

This rather reminds me of my last years in the military, whenever the subject of navigation and GPS units came up. Many of the old hands would snort and say that electronic GPS units could fail, give them a good ol' map and compass instead any day. Which lead me to observe that if they didn't think a compass should fail, they hadn't been around compasses much, and just for giggles they should go draw a dozen compasses from stores, ensure the declination was set the same on all of them, and then shoot a bearing to a distant object with each of them and note the differences they came up with. Earlier methods/techniques/tools are not foolproof simply because they've been around longer. After all, the lodestone came before the compass. And writing on stone tablets came before pencil and paper. Compass or GPS - carry a backup.

There is no right answer here - my father lost his records due to a minor house fire: the water from firefighting did what the fire never had a chance to. At that point he didn't care much about the loss of the information in the records. He was more hunter than reloader and he had his hunting loads. Now that he has died, we have his rifles but we don't have the record of his trials with those rifles.

Anyways (in my opinion), THE right answer is this: "Always have a backup of your reloading records, just like you do of anything else that's important". One copy of anything important, paper or digital, is not safe. Nor is keeping your backup copy right beside the original copy.

Paper or digital, there are many ways to lose both. For papers there is scanning/photocopying. For anything electronic there is printing to paper and backing up to other digital locations. Come to think of it, if you choose the digital route, you can have your cake and eat it too: paper copies in a logbook AND the digital copies on tablets, computers, cellphones, whatever your favorite flavour is.

My preference is digital, although I'm a Luddite in many things. I use it efficiently in some ways, inefficiently in others: I simply take a digital photo of the targets at the range to include in record keeping, but i enter chrono statistics by hand instead of simply downloading that exact same data to my tablet from the chrono. Whatever...

Like some others here have mentioned, I keep swearing that one day I'm going to put together a proper Access database for record keeping. My training on Access and VBA is distant and rudimentary, incidental training for geodatabases for topographic map making, so it would probably be far easier to simply find somebody to pay to do the job for me.

You could have your life's records of every detail on every firearm you own from the day you bought it and any receipts, sights, torque on action screws, to every load you tried in it and the results, sighting/ballistic data, results if used in competition, etc. All on your cellphone in your pocket. In fact, you'd (me anyways) would want to check yourself so you didn't end up with information overload that did nothing for you other than distract. Being in my 60's now, I better either get right on that or the shooters/reloaders relational database will be just one more thing I said I was going to do but never got around to.

Not trying to sell digital. But digital data can be protected against loss, just as anyone using paper record keeping should also be ensuring they have a copy of those records. That's the lesson for everyone here.

[tazman]

As you said, you could have your gun data on your phone. I have an issue with that.
It can certainly be done, but why would you want to. Phones are easy to get stolen or lose. They can be taken from you by police for no good reason.
I would not want information on my entire gun collection out there for just anyone to access if they got my phone.
There are much better places to put the data than your phone.
Other than that, you are correct.

[Drew P]

As you said, you could have your gun data on your phone. I have an issue with that.
It can certainly be done, but why would you want to. Phones are easy to get stolen or lose. They can be taken from you by police for no good reason.
I would not want information on my entire gun collection out there for just anyone to access if they got my phone.
There are much better places to put the data than your phone.
Other than that, you are correct.

Well, because all data on my phone is theoretically backed up through the cloud, and secured with my fingerprint. It’s pretty secure, and I also don’t care if people access my reload data in all honesty.

[tazman]

The person I was responding to, said he could put all information about his guns including serial numbers, where he bought it, and every detail about them on his phone. I don't think I want that data on the net in any way, shape, or form.
As far as my load data, I could care less how many people see that part.

[nkpwxman]

I have all my records from 1972 to present that I put on paper. I tried spreadsheets but finally settled on a database (Alpha5V4, only works on XP machines, too cheap to buy the upgrades. I keep an old desktop in XP just for my shooting and reloading and not connected to the internet.) With the database, I can sort any combination of components to recreate a load. I still put all my data on paper when I go to the range and later enter it in the database. It took me a long time to enter all those records in the database, but now I can call up by date loaded, date fired, case, bullet, powder, primer, range, muzzle velocity and any other parameter that I have recorded. I also keep targets, good or bad, so that I can match data with actual performance by stapling them to the data card I use at the range. These are kept in an expanding folder by bullet type and easy to access. Granted that I have a lot of targets that are not good, but I also found that if I try again by tweaking the load and at a different time of year, the results change. It was a lot of work, but worth it.

[fralic76]

I have all my records from 1972 to present that I put on paper. I tried spreadsheets but finally settled on a database (Alpha5V4, only works on XP machines, too cheap to buy the upgrades. I keep an old desktop in XP just for my shooting and reloading and not connected to the internet.) With the database, I can sort any combination of components to recreate a load. I still put all my data on paper when I go to the range and later enter it in the database. It took me a long time to enter all those records in the database, but now I can call up by date loaded, date fired, case, bullet, powder, primer, range, muzzle velocity and any other parameter that I have recorded. I also keep targets, good or bad, so that I can match data with actual performance by stapling them to the data card I use at the range. These are kept in an expanding folder by bullet type and easy to access. Granted that I have a lot of targets that are not good, but I also found that if I try again by tweaking the load and at a different time of year, the results change. It was a lot of work, but worth it.Never heard of Alpha5v4. Please tell me more.

Sent from my SM-G955W using Tapatalk

[Toymaker]

The first rifle and first caliber had its data recorded on 3x5 cards. That got to be quite a collection with different powders, different bullets, different lubes, etc. I also decided I wanted to keep pictures of the groups rather than drawings. So two things happened at once. Every "special" rifle got it's own range box and there was a general range box for "every day" rifles and one for the pistols. Then every rifle, every pistol got a notebook. Just the inexpensive Composition book, college ruled, that goes on sale every year at the beginning of the school term. Bought 5 last August and got change from a $5 bill. If I find a really good load it gets a Post-It Flag.

[nkpwxman]

Alpha 4 Ver 5 is an old program from the 90s that was first used on the early windows platforms as Alpha 4 and upgraded to XP until about the early 2000s. It is a database program with features that fit most situations with their templates, but I made my own. It was put out by Alpha Software which is still around, but very pricey. I kept upgrading as the new versions came out, but it got to the point that I did not need the upgrades anymore. 230742

Just found a Microsoft free program that runs XP programs on my Windows 7 Professional. Now I don't need the XP machine.