My recipe book is starting to get out of hand.

Before the supply crunch hit my recipes were fairly stable and easy to keep up with. I would write the necessary information on a post-it note, put it along with the loaded rounds into a cartridge holder and then into a plastic, sealed baggy. I'd also put a copy taped into my 3-ring recipe book separated with flip tabs labeled with the appropriate caliber. After shooting, I'd transfer the post-it note that was in each baggy and tape it over the copy in my recipe book with such information as fps, how it cycled, etc.

I'm getting to many post-it notes and need a better system.

I can transfer to my computer using Word or Works but don't have Adobe. etc. available. I don't mind writing information by hand either with a useful system.

I'd love to hear others methods of keeping things orderly.

Excel by Microsoft. Usually comes with an "Office" package. Make up a form or PM me and I'll send you one.

I want it on paper; Brownells sells pages that do into a 3 ring binder. Transfer everything from post it notes to the right pages.

I'm basically a big game hunter. Trips can get expensive. I'm also an owner of multiple rifles and hand guns. Further I'm a range shooter.

Since I didn't particularly want to spend thousands of dollars, on a hunt, and come up empty,I spent an inordinate amount of time studying external and internal ballistics. And I really do mean hundreds and hundreds of hours exploring every nook and cranny.

Back in 2004 I bought "Load from a Disc" from Wayne Blackwell, W.Square Enterprise v4 upgrade - $30.00. It prints out ALL external ballistics. I stash the print out in a zip lock plastic bag with some reloads and in the conventional plastic cartridge boxes too. When I go on hunts I carry a printed sheet with me and study it assiduously. I zero range at 200 yards. *( Note also that a small printout can be taped to the rifle stock ). On my last two hunts I shot a caibou running at +- 200 yards. One shot spine kill, and the following year a moose also running at roughly the same range. I hit the moose 3 for 3. In both instances I paid for a 5-6 day hunt and shot my game before noon on the first day.

Load From a Disc will keep you organized with a plethora of records available for decades. I have ammo loaded 15 years ago with explicit info.

But even happier news is that the internet is absolutely full of freebie external ballistics programs from everyone and his brother. There are many good ones. Winchester came out with this one.

http://www.winchester.com/lear...tics-calculator.aspx

Lots of others, Norma, Hornady and many more.

I have used pointblank software for over 10 years. Can download for free at the site below. Not too complicated, but easy to store and compare loads. And if you NEED a notebook, you can print 'em out.

http://www.huntingnut.com/index.php?name=PointBlank

I like mine on paper too.

I have a big 3 ring binder sitting on the bench with lots of load information as well as my various equipment and cross reference info etc in it.

But as far as a load recipe book what I found that I like the best is one of the index card boxes with the larger index cards in it. I just organize it by caliber and by rifle too if there are changes for that rifle. That way I can pull one out and also add notes as I might want to on another card immediately following it. You can tab if it if you wish but I use while cards, with some blue dividers and a green card if required for even more notes. It works well.

I use the 3x5 but I have thought about redoing them with the 4x6 cards.

Office Excel does a nice job too.