I'm pretty new to reloading. Right now I have the Lyman #49 manual and have been working from powder manufacturers' load data. I need to start growing the reloading library. Please feel free to make some recommendations as to which manuals I should acquire. I've read the newer manuals are more conservative on pressures. I'm primarily loading .357 Magnum and .44 Mag / SPL. I'll likely get into .45 ACP and 9mm this winter. I currently have no plans to reload rifle.

I like to have at least one from the powder manufacturer and one from the bullet manufacturer, if available. Also Lyman's for my home cast bullet.
Of course, I have a shelf full of manuals covering the last 40+ years, plus my own load notebook. The notebook is probably my favorite now, because it has the notes on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Keep good notes, and build yours.

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Science plus Art

Speer # 8

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Now go make God proud...

Hornady is my favorite. I have 7, I think they are up to 8 or 9 now.

Speer and Alliant are owned by the same parent company, so they are the same data.

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Common sense isn't so common.

Lyman 49'th is my favorite print manual. My favorite online site is Nosler link because they show load density (% case fill) that no one else does. Hodgdon link has Win, IMR, and Hodgdon listed on their online site. After that it is whatever bullet I am using the most.

I have Lyman 49 as well as the most recent Hornady and Speer manuals.

The Lyman is usually the first one I check, although I bought the Hornady because I use a lot of Hornady bullets and typically go to it for Hornady bullet data. I rarely use the Speer manual, and probably wouldn't have it had it not come with a press kit I bought.

I also use Hodgdon site a whole lot, although it is limited to(mostly) Hornady bullets and only Hodgdon/IMR/Winchester powders.

I have one from every bullet manufacturer that I use, plus the Lyman for cast. Load data varies greatly in many cases between brands, for the same style and weight bullet.

Since I load only cast bullets in handguns, The Lyman 4th Edition is my go to manual. That said, I have manuals from all the major manufacturers.

I use the various bullet and powder manufacturers' website databases almost exclusively because they are updated when new data is developed. That means I no longer have to pay for entire new manuals just to get a few updates and I shouldn't get any erroneous data since errors can be corrected quickly with a few keystrokes instead of a reprint.

I just cleaned out the storage area in my gun room/office and boxed up all the printed manuals, some dating back to the 1970s. They're all going to our son's house - if he wants to keep them for posterity, that's fine; if not, that's okay with me as well.

There is an online handloading database to which I subscribe each year, AmmoGuide.com. If I'm in need of data I can't find elsewhere, it's a good bet I will find it there. I joined back when the site first launched and since they lock you into an annual subscription rate for life based upon when you first joined, I don't pay a lot per year for the service. But even at their current rate, it isn't a bad deal at all.

Ed

The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and the Hodgdon website reloading data are what I use the most.

Please Note, this was a bit of an "Inside Joke", because the Speer #8 is renowned for having published loads that were over the SAAMI guidelines for Pressure. While they wouldn't actually blow a gun up they they did beat up the semi auto's more than ideal and tended to flame cut the top strap on revolvers more than most would want to see.

Now, along those lines you will find that the Lyman 49th is distinctly on the HOT side for 357 Magnum loads and in some cases Lyman's Starting loads are 2 grains heavier than Hornady's Maximum charges. I suspect that this is partly due to Lyman's 357 Magnum data probably being rather old.

Anytime you see the pressure listed in CUP it's a hint that the data is likely to be a bit dated and should be treated with a bit of caution. As for why, loads with the pressure listed in PSI were developed using piezo electric pressure sensing and this method is capable of detecting brief spikes in pressure that are missed by the older Copper Crusher method for measuring pressure. As a result loads in many calibers have been reduced to maintain safe pressures for every instant in time.

So, load manuals. The Big 3 are the Lyman's, the Lee 2nd, and the Speer 14. Also viable is the Hornady guide and all the online data provided by the various powder manufacturers.

BTW, I like the Hornady XTP bullets for 357 Magnum and have found that Hornady's data produces more accurate ammunition than the much hotter data provided by Lyman for that exact same bullet. So, when I'm loading with a Hornady bullet I tend to use Hornady's data even when it may be considered a bit on the "light" side.

The point is that as you start consulting more sources for loading data you WILL find conflicts. Sometimes you may just have to flip a coin and see what happens. However, my inclination is to choose the lightest data and work up slowly even when that load seems way light to a source such as Lyman's.

The Lee manual may not be a bad one to have as It looks to be just a compilation of powder company loads.
I have to admit the internet has made me lazy (or is that cheap) in buying load manuals as so much of it is on the net. Add in most bullets I shoot are from small companies that post no load data and I'm most likely to surf the web before cross checking in a manual.
OKFC05 gives some good advise though, take good notes of everything you do. I have folders broken down by caliber for every load I've ever tried.

I purchased Speer #14 mostly because it contained powder data not listed in the older manuals.

I usually go to #14 first, but never fail to check the older manuals.

Free online data is a great resource as you can print out and accumulate data to review later.

BLM

I use Hornady and Nosler and Speer manuals. But I use my Barnes manual the most because I use their bullets more than any other.

I have all 4 of the newest manuals available from Lee, Speer, Hornady and Lyman. I also collect all the older manuals. If nothing else, it's interesting to see how the load data changes from one edition to the next. I also use the powder manufacturers web sites. A lot of good information available now a days!

I too have more manuals than I need, some going back to the 60s when I started reloading. There is also a wealth of reloading information online. I've checked online loads against loads in the manuals and I've found no evidence of irresponsible load recommendations.

For example, doing a Google search for ".45 ACP load data" brings up at least ten sites.

I am still chopping down trees by printing my own manual from powder company websites for the caliber/bullet combos I use. I do make notes on the pages and haven't found an easy digital metaphor for that.

My SD rounds are Hornady, so I use that manual.

For lead bullets, which is most of my reloading, although coated lead lately, I use the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook.

Take a look at Hodgdon's- The newstand annual edition and/or their website.

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Good shooting.

A lot of manuals are nice, but...........

there is nothing like a chrony to back up those figures to
get it right.

I loaded for 40 years without one but it is nice to know what
is coming out the end of your barrel, mostly if you are into
energy and bullet drop.

I was amazed at what my 22-250, 270 and 30-06 loads were actually doing..........
Some loads in the 38 and 9mm were an eye opener too.
"They said, I thought, would you believe........" !!

Tight groups.

Join loaddata.com. I have a bunch of manuals but loaddata has most of them plus info from Handloader magazine and others. Well worth the money. You can load search for a specific load you might want.

My first manual was the Speer #8.

In general I use the data available from the Web, but although some of the data is dated I a good reference are the "http://www.loadbooks.com/" single caliber guides. They are inexpensive and have data from both powder and bullet manufactures.

I started out with a then-current Speer #9 and still have it. For current load data, I go to the powder manufacturers' sites.

For a beginner today, there's a plethora of good manuals out there.

I noticed also that the SPEER manual had the same load data as the Alliant website. LEE's Modern Reloading also uses the same data, but omits barrel length, primer and case info, etc.

So if you have one of these, there is no need to buy the others.

The Sierra manual seems to not be as conservative with their load data. They show loads that are hotter than the other manuals. Many of these loads have worked well for me.

Mike

Note that Alliant no longer lists handgun loads using their shotgun powders, so a link to the 1999 data is very useful. The link I have shows the file now password protected. I can view my copy but cannot create a link that works for others.

For background, I load 380Auto, 9mm, 45ACP, 223, 308, 30-06 and have not (yet) used cast bullets.

In addition to printed manuals, all of the Powder suppliers' publish their load data online. So there's less need to buy multiple manuals than ever before. Hodgdon's newly redesigned Data Center (for IMR, Winchester, and Hodgdon powders) is IMO good but less useful now than before; VihtaVuori's is of medium to high-value for my rifle calibers.

Comments on the manuals I have:

Hornady 9:
My go to manual; well organized, have always found *something* I could use.

Sierra 5:
Nicely organized, ring-bound manual amenable to inserts though I personally haven't seen/used them. Second most used manual since I use a few Sierra bullets.

Lee (2 years old):
A compendium of what's been published in the past by others, there is no original data in this manual.

Lyman 49:
Since I don't use cast, I find this one is much less useful than the more modern Hornady. Never use it.

If I had it to do over again, for my calibers I'd buy only the Hornady manual, and supplement with the powder suppliers online resources. IMO, all other online "loads" are pretty much useless since they are published by folks without reputation or liability.

Don't forget you can call bullet/powder folks for load advice as well.

Minimum of THREE for each caliber:
1. Bullet manufacturer's manual.
2. Powder manufacturer's manual.
3. Primer manufacturer's manual, or recommendations of the powder and bullet makers.
Then, know your shells.
Read a lot. John Taffin has been my go-to guy for all big-bore loads.
Note; many times I have seen a "CORRECTION!!!" in a magazine issue subsequent to an article about hand loading. I try to get three sources that reasonably agree on a new recipe before I try it in my guns.
Ask a lot of questions of other hand loaders and ALWAYS start lower than recommended max loads and test them through a chronograph. Check your results against what the manufacturer says it should be from a barrel the length of yours. Check each fired shell for signs of stress, as well as the primer for signs of high pressure.
If the round does not look perfect when it comes out of your press, disassemble it for reuse. Do NOT shoot it.

I learned some of my best lessons by looking over the shoulder of another hand loader as he worked.

The load manual I use for general information is Lyman's 49th Edition and I also use Lyman's 4th Edition Cast bullet Handbook a lot.

If you mostly load one company's bullet or another it's a good idea to buy that company's load manual. These days the bullets are of different profiles and longer than usual. Add to that the all copper bullets, sometimes the generic load data is not good enough.

I also supplement the dozen or more load manuals with the load data posted on the powder company's and bullet company's sites.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

My theory is that you can never have too much data. Like the others above, I usually start with one of my Lyman's, either 49 or the latest Cast Bullet, (4th ed ?). I also really like Nosler's, as the give you a percentage of case capacity used. But I've got at least one edition of just about every bullet manufacturer, most of the powder manufacturers & I'll check online.

I found it interesting that nobody asked the original poster "what are you looking for from a reloading manual"? Reloading data? "How-to" instructions for getting started? Both?

The reason I ask is because I basically taught myself how to reload by reading a borrowed copy of the Speer #11 manual, which also served as my source of suggested powders and load data for many years (In the "pre-internet" days!).

I haven't kept current with which of today's "modern" hardcopy reloading manuals still contain a "how to reload" section, or which one is best, so I can't make a recommendation on that. But I would urge you to buy ONE good hardcopy reloading manual for the "how to" information. Supplement that information with the valuable information available on the web (forums like this one!) and you'll be all set. Don't be afraid to ask questions!

For loading data, I find it hard to convince myself to go anywhere but the powder manufacturer's websites these days. The data is free and up to date. I can't imagine why anyone would buy a reloading manual today for load data. I've started keeping a loose-leaf binder, with dividers for each caliber, containing pages that I print from the powder manufacturer's web pages. I highlight and make notes on those pages, and find them a very useful reference on the reloading bench.

Good luck,
Lou

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NRA Certified Instructor & RSO

Lyman manuals in general and the more recent editions of Speer
manuals are the ones I have the most faith in and consult the most
often. For older data, the powder company's original manuals. I have
lots of faith in my own chronograph records. The best resource in
printed data is Handloader magazine.

SIERRA is my favorite

followed by lyman and speer

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NRA Life
USPSA/IPSC

I use the Lyman & speer most of all, but the more data points the better.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

What kind of library do you want to build? One that has the answers to just about any question you might ever have? Or one that is full of old or outdated data for cartridges that you will never have, but it will impress anyone that thinks you need a slew of manuals?

If it's the second, just start buying every manual you can find.

If it's the first, you already have enough. Manuals are pretty much all the same as far as the text goes and buying more than one doesn't give you much more than the first had. Most people that buy a bunch of manuals are buying them for the data, and it shows that they don't understand them. In todays market, with all the new and improved powders or better deadlier bullets, manuals are almost outdated the day before they hit the stores. And from one printing to the next, the only thing that is added is data for the new bullets or powders, while everything else stays exactly the same. I'm sure you've heard it before, reloading is not an exact science. Even if the loads in the manuals were worked up in your firearms, using the exact same components on the exact same test equipment under the exact same conditions, your results are not guaranteed to be the same.

The free information from the powder manufacturers sites or their free complimentary publications are suitable for any purpose, regardless of who made the bullets, primers or loading equipment.

What I do recommend is to find a good book on the subject of handloading. "Principles and Practices of Loading Ammunition" by Earl Naramore, "Modern Handloading" by George Nonte, and Complete Guide to Handloading" by Phil Sharpe. (In this order)

The only exception would be if you had a wildcat or some obsolete cartridge, but then the manuals won't have that information either.

Be very careful of where you get your information. This comment was started by the folks that don't like to read the entire manual, and fueled by the ones that only look at the pictures. As I said earlier, reloading isn't an exact science. But when some people saw the powder charges reduced for their favorite load, they automatically knew there were lawyers behind it. If they would have taken the time to look, they would notice that other loads actually went up.

I shoot cast handgun and rifle bullets and use Accurate Arms powder, Hornady bullets, and cheapest available primers. My loading manuals are Accurate Arms Powder off the internet, Lyman Reloading Handbook (#48), and a Hornady Manual (#7). I have a Speer manual and Hodgdon manuals that are not used very often.

If your smokeless powder is 15 years old, your 15 year old reloading manual may have value. I have a chronograph that is used several times a year. My accuracy test is the 5 shot group at 100 yards (rifle) or 25 yards for handguns.

I don't spend any time finding data for the exact bullet I am loading. A 140 to 150 grain wadcutter bullet for 38 Spl will suffice with just about any 38 spl data out there. I don't believe it makes any difference if the bullet is from Lee, RCBS, Lyman, or Saeco mold or manufactured from Speer, Hornady, Delta or who ever. Accurate #2 loaded at 2.5 to 2.8 grains will make good target / plinking ammo that is cheaper than 22 LR .

Semi-auto needs enough pressure to cycle the action, but not throw the empty case 15 feet. Manage your powder charge or change the recoil spring. For a 1911 I have recoil springs from 10# to 24#. Target guns run 10# to 12# recoil springs, two pin guns have 20# or 24# springs that reduce recoil and muzzle flip significantly. I have a Rock Island Target match that shots light target loads with an 18# spring. I've checked that spring weight three times (yup, it's 18#) and the gun is 100% reliable and accurate. Stuff works??

Be safe and use common sense. When reloading there are no EXACT, PERFECT answers. Alertness, good judgment, and read the book will prevent accidents.

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S&WHF 366