Books about specific caliber reloading--any value??

cmansguns · Jul 2, 2023

First off....I am not a reloader so I don't know values in that arena of hardware and software.

At a flea market yesterday with wife just browsing and came across a book vendor who had all sorts of stuff and among the myriad of heavy tomes was 8 spiral bound, yellow covered books titled "One Book / One Caliber" published by Loadbooks USA. These were in like new condition, and calibers 45 acp, 38 spl, 357 Magnum, 45 Colt, 30-30, 30-06, 308 Win and 1 more I forgot to jot down.

She also had a copy of Bill Jordans No Second Place Winner, and a copy of Julian Hatchers, Hatchers Notebook.

All were individually priced but reasonable. I'm thinking of going back today and offering a lump sum for all, just so I have the Bill Jordan book for my library so the question is:

Are the One Book / One Caliber load manuals still in use today by reloaders or are they obsolete now that Google and computers are on the scene? Same question about Hatcher's Book...still in use and demand or obsolete?

If I can grab the whole lot for a reasonable offer I'm thinking of putting the books I don't want up for sale on the Forum, or maybe even Karma to those reloaders that can use them.

Please let me know your thoughts if you are dedicated reloaders. Thanks for listening and viewing.

jake1945 · Jul 2, 2023

I have several of those 'One Load,One caliber books for all the calibers I reload for. It makes it easy to find the proper load you want. The one book they do not have is for the 30 Luger. They are worth the price!

toad67 · Jul 2, 2023

The main problem, IMO, is that the aren't updated as new powders come out.

Rpg · Jul 2, 2023

It’s cheaper to buy a good reloading manual than the one caliber publications. The manuals have a lot of information beyond just recipes for loads in a specific caliber.

I doubt they’re worth more than $0.50 each.

dave1918a2 · Jul 2, 2023

Those 'one load, one caliber' books are fine. They haven't been updated with the new powders, ( of which there are too many ), but the old powders work as well or better than the new powders. The book You show is for the '06' and if that is what You have 4895 and 4350 are 2 of the best.

Rule3 · Jul 2, 2023

I see no use for the caliber load books but the Hatcher and Jordan books are worth a few dollars and some folks would like them to read.

rockquarry · Jul 2, 2023

Buy them if you like them. I have close to fifty loading manuals, beginning in the 'fifties. That's an adequate source for comparison and reference but a few fairly new manuals are necessary to really have a good picture of things.

Contrary to the beliefs of many nowadays, there is much loading data in books that is not available anywhere on the Internet.

growr · Jul 2, 2023

I would get them all if the price is right....Bill Jordans book alone is selling pretty high and could well be worth it to obtain that with the lot.

Randy

tmd17 · Jul 2, 2023

I am a hoarder when it comes to reloading. Flea market items I find at a fair price come home with me and then used as barter, or if reload manuals, they go on the shelf. I will often reference the older manuals.

IAM Rand · Jul 2, 2023

Same loads in the Lyman book except the Lyman book is updated. I have the Bill Jordan book on my shelf. Been awhile since I have read it but, it is a keeper. It is right next to Elmer Keith's "Hell, I was there."

mikld · Jul 2, 2023

The "One caliber/One Book"s I've seen (and foolishly bought 2) were nothing more than a cheap photocopy of data from published reloading manuals. I like books and early in my reloading I bought 2, thinking they may be a worthwhile addition to my reloading library (nope!). I may still have them, somewhere but they have not been used in over 30 years. If one needs inexpensive reloading data, besides what can be found from online powder manufacturer's web sites, a Hodgdon "Annual Manual" is a good choice. I get a new one every year and IIRC they run $10.00. Lot of good data and informative "front half" articles...

mtgianni · Jul 2, 2023

I like the one caliber books for oddball calibers that were still popular enough to make a book for. 7.62x39 is one example that you have to be almost crazy to reload for in the minds of many that might be helped by having several sources. If it is a caliber I want I would pay $5, if not and a common caliber then $1 is fair.

DWalt · Jul 2, 2023

I have never lusted after the “One Caliber” guides. But I have far more reloading data sources than I will ever need. And there is already tons of data available on the internet. There were multiple printings of the Jordan book. Only the first edition has any significant collector value. The best of the lot is Hatcher’s Notebook. One of the most interesting must haves for any shooter. But they are fairly common and not particularly valuable as collector items. If they are cheap enough (check eBay for approximate selling prices today), it won’t hurt to buy any of them.

Regarding the “Old Powders,” those are about the only ones I have ever used. My opinion is that there are far more different powders on the market today than anyone needs. Why are there at least a half-dozen propellants on the market which are nearly identical in performance to Bullseye, which is over 100 years old?

BC38 · Jul 2, 2023

mikld said:
The "One caliber/One Book"s I've seen (and foolishly bought 2) were nothing more than a cheap photocopy of data from published reloading manuals....

This is an accurate description, but the thing I find useful about them is specifically that they bring data from several different manuals together in one place for comparison. It is SO much easier to have the info from Hodgdon, Lyman, Lee, Sierra, Accurate, Western, IMR, etc. all in one book instead of having to look them all up in a dozen different books to try to compare them.
The fact that the data doesn't include newer powders is their one deficit - but since I have a good stock of all the old powders, it will be a while before I need data for the latest and greatest powders anyway.
YMMV

Drm50 · Jul 2, 2023

I only had the 45/70 edition but I feel it was a good book to have. I’ve got better than 8’ worth of loading manuals on the shelf.
I run my own manual for years. Everything I load is wrote down and with notations on gun it was loaded for. Some of my loads I’ve used so long I forget where they originated from. Cant ever remember just using data without tuning it a little for the particular gun.
Except some pet loads Jack OConnor wrote about in 270 and 30/06.

Skeet 028 · Jul 2, 2023

I consider the one caliber loadbooks unless very cheap(under a dollar or so) a waste of money. As stated photocopys of older loading data

Nemo288 · Jul 2, 2023

Although I do have some of those LoadBooks, I haven't looked at one for many years, having made better ones.
I agree with most of the above opinions on them.

Hatcher and Jordan will be easy sales as there is still demand for them.
My only copy of Hatcher is in electronic form and I would not mind having the actual book.

I have created my own "loadbooks" for the few calibers I am serious about reloading.
For years I had access to a Zerox machine and copied the data from as many sources as I had.
Going into a 3 hole binder, these make access to all the data you have a lot easier than hauling out those heavy books (which you still do need).
It's kind of fun and you gain familiarity with that caliber as well.

Speaking of loadbooks:
If anyone wants a copy of "The 444 Marlin Master Reloading Table", which attempts to collect in one place all published 444 reloading data, give me a ping.
I happen to be the current curator of this list.
I can't imagine trying to do this for a more popular round

DWalt · Jul 3, 2023

A book providing reloading data for obsolete, obsolescent, uncommon, and metric calibers might be of value to some. For some of those, I use my collection of old manuals, some going back to the mid-1940s.

ArchAngelCD · Jul 3, 2023

I have several of those 1 Caliber books but I haven't looked at them in many years. Like said above, most are just photocopies of load manuals, just knock offs.

I suggest you buy the current Lyman manual as your first load manual. Then when you decide which bullet company you.will use most you can add their manual to your library.

I have gone overboard because I have MANY manuals including from Sierra, Speer, Nosler, Hornady, Lyman, Western, Hornady and maybe more...

AJ · Jul 3, 2023

So did you get them?

Books about specific caliber reloading--any value??

US Veteran

Attachments

Member

Member

Member

US Veteran

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Moderator, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade

US Veteran

Similar threads