best HANDGUN reloading manual...
- Thread starter maxxpower
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
Not that I know of ......
Hornady; Sierra manuals are very good, esp. for their bullets. The Lyman manual is great at la..
Terry
Hornady; Sierra manuals are very good, esp. for their bullets. The Lyman manual is great at la..
Terry
mstuhr
Member
Lyman = Cast bullet data
Howdy,
I like the Lyman as it has a lot of cast bullet data.
Thanks
Mike
Howdy,
I like the Lyman as it has a lot of cast bullet data.
Thanks
Mike
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2008
- Messages
- 6,618
- Reaction score
- 1,202
i like hornandy/lyman/speer
I recommend more than one book.
Lee Modern reloading has the best list of almost all calibers and powders at the end of the book, plus it is the least expensive and kinda fun to read even though he plugs Lee equipment. (Hey it's his book
)
I use the Speer #14 a lot also.
and third I use Lyman which is also a good book for lead bullets but never seems to have the one I am looking for
Lee Modern reloading has the best list of almost all calibers and powders at the end of the book, plus it is the least expensive and kinda fun to read even though he plugs Lee equipment. (Hey it's his book
) I use the Speer #14 a lot also.
and third I use Lyman which is also a good book for lead bullets but never seems to have the one I am looking for
+1 for the Lee Modern Reloading.
nitesite
Member
The Lee manual borrows load data from other sources, IIRC, and does not do their own tests.
I like the Hornady and Lyman manuals over the others, but I also refer to my Sierra and Speer books as well (although I don't actually use many of their bullets so their data is rarely very relavent to me) .
My vote is for Lyman.
I like the Hornady and Lyman manuals over the others, but I also refer to my Sierra and Speer books as well (although I don't actually use many of their bullets so their data is rarely very relavent to me) .
My vote is for Lyman.
canoe on the yukon
Member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2009
- Messages
- 466
- Reaction score
- 36
Specifically for handguns.....Sierra prints one and so does Lyman (at least,they used to).I'd recommend several manuals rather than one or two.Data will be different although some of the manuals simply REPRINT a lot of their data for a number of years.Be aware of that and choose accordingly.
Although they seem poorly compiled, the caliber specific books that you see have info from all the various books. But they lack they info they other's provide.
That's why I like the Lee which have complete charts on pretty much every caliber and combination of weight and powder.
Yes they are compiled from different sources but they are all there together in one place, and are not bullet brand specific.
Yes they are compiled from different sources but they are all there together in one place, and are not bullet brand specific.
Centenniel
Member
Hodgdon makes an excellent manual.
Besides Speer, Hornaday and Lyman, I've also gone on-line in recent years to check the powder manufacturers' recommendations and see
how they compare to the books' data.
Just call up Winchester etc. powders and then narrow search to pistol/revolver rounds.
how they compare to the books' data.
Just call up Winchester etc. powders and then narrow search to pistol/revolver rounds.
Lee's "Modern Reloading" is priced cheap enough, like most of their products, but that's where their advantages end. Their data, which is taken from other sources, is based on "their" equipment. Look closely at their starting loads, they will list it in grains and then list which disk or dipper to use to get that load. There are times when the lightest load they can find that will fit into their equipment is the max load. Hence you will have a start load and max load of the same amount of powder, sometimes they are very close. Also the reference section sounds more like an advertising blurb than anything else, and is full of BS about why his equipment is better than everyone elses'. I don't recommend it to anyone.
Manuals by the powder and bullet companies are O.K., but they are aimed at providing data for "their" products. You might not get data for a certain bullet weight or for lead bullets, or for a variety of powders. They do usually cover the loading processes pretty well. Sierra did make a handgun only version a few years ago, and I think others have at times, but these seemed more at making them money by selling two books instead of one, than they did at specialization. Of these, (Sierra, Speer, Hornady, Accurate, etc, etc) I usually prefer Speers manual the most for handguns.
Lyman has made three Pistol and Revolver manuals, that deal only with handguns. The first one has data for cap and ball and muzzle loading pistols, and has a lot of ballistics tables but very little loading reference material. I don't recomment this one either. Numbers two and three are excellent choices. However, there is one possible down side. There have been a number of new cartridges introduced since number three was published, so if you are shooting a newer round you might want to make sure it's in them.
The other Lyman manuals will have some of the same data, their reference sections vary and you might not get as much material specifically for handguns. The nice thing about Lyman manuals is they include data for a variety of bullets and powder and offer data for bullets made from their moulds. They are usually pretty good all around choices, but I was a little ticked off at number 49. Being a .41 mag shooter I went to their .41 mag data section and found they had dropped all their .41 mould designs and, therefore, all their .41 lead bullet data. But unless you have that same infliction, it shouldn't be a problem.
Manuals by the powder and bullet companies are O.K., but they are aimed at providing data for "their" products. You might not get data for a certain bullet weight or for lead bullets, or for a variety of powders. They do usually cover the loading processes pretty well. Sierra did make a handgun only version a few years ago, and I think others have at times, but these seemed more at making them money by selling two books instead of one, than they did at specialization. Of these, (Sierra, Speer, Hornady, Accurate, etc, etc) I usually prefer Speers manual the most for handguns.
Lyman has made three Pistol and Revolver manuals, that deal only with handguns. The first one has data for cap and ball and muzzle loading pistols, and has a lot of ballistics tables but very little loading reference material. I don't recomment this one either. Numbers two and three are excellent choices. However, there is one possible down side. There have been a number of new cartridges introduced since number three was published, so if you are shooting a newer round you might want to make sure it's in them.
The other Lyman manuals will have some of the same data, their reference sections vary and you might not get as much material specifically for handguns. The nice thing about Lyman manuals is they include data for a variety of bullets and powder and offer data for bullets made from their moulds. They are usually pretty good all around choices, but I was a little ticked off at number 49. Being a .41 mag shooter I went to their .41 mag data section and found they had dropped all their .41 mould designs and, therefore, all their .41 lead bullet data. But unless you have that same infliction, it shouldn't be a problem.
Last edited:
Similar threads
