Reloading manual recommendations?

[gwpercle]

You want more than one manual. With all the many different cartridges, bullets and powders that are now on the market no one book could possibly contain all the different variables. Loads for cast bullets, jacketed bullets and plated bullets are all different. Get at least four. If cast bullets are in your future Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #4 is a must . The books I find most helpful are Speer, Hornady, Lyman #49 reloading guide has data for both jacketed and cast (though not as much cast data as the #4 Cast Bullet Handbook), Hodgen, Sierra and Nosler are helpful also.
I also find some data at powder manufacturers web sites but it tends to be very limited...Books are better.
Load safe,
Gary

 

[swamprabbit]

Were did all the folks that answer questions get the info before Al Gore??

Back in the day it was the public library. Remember those?

 

[Rule3]

Back in the day it was the public library. Remember those?

Yes, and the information was in the form of a BOOK or manual and you used the Dewy Decimal System to find the book.

No folks walk into the Library and can't even use the computers to find the book so they ask a librarian where it is. why do the work themselves?

Not directed to you or anyone here but there is a old thread title, something like Do some of the Work yourself. Now will have to search for it.

 

[Magload]

My girlfriend volunteers at the local library. I went to look for a gun repair book and started to open the drawer to the card catalog and was told to get out of there they now use it to file members library cards. Had to wait to use a PC then found the book was at a different library across the county. Amazon fixed me right up with one. Don

 

[yfdcap]

I used to buy new manuals quite often. Now I just subcribe to Loaddata.com . Has all of the loads from all of the manuals I was buying and more.

 

[Lou_NC]

Just help me out here, ok? In the land of 2015, I can go to each powder manufacture's site and download his information so why do we keep recommending a book case of loading manuals? I fell into this "trap" years ago, but now, with so much information at my fingertips due to Al Gore inventing the internet, do I need a bookcase full of books that cost several dollars each or just spend the money for bullets, power and primers?

I'm with you, I started out with ONE reloading manual, happened to be Speer because I borrowed one from a friend and liked it enough to buy my own. This was pre-internet and books were the only source of reloading INSTRUCTIONS as well as DATA. Since that time (still pre-internet) I added a number of "annual" reloading data "booklets" from the powder companies (remember those in gun shops?). Nowadays I access data from the powder manufacturers websites.

Fast forward to 2015 and I would still recommend a new reloader buy ONE reloading manual, for the INSTRUCTION value, not necessarily the data. Where else are you going to get instructions? Youtube? That's pretty hit and miss. That's why I recommend one manual. Regarding data - I feel you might as well get the data in it's most current form directly from the powder manufacturers' websites.

Lou

 

[leathermech]

Reloading Manuals? Like Lay's, you can't eat just one.

As a rifle shooter, I find the bullet manufacturers more helpful than what the powder companies put out. For me, loading for centerfire rifle is more about matching the right bullet. I usually start with the Sierra book.

For my pistol reloading, it's about finding data that works with components I have on the shelf. In my opinion, the Lee book offers more variations for each cartridge and bullet than any others. I'm not implying Lee offers the best solutions, just the most options.

For fellers of questionable moral standards, many different, manuals are available (scans) on the torrent sites, free for the pirating. Just sayin'

 

[leathermech]

I'm with you, I started out with ONE reloading manual, happened to be Speer because I borrowed one from a friend and liked it enough to buy my own. This was pre-internet and books were the only source of reloading INSTRUCTIONS as well as DATA. Since that time (still pre-internet) I added a number of "annual" reloading data "booklets" from the powder companies (remember those in gun shops?). Nowadays I access data from the powder manufacturers websites.

Fast forward to 2015 and I would still recommend a new reloader buy ONE reloading manual, for the INSTRUCTION value, not necessarily the data. Where else are you going to get instructions? Youtube? That's pretty hit and miss. That's why I recommend one manual. Regarding data - I feel you might as well get the data in it's most current form directly from the powder manufacturers' websites.

Lou

I got my first Speer manual with my first RCBS kit in 1982. The back half of the book was load data, but the front half was the "what's it mean" and "how to" section. This stuff was fascinating to me, but I'm crazy like that.

In 1989, I found the Nosler, 3rd edition. Way different "how to" focused on load development and accuracy. Wow, people have different approaches??

In the early 90's I dipped into the Lyman data. Those lunatics suggest you melt lead and cast your own bullets. I know, how nuts is that?

It's hard to describe the volume of loading/casting information that's never made it to the interweb and is completely invisible if all you need are recipes generation. See, back in the day, reloading techniques came from shooters and hunters instead of engineers and marketers. Similar folks, different souls.

 

[jtcarm]

I used to buy new manuals quite often. Now I just subcribe to Loaddata.com . Has all of the loads from all of the manuals I was buying and more.

I use LoadData.com, too.
But I still like my paper manuals..

Lyman would be my first pick, but if you're new to reloading, I second buying and reading them all.

There are so many different bullets, molds, & powders available today it's mind-boggling.

When I started reloading (and no, it wasn't with black powder), for bullets, you pretty much had Speer, Hornady, Sierra, and Nosler rifle bullets. There weren't very many cast boolit designs that the Lyman manuals didn't cover.

Cannister powders were Hodgdon, DuPont (IMR), Hercules (NKA Alliant), and Winchester, and their selections were nowhere near as extensive as now. In fact, I'm not sure Hercules produced any rifle powders. until the Reloader series was introduced. Wasn't that in the 80s?

Winchester ball powders were still fairly new and regarded with some skepticism.

 

[swamprabbit]

With hard copy manuals/data, if the power goes out (as I suspect it will sooner or later). I still have reference material if needed.