Reloading Manuals

[heydcmoore]

It's been since my early 20's since reloading with a family member and currently starting over with the equipment purchased along with other tools of the trade. The manual given to me is "Lyman Reloading Handbook 46th Edition" knowing I need to pick up a newer manual due to the pistol purchased is not in the book.

I would like input as do I go with Lymans 49th Edition, wait for the 50th, Sierra, Nosler, Hornady or even Lee? Was told that some manuals were specific to their brands (being powder, bullets, what not). Just looking to get a manual with more bang for the buck.

Any input is much appreciated. Thank You.

 

[mtgianni]

This will probably get moved to reloading but IMO you should own no less than 3 manuals. Get the current Lyman or Hornady and 2 more used off an e-seller such as e-bay or used books. Cross reference everything and compare it to on line data.

 

[da gimp]

We have Hornady, speer, nosler, lyman & sierra's manuals...... several editions of some brands........... we always consult at least 2 manuals for the bullet type (let's say we're going to load a 240 gr JHP .429 bullet in .44 mag or .44 spec& powder brand (let's say Unique)and start with a mid range or lower mid range load, then gently work up until we find the accuracy sweet spot, with the velocity we need, in a load we enjoy shooting..............I hope this helps you...... in other words, as you can afford to, buy more good manuals & use at least two to check your loads.

 

[gunblade]

Good advice. I haven't bought a new manual in years but I tend to stick with the same loads for the calibers I usually reload for. When I first began reloading I started a journal divided up into sections by caliber and I would list each load I had worked up until I found what shot best in the gun, then I could just go to my journal and use that same data for the next batch. I suppose there are newer methods of record keeping, but that works for me. As for the manuals, bullet mfg. manuals such as Hornady and Sierra do list only their bullets, but for the most part if the weight is the same you can still use the data for a different mfg. bullet of the same type, i.e. solid, HP, lead, jacketed,etc. By the same token, powder mfgs. do the same for their brand of powders, so it's best to look at several sources of information. My most used manuals are my old Hornady and Lee, not sure of the editions.

 

[Harrison]

It is not the pistol you are going to shoot so much as the cartridge.
But get the most recent Lymans as a good all round manual, and decide on what kind of jacketed bullet you will use and get the bullet makers manual. I have a Lymans I use alot and the jacketd bullets I shoot are usually Speer or Hornady, so I also have those two manuals. Lymans manual is also good for cast bullet loads.

 

[zzzippper]

I keep Sierra, Nosler, and Hornady next to me. Those and Superman comic books have kept many a young man off the streets and out of trouble.

 

[WR Moore]

If you only load for a few calibers, don't forget the Water's Pet Loads series. They're caliber specific, but very good.

You can download load data from the powder makers. That's usually conservative-often very conservative, but a good reference.

 

[walnutred]

For handguns I usually use the Lyman #45 or the Lyman Pistol and Revolver Handbook. Yea I know but the newest caliber I load is 40 S&W followed by 9mm Mak. Other than those they are all pre WW2 calibers with cast bullets. Actually most are pre WW1 calibers now that I think about it.

 

[dirty gary]

When cross referencing data sources, it's interesting to include info from a powder company. I use a lot of Hodgdon powder, and find their data usually runs a tiny bit on the "safe" side compared to bullet company data.

 

[rwsmith]

Speer....

Speer. I have a Lyman 49th and a Lyman Lead Handbook and the Speer. Speer has a great how to section as well as the Lyman 49th.

Speer's data is bullet specific. I used to use Speer bullets but can't find them now. It never bothered me anyway. That is CYA on their part and if a bullet has the same weight, diameter, construction/material and similar profile, start at the bottom and work your way up. If you notice a problem (I never have) back off and be happy.

 

[Twoboxer]

There are a few reasons for purchasing any particular manual including a good section on reloading itself, a good reference for odd calibers and older bullets, and a manual from the manufacturer of bullets you use a lot of.

For specializing in older calibers and cast bullets I usually hear Lyman's being recommended. I purchased Lyman's 49 and have never used it.

The Lee manual's front section teaches/advertises Lee equipment, so it's good if you use Lee. Not as good otherwise. None of Lee's loads are Lee's data, they are all copied from others and are often inconsistent with latest loads. That can be a good thing or a bad thing.

Hornady and Sierra make excellent load manuals. If you are a user of either, I'd recommend buying one of those.

Then hold on to your money and use powder manufacturers to crosscheck/fill-in. All their data is available on line, and you can call them for recommended loads using their powder for any bullet. They have all the other manuals

 

[rburg]

Ya know, most shooters and reloaders I know also have small private libraries. I started with just magazines (the kind you read, not the "clip" kind ). Now I'm old and about to die. And I expect my kin to just toss the stuff I valued so much. Maybe that's the way wives get back at us, they just toss out the stuff we loved. Anyway, I collect gun books, and reloading manuals. Some are total failures, like the Hornady multi part set. I've never used a load out of them.

But a neighbor came to visit a while back. He brought along his wife who was really amused at my living room. She'd walked over to look at a painting, done by a guy that once live up by where her farm was. And she turned to look at my bookcase and started laughing. It was because her dad, also a shooter had very similar books. It kind of made me feel better. I'm not the only fool out and about.

So buy more than one. If you browse (stumble around) flea markets, keep your eyes open for used manuals. They don't change just because someone you didn't know used it. And I have/had a reloading "error". I had hot loaded some 44 mags. It was a moderate load really, based on the Speer manual from the time. 240gr jacketed bullets driven by 14.0 grains of Blue Dot. So one of our posters here, Ben Hutchinson, looked at the bag of them I was giving him and suggested they were pretty hot. It kind of shocked me, but I'm not above making a mistake, or at least investigating the possibility.

So I got my latest manual and it sure enough was above what the were recommending today. That was around 13 grains. So a bit worried, I dug out the manuals I was using back then. Those started at 13.0 and went up to 15.5 grains. Just what I had thought, a middle of the road load that I had fired maybe 20 years ago and didn't even see any pressure signs.

So I drew some conclusions. First, I need to include the manual I got my load from. Maybe even make a copy on my PC printer and cut a strip that shows it. And I probably won't shoot them in revolvers. I'll just use them in my Winchester M94 in 44 mag. I really don't like it when the authors or editors change their loading that dramatically. I know they're owned by lawyers. But it seems nothing is sacred anymore.

And besides manuals, we can get loads out of magazines like Handloader or books like Ken Waters excellent book. Makes me lean towards photocopies of where I got my recommendation.

My older son, waiting eagerly for my passing, thinks the solution is to just load what you want when you want to burn it. He seems to advocate keeping the components un-assembled. Or maybe he doesn't trust my loading ability. Its serve him right to have to use my RCBS hammer puller on thousands of my loads!

 

[novalty]

The only manual I've ever sold that wasn't a duplicate to one I already had was from Barnes. Their manual was way to component specific, and their components are far too expensive to waste on paper.

 

[nodlenor]

I try to have on hand the current Lymans manual but I also have several others and I get a Hodgdons annual manual every year as I use mostly Hodgdons powders. Another good reloading source is Steves reloading pages on the internet and of course the powder manufacturers have info on the internet.

 

[old&slow]

Lyman is my favorite. But, I also have and reference Hornady , Speer, Sierra and others. Never can have too many reloading manuals..

 

[elpac3]

Pretty much agree with all of the above.

I have a manual from each company who products I use in loading (Speer, Hornaday, Nosler, Sierra, Lyman) and the time honored load book by P.O. Akley.

More sources are always better - cross reference - - -always then when you have your pet load, write it on your loading manual or have an index card with pet load information on it and have it out when you are reloading.

GEC

 

[Jellybean]

...knowing I need to pick up a newer manual due to the pistol purchased is not in the book...

That's not the way it works.

Here we go with another manual thread. I have a ton of them and can tell you don't need a new one, unless the powder you happened to find isn't in the manual you have. In that case find the data from the powder manufacturers website or just ask someone here.

For the most part they are all the same except for specific product information, or the loading data, which so many people obviously misunderstand.

 

[gwpercle]

Get them all. No such thing as too much information.
Not only do I buy new ones I also buy old ones.
Found in my supply cabinet a forgotten can of Alcan #5, powder is still good and a few of my older manuals had plenty of data for it.....I'm loading some ammo with it now instead of throwing it away.
I must have 15 manuals, going back to 1968, I have found good use for all of them. No such thing as too many manuals.

 

[mikld]

To answer your question; unless you know when the 50th Edition is going to be available, and it's soon, just get the 49th Edition. I always suggest the Lyman, latest edition, first then the Hornady manual. Both have excellent "How To" sections and there is much more to a reloading manual than powder/bullet recipes. Plus I reload for my M1 Garand, and Hornady has a section specifically for the Garand. I would also add Cast Lead Bullet Handbook by Lyman if one shoots lead bullets and if one prefers jacketed bullets, then use the same manual as the bullet's manufacturer (Speer bullets = Speer manual, Nosler bullets = Nosler manual, etc.). But, I have a whole bunch of manuals and occasionally scan one, regardless of age, for a "refresher", and you can't have too many manuals...

 

[ironhead7544]

For the first manual, get the Lyman. I have a bunch of different ones from over the years. More than one is OK. Join loaddata.com. They have most of the manuals and info from the gun rags, too. Well worth the money.

 

[retired_diver]

I'd go with the Lyman 49th or Lyman cast bullet handbook. I personally don't like the Nosler #7. Here is why: it has only data for one 158gr jacketed bullet in 357mag, the Lyman #49 lists 14 different bullets. Also doesn't even list a 25-35, and it only has a 300gr bullet for a 45-70. The Lyman cast handbook lists 10 bullet weights with multiple powders.

 

[Jellybean]

heydcmoore, if you're still with us, can you tell us what cartridge, bullet and powder you plan on using? That would make it easier to give you suggestions on which manual would be a good choice, if you do need a new one.

I usually prefer Lyman manuals for data, but no. 49 isn't my favorite due to all the data they left out for my favorite caliber.

 

[heydcmoore]

Pistol/caliber would be a .40S&W. Like I said, the 46th edition doesn't carry the caliber, been thru a couple times and haven't seen. Plan on using alliant power pistol powder, cci primers along with Berry's 40 Cal 165 gr. flat point bullets.

 

[retired_diver]

Pistol/caliber would be a .40S&W. Like I said, the 46th edition doesn't carry the caliber, been thru a couple times and haven't seen. Plan on using alliant power pistol powder, cci primers along with Berry's 40 Cal 165 gr. flat point bullets.

Lyman #49 has 10 different bullets listed for 40sw that is jacketed and lead. aa#5 and Power pistol is listed for 165gr, 150 gr, 135gr, 175gr and 190gr.

as a side note: according to Speer they are no longer selling their latest which i think was #14. So ebay maybe, Amazon not.

 

[KLYDE]

Have Lyman #49, Lyman Cast, Speer, Hornady, Nosler and Sierra. It is important to have the Manufacturers manual for the brand of bullet you are loading. Load data can vary quite a bit from maker to maker for the same style and weight bullet.

 

[Squarebutt]

Definitely the Lyman 49th. It has cast bullet loads plus multiple brands of jacketed. It also has some very good articles and a handy powder burn rate chart. The problem with older manuals is they don't always have the latest powders and calibers (.40 has been around for years) and some of the powders (and therefore the max loads) have been tweaked. No reason not to check in with the older books, but don't exceed the recommended max load in either old or new. Good luck.

 

[STCM(SW)]

I have 16 reloading manuals from every one you can think of plus Ken Waters Pet loads....
But never have enough if they keep coming up with new powders it seems!

 

[Moe Mentum]

The more manuals I get, the more confused I get....

 

[Dennis The B]

I've found, over the years, that there's not a huge difference in the manuals, and most of it is probably due to testing differences, etc. For instance, WW231 used in a .45ACP with a 230gr bullet, and a standard primer, won't have a lot of variation, no matter the publisher. The "secret" is to load within the manual's guidelines, watch for signs of over/under pressure, and keep copious notes on your results.

I've made notations in the margins of my manuals since they were new. They look like chicken scratching to the uninitiated.

I also regularly visit the various powder makers' sites, and "pick" their brains as far as loads go. I then cut and paste their load recommendations into an Excel spreadsheet that I set up for that purpose. Some of the data will cut and paste, some I have to transcribe, but it all builds the knowledge base.

You have to keep current. The powder and primer formulations from 1976 are different than those today. WW-296, one of my favorites for .357 and .44 Magnum loads is a bit different today than then. And some of the loads are lighter/slower than they used to be.

I've seen the results of "kabooms" on the firing line from folks who believed they knew more than Winchester, Alliant, or Hodgdon. And I'm sure the members here have observed, or known first-hand the same.

 

[Jellybean]

Pistol/caliber would be a .40S&W. Like I said, the 46th edition doesn't carry the caliber, been thru a couple times and haven't seen. Plan on using alliant power pistol powder, cci primers along with Berry's 40 Cal 165 gr. flat point bullets.

Okay, when you said your firearm wasn't listed I thought you meant your particular model, my mistake.

Anyway. Berry's doesn't give load data. If you are using plated bullets you can use data for any lead or jacketed bullet of the same weight. Make sure you don't start at max loads. Lyman 49s data is pretty close between lead and jacketed bullets, they don't list a 165 gr. lead bullet but they do a jacketed version. It is a Speer TMJ loaded to an OAL of 1.120" starting load of Power Pistol is 6.3 grs and max is 7.0.

If you are using lead bullets that data should work for it too, just be sure to start low and work your way up.

If you happen to have a Glock and are shooting the hard cast lead I'm sure you know all the warnings...

If you go to Alliant's website you can download or request a free copy of their loading guide. Their data is a little hotter than Lymans so I'd use the above starting load and work up from there.

Good luck and welcome to the forum.