Reloading Book
- Thread starter tieoneon
- Start date
s for your advise Gar
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I don't think there is a best reloading book, although there are several should haves. These include the Lyman, Hornady, Nosler, Speer, and Sierra manuals. IMHO, you should also have a manual specific to any specialty bullets or powder you intend to use. I would include Barnes, Lapua, and A-Square in this group, and there are many others as well. Hodgdon's manual is alright, as is their annual magazine style manual, but their loading data is available free on line. The importance of the manuals is in the tips and techniques they suggest and in the fact that each manufacturer comes at their data from a slightly different direction. A quick count shows that I have about 20 current manuals as well as several older ones that have more extensive data for some cartridges.
there is NO "best " book- they ALL have the same basic information, but lack other things like a reference section, the odd caliber, obsolete calibers, pressure loads, drop tables; the most COMPREHENSIVE book is probably the lyman 49, but through 3 different books you'll get 3 different recipes, all for the same cartridge; so what do you do? you pick a load that all 3 agree on, or come on here and ask folks for what works for them, then load a bit lower and WORK YOUR WAY UP a grain at a time till you find the "sweet spot " where you get the best group- and it won't necessarily be at the maximum load; probably lower; or until your rifle shows pressure signs , then work from there; it's a long and laborious process; i took 3 YEARS with some of my m14s, shooting once a week
i wouldn't bother with hogdon, as their loads are notoriously light and don't function in some guns, period
i wouldn't bother with hogdon, as their loads are notoriously light and don't function in some guns, period
Personally, I'd highly recommend 3 books, read them in the order they are named: 1) ABC's of Reloading, 2) Lyman, Pistol & Revolver Handbook, 3) Speer Reloading Manual #13.
Those 3 will give you the most for your money. Good variaty of bullets and powders; anything else has to be 'worked up' on individual basis.
Those 3 will give you the most for your money. Good variaty of bullets and powders; anything else has to be 'worked up' on individual basis.
you need to take the SOME bookS with a MAJOR grain of SALT- a LOT of those loads have been 'LAWYERIZED" in the top end so that it doesn't unlock the bolt in some guns, and only pushes the bolt back a bit in others- not enough to engage the sear; case in point, the 9mm luger , using a 115, starts off at 4.2 or so and ends up at 4.8 or 9- the OLD 11 says 5 of 231- or 5.2- that's alright for pistols,but you do that with a c/a and you end up with a " burp" gun or doubling- thing is, the bolt isn't being pushed back far enough to engage the sear-but enough to extract and strip a round from the magazine
If your new and learning... then start here...
1) ABC's of Reloading (8th or 9th edition)
2) Lyman Reloading Handbook, 49th Edition
After that - the manual from the bullet manufacturer you intend to reload (ie Hornady, or Speer, Nosler.... whichever)
You can never have too many manuals...
Also checkout the videos at the ultimate reloader website - pretty good introduction to "see" stuff working
