Reloading Manual

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Magnum007

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I am going to start reloading soon and started looking into manuals. The problem I have is I don't know which manual to buy. Any recommendations would be a great help.
 
I would have at least 2 so you can cross reference....you don't need a typo ruining your range day with a blown up gun (or worse)

Lee 2nd Edition (Recommended)
ABC's of Reloading (Recommended)
Latest edition of the following: (Your Choice)
Lyman
Speer
Nosler
Hornady
Sierra

Also check out the Hodgdon site and Reloadersnest
 
http://data.hodgdon.com

I've found it to be very reliable. I prefer to use hodgdon powders as they're easy to get a hold of, and this site lists tons of data.

I also own, and refer to Sierra #5, Hornady #7, Nosler #5, Speer #13, and Barnes #3. I find I use Hornady and Nosler the most
 
Hornady and Speer are good manual's for the new reloader they have excellent how to info sections before the load data. But like others have said the more manuals you have the better.
 
Choose your manuals with the type of shooting you do in mind. Some manuals have special sections for loading gas guns, some manuals specialize in loading African big game cartridges, some for bench rest competitors, and some are directed towards the general shooter. I think you should have a minimum of 3. Not only is there valuable information in all of them, but various manuals present their data in different formats. One might list loads to attain a maximum velocity while another lists maximum loads and the respective velocity. Occasionally you might observe a mistake, or something that at the very least doesn't make sense to you. When that happens it is useful to have another source to compare that data to. My top 3 manuals would be the Lyman, Sierra, and Nosler. The Nosler manual stands out as the only one that tells you the load density with a given powder charge. On the other hand, if you are going to shoot Hornady or Barnes bullets those respective manuals should be included.
 
Lyman Reloading Handbook 48th Edition is an excellent book for beginners and seasoned hand loaders. For beginners it outlines almost everything that a new hand loader should know. I highly recommend this book to all who are new in this hobby.

Good Luck and reload safely. :)
 
for the sheer wealth of info , the lyman- the last one i saw had pics as well, so at least you saw how the basic reloading steps were performed- as far as the actual powder charges go, i use a speer 11, and if it's a newer cartridge, or one i don't have tables for, look it up on the internet, but always use reason- if you see some table with a grossly under or over weight , check out at least one more source- there's also no reason you can't use a used manual provided it's not too far out of date- most of the powder/ammo companies have their components and receipies listed in a manual, or on the net or both, so at least you have some idea of what the factory does
 
Lyman

I have 6 books, and as others have stated I cross reference alot. The problem I have with a beginner choosing to go with a particular Bullet Manufacturers book is that they are specific to their Bullets only. In SOME cases they can be crossed over to another manufacturers bullets, but not in all.
With the Lyman and other Non-manufacture books, they have tested the guns with a wide variety of bullets and powders.
Also AFTER you have read (and re-read a number of times) ALL the info for reloading in your book, and have successfully reloaded for awhile, the Powder Manufacturers sites will be a good guide for different bullets with their powders.
Read, read, read...and ask questions. You will never regret learning this hobby (addiction). Take care and have fun.
 
Magnum007 said:
I am going to start reloading soon and started looking into manuals. The problem I have is I don't know which manual to buy. Any recommendations would be a great help.
Click to expand...

I think Lyman is the best for a "first" manual. They have the widest assortment of loads, at least in the cartridges i load for. Example - in .223 they have loads that start at .22 Hornet velocities and work up from there. You don't get that in some of the other manuals.

The other reason that I like Lyman is that they don't make many components themselves and don't show as much BIAS as the manuals put out by the powder and bullet companies.
 
+1 Definitely would recommend ABC's of Reloading as a first book. Lee's is pretty good as well. These were the first two books I bought and read when I started reloading. I then added the Lyman's, Speers and Hornady reloading manuals in the order listed later on. Most, if not all, major powder manufacturer's have load data on their websites so, in hindsight, I don't think I really needed the Speers or Hornady manuals but.............I will admit that they're nice to have for reference. YMMV


CyaN1de said:
I would have at least 2 so you can cross reference....you don't need a typo ruining your range day with a blown up gun (or worse)

Lee 2nd Edition (Recommended)
ABC's of Reloading (Recommended)
Latest edition of the following: (Your Choice)
Lyman
Speer
Nosler
Hornady
Sierra

Also check out the Hodgdon site and Reloadersnest
Click to expand...
 
Like a lot of other guys, I think the Lyman manual is a good one to get. I'd probably start with it, then add the manual for the bullet manufacturer you plan on starting to load first.
 
Some new thoughts (contoversies?) needed

My printed guide for reloading when I started was the Norma Gunbugs Guide. Since I was using Norma powders exclusively, this was very handy. They listed their most suitable powder for a given weight bullet in a calibre, in the ussual three charge steps- start, med and full.
They did not distinguish between different makes, or styles, of bullets. That is, a 180 grain bullet for a certain charge in a 30-06 say, was just that; a 180 grain bullet.
That's how I started and in all the years of loading since, I have never been able to determine the slightest difference in pressure between any bullets of the same weight in any calibre.
Thus, if tomorrow I bought a brand of bullets I had never before used in say, 180 grains for the 30-06, I would look at my notes for the rifle I was going to load for, then put in the usual charge of the powder I wanted that gave me my usual, standard load. Note I said the rifle I wanted to load for. There is often a big difference in rifles of the same calibre. I have two bolt action 30-06s. One will take, with no sign of high pressure, whatsoever, what will stick the bolt on the other 30-06. I have exactly the same situation in two bolt action .243 rifles. Therefore, I must carefully mark my reloads for the rifle they are intended for. But to repeat, I have never determined any pressure change, whatsoever, from interchanging bullets of the same weight, but different shapes or makes.
The one componet that does make a difference is the brass case. There is considerable weight difference between different brands of cases and the heavy cases should be loaded lighter than the light cases. This is because they are all the same size on the outside, so if they are heavier, that means the extra metal is on the inside, making the capacity of the case smaller, resulting in higher pressure, if the same charge is used.
Most modern reloaders tend to treat each brand of brass case seperately. Instead, I just go by weights. If my old Norma, CIL and Winchester all weigh very close to the same, what difference does it make who made them? Remington used to be the heaviest I had, but now I see some Federal are in the same weight range, so they go together.
What I have written above is written just for entertainment, only, and no way is it meant to influence how you reload ammunition. Just do things your way, and do not consider any of this as instructions on how to reload.
 
John Y Cannuck said:
True, Lyman's manual is an excellent choice, but Bias? please cite examples.
Hogdon's , manual even includes data published by other companies, that's hardly bias.
Click to expand...

It is bias when the loads listed using the competitors powder consistantly obtain lower maximum velocities than their own.
 
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