Rifle reloading - the one book to own?

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Ok, so I have been reloading shotshells for a couple of years now.

And I decided to venture into rifle territory and I got myself a simple Lee Loader in 30-06 ....

I am thinking about starting with some mouse farts for my 30-06 .... !! The danger of blowing anything up seems low in that category .... as long as I check my barrel for obstructions after each shot .... :)

However, for somebody who wants to learn more about rifle reloading .... what is the one essential book that you would recommend?

If you had to recommend only one book on rifle reloading .... which one would it be?
 
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I really hope that nobody recommends the ABC's of reloading. For myself, the Lyman manual is my go-to (but I always look at two sources when reloading a new caliber). 30-06 was the first caliber that I ever reloaded and I'm still doing so decades later. Can't go wrong with 4064 and 150-168 grain bullets.

Sort of kidding about the ABC book. I found it to be useless, as better and more detailed information may be found in any of the better reloading manuals: RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, etc.

Also, the thing about reloading rifle vs. reloading almost anything else is case length after re-sizing. Trim-to-length. That's where you can get in trouble, even if you do everything else correctly. Having a uniform case length is good for other reasons including consistency. A combination of other techniques may be used to maintain case length once you become more proficient, should you chose to do so.
 
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I've got a couple of reloading manuals (Lee, Lyman, Hornady, Berger, Sierra), and each one of them covers some little tidbit of information that the others don't.

There is also "Cartridges of the World" by Barnes, "Modern Reloading" by Nonte, and"ABCs of Relaoding".

Not quite one recommendation, but more of a suggestion to not limit yourself to just one source of information.
 
Depends on whether you really WANT a book, or just feel like its necessary. I have gotten by just fine without a book, although I do have one now, SPEER #12 from a friends' friends' father who passed away years ago. Anything you can learn in those books you can also learn by reading forums and watching youtube. Someone around here also has (or had) ABCs of Reloading and Lyman #48 in PDF for download from their google drive account or dropbox or something. I have the Lyman one on my hard drive.

My go-to resources for loads are Nosler and Hodgdon, and recently Barnes for TSX data 'cause I started using monometal bullets.

https://www.hodgdonreloading.com/

https://load-data.nosler.com/

https://www.barnesbullets.com/load-data/ (Scroll to the bottom for downloadable PDFs)

Just take it slow, double check everything, and come here to ask questions when necessary.
 
ABC’s: there are worst things you can spend $20 on. It’s a good bathroom read.

I agree with the Lyman manual - it’s the first one I pick up and I own a few. Side-question...is Lyman 50 worth picking up if I have 49?
 
I think a single source of info is just not enough for the many facets of reloading rifle cartridges.

If you're looking for process, that is one factor, but there is just too much info to even contain in one book.

The concept of reloading is a never ending process of learning.
 
A previous poster mentioned to "double check" - TAKE THAT TO HEART!!! Was working via PM and texts with fellow trying to load for his 7mm STW (inherited from GrandPa). Purely by "luck" he went to Nosler on-line and was using that data for 175 grain bullets. Turns out Nosler on-line has very different numbers than same powders compared to Nosler manuals #6 and #7. Took a bit, but then discovered that the load table they show for 175 grain bullets are exactly the same load numbers as they give for 160 grain bullets. Lots of variation among loading manuals for that cartridge - got amazing variety of Start and Max loads as we went through Speer, Hornady, Sierra, Nosler and Hodgdon manuals for H1000 powder. Several instances found where somebody's Start load was greater than somebody else's Max load. Most everyone's Max velocity was in agreement - considerable difference in powder charge using their components and their test rifles to get there...

It did not "help" that Grandpa had a "custom" chamber in the after market barrel - after a cerrosafe cast, turns out the chamber neck area was .020" (?) smaller / tighter than what is called out for 7mm STW by SAAMI, but does appear to retain a section of "free-bore". So, no real reason to expect a published "recipe" - even with no clerical errors, and hand loader using exact same components as did the lab - to get the same results, especially with a chamber that does not "match". In his case, he was starting with Sierra bullets, using Nosler on-line data, and "sized down" 8mm Rem Mag cases - all, as it turns out, to be significant departures from any published data, anywhere that we could find. First "clue" we worked through was that a new bullet would not slip at all into the mouth of a fired case. Most of the issues went away with new Hornady brand 7mm STW brass and Hornady 175 grain ELD-X bullets, using Hornady data. All sounded reasonable, and the pressure series worked out well, but surprising to me - looking at the details of the "recipe" in Hornady #9 manual, they actually used Remington cases, not Hornady cases, and Federal 215 primers to work up their published loads...
 
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Ruger007 said:
My favorite was the Speer book.
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Same here, #14 for me. You are unlikely to find much agreement on which is the "one" to own. Lots of good stuff in there though. One I really don't recommend is the Nosler loading manual. It has nice write ups but the load data is very watered down and pretty thin.
 
OneBarfly said:
I really hope that nobody recommends the ABC's of reloading. For myself, the Lyman manual is my go-to (but I always look at two sources when reloading a new caliber). 30-06 was the first caliber that I ever reloaded and I'm still doing so decades later. Can't go wrong with 4064 and 150-168 grain bullets.

Sort of kidding about the ABC book. I found it to be useless, as better and more detailed information may be found in any of the better reloading manuals: RCBS, Lyman, Hornady, etc.

Also, the thing about reloading rifle vs. reloading almost anything else is case length after re-sizing. Trim-to-length. That's where you can get in trouble, even if you do everything else correctly. Having a uniform case length is good for other reasons including consistency. A combination of other techniques may be used to maintain case length once you become more proficient, should you chose to do so.
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ABC is a great resource if you are new to reloading. Other than that, there isnt any one manual that surpasses the others. I probably own at least 25 diferent manuals. They have all proven useful, at one time or another. - dan
 
I agree fully on the manuals published by the bullet makers. Read them and fully understand what they are telling you.

If your simple Lee Loader is the style where you pound brass in and out of dies, be careful. Just my opinion, but they are basically only a neck sizer, meant for a few reloads on the cheap.. Soon you will need to be full length resizing which means a press. You will know if your bolt starts closing hard.

If you get to the press stage, hopefully you read the manuals and NEVER run a dry case into a sizer die. Put case lube on the list!

While reading about sizer dies, try to understand headspace and setting sizer dies. The basic instructions included with dies will keep you safe, assuming you have a rifle with a proper chamber.

Potashminer's story is a cautionary tale that you do not want to get into as a rookie. Know where your gun came from as far as its chambering and use either new, or once fired brass known to you. Do not get brass from your range's brass barrel.

Your mention of mouse fart loads is also scary. RYFM (read your f@@kin manual) and/or cruise the net. Lots has been written about bad results from attempts to load down rifle cartridges.

Get a balance beam powder scale, not an electronic. RCBS 505, 510, or equivalent are readily available.

Get a decent dial caliper and learn how to read it. This is not hard and there are no batteries to fail.

Get a hammer type bullet puller and a piece of 2x4 to pound against. Do not whack them against a concrete floor. When you start learning how to set your sizer die and set bullet seating depth, this tool will let you get things adjusted without powdered or primed cases. Just like trying on shoes.

I could go on and on, but others can chime in. Read the stickies at the top of the different forums, there are several good cautionary tales to be found.

Happy and safe reloading.
 
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