Who makes the best Reloading Manuals?

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

What do you feel are the best reloading manuals?

Hodgdon seems fairly generic and they currently seem to error on the light side of max loads as opposed to earlier years. I like Nosler's manuals quite a bit. Barnes are ok but too much of their data is specific to their precise type of bullet.

What are your preferences?

-DallanC

Spacedone · Member Joined: Nov 04, 2005 Posts: 266 Location: missouri

im new to reloading but from the year ive been reloading i find the lee manual to be the one i use the most.

it may not have as many loads in it but for completeness its hard to beat.

Bushmaster

Lyman...One of the best for experts and beginners. I also have a Sierra 5th edition.

Not to mention all the load data that I have gotten free from the internet and load data pamphlets that I get for free. And that would be a long list. I just got one, unsolisited, from Ramshot just yesterday.

Gil Martin · Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:51 pm Post subject: It depends

I would agree that if I had only one reloading manual it would be a Lyman. However, I have Hornady, Sierra and Speer manuals in different editions. They tend to differ in some areas and over the years most of them have reduced maximum load data (especially Speer). All the best...
Gil

Bushmaster

And Sierra has some of the highest charge levels. Especially in the handgun section. Those I really pay attention to when loading up to...

Crackshot

I'm partial to Sierra, but have a few OLD lymans that are very informative.

popgun

My goal is to own the current edition of every bullet makers manual that I reload bullets for plus the powder company manuals. One is just not enough. I also keep all of my outdated manuals because there seems to always be some powder or bullet that is no longer listed in the new manuals.

The Sierra Manual not only has good data for their bullets but they also have extensive reloading/ballistics related articles.

The Nosler Manual is another top manual for their bullets with the additional information on bullet seating beyond manual recomendations.

The Lee Manual, though it has allot of information, had outdated load data and lacks many new calibers. But, it too has some good technical articles.

The Hornady Manual covers a wide range of calibers and tech info and the new edition is out.

The Speer Manual is the basic manual with good tech articles and load information for Speer bullets that can be used for other like style/weight bullets.

The Hodgdon Manual (the last bound manual) covers the powders that it sells under it's trade name and outdated load information from IMR, Alliant, & Winchester. The new Hodgdon 'magazine style' manuals only list maximum loads but they do have current cartridge info on the new calibers and new articles every year.

The VV manual covers their powders well and many calibers that are little used in the US.

The Barnes manual is only good for their bullets and they do have good tech articles.

For the lead bullet shooter there is not a better manual than the Lyman Manual. Good tech articles on loading & casting bullets.

The annual 'reloading guides' from IMR, Hodgdon, Alliant, Accurate, ADI, etc are good sources of max load data. I just received Ramshot's latest reloading guide, all 7 pages of it with a few loads using their powder.

The information in these manuals is the best reference material on reloading available. Each has something that you need to know and is covered in a way that anyone can understand, some a little better than the other.

It's like going to college and only buying a College Dictionary. You would be able to spell all the words but what do you do with them? So, which manual? Buy them all.

Blaine · Member Joined: Feb 24, 2005 Posts: 260 Location: Maine

Nosler is my "Go To" manual. The Speer is good, but lacks some calibers I'm interested in. The Lee either has a lot of misprints, or I'm not reading it correctly. Several of the Min/Max load figures are the same for both with no range given. The Lyman is also one of my favorites. I seldom use the powder manufacturers manuals because all they give is max loads. When I'm working up a load for a new bullet, I consult all my manuals, but I put more credence in the Nosler & Lyman books.

Blaine

Vince

popgun wrote:

My goal is to own the current edition of every bullet makers manual that I reload bullets for plus the powder company manuals. One is just not enough. I also keep all of my outdated manuals because there seems to always be some powder or bullet that is no longer listed in the new manuals...........

The information in these manuals is the best reference material on reloading available. Each has something that you need to know and is covered in a way that anyone can understand, some a little better than the other.........

So, which manual? Buy them all.

Chris, I couldn't agree more with your sentiments.

I only have 1 reloading manual and that is an old version of the Sierra Manual. I do however regularly check online information from any and all sources I can find. I use the ADI Reloaders Guide mostly because it is their powders that I use.

This site is also a great source of information because it is info that is tried and true, by shooters that are responsible. Now I know that this comment will probably draw some "amusing" posts, but seriously, each and every one of us here have tried and tested our loads and discarded those that are found "wanting", leaving us with loads that meet the desired criteria, safely.

Cheers, Vince

1895ss

I have several reloading manuals but the one I use most is the Hornady manual. I use mostly Hornady bullets and although many would object to the fact, but they have killed , with authority, everything I hunt from gophers to Elk. I know some would say you have to use a premium (Nosler, Barnes Etc ) to kill Elk, Deer etc, but I think that is B.S. Tell that to all the Deer and Elk I have taken over the last 30 years or so without loosing any more than one animal. If you want to waste your money or just have too much, keep using the premiums. The Elk etc I have shot did not know the diff, so don't let them know, OK. A 180 gr 06 loaded Hornady that goes right through a bull Elk's chest and knocking it down is insuperior to a Nosler doing the same thing,......... HOW????????

heritage1550

If you're looking for just plain old loading information and you're not interested in ballastics tables, tech talk and so on, you can't beat the manuals put out by Loadbooks USA. Their manuals are for one caliber only and appears they copy the loading info from the likes of Accurate, Alliant, Barnes, etc, etc and put it all in one book. For $7 or $8 you can't beat the price. I have them for the 223, 220 Swift, 25-06 and 300 Winchester Mag for rifles and in pistol for the 357, 9mm and 45 auto.

1895ss

heritage1550 wrote:

If you're looking for just plain old loading information and you're not interested in ballastics tables, tech talk and so on, you can't beat the manuals put out by Loadbooks USA. Their manuals are for one caliber only and appears they copy the loading info from the likes of Accurate, Alliant, Barnes, etc, etc and put it all in one book. For $7 or $8 you can't beat the price. I have them for the 223, 220 Swift, 25-06 and 300 Winchester Mag for rifles and in pistol for the 357, 9mm and 45 auto.

I have some of those. They are good books .... no doubt about it. Smile

PaulS

Lets see, I most often use Speer bullets - So I have three (after giving two away) Speer manuals, I Sometimes use Sierra Bullets so I have two of theirs, I use Hodgdon Powder - so I have four of their manuals, Had to add the Lyman manuals to the set because they are extremely valuable, A Hornady manual - just in caseI should use their bullets, I have two of the "One Book, One Caliber" books and a few of the "free" manuals that come with different powders - Winchester, Accurate Arms, and the IMR series and a couple of old (VERY OLD) manuals on handloading that have loads listed as well as some of the little things to tune and perfect shooting and reloading habits. (as in addiction)

I really should get some manuals - I believe that my Speer manual is the only one that is the latest available - the rest vary in age from three years old to 30 years old. My wish list is:

Lyman, Hodgdon, Sierra, Nosler, Barnes and three more of the "One Book, One Caliber" manuals in 257 Roberts, 3006, 357 Mag.

That should be enough for this year.

Handloader

Hodgdon #26 was the best available for my use; alas, they are no longer available, but, contained superb information.

Lyman #48 offers more information for general reloading; before anyone even begins to handload, we recommend they buy this manual and read the first 110 pages.

Nosler's main advantage for me is that they show load densities. Identifying the best possible powders is merely a matter of finding the highest velocities with the highest load densities, begin conservative and work up. IMO there is always a correlation between load density and velocity and, often, accuracy.

Collectible manuals would include the Speer Cast Bullet manual of the mid60s, an amazing book.

squirrelbait

I've got 2 Speer, 2 Hornady, and Lyman 47. I really can't afford to keep up with new manuals. You could spend well over a hundred bucks a year just in reloading manuals#)&_&(^^#*&>. That's why places like this are so important. I get what I can from web sites and use the manuals as back up support for what I see.