I really had cut back on my reloading till I recently retired. I want to get back to it and need a current reloading manual. Mine are about 25 years old. Any suggestions which ones I should have?

LJS, I've got about every reloading manual there is.

My least favorite is the Speer manual and my favorite is the Lyman reloading handbook.

I like Hornady and Hodgon's

The best manual about reloading is "Any Shot You Want" by Art Alpin (and some others) and while it doesn't have a lot of different cartridges listed (mostly the bigger bores( it is great for "how to" info.

The sections on how velocity/pressure/etc can vary by changing primers and different lots of powders should be required reading for every one who wants to make their own ammo.

I use several manuals.Some seem to have better data on certain cartridges than the others.The most consistant seems to be hodgdons.

Every manufacturer who publishes a reloading manual has their own axe to grind. Unfortunately, lately, their axes have become more dull!

They all want you to believe that their product goes faster, or burns cleaner, or mushrooms faster, or penetrates deeper than the other guys' products.

Their loadings have been "lawyered" down so pathetically that the original cartridge developer is turning over in his grave!

Oh, I've heard the argument that they are using new testing methods, and that the loads of 40 years ago are extremely dangerous today.

Well, I have been using the same loads developed in the 1960's for my handguns and rifles (where the components are still available) and have had not a single problem with any of them ... yet they are considered "over maximum" by the last couple of reloading manual issued.

Yes, I have them all ... and I will continue to buy every new one that comes on the market. Because I just can't wait to see the revered old .357 Magnum brought down to the ballistic equivalent of a stinking .22 Short!

If you want to purchase a "new" manual, buy one that is NOT published by eith a bullet or powder manufacturer. That doesn't leave much of a choice...

My suggestion...Lyman...

Good info Steve. Some leave out real good powders ans swear by others. Lyman has a real good book and I need to get thier latest reloading book.

quote:

Originally posted by DaMan:
LJS, I've got about every reloading manual there is.

My least favorite is the Speer manual and my favorite is the Lyman reloading handbook.

I have to agree Speer has alwayds been on the conservative side when it comes to reloading data. I like Hornady and Nosler newer manuals.

quote:

Originally posted by ricciardelli:
...If you want to purchase a "new" manual, buy one that is NOT published by eith a bullet or powder manufacturer. ...

Hey LJS, I'll go with the exact opposite of that recommendation. Get Manuals from the companies that will be producing the Powder and Bullets you use.

Most of them have on-line information available, but I still like having the Manuals to read through.

Also like the Lyman Manual that Steve mentioned.

Okay, so he decides on IMR powders and Hornady bullets...

What does he do when he finds that the minimum charge for a particular load in one manual is higher than the maximum load in the other?

Here's what he does...he posts another message in this forum asking why the difference!

Probably so. There seem to be a lot of those type questions.

quote:

he posts another message in this forum asking why the difference

...and he learns, just like we all did at one time or another, to use a bit of common sense and rationally evaluate all the data out there and come to his own conclusions.

I see no downside here, unless you get tired of answering that question once or twice a year, in which case simply passing the post by seems easy enough.

I have looked for trends in manuals and there is plenty of lawyering down, but Sierra seems to stay the same.

But the best loads for me in strong rifles and those I work up with long brass life.

At the risk of getting stoned, I like Nosler's manuals. I have others also but I like the fact that they list the fastest load and powder combination first, they give you the load density for each powder charge, mark the most accurate charge with an * in each powder bracket, and list the most accurate powder tested for each bullet weight given in a cartridge. I also find their ballistic charts easy to read...Rusty.

I use Lyman, Horady, Hodgen, Lee, Speer and Nosler among others, and tend to compare data in different manuals for the load, pauing particular attention to results achieved with the components I intend to use. I agree with Steve that the data is being dummied down substantially to avoid possible law suits. But you need to know somthing about the gun to interprit the data as well. For example, the 280 was intoduced in pump and auto firearms. Therefore the SAAMI specs are at least 5,000 psi lower than comperable calibers (like 270) that were introduced in a bolt action. So, 280 data tend to run very conservative in most manuals.
One also needs to consider the bullet being used. Barnes bullets require the use of Barnes data. Being made mostly of copper, they are longer & therefore have a larger bearing surface. This produces higher pressure levels with comperable amounts of powder when jacketed or lead bullets are used. Lss, I would'nt rely on just one manual. Do as much comparison as you can reasonably do using published data which includes pressure indicators like velocity.

I am a new guy to here and reloading. I technically don't reload YET. I am reading and educating myself with being here and settling on equipt and such. Anyhow I just bought the Lyman by the following it has on this board and a few others. I can see myself eventually owning all of them though. I like to get more than one opinion when I start something.

quote:

Originally posted by 323:

quote:

Originally posted by DaMan:
LJS, I've got about every reloading manual there is.

My least favorite is the Speer manual and my favorite is the Lyman reloading handbook.

I have to agree Speer has alwayds been on the conservative side when it comes to reloading data. I like Hornady and Nosler newer manuals.

Speer has not always been on the conservative side. If you don't believe me find a copy of Speer Manual #7 or better yet a copy of Speer Manual #1 and you will see what I mean!

Barstooler

Lyman

hodgdon, hornady, and the a-squared manual. hodgdon because has pressure data for virtually everything and has no vested interest in any mfgr's bullets so lists way more weights than the others. hornady because of really good ballistic tables and hornady offers so many bullets in so many calibers. the a-squared manual because has so much xlnt internal and external ballistic info as well as load data for so many of the large, old ctgs. if i were to add a fourth would be lyman because of pressure info and cast bullet data. i had one of everybody's and after realizing these were the most useful i sold the others on ebay and never looked back.

Don't forget the IMR one. I don't know whether it's made any more -- likely not since IMR is now owned by Hodgdon -- but a few years ago IMR produced a loading manual. It was in the form of a stapled brochure, printed on light brown paper. It was slightly smaller than standard 8 1/2 X 11 typing paper, and contained loads for shotshells, pistols, and rifles in all the standard or well-known gauges and calibers. It had a special page devoted to loading Weatherby Magnum calibers with IMR 7828 powder. I am lucky to have two copies of it.

Alliant (formerly Hercules) produces a free loading manual too, as do Hodgdon and Winchester/Olin. These are in the form of little booklets. They contain loads for only their powders.