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Offline aldar

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best reloading manual?
« on: February 22, 2007, 01:31:22 PM »
Just looking for opinions on the best reloading manual to get.  Have Lymans 48th ed. but looking to get at least one more. Manual can be past or present.
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Offline sk330lc

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2007, 01:48:13 PM »
The best relaoding Manual you can have is. The most current Manaul of the Maker, Of the Bullet your loading..  Can never be to safe!
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Offline quickdtoo

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2007, 02:06:08 PM »
I'd get the Hodgdon 2006 Annual while you can and the 2007 which are only $7 or $8 each, the 2007 lost a few calibers that I noticed. Any of the  Lee, Hornady 7th, Nosler 5th or Sierra 5th would be good to add, not necessarily in that order, as sk330lc said, pick one if you have a preference for bullets. A lot of the Hodgdon/IMR/Winchester data can be found online at Hodgdon's new site, as well as Accurate's and Alliant's. ;)

Tim

http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp

http://accuratearms.com/

http://www.alliantpowder.com/
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Offline Ratltrap

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2007, 02:20:44 PM »
Depends on what you want from the manual. If you are new to reloading you may want to get one with a comprehensive techniques section. The Lyman is pretty good there, but I also like the A-square manual and the NRA Handloading Manual. If you have favorite bullets and powders, as suggested, get the most recent manuals or web data from those manufacurers.
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Offline Ron T.

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2007, 03:01:24 PM »
I like the Lyman Reloading Handbook (manual) because Lyman doesn't make bullets or powder, so they don't just give information on one brand of bullets or powder the way powder and bullet manfacturers do. 

Lyman uses all brands of bullets and powders and give what I believe is the largest variety of loads because they're not trying to sell the components used for handloading like so many others are.  :)


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.
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Offline Gregory

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2007, 04:32:33 PM »
Quote from: Ron T. on February 22, 2007, 03:01:24 PM
Lyman uses all brands of bullets and powders and give what I believe is the largest variety of loads because they're not trying to sell the components used for handloading like so many others are.  :)


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

True for the most part as far as jacketed bullets go, but they are giving loads for just their cast bullets.

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Offline PaulS

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2007, 05:14:21 PM »
You should have the manual from the bullet maker and powder maker of the stuff you use. If you only have the one gun you can also pick up the "One Book, One Caliber" books that have the load data for all the major manuals for your cartridge. You don't get the added information that is available in the manuals though and that is at least half the reason you get the manuals.
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PaulS

Hodgdon, Lyman, Speer, Sierra, Hornady = reliable resources
so and so's pages on the internet = not reliable resources
Alway check loads you find on the internet against manuals.
NEVER exceed maximum listed loads.

Offline alleyyooper

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2007, 03:33:51 AM »
I have a rack full of manuals from a lyman I bought in the 1960's when I started to a recent Alliant manual.
(1. The very first Lyman manual I bought it the most used and book marked manual I have.
(2. The next is a Seirra manual I bought in the early 1970's, the seirra manual I bought in the late 80's hardly gets touched.
(3. two Speer manuals one from the mid 70's and one from the mid 90's
(4 a Hornaday from the mid 90's
(5 a Nosler Manual from when their bullets had a resonable price.

I like the old Lyman manual best cause it has some old favorite calibers no other manual list except the oldest Seirra manual.

I had to get some thing newer to for the 7MM 08 when they were released for sale.

 :)  Al

 
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Offline Castaway

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #8 on: February 23, 2007, 03:55:44 AM »
If you are looking for just load data, the "One Caliber, One Book" or "Loadbooks" series is hard to beat.  They have data from both bullet and powder manufacturers.  If loading for 45 ACP, the Midway book is the one to get.  It's their version of the above and gives specific pressures for loads with each bullet and powder combination.  I think they also made one in 44 Mag and maybe another caliber or two.
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Offline Lawful Larry

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #9 on: February 23, 2007, 04:05:09 AM »
As far as what book is the best, all of them.  No really, what I do is use the book for the bullets I use.  I use a lot of Sierra ans Speer bullets so I use their books.  I figure that the guys that make the bullet should know what is best for them.   

A bit of info for you.  As to who is the best, I would say that Sierra would probably fill that bill.  They have the most controlled environment and probably the most scientific operation of the bunch. 
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Offline Lone Star

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2007, 10:31:21 AM »
Regardless of the manual you get (and I recommend that you get at least two), get the newest you can find.  There is a reason that some load data has been reduced in recent years - old data was sometimes too hot!  Too, powders and bullets change with time - which effects the velocity and pressure of loads.  Don't be foolish....

A good example is found the in the Lyman manuals.  With the .44 Magnum, 240-grain bullet and 2400 powder, there is a difference between the loads they listed in the old #46 and in the new #48.  They reduced  the maximum charge by about 5% with new 2400 powder, but the velocity and pressures were still higher  than the old data.  If you used the 20-year-old maximum load data you'd be 'way too hot today!   :o


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Offline Swamp Yankee

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Re: best reloading manual?
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2007, 02:14:40 PM »
    I'm with castaway, the "Load Books" are my choice. They take the pages right out of all the major bullet and powder mfg's books and put them together for one cal. I do have a Sierra and a Lee manual too.........Jim
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