Reloading books/manuals?

[Xfire68]

I am looking to add to my book as you may have noticed I said "Book" and not Books! LOL

I have have been getting by with my Lyman 49th and what I can find on the net and this forum to fill in what I can't find in my book.

What would be the next best buy for reloading pistols and some rifles.

I have .380, 9mm, .40 S&W, soon to be loading 45LC, .45 ACP, .41 Mag and maybe .44 Mag.

Rifles I load .223/5.56 and soon to be 30-30, 30.06, and 30-30 for a Thomson Center-fire Contender.

I really should have more books but, some that I have had a chance to look at in stores seem to be lacking and cost to much or only have their bullets that they make. One book had 1 bullet weight/type for 9mm?? One? Really???

[troy_mclure]

id recommend AGAINST the hornady, there is only a few loads listed for each cartridge.

have you looked at loadbooks yet? $6-$8 each, and contain tons of loads.

they dont have any really recent info, but its still good.

I've got the Lyman 49th, hornady 2nd & 7th, lee 2nd, Lyman cast bullet 3rd, loadbook for every cartridge, hand loaders digest 10th, and about 9 hand loader magazines, but i still use the Internet more often than not.

[Para Cassatt]

"Modern Reolading" second edition by Richard Lee has a good mix but it is a little dated. Most others that I have will only pertain to their powders or bullets.In addition to Lee I use Hornady 5,6 & 7, Nosler 4,5 & 6, Sierra 4 & 5, Hodgdon 27 and it's annuals, Speer 13 & 14, Barnes 3 & 4, Lyman 47,48,49, Pistol & Revolver 3, Cast 3( waiting on 4), Accurate 2 and annuals from IMR, Alliant, and Ramshot. You can never have enough info and on occation you may be able to find contradicting info which should be looked into further on places like this site.

[Doodlebugger45]

The looadbooks are good for different powder weights and bullet weights. They basically copy all the known manuals and reprint that info for one single cartridge. That's good if you are just looking for load recipes and are already comfortable with the loading process itself.

For me, I subscribed to loaddata.com about 8 months ago. It also compiles all the big manuals' recipes into one spot. It has load recipes from about any source ever published, including some of the handloading magazines. I have methodically been printing them all out for the 9 different calibers that I do. It's a lot of printing so I do it from the office rather than my home printer. I figure I'll have them all compiled into my load notebooks pretty soon and I might drop my subscription then. It's only $29.95/year though. If I start loading any other calibers I might need it again.

[Brian Pfleuger]

I see no need for any more manuals. I have a LoadBook for 7mm-08 and the Lyman 49th. Both are good info but neither typically has the exact combination of bullet and powder that I want to use. So, my major source of information is QuickLoad and the internet. I see no need for anything else.

[jaguarxk120]

Look at Pet Loads by Ken Waters. Over the years he has tested just about everything that shoots out of a rifle or handgun.

[escard]

Pet loads (Ken Waters) is a fine source, but only for "global information" because many powder characteristics have changed in the last 25 years.........

[Baryngyl]

Get the free books from the makers of the powders.
Some can be downloaded as .PDF files, some you can ask for a booklet to be sent to you.

http://www.gun-shots.net/reloading-data.shtml
http://www.accuratepowder.com/reloading.htm
http://www.ramshot.com/powders/loadg...de%20V4.3b.pdf
http://www.lapua.com/fileadmin/user_...deEdition8.pdf
http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Hodgdon%20Basic%20Manual.pdf
http://glarp.atk.com/2010/2010_Catal...adersGuide.pdf


Michael Grace

[WESHOOT2]

Lyman Pistol & Revolver
Hodgdon Annual Manual (most highly recommend)
Speer
Accurate
Sierra
LoadBook(s)

And just keep asking here......

[jmortimer]

If you use Lee Precision equipment then Modern Reloading by Richard Lee is an obvious choice. Otherwise, rather than recommend a book, I would recommend a subscription to Load Data. I think it is a fantastic resource. It has all the "usual" information but also all the data developed by Handloader over the years.

[WESHOOT2]

I prefer my data investigation require no electricity, or computer, or internet.
I prefer paper.

[Xfire68]

Thanks guys. Great suggestions! I have used a number of the ones you have mentioned above but, some are out of my price range. Quickload looks great but $150? It's I am sure worth it to some as they are looking for the highest accuracy possible which my plinking does not require.

I may continue doing what I am now?

[Loader9]

Get the Lee manual. It's pretty much a compilation of everybodys data and usually you can find it on sale at Midway for around $10.00.

[zippy13]

Reloading books are generally in two parts: general reloading practices, or How to reload and specific load recipes. We're all assuming you're after more specific loads as opposed the how to aspects.

Back in the day, the free loading guides produced by the powder makers were a great source of data. I was disappointed by the last one I got from Alliant. In their older handouts, they listed several types of bullets, including the more popular generic cast bullets. Now, if you use Alliant powder, they expect you to shoot only Speer bullets.

Xfire68, you're being overly optimistic hoping to have all your data in a single volume. Like some of the others, I have a Load Book for each of the metallic cartridges I load. They are fine; but, as others have indicated, lack data on the newer components. I also have the Lyman book and the NRA's Handloading. And, I have an assortment of older powder manufacturer's free handouts. For shot shells, there are often loads listed on the backs of wad bags.

There are several free on-line reloading data sites. But, like the current Alliant guide, they tend to offer loads using only the components available from their marketing group. Back in 1997, I printed some of the "Cowboy" loads from the Alliant site. I'm glad I made hard copies because those loads (with non Speer bullets) are no longer available from Alliant.

Instead of a single book, may I suggest you get a large three-ring binder and start collecting. However, you've got to exercise some common sense -- question loads that seem to be vastly different from other similar recipes. The binder is also a great place to keep your reloading notes. You are making notes on the loads you use, aren't you?

[Jimmy10mm]

Although it is definitely dated one of my favorite books on the topic is Principles and Practice Of Reloading Ammunition by Lt. Col. Earl Naramore. Great info on just what the title suggests and I love the way the author expresses himself. Out of print for many years but if you're lucky enough to find a copy don't pass it up. Well worth the price of admission.

[Edward429451]

I use Lymans book mostly but have picked up a bunch of them over time at garage sales and such. Even the older books are good because they wrote better articles back then in the books.

[Berry's MfG]

I second the motion on the www.loaddata.com, I use it for a reference at work. It is a compilation of everyone's data and is constantly updated.

[AlaskaMike]

I don't know how many gun shows you have in your area, but most of my manuals are gun show picks that I got for a couple bucks apiece. Sure, they're not the most recent edition, but they still work great as a sanity check against other sources.

[spacecoast]

I'll go a bit against the grain and tell you that I don't even have a load manual and have reloaded 5K+ rounds in 5 different calibers in the last 8 months. The free online resources I use are:

http://www.handloads.com/
http://www.reloadammo.com/
http://www.hodgdon.com/
http://www.alliantpowder.com/
http://www.accuratearms.com/

I also use the Lee data sheets that came with my dies and I have a couple of folks here at TFL who have run Quickload for me a number of times (thanks, guys). Some will say I am crazy for not using a paper manual, but I have compiled a spreadsheet database with my load info (using all sources above) and bounce them against each other and add a dose of common sense. A computer makes it a lot easier to sort, filter and compare the data and make sure what I am doing is OK. I also faithfully log each reloading session and label my boxes of reloads so I know exactly what they are.

[RWNielsen]

I have Speer's #13, the Hornady 4th ed. 2 volume set, the ABC's and a loadbook for every caliber I load for (and then some).
Like some have said, there's a good amount of info in the loadbooks but it may not be too current. My copy for .308 Winchester has no mention of Varget for instance. Speer and Hornady generally just show loads for their bullets. You can always cross reference with some of the more specialized internet forums...

http://forums.handloads.com/default.asp

http://www.reloadbench.com/main.html


Or sign up for something like this:

http://ammoguide.com/

[oneounceload]

If you are going to use a particular bullet maker's stuff, buy their manual for the best data

[Jim243]

+ + + On oneounceload.

I have Lymans 48th & 49th but use them only for general reference. I like the bullet manufactures Hornady and Speer since those are what I use the most of. I also have Hodgdon's and all of their annual paperbacks. But I do check their web site on each new load to see if there is additional information to be learned Alliant's website for Power Pistol loads and Accurate for AA #7. If Rem had a book I would buy that too, I use a lot of Rem for pistol bullets.
Since 90% of my powders are Hodgdon, Winchester and IMR I rely on Hodgdons site and books the most.

Whatever way you go, you won't go wrong by having more information than less.

Jim

[TXGunNut]

Lyman 45, 48, 49 are great, 45 is the most interesting to me-snatch one up if you find it. Will get the cast bullet book when the new edition comes out. Hornady is useful to me because I happen to like their bullets-but they don't like my powders. Have their 4th and 7th editions. My Speer 10th edition was my first, shows lots of wear. It was my first manual and I read it practically cover to cover, many parts over and over. Still use it today. Have the Speer 13th but only because I was curious about some new powders.
My favorite manuals are the old ones because they seem to have the best info. The newer ones are more current but somehow lack the info I'm often looking for. Loadbooks are fine if you like photocopies of old manuals. Waters did some great work but powders have changed since then. I'd like a copy of his books for my library. The articles are worth the price even if the info is a bit dated.
I don't have a Lee manual and until I do I feel my library is somewhat lacking. Richard Lee has been such a huge part of my reloading life, have no idea why I don't have his book. Nosler deserves a peek now and then but hasn't found a place on my shelf yet.
A note about the Hodgdon site, when they say max, they really mean it!
I won't try a new load without checking 3-4 sources these days. Seems every time I spend a bit of time with a loading manual I learn something.

[FrankenMauser]

Get the free books from the makers of the powders.
Some can be downloaded as .PDF files, some you can ask for a booklet to be sent to you.

http://www.gun-shots.net/reloading-data.shtml
http://www.accuratepowder.com/reloading.htm
http://www.ramshot.com/powders/loadg...de%20V4.3b.pdf
http://www.lapua.com/fileadmin/user_...deEdition8.pdf
http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Hodgdon%20Basic%20Manual.pdf
http://glarp.atk.com/2010/2010_Catal...adersGuide.pdf


Michael Grace

The free data sources, and online data is never as complete as printed manuals. You'll be left scratching your head, all too often; in the search for that X bullet and XX powder combination.

[Uncle Buck]

I like the manuals, because like another poster, I am a paper minded guy. But I also have a recipe card box on my desk with index cards showing what I have loaded and comments on the card about particular loads.

One thing I have found, I need to make a copy of the the card and put it in the box of ammo, so I can make notes on the card while I am shooting, instead of trying to remember later that night what I thought of each round.