Manual

[Robertroadking]

If you only had one new reloading book what would it be?

 

[troy fairweather]

Probably Lyman,

 

[runner3264]

I 2nd the Lyman! I first go to Power manufacturer though

 

[Docendo Discimus]

Lyman

 

[.308 Norma]

If you only had one new reloading book what would it be?

Hard for me to say. What are you primarily loading for?
I'm asking because just yesterday I bought a new Nosler manual. But the reason I selected it was because it looks like it lists some interesting loads for the new .257 Weatherby I'm still have hopes of buying before too long - if you've read some of my other posts, you know the money for the new .257 Weatherby I was hoping to buy last spring went down the new well we had to have drilled.
Oh, WELL!

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

I'd launch a revolution to overturn the crappy government that restricts its citizens to only one reloading manual and replace it with a proper government that would let me go buy as many reloading manuals as I wanted.

 

[Hondo 60]

Same vote here - a Lyman.
It was my 1st manual.
I now have probably 12 or more.

You go GeoDudeFlorida! I'm with ya.

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Oh, WELL!

I seen what ya done there...

 

[GeoDudeFlorida]

Same vote here - a Lyman.
It was my 1st manual.
I now have probably 12 or more.

You go GeoDudeFlorida! I'm with ya.

Thanks!

I never did get any of these, "If you could only have one," theoreticals. We live in God Bless the USA and that means we aren't limited to just one... of anything! I can eat more than one potato chip, own more than one truck, and buy more than one reloading manual. Why in the wide, wide world of sports should I - or any other Real American - be limited to just one of anything?

Go buy a dozen manuals! Buy them all. Compare loads and data between them. Enjoy freedom.

 

[kcofohio]

Lyman's would be my 1st choice, the most variety with powders and bullets. But I rely a lot on Western Powders and Hornady's 10th.

 

[Rule3]

If you only had one new reloading book what would it be?

Depends on what for?

You want a manual or book to learn about reloading or just want a list of recipes (load data)?

There is no one manual that does it all which is why several are better.

Kinda like only one book, TV show, one powder one gun et etc,

 

[dgod]

I would suggest either Lyman or Lee, they are both great.

 

[.308 Norma]

Go buy a dozen manuals! Buy them all. Compare loads and data between them. Enjoy freedom.

Yup. Just this morning my wife was telling me about how great the book ("The Note Through the Wire") she had just finished reading is. I guess it's kind of a love story set in a German POW camp during WWII. My wife likes books like that.
I like reading and studying loading manuals, and because I've been building most of my own ammo for over 40 years, I have a bunch of them. I probably have more loading manuals than my wife has love story books. But then again, my loading manuals don't get passed on or end up in the "Goodwill" box like my wife's love story books do.

 

[FROGO207]

Yeah it does depend on your end goal. For a first loading book a Lee manual would give you a plethora of data from no partocular sorce. But it is generic and somewhat dated. Lyman would be my second choice more so if using cast bullets. I agree with the more the merrier though. More data points and some have choices others choose to ignore. So there. New up to date data is best but the tried and true are that for a reason.
I do not load for the 6.5 so will defer that part of the answer to those that do.

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

The manual I use about 99% of the time is the interwebs.

 

[Pottimus]

the Lyman is the first one I seem to reach for.

 

[Dunross]

I have a number of different manuals, online information sources, etc, but a Lyman has always been the first one I reach for.

 

[cfullgraf]

Reloading manuals are like Lays potato chips, nobody can have just one.

 

[bdb242]

All of my manuals are like old potato chips, STALE. Newest one I have is from 2001. The web and my Quick Load program are my go-to sources now.

 

[Airborne Falcon]

I actually just passed-down some of my older manuals (let's say I lent-them-to) to my Son and my favorite SiL. But at the same time I updated a couple. Plus I subscribe-to a couple of the major online sites, have tons of my own files and I do quikload but, with all of that said, imho (I repeat imho and I came to this conclusion a few days ago before ever seeing this question posted) ....

.... the Speer #15 is the finest reloading manual, for serious reloaders, that I have ever owned. With that said the Lyman #50 is a close second imho.

Bonus points for anyone who names what that is between the Speer #15 and the 2nd Edition Sierra.

 

[entropy]

Rifle & Pistol-Lee
I am no beginner, but this is the best choice for beginners. I have several manuals, but mostly go off of the powder manufactuers' sites.
Shotgun-Lyman
This is the best for all shotgun shell reloaders.

 

[Dibbs]

I'd never want to only be stuck with just one reloading manual, but it would be Hornady, if that were the case.

 

[AJC1]

Buy the.lyman and print the western powders manual for free. You can also request an alliant manual for free on their site.

 

[Archie]

Lyman comes to mind first. Speer runs a close second in my world. Hornady is good. Hodgdon make a magazine looking reloading manual allegedly update each year. They do keep up on new cartridges. Sierra has some specific information and data for specific bullets.
All of them are worth reading the boring part prior to the loading data. The boring part is important for a number of reasons. In short, it's one thing to memorize the load levels for your gun and bullet and another to know why it happens that way.
I tend to buy most all of them, when the new edition is released. Of them all, Lee seems to have the wimpiest loads - probably as they are calibrated to be safe with their dippers - and doesn't have any background information that isn't already covered. By the way, I like a lot of Lee products, so it's just not a brand avoidance.

 

[tbob38]

For the sheer number of loads, Lee.