Which Manuals?

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Kuyong_Chuin

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I am a noob to reloading but I am learning allot from you guys and gals. I have a LEE BREECH LOCK CHALLENGER KIT ordered and on its way, also a pair of digital calipers and small digital scale. The question now is which two manuals to order? I know that most of the calibers we will be loading are in every manual but, which manuals have the data for the correct size projectiles for the following rounds? 7.62x54R .311 dia 6.5 Carcano .267 or .268 dia and also has the 257 Roberts data also. I am looking at the Lee and the Lyman manuals for the price but since I do not have access to them to see what information is included I need your help to make sure I buy at least two that has the correct size data. Probably be buying the Lee manual no matter what just to have it with the kit. But still need two with the correct data. Thanks
 
Manuals will have the correct data in them for the weapons they have fired, or if they have info that is wrong, they would be under the road because of someone blowing up a firearm. Any manual you pick up that is newer production will have what your looking for. I have manuals dated to the 60's and the loads are lighter than todays manuals, but the gun fires them both and like them.

If you have a specific powder you like, some of the powder websites have data on them for the specific powder you would be using.

When im reloading and until i find a recipe i like, i have all of my 8 manuals on the bench, looking through them. Don't just have your heart set on 2 manuals, grab a couple more, test some loads out.
 
1. Lyman #49.
2. Hodgdon annual data magazine.
3. Speer.
4. Hornady.
5.
6.
7.
8
9.
10. Lee

rc
 
45lcshooter said:
Manuals will have the correct data in them for the weapons they have fired, or if they have info that is wrong, they would be under the road because of someone blowing up a firearm. Any manual you pick up that is newer production will have what your looking for. I have manuals dated to the 60's and the loads are lighter than todays manuals, but the gun fires them both and like them.

If you have a specific powder you like, some of the powder websites have data on them for the specific powder you would be using.

When im reloading and until i find a recipe i like, i have all of my 8 manuals on the bench, looking through them. Don't just have your heart set on 2 manuals, grab a couple more, test some loads out.
Click to expand...
Powders that I have on hand is H4350 and H4895 still have to find the universal locally. If that helps. I have a bunch of the free downloadable load data from the powder and bullet makers that has it available but most of them do not have the data for ether my M44 or my M91 6.5 Carcano Calvary in them and so far most of them that does have the M44 round are using the 308 bullet.
On the 7.62x54R I will be using these three bullets till I find out which shoots the best. PPU 150 grain Soft point Boat Tail, Hornaday 303/7.7MM(.311) 150gr BULLET, and SIERRA 303(.311)150gr SPT BULLET PROHUNTER. On the 6.5 I will only be using the HRN 6.5MM(.268)160gr RNSP BULLET (6.5x52) bullet. Oh and CCI primers.
 
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I would rate the Lyman #49 last just because it has sparse(hardly any) load data for many popular calibers(A quick look at 9mm handgun will show it as laughable). The Lyman cast bullets handbook is a better buy(Lyman is more about cast, anyway). They are good reading for the library, though.

Lyman, Hornady, Speer, whatever brand of reloading gear/bullets, they all are tooting their own horn about how wonderful their equipment and products are(If you are bullet brand loyal it is the way to go maybe).

All the powder manufacturer's put out a pamphlet each year with loads of data. Those are as good as anything to have around.
The Lee book is a copy of all that data from those, a couple years old. It is chock full of load data. It is the first book I pick up when I look for data only and don't want to sort through all the different powder manufacturer pamphlets(It won't have the very newest powders listed, but all the well known tried and true over the last couple decades are covered well).

Once you've read the parts through that explain the actual process all that matters is load data and a few random tidbits that might be specific to each manual(The Speer gets into the ballistics science, Lyman has couple pages on smokeless powder that is interesting, etc etc..)
 
Get all of the downloadable manuals that you can. On top of that:

Lyman
Hornady
Nosler
Speer
Hodgdon -- with a caveat. Don't use them for 7.62x54R. They used 0.308" bullets. Other than that, great data.

Like a lot of other people, I started with Lyman. I picked up 48, but didn't start reloading until after 49 came out. It's got lots of good data in it.

Pretty much every one has 257 Roberts in it. It's one of the more common cartridges for reloading. I've got the stuff for it, but my rifle hasn't showed up yet. Should be here next week.

Cross-reference things a lot for bullets of similar construction. Don't try to apply data for solid copper bullets to cup-n-core bullets of the same weight.

Matt
 
lee - best quick reference, and it will teach you to reload
online data - powder mfg's have the best data. youtube will teach you to reload.
lyman - handy to have, esp with loading lead.

for the rest, just take your phone into a store that sells manuals and take a picture of the page of the book you want and use that. or pm me and I'll send you a picture.
 
One manual which I refer to often is really a collection of monthly articles from Handloader, titled, Ken Waters' Pet Loads, Complete Volume.

First published in 78 I think. Now in its third printing. One thing that I appreciate about the book is that he doesn't just give you recipes that work for a particular caliber. I should say that he doesn't stop with the recipe. In addition to the load data he goes on to tell you which loads were the most accurate or consistent and so forth. The articles and accompanying notes make the collection invaluable IMO.
 
Problem with Waters' Pet Loads is much of the data is old. It is a compilation of articles written during his career. It is a wealth of knowledge, especially for the loader of old cartridges. I own one and refer to it regularly, but cannot recommend it for a new reloader.
 
start with 1. you can always pick up another later. A lot of the data is redundant. It's the 10% that is different that causes folks to keep buying books.
 
Lyman is the best basic manual giving all the background articles and going on to the data.

Here's an article I wrote about the Lyman manual giving the pros and cons. Lyman Manual
 
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"start with 1. you can always pick up another later. A lot of the data is redundant. It's the 10% that is different that causes folks to keep buying books."

Ditto. Lyman, Lee and Sierra seem to have the best written and well illustrated noob instructions. All loading data is generic by cartridge, bullet weight and powder type so it hardly matters what book you refer to; if they list it, the info is good. It may be difficult to find a current manual with Carcano data.

We read lots of questions from understandable but unneccessarily confused noobs over data "conflicts". When I started in '65, an old guy told me to get ONE manual and to stick with it until I learned what the smell I was doing before getting another. Five years later I got my second manual but only because of new cartridges and new powders; I never felt I was lacking in information either.

I now have something well over two dozen manuals plus a pile of powder company pamphlets but, since I do know what I'm doing, the ever present differences in book data doesn't bother me. And I don't "average" the differences either, there is ONE RULE to safety: "Start low and slowly work up to book max unless you encounter signs of excess pressure earlier." Do that and you'll be safe with any book; ignore it and you can't have enough books to be safe.
 
Which manual depends on what powder & bullets you use.
The powder manufacturers display their data on their site.
They also freely give away printed data.

Bullet mfgs, all charge money for data.

I use Lyman's 49th Reloading Handbook the most.
I also LOVE the series called One Book, One Caliber.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/185458/loadbooks-usa-9mm-luger-reloading-manual

Each book has copious amounts of reprinted data but is specific to one caliber.

I use some Hornady bullets, so their manual is on my shelf.
I also have a Speer manual that's never been opened as I don't use their products.
 
Have you shopped for bullets? What brands are available locally? My choice of manuals would be from the bullet manufacturer whose bullets you are likely to use.

My first manual was a Hornady since lots of Hornady bullets were available.

Lyman was my second choice as I liked the cast data.

You really only need one, but more data is OK too. I have gotten load data online from bullet or powder manufacturers for free.

Yes, you can take a load from the Hornady manual for a Speer bullet as long as it is for the same weight and similar construction. As always, start low and work up.

Never have looked at a Speer nor a Lee manual though I have shot lots of Speer bullets.
 
For simple load data source its hard to beat the One Book One Caliber compilations are great.

You should have one or more comprehensive manuals, preferably a current one, from the bullet manufacturers. I have Sierra, Speer, and Horandy manuals of various ages.

As previously posted; Get all of the downloadable manuals that you can. I would add, save any data you get in electronic format.

The reason to hold on to older data is that newer manuals drop loads for powders as new powders come available. Often I have found that powders I purchased years ago have gone out of style or they simply figure there's enough data out there for one function or another, so old data is the only data available. I also occasionally pick up bullets no longer in production as well as older powders at estate sales where my archive of data becomes useful.
 
Thanks again guy and gals. I picked up a free copy of Hodgdon basic handloading guide to go along with the pdf' s I download from the powder manufacturers. I also have two manuals ordered till I get the funds to get the rest of the items I will need including some of the other manuals. I also saved the data that you can get online from Nosler now. Just to clear up a point, when I said the correct data I meant that the load data in the manual was using the .311 diameter bullet instead the .308 bullet in the 7.62x54r. All together we will be loading ten different caliber but I will only be loading three myself to start. I will be loading 7.62x54R, the 6.5 Carcano, and the .40 S&W. Thanks again for the help.
 
I will be loading 7.62x54R, the 6.5 Carcano, and the .40 S&W.
Click to expand...

For the 7.62 & 40, the Lyman manual would be the one to start with.
I didn't see any data for the Carcano (it might be there, maybe I just missed it)
 
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