Your opinion of the best all round reloading manual

[35 Whelen]

Don't forget "Pet Loads" by Ken Waters.

Has anyone had a problem of any kind using data from the Lee Manual?

Ken Waters' Pet Load are part of the data @ loaddata.com.

I've never used the Lee manual, so can't comment one way or the other.

35W

 

[gamestalker]

As an instructional manual I like the Speer. Speer #10 is what I learned from in the beginning before the internet existed. I've since used the ABC's, Lyman, and numerous online sources.

For data, I use them all. When ever possible I like use multiple sources to start my work up. And also when possible, I like to find data specific to the bullet I'm loading with. You can't have too many books IMO.

GS

 

[CLP]

Ya'll made my next buy easy- Lyman.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I agree. I own Lyman #45, #46, #47 and #49 manuals. I also own Lyman's Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd and 4th Editions. I also have the Lyman shotshell manual 5th Edition. I do like their manuals...

Just to add to my own post, I also use Speer manuals like some of the others have said.

I have Speer #5, #6, #8, #9, #10 and #12 and refer to them often along with those above Lyman manuals. Add to that some older Hodgdon, IMR, Winchester, Hercules and other older handout manuals which are very useful.

 

[theslasher]

My most used manuals are my Hodgdon Annuals. You can pick them up at Walmart around Christmas time. Cabelas had a huge stack of them a couple weeks ago. If you mostly use Hodgdon powder as I do its the only way to go. Lots of good reading..

http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/Item/00034AM14

 

[spitballer]

Well I'm still partial to "Modern Reloading", by R. Lee. Informative, occasionally humorous, it was an excellent first book for me. Also I appreciated his candor about having understood only recently some of the important principles regarding velocity and pressure.

 

[Potatohead]

1. Lyman #49.
2. Speer.
3. Hodgdon annual soft cover magazine / manual from the news stand.
4. Hornady.
5. Various Alliant, Accurate, etc. Published powder guides, or Websites.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Indivdual Loadbooks for each caliber.
12. Lee

rc

You crack me up RC. Youre Not to fond of Lee products ive gathered!

I like Lyman 49 and the patrick sweeney book for handgun. (Something something for Handgunners is the name i think, i paid it forward to a fella on here)

 

[FROGO207]

I have 25 or more reloading manuals by the usual suspects. Both Lee, Lyman Cast Bullet, Speer, Hornaday, Sierra, all the propellant manufacturers current and past, Belding and Mull, Ideal, and several other older long out of print books. I use them all as a general guide to get where I want with a safe load. I also use the available burn rate charts to help me. The newer data is more precise due to the electronic sensors as opposed to the copper crusher of years ago. Also the reason some loads were dropped was unsafe spikes the old method did not show. If you are really stuck email the propellant or bullet manufacturer and ask them. They will give you a safe load if it is available. They want you to be happy and use their product.

FWIW there is no BEST as far as I am aware of.

 

[Potatohead]

So how often do these guys come out with a new version? In other words, when will Lyman 50 come out?

And is it all regurgitated info? Seems like my old and new Speer have nearly the same info. Not the data necessarily, but all the interesting little chapters beforehand are the same or similarly written I believe.

 

[FROGO207]

A lot of times they will come out with a paper version every couple years or so. New data on new cartridges and the new propellants along with last issues standard stuff it seems. Now that the data is available updated monthly on the net it seems they are waiting way longer to publish the paper version. Cant say as though I blame them either as all you have to do is download what you want and save it, at no cost to them BTW.

 

[USSR]

So how often do these guys come out with a new version? In other words, when will Lyman 50 come out?

The Lyman 49th Edition has been out now for 6 years, so new editions aren't coming out all that often.

Don

 

[cactus02]

Speer #9
Speer #10 (Pistol chrono very close to mine)
Sierra black manual with supplement for exterior ballistics.(1971)
Sierra #5 Large ring (binder)
One book/one load .45 9mm 308
Hodgins on line data
This old guy is too cheap to buy a bunch of new books. Most is online today.

 

[35 Whelen]

Seriously guys...if it's just data you need and not "How-To" instructions, loaddata.com.

I did a search for .357 Magnum and below are all the loads and sources available:

Load Title: Number of Loads: Amount 
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum  (87)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Accurate Cowboy Action Data)  (6)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Accurate Data - Edition 3.2 - 2007)  (42)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Accurate Data Edition 3.3 - 2009)  (66)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Accurate Handgun Loads - 2005)  (54)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Accurate XMP-5744 Handgun Data)  (3)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Alliant Pistol and Revolver Data)  (7)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Alliant Power Pro Data - 2010)  (3)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Alliant Reloaders Guide 2008 - Pistol/Revolver)  (23)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Alliant Reloaders Guide 2008)  (5)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Barnes X-Pistol Bullets)  (5)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Blackhorn 209 Data)  (2)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Blackhorn 209)  (8)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Cast Bullet - Lyman Mould)  (3)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Economical Midrange Loads)  (11)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Handgun Short Barrel Velocities) (Speer Reloading Manual #14)  (14)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Handgun) (Speer Reloading Manual #14)  (151)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Hodgdon CFE Pistol Data)  (22)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (IMR Handgun Trail Boss Data)  (4)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Marlin Carbine and Dan Wesson Revolver)  (6)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Marlin Carbine Handloads)  (14)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Old Pet Loads)  (12)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Power Pro 300-MP)  (12)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Ramshot Data Edition 4.5 - 2011)  (40)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Rifle) (IMR Data)  (10)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Rifle) (Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th Edition)  (80)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Rifle) (Speer Reloading Manual #11)  (153)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Rifle) (Speer Reloading Manual #14)  (62)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (S&W Super Vel Data)  (8)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Smith & Wesson Registered)  (4)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Using 158 GR Nosler Bullets)  (30)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Venturino Lever Gun Data)  (5)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Vihtavuori Reloading Guide 2006)  (84)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Western Powders Reloading Guide - Edition 5.0 - 2013)  (156)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Winchester Handgun Data)  (14)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum (Winchester Pistol Data)  (18)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum - 145, 148 GR Bullet (Lee Precision Data)  (52)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum - Handgun (Barnes Reloading Manual #4)  (20)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum 10-inch Contender Barrel  (10)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Carbine  (55)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Cast Bullet Data  (5)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Cast In An S&W Model 19  (14)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum for S&W Models 19 & 66  (20)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Handgun (FTX Data)  (27)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Handgun (Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook)  (143)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Handgun (Lyman Reloading Manual 49th Edition)  (125)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Handgun (Using Hornady Bullets)  (267)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Handgun Cast Bullet Data (Lyman Reloading Manual 49th Edition)  (122)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Heavy Bullet Loads  (16)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum in a 7 1/2 inch Ruger Bisley  (20)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum in a Ruger GP100 - 4-inch Barrel  (8)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum in a Ruger M77  (10)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum in a Ruger No. 1  (20)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum in a Smith & Wesson Model 627-5  (34)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum in a T/C Contender & Encore (Lyman Reloading Manual 49th Edition)  (96)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Load Data  (12)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Loads (revolver)  (20)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Loads (rifle)  (21)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum New Ruger Model Blackhawk Flat Top  (8)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Pistol (Hodgdon Data)  (290)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Pistol (Oregon Trail Handgun/Cowboy Loads)  (15)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Pistol (Oregon Trail Handgun/Metallic Silhouette Loads)  (12)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Pistol (Oregon Trail Handgun/Standard Loads)  (38)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Pistol Cartridge Levergun Load  (1)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle & Revolver Handloads  (6)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle (Hodgdon Data)  (102)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle (Oregon Trail Rifle Data)  (45)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle (Using 125 GR Hornady Bullets)  (19)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle (Using 140 GR FTX Hornady Bullets)  (28)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle (Using 140 GR Hornady Cowboy Bullets)  (28)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle (Using 140 GR HP-XTP Hornady Bullets)  (27)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle (Using 158 GR RN, SWC-HP, SWC Hornady Bullets)  (24)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle (Using 158/160 GR Hornady Bullets)  (27)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Rifle (Using 180 GR Hornady Bullets)  (27)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Silhouette (Speer Reloading Manual #14)  (12)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Snub-gun Loads  (61)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum Specialty Loads  (9)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum using Western Powders Ramshot  (7)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum, Custom Taurus 608 (Hodgdon CFE Pistol Data)  (5)  
 

View This Item  .357 Magnum, S&W Pro Series (Hodgdon CFE Pistol Data)  (3)  
 

View This Item  .38 Special / .357 Magnum (Handgun Shotshell Data - Speer Manual #13)  (5)  
 


Read more: http://www.loaddata.com/members/listing.cfm?type=1#ixzz33de0xuM3

Metallic data runs the gamut from 14/221 Walker all the way up to the 600 Nitro Express and includes all manner of obscure wildcat data.

The available data includes a plethora of shotgun data for 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 gauge and .410 bore.

For $29.95 a year, I don't reckon I'll ever buy another printed manual.

35W

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I started out with the Speer manual and I still love it.
I picked up the Lyman 49 on the advice of the guys here and love it too.

If I had to pick one, I would go with the Lyman. The Speer is a great book, but it only gives data on their bullets. Lyman has a great variety and lots of cast bullet information as well.

 

[Potatohead]

Yea I like the little powder rundown chapter in the Lyman, among other things. Its definitely not the source for 9mm 115gr data though..

 

[GT1]

Any of them do okay as far as explaining the process.

The Lee is by far the most interesting and entertaining read.

If the net is down and I need whatever data, I'll pick up the Lee first, but I'll cross reference with whatever other data I have. One would be silly not to.

 

[Arkansas Paul]

I'll pick up the Lee first, but I'll cross reference with whatever other data I have.

The Lee data came from your other manuals. lol
They don't do any of their own testing. They just borrow the data from other sources and publish it in their book.

 

[sauer1911]

I have manuals at home, data online. I spend time looking at as much info as i can find. I come up with alot of info for loading.

I stay just above minimum PF #'s, and rarely go near the maximum load numbers.

Read and collect info. Never hurts.

be safe

 

[ClarkEMyers]

AFAIK Hodgdon puts all or substantially of their data on line.

There are some component makers who have annoyed me by putting some data on line and more in their hard copy - which is OK but there was no warning the online listing was incomplete or preliminary or that more data could be found in their data book for spending more money.

One specialty bullet maker with unique bullets and so uniqe data put enough on line that I went out and bought powder to match the online data - although I had the written manual around here someplace I foolishly expected complete listings on line - getting around to looking at the book data which included newer extreme powders leaves me with some powder I won't be using - and feeling misguided by the online data.

That said I very much like the search facility on LoadData.com and other such. I have a bunch of AA452 to use up and Speer #11 as well as Load Data has a lot of pistol data with AA452 that just isn't there with newer sources. There is no best and many very good.