Which reloaders handbook?

[Bama]

What book do you reloaders recommend? Any specific one or two you might use? I plan on reloading .223/5.56, 9mm, .45acp, .357, and .308

[Dustin]

Hornady manuals have a good but I get most my info off the powder manufactures web site. I have found some good load data in an Lyman manual too.


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[Vividia]

There is a tutorial in several parts in this thread

The ABC's of Reloading is a good place to start, be sure you have the latest revision

Lee's Manual is also good, though i am not sure i am a fan of the scoop method i have always used weights which they also list - TONS of load data

Powder Profiles is a good reference for different powders and how they perform with different calibers - it is really a collection of articles from Handloader Magazine from over the years, and it's interesting to see how the powders and loads have changed, or not LOL for those powders that have been around for a century. I like to use this one to help select a powder.

Once you decide on a bullet manufacturer, get their manual, Hornady, Sierra, Speer, etc. I like the Hornady book for the extra info they include, but also use the others

Lyman's big book is good, and they break out parts like "Pistol Loads" into thinner books to make it a bit more handy for the categories

Pet Loads (or something like that) is a big book of a noted author and tester's loads, interesting reading

NEVER use just one manual for load development. Typos in the load recipe can be a recipe for disaster. Check the manuals against one another, the loads are usually pretty close if there is a big difference it will show when you compare.

Read read read LOL

I find it to be very rewarding and almost as much fun as the shooting. When you find the sweet spot load and you first get the idea that your gun likes one load more than others, and your accuracy improves, etc. its a rush.

[Wyldman]

Viv is very right, I have a whole library of loading manuals and I use them much as she described. Of the 9 I use, if I had to pick one, my go to manual, it would be the Speer #11, it is the most generally useful manual I own, and has been for over 25 years, updating as the new versions come out every few years.

[Bama]

Thanks ya'll. I am reading like crazy, so I figured what is it gonna hurt to ask another question. lol

[Napoleon]

And, of course, NEVER accept load data posted on informal forums (here or elsewhere) at face value. I'm sure that's obvious but it can't be said enough times. Only trust manufacturer data and official manuals and, even then, as Viv suggests, cross-check new loads.

Welcome to a great past-time!

[ken6881]

I bought the most recent hornady manual because I plan on using there bullets however not all of what they manufacture is in the manual. Maybe those of us on here could share some of the data from the books we have to save others from buying many manuals if they are looking for a particular load and want to double check it.