Which book would you recommend

[doubled]

I am either going to get the Lyman or the Hornady manual; Lyman is less than 50% of the Hornady book (Lyman is 49th edition, Hornady is 8th edition) but I care more about the better book than the total cost.

If they both have benefits I am not opposed to owning them both..... Are they significantly different enough to warrant both?

the only thing I've reloaded is my paintball hopper - so look at it from that baseline knowledge perspective.

 

[Dawico]

The Lyman books have excellent imformation, go through everything step by step, tell you what to watch out for, and have a great variety of load data. The Hornady book is good also, but the data is usually more conservative (lower powered maximum loads) and geared toward their own bullets. Most bullet maker's books are geared toward their own products. The Lyman covers a variety of bullets and powders, and in general has excellent information. If I only had one book, it would be the Lyman. I hear the ABCs of Reloading is very good for a beginner also, but I have never looked at one.

 

[doubled]

good feedback, thanks.

 

[Dawico]

I started reloading with the Lyman #48, Speer, and a Hornady book. I read the Lyman cover to cover, and felt confident reloading my first rounds (shooting them for the first time is a whole different story). People usually recommend owning three reloading manuals, but with all the information on the net (powder manufacturers give load data on their sites) and help from fellow forum members on tips and techniques (not load data, this is a bad idea), I don't feel that it is necessary.

 

[57K]

If you're going to load a lot for handguns you will probably want a Lyman's Pistol & Revolver III. It will make a perfect companion to the Lyman 49. The SPEER manuals are good as well.

 

[doubled]

not planning on doing any handgun ammo at the moment, 9's are cheap enough and i'm a 15 yard type guy... figure if he's more than 15 away he's running in the opposite direction and no longer a threat and even garbage loads are accurate for the first 15. I've been keeping it loaded with Fang Face rounds for defense and shooting the fmj rounds of the day when putting it on paper at the range.

 

[Rifleman55]

I have used a number over the years, Lyman is one of the best, Sierra is the best for the advanced reloader, also one of the most expensive,now days one of the best places for data is to go to the powder and bullet manufacturers web sites, that info is free.

 

[woolleyworm]

Since you're new to reloading, you'll want to buy them both. Rule #1 to starting out in reloading, read at least 2 manuals before doing anything else. Probably not done by everyone, but if you do, it will save you time and money. The ABC's is a great one too. Yes, each book is warranted; I have at last count 24 different manuals. You certainly don't need 24, but any reloader will tell you that having multiple sources to cross reference is very valuable. Best of luck to you in your reloading endevours aka Wallet Slimming Disease !

 

[Texasjack]

It's good to have more than one manual, since they often don't agree. Lyman is my first choice and the one I make sure is up to date.

The powder companies also put out loading information and it's available for free on the 'net. They're also a bit more up-to-date than any printed manuals, but they won't contain all of the information that you will find in Lyman's or Hornady's manuals.

Another thing you need is your OWN notebook. As you work up loads, write them down and track how they worked. You'd be surprised how easy it is to forget what your best loads are. This is particularly true with rifle loads, as each rifle is slightly different and reloading lets you 'tune' the load to work best with the harmonics of your rifle.

 

[medalguy]

Yep, document everything you do. And believe about 10% of what you read on the net forums, and verify EVERYTHING you read on the net before trying any of it out.

By the way, ABC's of Reloading is really an excellent book. I've been reloading nearly 50 years and I have one on my shelf. It's an excellent suggestion to have at LEAST two, preferably more, relaoding manuals.

 

[robin303]

These are good too. Gun Guides Reloading Guide for Pistols " 9mm Luger, 357 SIG, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP" Book - MidwayUSA

Cabela's: Loadbooks USA

 

[TexMex247]

You'll want to own several. Some powder formulas do change over the years, so it's a good idea to compare old and new recipes and have manuals/info appropriate for your 'era' of powder. I have found some modern manuals to be a bit more conservative than some older ones. Some say it's the legal aspect, others say the powder has changed. Lots of good advice mentioned above.

 

[OLDVET]

I use the Sierra Reloading Manual, Speer Manual, and an old Winchester Manual. I shoot Sierra bullets and use Winchester Powders so the Speer manual is a unbiased third reference. Another thing to think about is that manuals are updated occasionally as powders and bullets are improved over the years. What you use today may not be current five years from now. The thing I enjoy about reloading is the ability to experiment with different powders and bullets to achieve different results. I found on my ARs that if I set the bullet back .001 made them group tighter.

 

[woolleyworm]

If you had to get only one, get the Lyman or the ABC's of reloading as the first one. The Hornady manual is a very good read too and would be the third one that I'd buy. I have 20+ different manuals and they're all valulable, but the Lyman and the Hornady get used the most. Lyman covers cast bullets better than most.