Need a new reloading manual.

[speedracer211]

Well I have to use up my NRA gift card to Bass Pro by the end of this month. The closest one is over an hour away (will order online) so I figured I would use it to buy a new reloading manual. Which ones would you suggest the lyman or the hornady?

[blueline541]

I really dig the Lyman.

[nitesite]

Lyman for lots of cast bullet mould styles and weights in addition to jacketed data from varying bullet manufacturers. Lyman doesn't include swaged bullet info like the Hornady and Speer manuals. If you like swaged pistol bullets then those are very well covered in Hornady and Speer. But Lyman even has LOTS of cast bullet data for rifle! (Most rifle cast bullets in their data are gas-checked)

Sierra will only give you jacketed data (the only type of bullets they offer, of course).

I can't help but wonder why Sierra data seems to be loaded so slow. Their 10mm 180-gr data barely makes 1050-fps at MAX pressures. Maybe their bullets have lots of bore contact, and maybe because they used a Colt Delta Elite, but that's about worthless data to me IMHO.

I gotta mention this, though it has nothing to do with your question. It cracks me up that the Sierra Ed V 3rd Printing used a Hi-Point C-9 pistol for all their 9mm Luger load data. Hey, those guns are reliable and backed by a full warranty and I am not a gun snob. I just can't imagine many Hi-Point C-9 owners are reloaders. :)

Lyman is, in my opinion, one of the best for bullet variety within a given cartridge including hard cast.

[dougader]

I use the Lyman and Speer 14 the most. I've already broken the spine on the Speer from reading it so much. But I like all the manuals and besides the first 2 mentioned, have the Sierra, Hornady and Nosler. I do like the Nosler more for their rifle data than their pistol data.

NS: I agree with you on the Sierra, on both points. I mean, really, a C9? And the data is low on 10mm. But I do like their data for most all the other rounds. I don't regret buying it.

[Rollis]

I'm due for a new book also. My first choice will be the Lyman, then the Hornady, book.

[nitesite]

I use the Lyman and Speer 14 the most. I've already broken the spine on the Speer from reading it so much. But I like all the manuals and besides the first 2 mentioned, have the Sierra, Hornady and Nosler. I do like the Nosler more for their rifle data than their pistol data.

NS: I agree with you on the Sierra, on both points. I mean, really, a C9? And the data is low on 10mm. But I do like their data for most all the other rounds. I don't regret buying it.

Hey, Doug~

Good point about the Nosler, it is a good one.

Around here, locally, it seems tht Hornady bullets are the most readily available off the shelf. For that alone I really like my Hornady, plus the fact that it (Hornady) gives 5-6 different velocities for each powder within a stated cartridge/bullet. I have (and use) a chrono so it doesn't matter that much to me but I could see where having such velocity tables could be really helpful to a lot of reloaders.

I don't care much for the likes of manuals that only give a MAX powder charge. Speer does that, which I think they could improve upon; but Speer does publish more top-end velocity data for each cartridge that they cover. The Alliant and Hodgdon free manuals only give MAX which I think sucks. (but they're free so can't bitsh about that)

[D. Manley]

Like most of us here, I've got a bunch of manuals and refer to them now and then but...for the most part, they occupy shelf space. Once you have the essentials of reloading down about the only reason most of us need one is for load data or new components. I joined LOADDATA.COM (http://loaddata.com/home/index.cfm?CFID=5452865&CFTOKEN=52714782) a few years ago and find I use it more than all the manuals put together. For anyone not familiar with them, data is available for every caliber imaginable and includes all the freebie stuff from powder & other manufacturers and, that from all the various manuals. This includes, Lyman, Speer, Hornady, Nosler, Sierra and more...as of today, 224,970 in the database. It also includes lead data from some of the lead bullet manufacturers and, data from their sister publication, Handloader Magazine. Another nice touch is that their data is all available in the normal HTML view or, in a B/W printable format. If there is a down side, it's that "some" details on "some" data is omitted such as, OAL for specific bullets...not a big deal for experienced loaders. The subscription price for a year is equivalent to the price of a single manual for which, you can access virtually all the vetted information available for any caliber. For me, worth the price of admission.