Which Manual?

I am new to reloading and would like some advice as to which is the best manual to buy? I will initially be reloading for my 243 but hope to reload for 308 in the future. Can you tell me which would be most useful the Lee 2nd edition or the Lyman 49th?
 
One of the best reloading manuals in my very humble opinion and one you will never go wrong with is the Speer Reloading Manual and also another very usefull is the 'One Caliber' series books.
 
I suggest you buy as many different ones as you can afford. They really are a vital piece of your reloading kit. The Lee is good but a little to heavy on the cast Lead side of things for me.The Nosler i find is very realistic with regard to pressures and velocity. I am never without a Manual at the side of the 'Thunder Box'.:D

I have Lee, Sierra, Hornady, Berger and Nosler.

Yorkie.
 
Also some of the powder manufactures put data on line as well so google is your friend :D
When I first got into hand loading I met a man at the range who told me that he just loaded maximum loads for his rifle and that was fine.
Thought he was a bit of an idiot and the more I learn about the hobby of hand loading the more I think he is actually a bag of accidents waiting to happen.
Guess all those disclaimers for start at minimum and work up were for everyone else :eek:
 
Where in West Sussex are u Julesi. I reload 22-250 / .270 and used to reload .243 so if your local I may be able to run you through the basics etc and you can look through both those manuals as well as Speer and nosler manuals.
 
I reckon the Lyman is pretty comprehensive, I use it often. The Speer is very good and the Richard Lee Modern Reloading is good for data....plainly it pushes Lee equipment a lot, but that aside does have useful data. For me, the Lyman is the one to have, but all are worth having as well as utilising the data on the net. ATB
 
Also some of the powder manufactures put data on line as well so google is your friend :D
When I first got into hand loading I met a man at the range who told me that he just loaded maximum loads for his rifle and that was fine.
Thought he was a bit of an idiot and the more I learn about the hobby of hand loading the more I think he is actually a bag of accidents waiting to happen.
Guess all those disclaimers for start at minimum and work up were for everyone else :eek:

Dave.
An example of this is some of the Data Vit give for the 30-06. I have a 30-06 Ackley and some of the Vit standard 30-06 loads would be very hot in my Ackley. As we know, the Manuals are a GUIDE. As you say, start low and work up.

Yorkie.
 
I reckon the Lyman is pretty comprehensive, I use it often. The Speer is very good and the Richard Lee Modern Reloading is good for data....plainly it pushes Lee equipment a lot, but that aside does have useful data. For me, the Lyman is the one to have, but all are worth having as well as utilising the data on the net. ATB

I use the Lee and have crates of others as a back up. Seldom use them, though.

I understand the criticism of the Lee book for self promotion but doesn't Speer, Lyman, Hodgdon and others do exactly the same? They list only their products which is a degree of self promotion in itself. An ancient RCBS manual I have piped their products as much as Lee does theirs. Lyman goes to great -and somewhat over stated- pains to tell you how much precision goes into making their bullet molds. Speer and Sierra would show you pretty girls hand sorting and inspecting the bullets you bought. Most of you guys probably never heard of Herter's Outfitters but they put out a loading manual that was so totally shameless in self promotion that reading the book was more entertaining than the data it contained: really P.T. Barnum-ish. Self promotion is, and has been standard fare. I agree: Lee lays it on thick but the data is worth sifting through it. Just an observation.~Muir
 
Ahhh yes Herters. I saw a nice Herters (BSA made receiver) rilfe in 7mm RM for sale at a Newark show complete with Herters Sling and swivels, scope mounts obviously came off some Airbase and out of the PX at some point.

My first manual was Hodgdons #26 and I stil like it's format. The speer ones prior to this were awful to use IMHO. After this Speer copied the #26's format and they are easier to use. Have Lees one and never use it if I am honest. Also have Hornady, Vhit and Norma. several of each as it happens.

May I suggest you take a look through a couple if you can and decide which format you find easy to use then go for it.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice overall it seems you cant have enough of them so I wont be wasting money on buying either of them.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice overall it seems you cant have enough of them so I wont be wasting money on buying either of them.

That's true, apart from the Lee 2nd Ed which is a reprint of data already available on the web. It's pretty useful for reloading basics & technique for novices though.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice overall it seems you cant have enough of them so I wont be wasting money on buying either of them.

Good reloading manuals are never a waste of money . If you think they are then sorry but you have the wrong interest. May i suggest Golf instead.
 
Jules, If your pushed for pocket money, you can approach it this way. Grab an old loading that has a good technique / procedure section and use the load data from the powder suppliers for the powders you want to use from their web sites. Good loading procedure you will find in a old speer manual and many others. Data is easy to come by. New manuals are too bloody dear to collect these days.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice overall it seems you cant have enough of them so I wont be wasting money on buying either of them.

Presumably, you're saying your decision is whichever manual you buy will be a good investment...& you'd be right to believe that. Most manuals are pretty good whatever their particular bias...and as Muir says, they generally all do have a bias.
But the data and information in them provides a good sound basis to work from. ATB
 
Presumably, you're saying your decision is whichever manual you buy will be a good investment...& you'd be right to believe that. Most manuals are pretty good whatever their particular bias...and as Muir says, they generally all do have a bias.
But the data and information in them provides a good sound basis to work from. ATB

Absolutely, I really wanted to know which manual would be the most appropriate one to buy as a beginner. Best regards Jules
 
Good reloading manuals are never a waste of money . If you think they are then sorry but you have the wrong interest. May i suggest Golf instead.

Sorry but I think you misinterpreted my comment, I did not mean that I was not going to buy a manual but whichever one I choose will not be a waste of money. ATB Jules
 
For the princely sum of £19.50 Robert Lee 2nd edition of modern reloading is not a bad place to start.
Talks you through the basics and the load data is there also,does ramble on a bit about cast bullits but that is his thing.
I have it and to be fair I only load for one rifle now as I sold my K98 and my AR15 Grendel,I use the manual and also load data from Lapua or Hodgdons depending and look at there min and max.
 
Jules, If your pushed for pocket money, you can approach it this way. Grab an old loading that has a good technique / procedure section and use the load data from the powder suppliers for the powders you want to use from their web sites. Good loading procedure you will find in a old speer manual and many others. Data is easy to come by. New manuals are too bloody dear to collect these days.

Hmmmm I wonder how many will go out and spend £30 on a few drinks on a night out and the drinks last how long? And what do you get for them really?????

Now compare a book! .............................................. which with normal careful use will last several lifetimes.

Several of my hand loading manuals I bought used but also several were bought new. Amazon and e-bay are your friend when buying these as there are often offers about.

​I wish Hodgdons would produce one again.
 
Hmmmm I wonder how many will go out and spend £30 on a few drinks on a night out and the drinks last how long? And what do you get for them really?????

Now compare a book! .............................................. which with normal careful use will last several lifetimes.

Several of my hand loading manuals I bought used but also several were bought new. Amazon and e-bay are your friend when buying these as there are often offers about.

​I wish Hodgdons would produce one again.

They can't sell them. Lee gets exclusivity to their data and the Free Reloading Guide (that here so many gunshops SELL ) and web site keep the hasty generation from buying books. Unlike bullet makes who publish data, powder makers bear a heavy responsibility to make data available to the public, hence the websites. Too many new reloaders just want "the best load" for their rifles and really don't care about the technical aspect of it. I had a work mate who harangued me about loads for his Savage M-12 Competition .223 so I pointed him towards the powder and bullets that I use. Two nights later I get a phone call about some problems at the bench and find that in his rush for the perfect load, he hadn't bothered to learn how to properly set up his loading dies.

He, obviously, wasn't the type to buy any kind of loading manual.~Muir
 
They can't sell them. Lee gets exclusivity to their data and the Free Reloading Guide (that here so many gunshops SELL ) and web site keep the hasty generation from buying books. Unlike bullet makes who publish data, powder makers bear a heavy responsibility to make data available to the public, hence the websites. Too many new reloaders just want "the best load" for their rifles and really don't care about the technical aspect of it. I had a work mate who harangued me about loads for his Savage M-12 Competition .223 so I pointed him towards the powder and bullets that I use. Two nights later I get a phone call about some problems at the bench and find that in his rush for the perfect load, he hadn't bothered to learn how to properly set up his loading dies.

He, obviously, wasn't the type to buy any kind of loading manual.~Muir


Whilst I agree there are these types about but if we keep handing out data then we just encourage them. One reason I have stopped doing so.
 
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