What's your favorite reloading manual ?

[RU shooter]

This can be for cast or jacketed or both . Which manual do you go to first ?
My first manual I bought was a Speer forget which number it was in the mid 1980's . I've gotten several others over the years from different bullet and powder manufactures but the one I seem to pick up the most is the Speer manual .
I like that that actually use real guns and realistic barrel lengths to record their velocities , they also have some data for reduced lower vel.loads in quite a few calibers there's also round ball plinker loads listed in the popular revolver calibers and loads for bird/snake shot for calibers they make the shot capsules for .

[OS OK]

I sorta kinda like my Lymans' the best, never use just one, just use them for the upper and lower limits and then develop my load to suit my platform. Many times the cast I'm loading is not listed specifically so I have to find a cast that is comparable.
I have manuals that go back into the 60's, got a whole cabinet full and at some time I consult them all, especially looking at the difference of the powder loads when I'm using an older lot of powder.
They all will tell you something usefull whether they have been outdated or not.

[bob208]

because I load mostly cast I like the lyman books.

[pworley1]

I used the Lyman manuals most.

[Conditor22]

On this site --- Lyman cast #4

[gwpercle]

1.) Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #4
2.) Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #3
3.) RCBS Cast Bullet Handbook #1
4.) Cast Bullets , Col. E. H. Harrison , USA (ret.) published by the NRA
5.) Speer Manual number 8

Gary

[Outpost75]

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 4th Edition (2010) and Speer No. 13

[johniv]

Lyman.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

So yeah, I have many Lymans manuals, like others here, and I tend to go to those first.
BUT,
My Favorite is "NICK HARVEY'S PRACTICAL RELOADING MANUAL"
He generates his own data, he is not a equipment manufacturer or a bullet manufacturer or a powder manufacturer...he is just a shooter.
So when I'm looking for a load to compare to another "manufacturer" reloading manual, that is the one I use. He also uses powders that I like to use. Also the instructional part of the manual is really well written.
It may be difficult to find at a reasonable price, as it may be out of print?
I bought mine through Hawk Bullets a couple decades ago.

[georgerkahn]

My go-to -- e.g., first look and read is Ken Water's Pet Loads. I have both the original two-volume set with supplements as well as the one-volume reprint. I, too, have/use Nick Harvey's, as well as several ollllld Lyman, Ideal, and Speer books for my loading what folks nowadays refer to as obsolete cartridges. And, I confess, I subscribe to both (on-line) loading sites of Ammo-Guide and Wolfe Publishing's' Load Data.
Then, too, there are a lot of very knowledgeable persons on this forum who are most generous in sharing their loading data .
geo

[Der Gebirgsjager]

I've got a shelf full, but I'd say more often than not it's Speer #14 or Lee #2.

[historicfirearms]

I like the speer, hornady, and Lyman. The brief history lesson on the cartridge is my favorite part. Sometimes I spend hours reading about cartridges I don't own guns for.

[GONRA]

GONRA has lottsa olde reloading manuals / powders. BUT - ALWAYS "start out" with the POWDER MANUFACTURER'S manual whenever possible!

[Bazoo]

I start with the Lyman 49 or cast bullet handbook 4, but often reference the Lyman 47th.

[lefty o]

split between the latest versions of lyman, and hornady. have and use many others, but those 2 would be the first i look at.

[ShooterAZ]

I too have a shelf full (Speer, Hornady, Sierra, Hodgdon etc) but any more my main "go to" have been the Lyman Cast Bullet Manual #4, or the Lyman Reloading Manual #49. Most of my hardcover manuals are pretty old, but I still reference them on occasion. I have also been using the Powder manufacture's online reference more and more.

[2A-Jay]

Hornady #10, Lyman 50th, Speer 15.

[375supermag]

Hi...
Lyman first for cast handgun bullet loading.
Hornady is first for jacketed handgun bullets.
Rifle loading...Speer, Sierra, Hornady interchangeably. Almost always cross reference every jacketed bullet load before I load any.

[alamogunr]

I would have to say the Lyman Cast Bullet Manuals, #1 thru #4 and the reloading manuals #47, #49 and #50. I've got several others including the Lee #2 and the latest Western Powders manual that includes Accurate Powders.

[Three44s]

For a first manual I suggest the Hornady manuals. The first section to fully understand is the section on head space. Hornady uses a colorized portrait of a cartridge in a chamber as a cut away and walk you through the firing and ignition secquence.

Three44s