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They all will tell you something usefull whether they have been outdated or not.

https://i.imgur.com/jfeiqwW.jpg

[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

[Walks]

Lyman #48, somehow it has more of the loads I need.

Load just old stuff these days.

[WILCO]

For FMJ, LEE 1st edition is the go to.
Lyman number 4 is my lead data book.
There's about 12 other manuals in between.

[white eagle]

I have no actual favorite
cross reference most of them from time to time

[jonp]

Both Lymans #50 and Cast. I do like the latest Lee my wife gave me for Christmas as it has much interesting reading in it. I find myself going online more and more for information on powder manu's or bullet makers if jacketed especially for odd powders without a great deal of information like Vectan (had to go to an Italian site for loading information on them) or non traditional uses but Lymans mostly maybe because #45 was my first manual and I read it cover to cover. Still use it at my hunting camp and it has scribbled notes all over it.

[JBinMN]

No "favorite" for me.

I just look thru the ones I have at home & also search the internet when I am looking for load data/ info, etc. to find what I want for loads.

I do like reading what others like to use though.

[Shopdog]

I like the cpl Lyman cast bullet manuals.

I have bought a cpl of those single cartridge "guides" the past few months. The 1st one about 6 months ago was 223 and 22-250 in the same booklet(most are single chambering). It has been very helpful for cast,even though there isn't any dedicated CB loads.

The next one,a col months ago is for 7-08. It actually has CB info in it. But,is NOT nearly as nice as the 223 booklet. I assumed(wrongly) that it was going to be formatted the same? Nope,it's like two different folks assembled them? The 7-08 version,even with the CB dope,wasn't worth the effort.

[Shepherd2]

I've got a shelf full of reloading manuals. The ones I check first are the Lyman No. 50 and the the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook.

[lightman]

Like most of the others, I have several. I use the Lyman the most often but I’ll use 3 or 4 others for cross reference if I’m loading a new caliber.

[robg]

Lee,Sierra, Lyman.and the powder manufactures manuals.and here .cross reference to all.