Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Old fashioned paper reloading manuals

I prefer these over e-books, but I have a foot in both worlds.

I like to keep current, especially with new cartridges, powders or bullets. I was looking around for the latest Sierra manual - version 6. They cost about $100 cdn. But when you consider that this is almost 1400 pages, there is a lot of value.

I bought the latest Speer last year, but I think it was about $70. It does save a lot of work preparing new to me loads.

Are you still using books or have you converted to e-books?

Prefer books over e-books. Magazines as well. It is nice to be able to take reading material anywhere I want to.
Some of the magazines I subscribe to include a digital copy but I rarely open it up.
One magazine I wrote for went from hardcopy to entirely online and within a year it was gone.
Jeff

I picked up Nosler #2 manual . I found some interesting stuff in it. They listed the factory velocities and the velocities they got in their test barrel. With the online data, I print it and put it in that cartridge binder in the front section. The back section has loading notes and shooting notes.

Too true. Back when the CSSA started their magazine, I had a story published in it. I believe it was the last paper edition.


The reason I like paper books is I can take them anywhere and not worry about keeping a battery charged or having an Internet connection. That was in the days when phone chargers and the Internet were harder to find. That led to the second reason which was I didn't like the small screen size.

I mostly use e-data, but I do still buy a hard copy manual once in a blue moon. I just got the newest Lyman paperback not that long ago.

For reloading (or anything else): books, books, books!

... must have two dozen reloading manuals from powder & bullet companies past & present

I buy a new manual every other year, unless there is nothing new.

It’s hard to say what manuals are my favourites. I guess Speer and Sierra. Speer 15 changed their format and included more cartridge info. Sierra is still producing exceptional material. Lyman Cast stuff is great too.

I use books. In checking out the collection though, I found that my newest manual was printed in 1998. Since I'm still loading 4350 older than that, it is appropriate. GD

I started with a speer manual and tried speer bullets. The speer manual came with my Rockchucker supreme loading kit. There's a wealth of knowledge in that book I started out with. Read the how to section a time or 3, since I learned to handload on my own with that book as my guide. I later found out I don't like speer bullets. I still have the book, but don't use it. I prefer Nosler, Barnes, Sierra, Hornady and just about any other bullet over speer. I have paper manuals for every bullet I load for, but I really like the fact that Nosler and Barnes offer free load data online. That is great, while others want you to pay for it online. I have the newest Sierra load manual and really like it. I also have the older versions of that manual and it's served me well. With new powders that have came out over the last 10 years or so, it's important that you have an updated source, because you could be missing out if you don't look at new data. I've seen some guys stuck on old powder, but what are you going to do when you can't find that old powder? Varget for instance: CFE223, TAC, and IMR8208XBR may be easier to find at times and a newer load manual or source may be needed for the newer powders. Just my take on paper vs. online data.

I have many manuals Of ALL that I have I find myself relying on my Lyman manuals. Vintage to present day. WHY? Because Lyman has no stake in the testing of loads, because Lyman does NOT manufacture bullets OR powder.. I do NOT, nor EVER will go to a computer ebook.

One of the few hard copies I do own is a Lyman Cast book. I have both a newer (2021/22... somewhere in there) and an older Lee, since they stuff loads from a lot of different sources into one place.

Everything else is .pdf or online data for me. Western (well used to for them now that they're part of big H) and Alliant release full manuals in pdf free fairly often, so I have several revisions of both of those saved.

I use Hodgdon, Speer, Nosler, and Barnes online stuff a lot. As much as they charge for manuals, I'm actually surprised Speer and Nosler put as much data up online as they do.

I think what we are seeing is an old way of doing business being pulled, kicking and screaming, into the modern age.

… a few Winchester and Hercules paper pamphlet reloading manuals around and a big paperback Lyman manual

That's not a problem. We are lucky that we can use what we want. In the not too distant future, I can see companies abandoning paper as the world completely changes over to computers. We'll have to see how long that takes. And I don't expect that all the powder and bullet companies will change at the same time, so the process won't be quick.

I jumped in with both feet about 15 years ago. I now have a ratty old laptop right at the reloading bench. The only reason it's there is to access the Hodgdon data site.

I have all the nosler manuals why? Unlike others they tell you what gave the best accuracy with the highest velocity . That starts me out saving money and time for the best performing loads..mb

… also have a big thick paperback (soft cover) manual called Ken Waters Pet Loads … lots of good loads in that book

i have all of Ken Waters stuff because federal made the brass and my friend who was a manager at Federal Jonny Bell gave his stuff including some very old loading manuals i did just look at a Lyman reloading book a paper back from 1965 i like looking thru them . sure shows some great old cartridges that no manufacture makes anymore like 22 Hi-Power ,222 Rem. mags and so on and my favorite that will soon be on the list as a obsolete cartridge 257 Roberts . these old reloading manuals are sure fun to look thru ! Pete53

... the old manuals are good for legacy powders ... if they were stored correctly they should be OK ... friend of mine found a coupla full and unopened containers of Win 785 ball powder when he was cleaning out his reloading den cupboards ... he borrowed the Ken Waters manual to find some loads for it