Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles How many manuals?

We've all seen the threads where somebody says "My manual says ..." as if they only have one reloading manual. I'm sure there are those of you who have more but mine total 18 from 9 different sources and date back as far as P.O. Ackley's 1964 edition which is about when I started rolling my own. They are excellent reference as well as interesting to read.

I agree, and am in the same boat, but as far as loads, it sort of relates to the man with two watches never knowing what time it is.

Aint that the truth. However I've found it helpful when loading for something where data doesn't exist to extrapolate data to find a starting point.

I guess I have 10-12 don't know, I would have to look. I have about quit buying them as powder and bullets change faster faster than superman in a phone booth.
I usually check on the interweb and get my info there now.

I have plenty. But I mainly use newer manuals unless I’m loading obsolete cartridges or cast bullets. Try to find a load for a 35 Winchester in a new manual.

Many manuals might be conservative due to, I think, possibility of users changing brass or something and differing chambers etc.
Other sources such as authors of articles in magazines might have loads that would be hot if the loader used Remington or military brass when the author used Winchester brass.

One of my favorite manuals right now is Nosler. But I almost always look at John’s Gun Gack books too if he has the cartridge covered. If I’m loading Hornady, I’ll pull out the Hornady manual, if Speer then the Speer manual and so forth.

I would not likely use Hornady load with a Speer bullet and I wouldn’t use a Nosler load with a mono bullet, unless sources agree. If I had to do so, I’d start light.

The other reason for using newer manuals is there are quite a few powders that are no longer being made (some thankfully). Some that are might have changed slightly. And bullets that I used in the 60’s and 70’s are not plentiful either.
Examples:
I used to use Remington and Winchester bullets and now they’re 99% gone.
Mono bullets - here now, not in 1963.

In pistol bullets the half jackets were mainly what was available. But there not anymore.

I have Lee, Nosler, Hornady, Speer, Lyman and an older Speer (think it's from the 70's) I picked up at Half-Price Books just for curiosity's sake. But none of my manuals are the latest edition (none of them have the Creedmore in it). Pretty easy to look online for newer data now.


I agree.

I have at least 12 manuals and numerous single caliber load books plus 3 ring binders of loads downloaded from bullet or powder manufactures. Ive probably lost that many through the years in basement floods. Probably just use 1 or 2 most of the time

I have between forty and fifty manuals going back to the '50s. Excellent reference sources that I still use on occasion.

I find myself going to the old manuals dating back to the years before tort lawyers dominated the reloading industry. The currently offered manuals and websites are designed to keep the dumbest person out of trouble, hence, out of court. One of my pet peeves is the asinine refusal of the industry to acknowledge the 7.9x57 Mauser came in two different bore sizes. If these idiots are that worried about the owners not understanding that fact, why not publish an extra page with the smaller bore diameter? The 7.65 Mauser, a fine cartridge, held to pressures for the 1891 Argentine,,,sheesh. They do the .45-70 with usually, no less than three sets of data. The trapdoor class, the Winchester '86 class data and the modern Marlins class of pressures. How about the Arisaka? Publishing loads so low they wouldn't even cause problems in a "last ditch" model. The Arisaka, arguably, probably one of the strongest, best heat treated milsurp actions ever produced. I will go further commenting on Hodgdons on line reloading data which is doing it's damn best to stifle the appreciation of old cartridges in fine old vintage guns by dumbing down the data, stifling their intended purpose and performance levels.
Yes there are advances in pressure testing, new powders etc we can use to enhance performance safely. But every where I look I see lawyer fingerprints.
Lots! of manuals, new and old, there is no such thing as too much information.

Sierra, Nosler, and Barnes

I have over 20.

Some are the booklets that powder companies put out but just books 20.

I have some from the 60's but still buy newer ones from time to time just because of the new bullets and powders that come out.

I'm closer to 40-50, some dating to the 50's.

Just have 2 manuals now. I only need two here. Now.

Am reloading 5 rifles now, and I don't need to re-invent some of the loads which work really well for me.

Internet has a LOT of info at the different websites. I use those when I need to.

I have a veteran reloading friend who has old manuals. Used one of his oldies [1970 Lyman] for a 7 x 57 with 165 gr bullets.

The friendly people at Sierra sent me some info on loads for their Pro Hunter bullets in a 30-06. didn't need to get their new manual.

Not much good storage room here for accumulating more n more reloading stuff. I have or can get what I need.

Sometimes less is more.

I have three fairly current hardback manuals that I look at regularly, being Nosler, Hornady, and Barnes. I also look at the online resources for Hodgdon, Alliant, Ramshot, and sometimes Speer. There are also old manuals lying around, but I look at them less and less as they age.

Started reloading August 1971, and with the exception of 22LR reloaded everything I've shot since then. Manuals from 1956 to 2010. But now I only use Quickload as I can give it specifics (the usuals plus individual case capacity, temperature, bullet seating depth, barrel length) and found it agrees usually within 5-30 fps of my chrono readings. I do enjoy reading the books, but when I get down to actual reloading that is what I now use as a "go to". T.

A lot fewer now that I have Quickload.

My 1st manual was Lyman #45 & there are a bunch of others on the shelf. Lately I find myself using Sierra VI & Nosler #8 trying to get up to speed on the newer powders, but still use Ken Waters Pet Loads collection for the old standards. That Gun Gack Mule Deer guy has some good data in his books too.

I like to look and compare if I have doubts. I learned
early on from the man that taught me to load to keep
meticulous notes on everything I load, and once I get
a load to where I want it, I don't look at the manuals anymore, just refer to my data book and enter whatever
I load on the next spot in the book. If I see a book I
don't have on the shelf at the used book store, I'll
pick it up if it's priced reasonably

I had 6 and just gave away 5 ironically yesterday as I never used them. 95% of my beginning loads are from online research. I just keep the on manual around in the event I need to reload but don’t have internet at the time.

I was going to say 8 or 9 then I counted 15 on the shelf plus I have 2 online sites I pay to use.

That also does not count the 100's of times I google this site for loads.