New to reloading, best Manual or Guide?

[hairtumor]

I need to pick up a good manual and do some serious reading before I start reloading. I'm trying to narrow it down to one good manual. Thanks in advance.

[AAShooter]

What type of reloading are you planning on doing? Metallic or Shotgun

The NRA Guide to Reloading is not a bad start.

Here are some NRA Metallic Cartridge Reloading Classes in So Cal. It is a good start.

Chula Vista 3/5/2011
Newhall 3/6/2011
Tehachapi 3/19/2011
Orange 4/23/2011

You can search for courses here: http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

[Low-Pressure]

Lyman Reloading Handbook 49th Edition.

[RobG]

Don't "narrow" it down to one particular manual. Try and use different sources. Lyman and Sierra books are good as are all the powder and bullet makers websites. I have a Sierra book and it has great info but, their data is notoriously conservative. A particular max load for .308 in the Sierra book is a midrange load according to the powder maker. More info you have, the better off you are.

[bumpo628]

+1 on Lyman 49.
It's a good choice for your first book.

[calidefector]

I have several, but I really took a liking to the Lee manual and consult that more often than others. Definitely worth consideration.

[coyotebait]

Don't "narrow" it down to one particular manual. Try and use different sources. Lyman and Sierra books are good as are all the powder and bullet makers websites. I have a Sierra book and it has great info but, their data is notoriously conservative. A particular max load for .308 in the Sierra book is a midrange load according to the powder maker. More info you have, the better off you are.

+2
I have Speer #13 and an older Hornady book I also will check manufacturers websites and even then I start low and work my way up. Manuals are not the be all end all, they're for reference.

[CSACANNONEER]

Lyman is a great book but, you should always use a minimum of two independent sources before starting to work on a new load. EVERY load manual has an error or two and you don't want to blow up. I own a shelf full of manuals and powder/bullet manufacturer's load data. You can also find most powder manufacturer's data online.

[Cowboy T]

I use both the Lee and Lyman manuals. Between the two of these books, there isn't a round that I shoot for which I cannot develop a very good load.

And a +1 to the powder manufacturers' Web sites as an additional reference. I use all those, too, during my load development.

[C.G.]

Lyman is a great book but, you should always use a minimum of two independent sources before starting to work on a new load. EVERY load manual has an error or two and you don't want to blow up. I own a shelf full of manuals and powder/bullet manufacturer's load data. You can also find most powder manufacturer's data online.

I like Lyman, but what he said +1.

[jwest]

What type of reloading are you planning on doing? Metallic or Shotgun

The NRA Guide to Reloading is not a bad start.

Here are some NRA Metallic Cartridge Reloading Classes in So Cal. It is a good start.

Chula Vista 3/5/2011
Newhall 3/6/2011
Tehachapi 3/19/2011
Orange 4/23/2011

You can search for courses here: http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

Not many of these in Norcal?

[slopoke]

Not every manual has every powder bullet combination, so for me I have a Hornady, Lee, Sierra, Lyman.

[Markus]

What type of reloading are you planning on doing? Metallic or Shotgun

The NRA Guide to Reloading is not a bad start.

Here are some NRA Metallic Cartridge Reloading Classes in So Cal. It is a good start.

Chula Vista 3/5/2011
Newhall 3/6/2011
Tehachapi 3/19/2011
Orange 4/23/2011

You can search for courses here: http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

How long are the courses?

[sonnyt650]

The Lee and Lyman manuals are good for learning the craft, but for me the edge goes to Lee which describes in detail the parts of individual dies which come into play. Richard Lee rubs some folks the wrong way while describing what he considers fallacies in the marketing of other companies' dies. However, if I didn't read it first, odds are I wouldn't have thought about how the dies work and would have just put my money down the way everyone else suggested.

[AAShooter]

How long are the courses?

I believe the class is designed to be an 8-hour course. Some will depend on the size of the class and their knowledge.