- Alfred Mendoza
- June 1, 2023
Getting a reloading manual can improve your reloading experience in quality, especially in safety. However, accurate, reliable, and complete data about gun reloading can be hard to find if you want to reload your ammo by yourself.
Thus, our team spent a week going through different manuals to help you find the best reloading manual.
- Well-drawn diagrams and tables
- Up-to-date data
- Best for beginners
- High-quality pages and bind
- Readable font and format
- Well-drawn diagrams and illustrations
- A clear and concise guide
- Straightforward
- Loaded with practical information
- Extremely useful
- Best for novice shooters
- Enjoyable to read
- Good starting point
- Easy to follow instructions
- Affordable manual
Table of Contents
- 1 Top 10 Reloading Manuals
- 1.1 1. Hornady 11th Edition Ammo Reloading Book
- 1.2 2. Lee Precision Modern Reloading 2nd Edition
- 1.3 3. The Beginner's Guide To Reloading Ammunition
- 1.4 4. The ABCs of Reloading: The Ammo Reloading Guide For Novice To Expert
- 1.5 5. Lyman 50th Edition Ammo Reloading Book Hard Cover
- 1.6 6. The Practical Guide To Reloading Ammunition
- 1.7 7. Sierra 5th Edition Rifle Handgun Ammo Reloading Book
- 1.8 8. Shooter's Bible Guide To Handloading
- 1.9 9. Barnes Bullets Reloading Manual
- 1.10 10. Handbook of Ammo Reloading Basics
- 2 Factors to Consider
- 3 Our Team's Selection Process
- 4 FAQs
- 5 What’s Our Choice For The Best Reloading Manual?
Top 10 Reloading Manuals
1. Hornady 11th Edition Ammo Reloading Book
Why We Picked It:
The reloading manual from Hornady has an in-depth and updated coverage of all the important information about internal and external ballistics, cartridges, and propellants. It has 1,200 updated load combinations for 200 different calibers. In addition, the manual is easy to understand and follow.
Who Should Use It:
The manual is best for beginners and experts because it covers different topics and strategies about safe and proper reloading.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Summary:
The Hornady 11th Edition Ammo Reloading book is the best source of information about reloading practices. The manual is the best source of information about the correct reloading.
PROS
- Well-drawn diagrams and tables
- Up-to-date data
- Best for beginners
- High-quality pages and bind
- Readable font and format
CONS
- Some Hornady bullets not included
2. Lee Precision Modern Reloading 2nd Edition
Why We Picked It:
The Lee Precision modern reloading manual provides 28,000 loads and 167 cartridges insight. In addition, it provides helpful information that explains the velocity for starting loads.
Who Should Use It:
The crowd-favorite manual from Lee Precision is a good option for shooters using pistols and handguns.
Summary:
The good reloading manual from Lee Precision features helpful information to understand handgun calibers easily. It is a direct and ideal manual for beginners and veterans.
PROS
- Well-drawn diagrams and illustrations
- A clear and concise guide
- Straightforward
- Loaded with practical information
- Extremely useful
CONS
- Critical pieces of information missing
- No standard or magnum primers
3. The Beginner's Guide To Reloading Ammunition
Why We Picked It:
The Beginner’s Guide to Reloading Ammunition manual provides detailed chapters about bullets, gun powder, cartridge cases, and primers.
Who Should Use It:
The reloading manual is best for beginners because most of the explanations are in layman’s terms which is very easy to understand.
Summary:
The Beginner’s Guide to Reloading Ammunition is best for novice shooters who want to understand the reloading process and decide what equipment and components to purchase.
PROS
- Best for novice shooters
- Enjoyable to read
- Good starting point
- Easy to follow instructions
- Affordable manual
CONS
- Coverage could improve
- Illustrations could be better
4. The ABCs of Reloading: The Ammo Reloading Guide For Novice To Expert
Why We Picked It:
The ABCs of Reloading provides step-by-step procedures on reloading rifles, handguns, and shotguns. In addition, it gives detailed information on everything you have to know about primers, bullets, powders, and cases.
Who Should Use It:
The ABCs of Reloading manual is ideal for beginners who want a detailed guide on correctly reloading a gun.
Summary:
If you want hundreds of detailed photos and illustrations, the reloading manual from ABCs could be a good option.
PROS
- Easy to follow instructions
- Good basic reference book
- Impressive and very informative
- It helps polish your skills
- Beginner's must-have
CONS
- Needs update
- Content needs improvement
5. Lyman 50th Edition Ammo Reloading Book Hard Cover
Why We Picked It:
The reloading book from Lyman can be a good option because it comes with lots of improvements compared to the previous edition. It features different articles about the newest firearms, ballistic coefficient, and case preparations.
Who Should Use It:
The manual is written in a very understandable manner that will help beginners and veterans.
Summary:
The 50th edition reloading handbook from Lyman is easy to understand. The writing style and impressive data collection make it a good choice for reloading manuals for beginners.
PROS
- Very informative
- Beginner-friendly manual
- Time-tested standards
- A decent book for the price
- Updated
CONS
- Technical aspects could improve
- Load data is incomplete
6. The Practical Guide To Reloading Ammunition
Why We Picked It:
The Practical Guide to Reloading Ammunition is a budget reloading manual that gives easy-to-understand reloading pages with safety guidelines.
Who Should Use It:
The manual helps novice shooters and veterans understand the gears they are about to use for safety precautions.
Summary:
Since most reloading manuals can be boring to read, manufacturer manuals came up with a more practical way to teach reloading bullets using this guide. The ammo reloading book is fun and easy to read.
PROS
- Contains valuable information
- Equips novice shooters with practicality
- An excellent guide for beginners
- A great introduction to reloading
- Humorous gun writers
CONS
- Book quality needs improvement
- Data needs update
7. Sierra 5th Edition Rifle Handgun Ammo Reloading Book
Why We Picked It:
The Sierra 5th edition reloading book features detailed instructions on how to reload and easily. It also provides a FAQ section to answer some reloading questions quickly.
Who Should Use It:
This ammo reloading book is a good option for first-timer reloaders.
Summary:
The 5th edition reloading book from Sierra covers different reloading techniques regardless of your reloading tools. It is convenient to use on your load data because it comes in a handy three-ring binder format.
PROS
- Convenient to use
- Provides detailed information
- Easy to follow instructions
- Good value for money
- An essential manual for hand loader
CONS
- Cover needs update
- Pages need reinforcement
8. Shooter's Bible Guide To Handloading
Why We Picked It:
The Shooter’s Bible Guide to Handloading is loaded with an informative guide on cartridge reloading. In addition, many reloading manuals like Shooter’s Bible teach about the history of handloading and innovation on the reloading process.
Who Should Use It:
The Shooter’s Bible Guide to Handloading is for beginners who want to know the right way to reload ammo and learn its history.
Summary:
The reloading manual by Wayne van Zwoll provides a simple and easy explanation on reloading data and testing the appropriate load data of the cartridges and reloading equipment.
PROS
- Organized information
- Good start for beginners
- Affordable
- Impressive history read
- Well written
CONS
- Needs content improvement
- More theory-based
9. Barnes Bullets Reloading Manual
Why We Picked It:
The 4th edition reloading manual from Barnes is easy and enjoyable to read. It has the latest data for both old and new cartridges. In addition, it is a hard-cover edition reloading manual that you can pass on to your next generation.
Who Should Use It:
Reloading manuals from Barnes are ideal for veterans who want to add current references of load data and bullet brands.
Summary:
The Barnes Bullets Reloading Manual works great, especially if the load data you will need is outdated. The manuals cater to the reloading information of particular bullet brands and are thoroughly discussed.
PROS
- Well written
- Impressive book layout
- Easy to find specific sections
- Loaded with accurate data and histories
- Ideal additional reloading reference
CONS
- Outdated
- Lacks expanded data
10. Handbook of Ammo Reloading Basics
Why We Picked It:
The Handbook of Ammo Reloading Basics provides reloading information, firearms cleaning, and internal ballistics. Aside from bullet information, it covers the component breakdown of primers, powders, and wads.
Who Should Use It:
The beginners’ how-to section of the Handbook of Ammo Reloading Basics is ideal for an experienced reloader who wants a refresher.
Summary:
The handbook of cartridge reloading basics by Robin Sharpless and Rick Sapp aims to equip new hand loaders with the right knowledge on rifle cartridges. Reloading books such as Handbook of Ammo Reloading Basics are offered in ebook form and paperback.
PROS
- Usable beginner's manual
- Easy to follow
- Popular rifle calibers included
- Covers the basic
- Excellent information and data
CONS
- It can be very basic
- Not updated completely
Factors to Consider
Writing Style & Format
When getting the best reloading manuals, the first thing to consider is the writing style and format of the book. It should provide information that is fun and enjoyable to read.
Beginners find it easy to read manuals that have a good format and writing style. However, most veteran shooters prefer direct inputs as they dont want to waste time on things they already know.
Reader’s Level of Expertise
The best overall reloading manual must be understandable for everyone because people do have different expertise levels. Most beginners may need manuals that will give you more information about reloading, not just the load data.
If you haven’t experienced reloading ammunition or you are highly skilled, you may need a reloading manual to guide you.
Images and Diagrams
Infographics such as images and diagrams help the user easily digest the manual’s content [1]. Many manuals provide multiple images and elaborated illustrations that help the users enjoy reading and learning the load data and safety precautions.
Specific instructions exist in the Hornady handbook with images and diagrams that will help users follow the instructions correctly.
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Current Data and Information
Ammo manufacturers kept on innovating different load data and load ammo to keep up with the technology. If you plan to get the best reloading manual, you must consider the precise information and newest reloading techniques.
The outdated manuals can be used on old guns. However, modern pistol owners need accurate load, so getting the current data and information is needed.
Calibers Covered & Type of Powder
When choosing the best reloading manuals, you have to make sure it covers your specific calibers. Most manuals cover the basics, but as money-saving tips, if you reload a specific type of ammunition like Sierra bullets, copper bullets, or cast bullets, you must look for manuals that specialize in that.
Since bullets have different designs and tolerance, it may affect the velocity and pressure. Load data on your own bullets can vary for different reasons, so our team recommends buying a universal reloading press to cover a wide range of calibers and ammo types.
Our Team's Selection Process
Overall Performance
Our team reviewed the contents of every single reloading manual mentioned above to ensure that it provides accurate, reliable, and complete data for your reloading process. We also made sure that the manual was up-to-date and mostly covered the basics.
The writing style and the format of the manuals were also considered to help novice shooters easily understand the manual.
Weapon Compatibility
Ammunition reloading varies on different brands, so our team selected universal manuals and those that cover popular rifle calibers.
The load data on each bullet is different, so we selected manuals compatible with your weapon. You must get the Hornady reloading handbook if you own popular Hornady bullets.
Product Quality
Aside from its performance and compatibility, we also consider the quality of the manual. The data must be based on fact and not purely theory-based.
In addition, we also go for manuals that are more practical and provide a detailed guide. The print and the bind should also be of good quality to use in long-range shooting or when studying.
FAQs
Yes, you can use a specific brand in the reloading manual in general. Aside from their own notes, different manuals provide basic information that provides users with knowledge about different bullets and handguns.
The best reloading manual for beginners is the Beginner’s Guide to Reloading Ammunition. The manual is written in layman’s terms that will help beginners and average joes understand the technicalities of the ammo.
What’s Our Choice For The Best Reloading Manual?
Our choice for the best reloading manual is the Hornady 11th Edition Ammo Reloading book. Reloading is not rocket science; however, this practical guide will help you easily understand the workaround of reloading.
The Hornady 10th Edition Ammo reloading book provides accurate data and techniques on the specific ammo and gun you use. In addition, the manual is well written to help novice and veterans understand the Hornady components.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Our #1 Recommendation
Hornady 11th Edition Ammo Reloading book
- Must have
- In-depth and updated
- Jam-packed- full of information
- Easy to read and understand
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Really interesting post!