Review: The Lyman reloading manual

Like many handloaders, Carteach owns a few manuals collected over the decades.  In fact, 'a few' means several shelves full in the library, plus years worth of notes.  All have value, and some are treasured.

But.... perhaps the best judgement of a handloaders regard for a reloading manual is which one he chooses to give someone new to the fold.  Here, The Fat Man has some very specific reasons for choosing just one or two books.

That's exactly what we have here.... a manual that Carteach plans on gifting to a friend who's beginning his odyssey. The needs of a new reloader differ from those of someone with long experience, and the right manual can set the foundation for years of safe procedures.

Carteach's choice:

Lyman 49Th Edition Reloading Handbook

Lyman has always taken pains to provide very clear and understandable instruction on the basic process of reloading cartridges.  Their imaging is helpful and to the point.  In addition, they include extra articles which spur interest and offer wonderfully useful information.

The load data Lyman provides is comprehensive, and they take the time  to note special circumstances which new loaders need to be aware of.  As example, the 30-06 section has some words regarding the M-1 Garand and it's special needs.  For someone who has never loaded for the Garand, these few sentences are golden!

In short..... an excellent manual for any handloader, but especially for those new to the craft.   The Carteach reloading library has several editions of this book, and it's newest version shown here is the one I choose to give a good friend embarking down the path.