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Well ...it is time for investing in a new reloading manual ..my present books do not have many of the current factory chambered calibers ...don't have many of the powders etc
I use the internet going direct to web site like Hodgdon etc
I do not want and/or will not use ANY data that does not include pressure as I tend to go for best RPM's for the least PSI ....PLUS I do not really want tied to just one brand of bullet
So lets hear about your favorite manual that you would recommend
Bear
Lyman 50th Edition.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Lyman is one of my favorites j-word and cast loads have not bought any others lately.
I'd vote for Hornady - it has new powders (BE86, CFE-P) recipes, which aren't in Lyman's.
Since Lyman does not have the expertise of manufacturing powder, primers, jacketed bullets or cases I do not consider them a primary manual for jacketed bullets.
I do rely on their data for cast bullets.
Over many years use I have slowly adopted the Speer manual and Hornady manuals as my primary manuals. Since Speer gives exact data I tend to trust their manuals more.
Hornady rounds off their data to the nearest 100fps. This leads me to think that they interpolate some of their data rather than actually shoot it at each velocity level.
I also like the one caliber books. They have data from all the others powder makers, bullet makers, equipment makers and all the others all in one book. Makes it easy to compare the different loads
Agree with Fred......the only short coming is all of the legal warnings.....but that is the way of the world.....the info is good IMHO.....PaulQuote:
Originally Posted by ReloaderFred
I use both the bullet & powder manufacturer data, but some manuals don't list pressure like Hornady and Sierra in that case powder manufacturer data psi/cup override for min./max. loads.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brokenbear
All the newest stuff is available online from the manufacture so I stopped purchasing new manuals. I have the opposite issue with older cartridges. I tend to buy the oldest manuals for the data that isn't listed anymore. Also for specific request Hodgdon has been very good. They have lots of data that is not online or in the manuals.
Why not use your PC and have them all ? If you must , buy a Hodgdon.
Lyman's 4th for cast boolits, Internet for others. Many don't like the Lee manual because it's just a compilation of other data, but that is the reason I do like it. I use the Hornady book as well and subscribe to Loadata.
I picked up the latest Hornady.. Not impressed I wish I would have gotten something different. My opinion but it least you know there is regret out there with it
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I remember only being able to afford one manual when I started and got the Lyman. I used to buy their newest versions when they came out, but also started using a slew of manuals and on-line manufacturers data.
I will probably never buy another though. I have narrowed my rifle shooting to .223, .30/30, .308....pistol to .38/.357, 9mm, .40 S&W. I have enough powder to shoot for many years and see no benefit to the newer powders.
If you already have a manual, why not subscribe to LoadData.com and have all of them. You'll have a year to print your own load books.
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All of them! Seriously, the more references the safer you will be. I have shelves full of great manuals
I purchased a few loadbooks that combine the data from several different manuals and put them into one caliber specific reference book.
If you only need data for one or two cartridges, it makes a little sense. However there are two glaring drawbacks: 1. All of the data comes from older publications, so they will not contain information on new powders.
2. If you need to acquire more than about 2 of those Loadbooks you might as well just purchase an entire manual.
That being said, For rifle loads I tend to gravitate towards my old Sierra manual. For handgun loads, both with cast bullets and jacketed, one of the Speer manuals is still the first one I grab.
I don't know if Winchester still offers the little pamphlets anymore but they were handy if you used Winchester powders and they contain a lot of shotshell data.
The Hodgdon website is free, so that's another source.
All loading manuals are good. Each will focus on powers and bullets that another don't, get a book that includes the cartridges and powders you want to try and use it.
Books are only references, not scripture, none of them are scientific fact for YOUR rig. We simply cannot expect any book to guide us in every step because it doesn't work that way. Know and observe the signs of excessive pressure and let that be your guide for safety.
(NOTE: "Flat" primers are the most mentioned and least significant sign of over pressure we can use - it worked pretty well fifty-sixty years ago when most primers were dome topped but they're all pre-flattened today. Truly flat primers are usually a sign of over FL sizing <excessive headspace> instead of excess pressure. We can get very flat primers on a less than maximum charge and we can blow a gun completely from together without square cornered flat primers.)
Splitting hairs on who makes the "best" or more accurate manuals - bullet or powder or neither - is hopeless, it just isn't that clear cut; all the book makers can tell us is how things went during their tests. Trying to find a magic data source for exactly the bullet we want to use is hopeless when we consider the unknowable differences between guns are added to the variables of primer, powder, cases and bullet lot. Loading data is generic for bullet weight/jacket etc. If we know what we're doing, any data source is safe, if we don't know what we're doing no data is safe.
Flying bullets are somewhat like a kid's toy top, they will stabilize quite well inside a significant high to low RPM range.
Suggest being slow to add new manuals. I like new manuals, have collected a couple dozen, but all I've seen extra manuals do to learners is add confusion. I only had ONE manual for the first five years and now know that was an asset; suggest sticking to ONE manual until you have enough experience to begin to understand what's going on. And I mean a lot more than just how to make ammo that goes BANG!
Lyman #50
Lyman 50th, Hornady X, Berger Bullets... to name a few...
-Rock
I really like the format of the Lyman 50th, but I am a little disappointed that some of the newer powders aren't included. I've also found some of their charge ranges to very quite a bit from Hodgdon's online data. I have several manuals and still find myself looking up loads online from Hodgdon all the time.
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