I need a new reloading manual

[MOA]

Go with the Lyman #50. Unless your using very specific jacketed rounds it should cover 99% of your needs IMHO.

[KenT7021]

For the some of the metric calibers I use a German reloading manual:Wiederladen.I believe it can be found online.H&N Sports may have it available.

[Duckiller]

Some older manuals have some really hot loads. Newer manuals reduce these loads. Nothing to do with lawyer, everything to do with better data. Newer manuals have data on new powders as well as retested data on older powder. I buy new manuals every few years .

[fastdadio]

Some older manuals have some really hot loads. Newer manuals reduce these loads. Nothing to do with lawyer, everything to do with better data. Newer manuals have data on new powders as well as retested data on older powder. I buy new manuals every few years .

^^This^^ Science and technology have advanced over the years and so has the way they test these pressures. In the old manuals, max loads were determined by the copper washer crush test method. This has worked well forever. Today, the pressures produced and the burn rates are recorded on a graph using a piezoelectric transducer;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectric_sensor
This is an extremely accurate and consistent method of recording pressure and pressure curves over a specified time frame. This method has revealed pressure spikes in the charges tested that were previously undetected by the old method and this is why certain max loads have been reduced in the manuals. What led to me calling Speer is a load listed in the #11 using W296 for 30-30 loads. PG 370 lists charges of 14.5 > 16.5 under a 165 gr. jacketed spitzer. We all know 296 is a finicky powder and I wanted to know if I could safely use the data for 170gr cast. He said nope. Testing has shown pressure spikes with that load the exceed saami specs and the data has been deleted from print. I have loaded this data in the past using 15.5gr 296 and the Lee 170 pc/gc'ed and had no problems, But I won't be loading it again after our conversation. I agree with the opinions above stating the use of old manuals and data and I will continue to use mine also, but I'm a light to middle load kind of guy and never really approach max load listings anyway. I will be buying a couple new manuals and the Lyman's are at the top of the list. Thanks for all the great replies and advice folks. Be safe out there and good luck with the up coming hunting season. I can't wait to get out there.

[ascast]

fastdadio- that is a very good observation to share. I have lots of manuals and find generally bullet guys use their own; powder guys use their own powders, etc. Maybe not so true anymore. Most recent book for me is a copy of the LEE. It gives loads in "cc's" which I can mathematically convert to use in my Belding &Mull thrower; handy that.

[JBinMN]

^^This^^ Science and technology have advanced over the years and so has the way they test these pressures. In the old manuals, max loads were determined by the copper washer crush test method. This has worked well forever. Today, the pressures produced and the burn rates are recorded on a graph using a piezoelectric transducer;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectric_sensor
This is an extremely accurate and consistent method of recording pressure and pressure curves over a specified time frame. This method has revealed pressure spikes in the charges tested that were previously undetected by the old method and this is why certain max loads have been reduced in the manuals. What led to me calling Speer is a load listed in the #11 using W296 for 30-30 loads. PG 370 lists charges of 14.5 > 16.5 under a 165 gr. jacketed spitzer. We all know 296 is a finicky powder and I wanted to know if I could safely use the data for 170gr cast. He said nope. Testing has shown pressure spikes with that load the exceed saami specs and the data has been deleted from print. I have loaded this data in the past using 15.5gr 296 and the Lee 170 pc/gc'ed and had no problems, But I won't be loading it again after our conversation. I agree with the opinions above stating the use of old manuals and data and I will continue to use mine also, but I'm a light to middle load kind of guy and never really approach max load listings anyway. I will be buying a couple new manuals and the Lyman's are at the top of the list. Thanks for all the great replies and advice folks. Be safe out there and good luck with the up coming hunting season. I can't wait to get out there.

Glad ya found out what ya wanted to know & made a good decision to balance things out.


G'luck with your future casting & loads!

[Hick]

Try going here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...W1FR001OGcwTEk

[KenT7021]

The 50th has 9.3x62 data.Nothing for the 9.3x64 though.

[gwpercle]

Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook 3rd Edition
Lyman Cast bullet Handbook 4th Edition
Speer # 14
Hornady 8th Edition.
I use all 4 and some older ones for obsolete rounds not listed in the newer manuals.
Get data from 4 different manuals, average the minimum and maximum from all 4 , to get a good idea of a realistic min and max . start low and work up.

Gary

[MOA]

I always try to collect a wide variety of manuals, be they powder, bullet, or anyone in between. It is true that older books are, and should be suspect of load data as powder has been changing over the decades. But, the older manuals are handy to have when working up loads for wildcats and allows one to get a feel for powder application on the out of the ordinary calibers. Nice to have a "paper trail" when one looks back over time at loads and how powder recipes have been modified. You can never have too many books. One never knows when the web could disappear and never return. Having a decent resource of load data is prudent. "Be prepared". Still some of us around that have it as our motto.