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Thread: Vintage Loading Manuals

  1. #1
    Boolit Master


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    Vintage Loading Manuals

    What vintage reloading manual do you find to be the most useful or best reference?

  2. #2
    Boolit Master gpidaho's Avatar
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    Lyman #44 Gp

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
    poppy42's Avatar
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    I’ve also had the mindset that ya can’t have to many reloading manuals. They all have there place. If I had to pick on that won’t brake the bank and is pretty easy to find Lyman cast bullet #3 has a lot of good info. A lot depends on what your reloading for.
    Long, Wide, Deep, and Without Hesitation!

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master



    M-Tecs's Avatar
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    Lyman #45
    2nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. - "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

    "Before you argue with someone, ask yourself, is that person even mentally mature enough to grasp the concept of different perspectives? Because if not, there’s absolutely no point."
    – Amber Veal

    "The Highest form of ignorance is when your reject something you don't know anything about".
    - Wayne Dyer

  5. #5
    Boolit Master
    Bent Ramrod's Avatar
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    A lot of the Lyman 44th loads seem kind of warm to me. (The 44th was the first load book i ever bought.) Mostly, I start with a Pacific Handbook, but I often to to Water’s Pet Loads If it’s a brand-new cartridge I’m unfamiliar with.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master Shawlerbrook's Avatar
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    Love Ken Waters Pet Loads.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master

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    Complete Guide to Handloading by Philip B. Sharpe is a classic and full of great information. Its a great resource for older cartridges not found in newer manuals. The first edition dates to 1937. I have a 3rd edition, 2nd revision from 1953.

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Speer Manual for Reloading Ammunition Number 8 (1970)
    Speer Reloading Manual Number Nine (1974)
    Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook Third Edition (1980)
    RCBS Cast Bullet Manual number 1 (1986)
    Sixgun Cartridges & Loads by Elmer Keith (1936) more for general info than reloading data per se .

    These are the "vintage" manuals I still use ...along with up to date Hornady , Speer and Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook #4 .
    The vintage books came in handy when I discovered two full cans of Alcan #5 squirreled away during the 2013 powder shortage...find data for Alcan #5 in a new manual ...ain't happening !
    Those vintage manuals came in real handy .
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  9. #9
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    Vintage Loading Manuals

    Depends on what brand bullets or powder you’re loading for. I use a lot of Hornady bullets and have the full collection of manuals. Have to go back the first few for some older powders. I tend to look at older Lymans quite often. Same thing w/ old manuals from powder manufacturers. Have a lot of Winchester and Hercules manuals. Same thing for VV. I collect as many as possible. Which reminds me I need to go through and check for 2020 updates.

    All old manuals are used for comparison. Modern pressure testing techniques are a lot more precise. I trust the loads in newer manuals a lot more. But I always check multiple manuals as a sanity check.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Just picked up a Hodgdon #26 used at my lgs. Had s Speer manual from about 1995 and also a Sierra from a few years later but those went to my eldest. This #26 is pretty good.
    "If everyone is thinking the same thing it means someone is not thinking"

    "A rat became the unit of currency"

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check