I need a new reloading manual

[fastdadio]

My Speer #11 is copy write 1986, the Hornady, 1991. I spoke with the Speer tech support guy last night and he says the data is obsolete. I think I should take his advice. I know I want/need the highly recommended Lyman cast boolit hand book, but what else are you folks using? I considered the caliber specific manuals since I don't really load a large variety here. Just the usual, popular rifle and pistol loads. What say the collective, whats your go-to favorite cook book?

[Scharfschuetze]

I have a library of reloading texts, although the Lyman CBH #3 and #4 are my most used tomes when it comes to lead projectiles. I see that Lyman now has their #50 manual out which covers jacketed and cast.

[swheeler]

Speer 14, Nosler 6 and Lyman 50 are the newest I have, lots of data for nearly everything

EDIT: I think my Hornady 9th is newer than Nosler 6 but it's all good

[rintinglen]

I like Lyman and Speer; they were what I learned to load on. Speer No. 9 and Lyman 45 were the first ones I bought. I now have all four Lyman Cast Bullet Handbooks, but I find 3 to be the most useful, though many of the powder choices are no longer available. I have the latest (14) Speer manual as well as Hodgdon's Manual, though that is available on line, as are Accurate and Alliant data. If I could only have one, I'd spring for the latest Lyman Manual, No. 50, with the powder guys on line to cross check with if I had any doubts.

It is of some passing interest to note that I still use two loads from the 1957 Lyman manual. My 30-30's get a regular diet of the 311-466 over 17.5 grains of 2400 and my 38 Specials see a fair few 148 grain WC's over 3.0 grains of Bullseye--when I can find it. I still shoot the Speer 150 grain Spitzer over 55 grains of 4350 in my 30-06 too. Not all that is old is obsolete and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[MAGA]

I have several
Honestly I seek out older manuals and use them the most as they have the data in looking for that most of the new manuals don't have especially in calibers like 45-70
Lyman 45th
Older Speer from the 70's
Hornady 4th I think
I always check new manuals if info is available
The Lee manual is great
And cast bullet handbook
And I always have the yearly guides the powder companies give out

Also if you go to the powder manufacturers website most all of them have a great online reloading data center

[tazman]

Depending on what I am trying to accomplish, I pick up my Lyman 50, the newest Hornady manual(10th edition), or check the Hodgdon data site online. They all have handgun data for at least some cast/swaged boolits in most calibers along with plenty of jacketed data.
If you are looking at cast in a rifle, the Lyman manual is the way to go. If you are looking for jacketed loads, all three have good data to use for comparison.
The newest manuals have data for the new powders except for the new IMR powders which you can get from the Hodgdon site.

[Texas by God]

I have 11 manuals from 1972 to present. I use the old ones a lot still.

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

The Speer guy is either their new product liability lawyer, or the guy in marketing who wants to sell you a new manual.
None of the previous manuals ever become "obsolete"; they only print a new one to add new powders and designs. And lower the loads two or three percent to lower the issue of liability a wee bit.

[JBinMN]

The Speer guy is either their new product liability lawyer, or the guy in marketing who wants to sell you a new manual.
None of the previous manuals ever become "obsolete"; they only print a new one to add new powders and designs. And lower the loads two or three percent to lower the issue of liability a wee bit.

^This is my thinking... ^

That Speer #11 mentioned in the OP was my first handgun/rifle reloading manual, and I use it still to this day, even though I have newer manuals to reference also. I am still using loads listed in that older manual from back then in modern pistols & have had -0- troubles. I am no expert, but if those loads were safe then, I'd reckon they should be safe now... Work for me anyway.
:)

If ya find yourself uncomfortable using that data, then sure... Get yourself more modern ones. But, I would hang on to the older ones anyhow. if nothing else for comparisons, or if ya find some component that is listed in the old ones, but not in the new ones. [I.E. - I have been experimenting with some powders, Red Dot being one of them & I can find listings in the old speer#11 that are not listed in the newer ones. Same with bullet/boolit styles.]

BTW, if ya decide ya don't want those older manuals, I'll bet there are more than one member here that would love to have them.
;)

G'Luck with whatever ya decide to do!
:)

[GhostHawk]

You have been given good advice, question is what will you do with it?

I have an older speer manual, as well as the Lyman # 3 and 4 cast bullet manuals. I like both. I really wish Lee had a manual with data for every cast bullet they ever made a mold for. Especially if they would focus more on a wider range of powders. The data sheets in most of their dies seldom includes a powder I have access to.

On the plus side if you have a computer and are willing to do some work you can mine powder manufacturers data very efficiently.

For example Alliant's Red Dot. Go through the calibers you load for, make notes. Good notes, find what you need and you can save the money for a new manual.

Up to you, there are options. Choose wisely

[trapper9260]

I got the Lyman 50th and the 4th cast one.i do have other Lyman's But they are the up date ones I got and have some of the carts. that there older ones do not have . But also look at some of the older ones for the reason that was stated also.

[rond]

I use my old manuals as most of my guns are old and I've used the same loads for years. When I do get a new caliber I check the on line reloading data from the power manufacture for data.

[dpoe001]

I have 8 manuals i use. But i use my notes of what calibers that i am loading for the most.I have had a hard time buying my favorite powders (they are now getting better to find)and looked up the data in all the books and online for the powder that was available to me it got me to the range to shoot different loads.I try not to use just one source>

[jdfoxinc]

I regret that my really old Manuela burned with my store. The loads were as much as 20% hotter in some calibers. SAAMI seems to be run by lawyers.

I now favor the caliber specific manuels as they draw from all sources.

[scattershot]

Get the Lyman. If all you plan to shoot are cast bullets, get the CBH. Otherwise, the regular Lyman product. They have data for cast and jacketed bullets, and loads with a wide variety of powders.

[Wayne Smith]

Lee simply reprints powder company data. Lyman, Sierria, Hornaday, Speer, and Hodgdon all shoot their own data. I will use old manuals because I shoot calibers that are not in the current manuals. I have data going back to the 20's and 30's but take it with a handful of salt. Old data needs to be used with a significant degree of research and knowledge, not taken as factual, but it is useful as guidelines as long as we know the problems with it.

[Loiterer]

Don't get rid of what you have now, just add to it. Today's books lack older information on older standards.
The idea that folks don't shoot this round anymore appears to be a ink saving thought.
.44 spl. wad cutter info is not current or often printed, neither is .45 Win Mag.
If you have something out of the current, popular, this is what is being used now don't plan on finding it in a new book.

Just my own thoughts on the subject,
Good luck, take care,

[MUSTANG]

I download the PDF copies of all of the powder manufacturer/resellers and use the data to augment my older (40 to 5 year old) reloading manuals. These renamed powder being introduced are a source of frustration; I am not buying them yet, but as the availability of the old name powders start to dry up I see difficulties downstream.

As another aside; searching "Real Life" testing and load developments on Cast Boolits and some other similar sites plays a large role in my personal load developments.

[rmark]

I just realized that many pages in my manuals are unused, need to buy a few more guns I guess.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

lol, I hear that! by the way, does lyman #50 have 9.3X62 data, I have the 49th and it doesn't, so I wouldn't buy the 50th unless it did

[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/folders/0B5OXFZ9peAawfi1zNHA1TUx3QjhFRVA3RGc2cTVCUUZFanpjT 1RJSlJRQW1FR001OGcwTEk

[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]

204223

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.