Reloading Manuals?

[rewiltshire]

I have many manuals. Hornady, Sierra, Nosler, Barnes, Lyman and refer to some of the online ones also. I also have some of the "All in one' books that are caliber specific and have the data from different bullet and powder people. But they are limited to certain standard cartridges .223 Remington, .308 Winchester, 30-06 Springfield - etc. The manuals are a reference point for me when I start developing a load for a rifle/cartridge combo. And I have different rifles in the same caliber that like different loads - so go figure.

 

[tooOld]

So I am a beginner Reloader. I purchased the new Nosler Manual. I believe I should have a few more for reference to go along with Sierra Online, Barnes Online and Hodgdon Online.

Im considering getting both the Lyman 50th as well as the Hornady 10th, thoughts?

Other than Berger (which they will email) are these good manuals to compliment my Nosler?

Thanks
Steve

The Lyman is especially good for handguns and cast bullets. Many of the handgun barrels that are tested are 4 inch.

 

[ntsqd]

I'm glad to see some embracing the older manuals. I find that I prefer them to the new books, both for their information and for their lack of "Lawyer Loads". When I see a new book list a max load for an enduring powder in a common for caliber bullet weight that is markedly lower than my older manuals I loose a lot of respect for that new(er) manual.

What really concerns me is when the cartridge is too new for the older manuals. How do I know what is the real max load w/o venturing out into the danger zone?

 

[Stiltsville]

Save your $.

Loaddata.com

 

[rewiltshire]

I'm glad to see some embracing the older manuals. I find that I prefer them to the new books, both for their information and for their lack of "Lawyer Loads". When I see a new book list a max load for an enduring powder in a common for caliber bullet weight that is markedly lower than my older manuals I loose a lot of respect for that new(er) manual.

What really concerns me is when the cartridge is too new for the older manuals. How do I know what is the real max load w/o venturing out into the danger zone?

I shoot a 6mm Remington with Sierria 100gr SPT. The manual states that the max load for RL22 is 46.1 gr. Then down in the little box below that data is a picture with a description stating that this "deer was shot at 336 yards using 48.0 gr of RL22 and Federal primers in a Ruger No. 1". Granted the Ruger No. 1 is a string action (which is what I shoot), but it just goes to show you the "Lawyer Loads" are presented in the new manuals.
PS I have shot a lot of antelope, whitetails and mulies with this load.

 

[ntsqd]

Save your $.

Loaddata.com

Requires a subscription. Which means that I don't own that info, I'm only renting it and don't have a right to it in perpetuity. Not sure how that saves me $$?

 

[Stiltsville]

Ah, do you have a PRINTER ?

Subscription is far less than 2 reloading books. Unlike them, it is constantly updated.

You can buy binders and dividers on Amazon that will hold 100s of pages of data.

I suppose you don't subscribe to Handloader either as it's not free.

319,000 loads !

 

[ntsqd]

How many of those are loads from old manuals? I value those more than new manuals.

 

[SArnold30]

Having a few different brands on hand is always helpful for cross referencing and just for generally educating yourself. My only advice is simply to buy the ones corresponding to whichever bullet and shooting applications you plan on using the most. So in my case, I have the most current Nosler and Sierra manuals. I also use the "newest" Barnes edition, from 2008, so I've had to supplement with some online research regarding their updated load data. Between your hard copies, the ever growing amount of online data, and thousands of years of combined experience input from members on here, you'll have a wealth of information to work with, and have tons of fun experimenting with your own handloads.

 

[Chuckhunter]

Having a few manuals is a good place to start but having a mentor could shorten your learning curve by several years and there's nothing like seeing it done live to help you grasp it quicker. Don't know how far you are from sun prairie Wisconsin but if you're reasonably close I can put you in contact with a fine gentleman who I'm sure could give you a wealth of knowledge in short order. Let me know if it's a possibility. Good Luck and shoot small.

 

[nicholasjohn]

I buy the Hodgdon annual reloading manual every year

I like that one, too. Some of the articles in the front section have been pretty good over the years.

 

[crystalgayleguy]

I like that one, too. Some of the articles in the front section have been pretty good over the years.

I like the powder burn rate chart

 

[nicholasjohn]

I'm glad to see some embracing the older manuals. I find that I prefer them to the new books, both for their information and for their lack of "Lawyer Loads". When I see a new book list a max load for an enduring powder in a common for caliber bullet weight that is markedly lower than my older manuals I loose a lot of respect for that new(er) manual.

What really concerns me is when the cartridge is too new for the older manuals. How do I know what is the real max load w/o venturing out into the danger zone?

On that last question, a lot of data is out there about the water capacity of the cartridge cases. Often there is an old case design with the same capacity & bore diameter as the new one, and this can help you get in the ball park. The trick is in knowing how that case capacity was measured, which isn't often talked about in much detail.

 

[Uncle yib]

So I am a beginner Reloader. I purchased the new Nosler Manual. I believe I should have a few more for reference to go along with Sierra Online, Barnes Online and Hodgdon Online.

Im considering getting both the Lyman 50th as well as the Hornady 10th, thoughts?

Other than Berger (which they will email) are these good manuals to compliment my Nosler?

Thanks
Steve

If you can find a copy the 1967 lymen reloaders handbook is one of the best