Which Reloading Manual?

[big honkin jeep]

I like the nosler guide and the sierra manual. they both have loads listed by most accurate tested or accuracy loads. these two have saved me a lot of guesswork with data that needed very little tweaking for great results. BHJ

 

[Derek M.]

I always reference 2 when loading. I always reference the powder manufacturer for the powder I'm using, and the bullet manuf. for the bullet I'm using.

I can't think of a better system.

 

[lever-hed]

Sierra and Nosler cuase I use those bullets which seem to work best in my rifles. Not to mention they provide notes on accurate powders so I go with their recommendations and buy a couple of those powders. Also have Hodgdon magazine manual that has some good info. I plan to buyone more (Lyman) which I heard was pretty good. Always good to read a few different manuals to see different sides of how toapproach it.. actually, its good to just read all you can on the subject, little tweaks here and there to make things better or simpler is always good to keep it interesting.

 

[jmason]

I use Hornady's, Sierra's, noslers, and quickload. I like having reference material to open and put infront of me. quickload is slowly becoming my main guide though.

 

[WRG]

Like Derek M pointed out....I too tend to use

(1) Which ever bullet "I'm using" manufacturers manual (Barnes) / (Swift)

(2) The manual of the powder I am using if possible. (Hodgdon)

(3) Which ever case "I'm using" manufactures manual . ( Norma) / (Hornady)

(4) A must have "Understanding Firearm Ballistics" By Robert A. Rinker

To me there is no one manual out there that is the "BEST". There is no way that powder companies can possibly test every bullet out there and with new bullets coming out every year they become obsolete with in a year if your looking for new bullet information.

 

[Festus]

I generally grab my Nosler #6 first but I have many manuals and I use them all.

Festus

 

[Oddbod]

Currently the Speer 13th & Lyman 48th.
I'll be purchasing new editions of both when I'm back in the US in May (cheaper than here).

 

[21buck]

I agree with Boomtube. My library has 5 different Manuals. When I work up a new powder/bullet/primer , I will get a consensus of that powder . Take an average and work with min and max averages. If one seems out of line, I scratch it off for that load.

 

[Mikecr]

QuickLoad
Never needed anything else

 

[Bob J]

Depends a lot on the powder I will be using... First choice is the data from the powder manufacturer....

 

[kc0pph]

All of the Powder and Primer Companies are in bed with the different Bullet manufacturers. That being said its hard to find the powder you want in just one book. Because of this i own several editions of most of the books. I also have PDF's i downloaded from the powder mfg and some of the bullet mfg have them as well. When i develop a load i open every book i have to the caliber i want, and print out all of the datasheets i have on the computer, then cross reference them all. In my opinion you really need 2 or 3 books with the powder and bullet you are using. Its really nice if you can get the books for the exact componets you will be using. For example if you are using a sierra bullet with Hodgen powder consult the Sierra book and the Hodgon book first.

With that being said i take everything with a grain of salt. I always work up my loads, and try to avoid going above the lowest posted maximum charge, and have yet to see a reason for going above the highest maximum charge.

 

[Clark]

I own over 50 reloading manuals, and don't use any of them.
I use Quickload.

I can tell you the worst.... "Speer 12" is the skunk of reloading manuals.

If we were at war, our enemies might drop copies of that manual on us.

 

[Mikecr]

A reloading manual would just seem like a joke after using and calibrating QuickLoad.

Powder mfgs, bullet mfgs, reloading equipment suppliers, or your range buddy, don't know diddly about your barrel, chamber, component lots, etc. All of this adds up to taking "everything with a grain of salt".
A QuickLoad file begins just as dumb as dirt, but you can adjust it for all that is impossible to predict.
Once you've made the adjustments, and validated results across a chronograph & with pressure signs where you expect, you can the run 'what-ifs' to immediately see all possibles -with fairly reliable predictions.
If I haven't tested a powder that I want to use yet, I prevalidate QL predictions with loads posted at Reloader's Nest.

Then at the range I watch my velocities as I go up in charges, based on QL's incremental workup, and I expect that they'll be right, or needing tweaked. But never have I been completely surprised by a predicted load.

It's a safe, sound approach.

 

[charver]

i use the reloading guide from the powder i use, Vit N150 i use VIT reloading guide,the powder guides tend to be more accurate that the other reloading manuals where as the manuals are 2-5 grains lower