Reloading Manuals
 

What are the best reloading manuals?

I just figured out that the Lyman reloading manual that came with my kit isn't very good. It doesn't provide data for maximum case length and trim to lengths, it doesn't give data on accuracy loads and things like that.

I'm reloading for .308, 300 WM, and 7.5x55 Swiss and maybe later for 223 Rem.

If I were looking to buy a new manual which should I choose?

Thanks

Tom

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

I like Sierra and they also have downloadable programs for your puter and also offer you technical help on e-mails or over the phone.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

Accuracy loads in manuals arepretty muchmeaningless anyways andCOL is not much better.The so called accuracy load is simply the load that was the most accurate in the test rifle and it should not be expected to be the most accurate in any other rifle.In some cases,it has been one of the least accurate loads in rifles that I have loaded for.As far as COL is concerned,there are great variations in throat lengths so you really need to determine the COL for your particular rifle.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

Maximum case lengths and trim to lengths can vary from rifle to rifle depending on what you want to do with it. If you want to talor the load to your gun, then finding out chamber depth is a must. Setting your trim length back from that.

If you want to go by specifications that will allow the cartridge to be fired in any gun, try the Lee book.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

A very good beginners manual is "Speer Reloading Manual". Good luck.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

The overall cartridge length varies from gun to gun,but the maximum case lengthand trim to lengths are standardized.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

Books all reloaders should get in thier reloading life. And in the order of what I like.

1. Nosler
2. Sierra
3. Barnes (must have if ever loading high pressure bullets)
4. Lymans (good various bullets, and lots of good info on reloading in general, data is however all over the place)
5. Speer
6. Hornady (just cause I am still mad at em)

The nosler has been the most helpful. If you ever load a solid shank bullet like TBBC, Failsafe, Barnes of course, the barnes is a good book to start from. Its good for other high pressure bullets too like scirrocos. Unless you are a die hard swift fan, I wouldn't spend the money on thier manual.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

I tried to measure the oal of my rifle and found that my magazine severely limited the length that I could make the cartridge so would finding the chamber depth really help me?

I think I'm going to go with the Nosler book. I shoot Nosler bullets anyway.

Thanks

Tom

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

First you guys are talking about two different things. Trim lengths are a SAAMI standard. Don't matter which rifle or whatever. And yes Lymans has this in there, they just put it as a picture. Most of us trim .02" from max. Does not vary as 40 said.

Max OAL is different, and sometimes it is needed. For example I have a 7mm08 with a very short chamber. I could never load any bullet to 2.8" even though the magizine can. Furthest I can load is 2.74 touching the lands. Hodgdon calls out for 2.8", in this case it is wise to know the dimentions of your chamber. But most times, I can't reach my rifling if I wanted to. And its nice to know the jump you do have. Just for safety sake.

You can use a split case technique to find this. Stoney point is nice but not absolutely needed.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

the speer and lee books are my absolute favorites

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

You are obviously confusing maximum case length and trim length with overal cartridge lengths.They areentirely different things.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

There is a lot to know in this hobby if you want to do it right.

I wonder how many people just reload and don't really consider all the variables.

Tom

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

That would probablyinclude the majority of reloaders.It really is amazing that there are so few incidents,considering that many people that reload really don't know what they are doing.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

Looky here! http://stevespages.com/page8d.htm

You can find the lengths, plus most other dimensions, for most of the world's cartridge cases online at this site, THANKS TO STEVE RICCIARDELLI for posting them!

(Another source you should buy is CARTRIDGES OF THE WORLD. Every shooter/reloader needs one of these!!)

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

I just looked at my two Lyman reloading manuals, and they BOTH CONTAIN the max. and min. case dimensions - they're shown in the cartridge diagrams! For example, the .375 Win.case. It shows a case o/a length of 2.020 - .020. This means you can havea case as long as 2.020", and when you trim it, you cut it back to2.000".

I have been reloading ammo now since 1953, and consider the Lyman manuals to be among the best. This is mainly because they are not partial to any brand of bullets, powder, primers, or cartridge cases since they don't make any of these products.

About the only issue I have with their loading data has been their insistence, with a few exceptions,on the use of small charges of fast-burning powders for cast bullet shooting. My experience has been that you can get generally more satisgfactory results with cast bullets when you accelerate them as slowly as possible (less deformation)and use high loading-density charges which ignite and burn more uniformly. This dictates using larger charges of slow-burning powders.Small charges move around a lot in the case, and often burn differently from round to round....






A 350-grain cast bullet in the .416 Rigby @ 100 yards, 112 grains of AA 8700, MV 2100 FPS, ME 3428 ft/lb. My "deer load".

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

Eldeguello,

I didn't know about the trim back to .02". The first reloading book I looked at was a speer and they specifically tell you what to trim it to. Yes the Lyman has the max case length as a picture I know that now.

I have to admit that I didn't fully understand what you wrote about in your post. But one of the things that I also noticed about the Lyman book is that at least for the 300 WM doesn't suggest the use of magnum primers which I did see for most of the loads that are in the Speer manual.

Thanks

Tom

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

Mostsources suggest the use of magnum primers for the 300wmespecially for use in cold weather.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

Tom, here is what I do when deciding how to load up a new rifle or load. I take several sources, usually Hodgdon first, along with IMR, and Alliant, and then take take loads out of Nosler, Sierra, Speer, and lymans, (barnes if it solid shank bullet), and write them down, and look at the data all together. Some of it has to do with powder on hand. All of these manuals are just basic guides.

You probably figured alot of this out already. Lymans is kinda good where it mix's the bullets up, and you get to see another persons experience with another rifle, and compare data with the bullet manfactures data to help you better make a decision on starting load andwhere to start being real careful.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

I don't have the Lyman manual here but I'm pretty sure it suggested the use of a standard primer for all of the 300WM loadings. I know for all the powders that I have it suggests a regular primer. Next batch I load up will be with the magnum primer for sure.

I ordered the Nosler Volume 5 Reloading Manual today.

BC - As son as I get the Nosler book that is exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to compare the starting and max charges to see how much they differ.

Thanks for all the responses.

Tom

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

I don't pay much attention to primer recommendations in reloading manuals. I have used them all, and have found over many years that I usually get my best resulkts with Federals - not always, but usually.

In addition, I routinely use Magnum primers (Federal 215's) in but two cartridges - the .416 Rigby and the .375 H&H Magnum. This is due to their relatiuvely large case capacities.

If I were loading any of the FULL-LENGTH Weatherby cases, (.300, .340, .375, .378/.460) I'd also use F215's in them. I have NOT found it necessary to use Mag. primers in '06-length or shorter magnum cases like the .300 Win. Mag., the .308 Norma, etc. However, with few exceptions, I have NOT shot a lot of these calibers in extremely cold weather, so PERHAPS a magnum primer would work better way below zero!

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

I also never used a mag. primer in an 06 size case, in way below zero F weather, and i've never had any problems at all...

Drilling Man

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

So what is the bottom line. Does the extra fire from a magnum primer hurt anything?

Can this be skirted in the pool of you can never have too much, gun etc...?

Tom

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

No, you can hurt performance and with the wrong powder and load, can actually drop velocity. If your shooting 4350 or faster in say a 300RUM or even a win mag with a light 150-165gr bullet, you can get away with a reglar large rifle. But loads with RL22 and slower, needs the extra fire.

I have tried 270win's and 308's with 215M primers. And both times good known loads (with 210's) now shot groups twice as large.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

I have all of them but probably use the Nosler Manual the most. Sierra is a good one too. I know the Hornady manual by heart as it was the first one I ever owned.

RE: Reloading Manuals
 

I have lost count. I just bought Lyman 48th, and I am disappointed. I like the old Sierra format. I mostly use internet for modern calibers,too much lawyeritis in most of the new manuals, Tom.