Hornady reloading manual ?

R

rebs

New member
I am in need for a new reloading manual, which one do you guys recommend ?
I have an older Lyman, and Hodgedon.

Is it true that the Hornady manual is very conservative as to the powder charges ?
What is a good reliable manual with accurate powder charges ?
 
There is some data in the Hornady that is tested in action's that might not take modern pressure's, is the 6.5x55. Doesn't hurt anything if they are conservative as other books may show date for some modern cartridge that use's more powder. All the books are just a guide. Learn the sign's for getting to much and either don't approach max or do so with care. I'm quite sure that most book's don't actually go to truly max loads for legal reason's. That's would be fine, learn where max is in your rifle. Get into faster powder's for handguns and I never approach to close to max loads. I don't know how to read much pressure in a handgun cartridge and don't mess with high pressure to much. I'm sure if I went to max in a handgun, it would be safe but when so small a difference in powder is changing things I tend to worry a bit. Shoot I've never seen a scale that was guaranteed to better than +/- 1/10th grain. Don't have a clue if that would put me over and no intention of finding out! And generally all I use in handguns is cast bullet's!
 
Why don't you buy a manual for the brand of bullets you shoot? I have Nosler, Sierra, Hornady and Lyman. I use all of them though I no longer shoot any Hornady bullets.

To be honest I noticed the last Hornady maual to be very conservative on a lot of pistol cartriedges. that I shoot.
 
Particularly if you shoot Hornady bullets it would be a good choice to add to your library. Like other manuals, some loads are tested in other type rifles than you may load for. Some data is light but most is realistic in the Hornady manual. Some powders you use now may not be tested in your caliber, just like other manuals. Never too many manuals.
 
I've been using Hornady bullets almost exclusively in my reloading, and up until just a few months ago, I used Hornady's third ed. manual for my info (I started reloading in 1980, the same year that ed. came out.). I recently purchased Hornady's 10th edition, and found lots of new info on charge data, and including powders that weren't in my old 3rd ed. manual. Since going over, and using my new 10th edition, I've discovered VARGET powder! Great stuff to use in just about everything I reload for regarding my rifles. Hornady's 10th edition is a good one as far as I'm concerned. New stuff for an old guy like me.

Along with my new Hornady manual, I like to cross reference with Hodgdon's reloading website; another great info source. Max charges differ, sometimes quite a bit, between Hornady and Hodgdon info. Makes for interesting comparisons.

www.hodgdonreloading.com
 
I believe the latest Hornady manual (10th edition) is the most recently published among the major bullet makers. So it should be fairly up-to-date with regard to latest powders, Hornady bullets, and cartridges. I have the 9th edition Hornady manual and consider it inadequate for a beginning re-loader due to a rather sparse reloading procedure section. Not a big deal for seasoned reloaders, and perhaps that' shortcoming has been addressed in the 10th edition manual.

Though it's dated, I value my Speer manual the most. I really appreciate some of the minor details that other manuals lack, like the additional reduced power data for some of the revolver cartridges, and the 22 Hornet data utilizing small pistol primers for better performance.

Though it is somewhat costly, there is value in owning several manuals, especially from the makers of the bullets and powder you're using.
 
Hornady 10. A lot of 9s and some 8s around so if you order it watch out.

A lot of the new powders listed and the updated bullet choices.

I will not say conservative or not.

Start low and work up.
 
I couldn't care less if my manual was "on the conservative side". Personally I don't believe that is factual, that any writer/publisher of reloading manuals would consciously publish lower loads "for liability sake". I have a chrony, I rarely load any of my cartridges at or near max. and I am not a "velocity freak". All manuals vary because they use different lots of components on their own test equipment and I got over my case of "Magnumitis" in 1987, when I grew up. If my 357 wasn't enough, I went to my 44 Magnum. If I needed more "ummmph", I went to a bigger gun, did not chase more velocity...
 
A couple powder company's offer free reloading charts as well. Do a little google research and you can come up with what you need. Or purchase some, they are quite reasonably priced.
 
9.99 for hornady at mid south
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And I just noted that the price had to be check with the manual number ?

The OP has good manuals, he does not have the latest manual with the newer powders and there has been a large number of VLD bullets added.

The point being that yes Hornady 10 would be the best one

I keep my old manual by my computer so I have a quick reference to common questions.

I keep the current one at the reloading bench.
 
I've always thought all the bullet manufactures basically plagiarizer each others loading information so it matters little who book you purchase.
Maybe look to a published individuals article/book instead. Kens Pet Loads I found its reloading recipes interesting. And there are other similar authors to consider. I have very old reloading books and powder brochures to look too and some more modern powder pamphlets. But what I really like. Most every calibers information is so easily had just by visiting different web sites. {Powder charging's and free down-loadings galore.}
 
Sure Shot Mc Gee wrote:
I've always thought all the bullet manufactures basically plagiarizer each others loading information...
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I think that's unlikely. The various manufacturers may produce bullets of the same general configuration and weight, but they are not identical and simply copying your competitor's loading information (apart from copyright and intellectual property issues) would in effect be betting your company on someone else's work that you haven't verified. I really can't see a company's General Counsel allowing his company to intentionally open themselves up to that kind of unlimited liability.

The reason data published by bullet makers, equipment makers and/or powder manufacturers is regarded as authoritative is that the loads are developed under laboratory conditions using properly instrumented equipment to measure chamber pressures.

On the other hand, the data someone sticks up on an internet page may have just been prepared by someone looking at a burn rate chart and interpolating between loads for other powders and may not have even been loaded and fired before. Just because my theoretical load didn't blow up my gun the first ten times it was tried doesn't mean it won't on the eleventh.

The book Cartridges or the World publishes load data for use in the 5.7mm Johnson cartridge. It is simply a copy of data someone else published and was apparently not tested by the editors of the book or they would have found that is produced dangerously high pressures - in one case approaching that of a proof load.

There is so much good, reliable data available for little to no cost that it really doesn't make sense to not use it - especially when sellers like Midsouth have a recent Hornady manual available for $10.
 
I've always thought all the bullet manufactures basically plagiarizer each others loading information so it matters little who book you purchase.
Maybe look to a published individuals article/book instead. Kens Pet Loads I found its reloading recipes interesting. And there are other similar authors to consider. I have very old reloading books and powder brochures to look too and some more modern powder pamphlets. But what I really like. Most every calibers information is so easily had just by visiting different web sites. {Powder charging's and free down-loadings galore.}
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First that is an insult to the Bullet mfgs and should be retracted. We have enough fake stuff around that we don't need to contribute to it (or present it on one of those sites and not this one)


And yes you can download data, and where do you keep it.

You make a book of it or it gets wadded up, beat up and lost. It is and can be useful, its not the best format. The load books have stood the test of time and are more than valid with far more information than just a bit of data.

Reloading manuals keep that data in a fully useful, quick access and relevant format.
 
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