So I have hornadys 9th edition manual and I'm going to get a couple more. Everyone has suggested to get Lyman's 49th but when I flipped through it to look at 257 weatherby mag it still had the old setup for 257 which has the 1 in 12 twist instead of all the current ones which have 1 in 10 twist. What are some other good manuals out there. Thanks
Problem with manuals
- Thread starter Colten519
- Start date
603Country
New member
I shoot a lot of Nosler bullets, so I have a Nosler reloading manual. I still think the Lyman 49th is the base book you need.
I pretty much use my reloading manuals to keep from blowing up my guns.
They give me the safe range of powders to try and while they may tell me which ones have proven to be accurate I always figure my guns might not like their loads.
I pretty much always feel like I'm on my own for finding that magic recipe that works for me and my guns. But always within the limits of the loading manuals.
So with that said I don't think the .257 wby mag info would be useless.
They give me the safe range of powders to try and while they may tell me which ones have proven to be accurate I always figure my guns might not like their loads.
I pretty much always feel like I'm on my own for finding that magic recipe that works for me and my guns. But always within the limits of the loading manuals.
So with that said I don't think the .257 wby mag info would be useless.
Bucksnort1
New member
Dale A,
This topic has been kicked around many times on this forum and I'm not looking for anyone to use Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity to explain it and I know the reason so let me ask you a simple question relative to your response.
If you are loading handgun cartridges and you find a recipe in loading book "A", which is identical in every respect, except powder charges, to a recipe in loading book "B" and you are not changing handguns, which recipe would you use?
This topic has been kicked around many times on this forum and I'm not looking for anyone to use Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity to explain it and I know the reason so let me ask you a simple question relative to your response.
If you are loading handgun cartridges and you find a recipe in loading book "A", which is identical in every respect, except powder charges, to a recipe in loading book "B" and you are not changing handguns, which recipe would you use?
"...the 1 in 12 twist instead of all the current ones which have 1 in 10 twist..." Only means the velocities will be slightly different than as published. Load data is otherwise identical. The twist used in the firearm/universal receiver used in the test really makes no difference whatsoever. Certainly not useless.
You buy the Lyman book because it has more loads using more powders and bullet weights than any bullet or powder makers book.
You buy the Lyman book because it has more loads using more powders and bullet weights than any bullet or powder makers book.
Short answer, I'd take the bullet/powder combination work up from the starting load in the manual to find the 'sweet spot' for my guns.
Disclaimer: I’m not a very good source for reloading information. I’ve reloaded for years and years and years but have a bit of ‘tunnel vision’ with regard to the hobby. That is, I mess around until I find something that works and then stay with that. This is NOT the way to find out a lot about reloading. To be a reloading expert you should try *lots* of stuff, I haven’t tried *lots* of stuff.
My reloading ‘process’ was long before the internet so I’d read or hear from somebody that such-and-thus a powder was good for low velocity target loads or this-and-that powder was good for high velocity loads. Then I’d go to my manuals, start at the starting load and work up till I got what I wanted or give up on that powder.
If I could not find any information I’d just look at the reloading manual for a powder that would get me into the velocity range I wanted and start my ‘process’ with that one.
That’s pretty much it. If I read that x grains of powder A matched with bullet B was the answer to a maidens prayers I still go back to my loading manual, look up powder A and start with the manual’s starting charge and work up from there because I’d figure my guns would be slightly different and I would need to find the ‘sweet spot’ for them.
Because of all the variables we have learned from the majority of loading data that we start around the min. load and carefully up from there.
Watch for pressure signs. Study what the manuals tell you about the pressure signs. If you haven't got it with your manuals by another manual.
Work up and stay away from hot loads. The hot loads are hard on your cases, action and who knows what...
If you can't get what you want with the powder you have try another powder, bullet or primer.
Change one component at a time so you can see and understand what is going on.
Hogdon makes a good manual.
Read the manuals again.
Watch for pressure signs. Study what the manuals tell you about the pressure signs. If you haven't got it with your manuals by another manual.
Work up and stay away from hot loads. The hot loads are hard on your cases, action and who knows what...
If you can't get what you want with the powder you have try another powder, bullet or primer.
Change one component at a time so you can see and understand what is going on.
Hogdon makes a good manual.
Read the manuals again.
>If you are loading handgun cartridges and you find a recipe in loading book "A", which is identical in every respect, except powder charges, to a recipe in loading book "B" and you are not changing handguns, which recipe would you use?
When I started reloading (~1973), I started with 9x19 and .44 Mag. Twice, I started at a manual's start load and, in my guns, the loads were max or over-max. I decided then and there that NO manual was perfect and I got several.
Since then, I also review my manuals and start at the lowest starting load and work up. I have found many times that the Max load in my guns was well below the highest max load in a specific manual and, occasionally, it was below the STARTING load in one manual.
Because of this, I started to enter reload data into an Excel spreadsheet so I could easily see the start and max loads and start low and work up.
Thus, my "rule" is that all reloading manuals are absolutely correct: for the gun they used, the lot of powder they used, the brand and lot of bullets they used, the cases they used and the primers they used. I don't have any of those, or can't verify that I have those, so I start at the lowest start load and work up.
If you want to be safe, do this.
When I started reloading (~1973), I started with 9x19 and .44 Mag. Twice, I started at a manual's start load and, in my guns, the loads were max or over-max. I decided then and there that NO manual was perfect and I got several.
Since then, I also review my manuals and start at the lowest starting load and work up. I have found many times that the Max load in my guns was well below the highest max load in a specific manual and, occasionally, it was below the STARTING load in one manual.
Because of this, I started to enter reload data into an Excel spreadsheet so I could easily see the start and max loads and start low and work up.
Thus, my "rule" is that all reloading manuals are absolutely correct: for the gun they used, the lot of powder they used, the brand and lot of bullets they used, the cases they used and the primers they used. I don't have any of those, or can't verify that I have those, so I start at the lowest start load and work up.
If you want to be safe, do this.
Bucksnort1
New member
noylj,
I completely agree with you about loading manuals being absolutely correct and I practice just what you said regarding starting loads. No one has ever explained this better than you just did.
It's rare I load anything higher than the starting grains, regardless of the caliber. As careful as I am, and as much quality control as I practice, I still get butterflies when I shoot test rounds. Today, I loaded three 300 Weatherby cartridges for testing. Next week, I will fire them and check the cases for problems. I look at those loaded cases and say to myself, "did I load them properly?"
I completely agree with you about loading manuals being absolutely correct and I practice just what you said regarding starting loads. No one has ever explained this better than you just did.
It's rare I load anything higher than the starting grains, regardless of the caliber. As careful as I am, and as much quality control as I practice, I still get butterflies when I shoot test rounds. Today, I loaded three 300 Weatherby cartridges for testing. Next week, I will fire them and check the cases for problems. I look at those loaded cases and say to myself, "did I load them properly?"
Bucksnort1
New member
Longshot,
You are spot on too. Thanks.
You are spot on too. Thanks.
