What's your favorite load manual?
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Mike Irwin
Staff
Hornady, followed by Lyman, followed by Nosler.
Sierra (whoops, originally said Speer) doesn't even play in my house anymore. I stopped using their bullets some years ago when I discovered Nosler partitions.
Sierra (whoops, originally said Speer) doesn't even play in my house anymore. I stopped using their bullets some years ago when I discovered Nosler partitions.
Last edited:
Chief Jones
New member
I use the Sierra manuals as well as Hogdon's. Be sure to cross-reference between manuals....
I have the Sierra, Speer, Lyman, Hodgdon, Hornady, plus NRA books, and Cartridges of the World which also has load data in it plus years of notes. I guess if I had to use just one it would be Horandy ............... but its a close race.
I find I use it the most and the Hodgdon is right behind it.
For techinal questions I usually refer to Modern Handloading by Nonte.
I find I use it the most and the Hodgdon is right behind it.
For techinal questions I usually refer to Modern Handloading by Nonte.
TRUST NOTHING
Check all.
Test.
Repeatedly.
Reconfirm.
(As a thin-ice-walker I've had to expand my search for sometimes even just start data. Highly recommend learning data collection with chronograph.)
I use: Lyman #2, Accurate #1, Speer #12 & 13, Hodgdon #26 & 27, Load-Maps from Midway, LoadBooks, multiple years worth of collected magazine data, manufacturers pamphlets and internet sites, etc.
Can't have too much.......
Check all.
Test.
Repeatedly.
Reconfirm.
(As a thin-ice-walker I've had to expand my search for sometimes even just start data. Highly recommend learning data collection with chronograph.)
I use: Lyman #2, Accurate #1, Speer #12 & 13, Hodgdon #26 & 27, Load-Maps from Midway, LoadBooks, multiple years worth of collected magazine data, manufacturers pamphlets and internet sites, etc.
Can't have too much.......
sricciardelli
New member
I have on my shelf at least the last 3 issues of Hodgdon, Hornady, Lyman, Nosler, Sierra, and Speer manuals, plus Cartridges Of The World.
In addition I have the latest copies of the AA, ADI, Alliant, Ramshot and Winchester.
I can't honestly say I have a favorite!
To rely on one manual is almost as bad as not using one at all, and to try and make any sense out of 11 will drive you to drink! (The extreme variations in data are rediculous.)
When I am getting ready to work-up a new load, I select the components I want to use (such as I am doing right now with a new .22-250 and a new 6mm Remington I just purhcased), and then I open every manual...select the lowest of the "min" loads and the highest of the "max" loads...throw these two numbers in a spreadsheet I did, and it tells me what my increments are...
For example...on the .22-250 that I am working on right now I decided I wanted to switch to Varget powder (have always used H-380), and I wanted to change to Winchester WLR primers (have always used Remington 9-1/2).
The loading data for the bullet and powder I selected is as follows:
34.0 to 36.0 Hodgdon
30.7 to 35.7 Hornady
32.0 to 36.0 Speer
So I plug in 30.7 and 36.0, and I come up with 20 loads at 0.3 grain increments.
With the 6mm I wanted to change from IMR-4350 powder to H-4831-SC. Once again none of the manuals agreed.
44.0 to 49.5 Hodgdon
44.0 to 47.5 Lyman
43.2 to 48.7 Sierra
47.0 to 51.0 Speer
I plug in the two extreme numbers and now I am loading from 43.2 to 51.0 in 0.4 grain steps.
Although I can't say that any one manual is the "best", I do believe that it is a toss-up for the "worst"! That honor goes to both Nosler and Barnes...the Barnes manual is so far from real life that I don't even refer to it at all.
As for who has the most "accurate" data regarding velocity...it's a toss-up!
Here is what the manuals say about the .22-250 load I have been using for years:
Low . Hi . Low . High . My . Velocity
34.6 39.3 3400 3800 38.4 3723 Sierra
35.0 38.0 3458 3709 38.4 3742 Hodgdon
37.0 41.0 3421 3788 38.4 3549 Speer
32.0 36.0 3260 3580 38.4 3772 Nosler
38.4 38.4 3702 3702 38.4 3702 Actual Chrony
For my old 6mm loading:
Low . Hi . Low . High . My . Velocity
39.9 46.5 2800 3300 43.2 3050 Sierra
41.0 43.0 3017 3174 43.2 3190 Hodgdon
41.0 45.0 2960 3290 43.2 3142 Nosler
43.0 47.0 3116 3395 43.2 3130 Speer
40.0 46.5 2808 3300 43.2 3050 Lyman
43.2 43.2 3128 3128 43.2 3128 Actual Chrony
(I have many other examples of the cartridges I load at http://stevespages.com/table1.html if you are interested in the comparisons.)
In addition I have the latest copies of the AA, ADI, Alliant, Ramshot and Winchester.
I can't honestly say I have a favorite!
To rely on one manual is almost as bad as not using one at all, and to try and make any sense out of 11 will drive you to drink! (The extreme variations in data are rediculous.)
When I am getting ready to work-up a new load, I select the components I want to use (such as I am doing right now with a new .22-250 and a new 6mm Remington I just purhcased), and then I open every manual...select the lowest of the "min" loads and the highest of the "max" loads...throw these two numbers in a spreadsheet I did, and it tells me what my increments are...
For example...on the .22-250 that I am working on right now I decided I wanted to switch to Varget powder (have always used H-380), and I wanted to change to Winchester WLR primers (have always used Remington 9-1/2).
The loading data for the bullet and powder I selected is as follows:
34.0 to 36.0 Hodgdon
30.7 to 35.7 Hornady
32.0 to 36.0 Speer
So I plug in 30.7 and 36.0, and I come up with 20 loads at 0.3 grain increments.
With the 6mm I wanted to change from IMR-4350 powder to H-4831-SC. Once again none of the manuals agreed.
44.0 to 49.5 Hodgdon
44.0 to 47.5 Lyman
43.2 to 48.7 Sierra
47.0 to 51.0 Speer
I plug in the two extreme numbers and now I am loading from 43.2 to 51.0 in 0.4 grain steps.
Although I can't say that any one manual is the "best", I do believe that it is a toss-up for the "worst"! That honor goes to both Nosler and Barnes...the Barnes manual is so far from real life that I don't even refer to it at all.
As for who has the most "accurate" data regarding velocity...it's a toss-up!
Here is what the manuals say about the .22-250 load I have been using for years:
Low . Hi . Low . High . My . Velocity
34.6 39.3 3400 3800 38.4 3723 Sierra
35.0 38.0 3458 3709 38.4 3742 Hodgdon
37.0 41.0 3421 3788 38.4 3549 Speer
32.0 36.0 3260 3580 38.4 3772 Nosler
38.4 38.4 3702 3702 38.4 3702 Actual Chrony
For my old 6mm loading:
Low . Hi . Low . High . My . Velocity
39.9 46.5 2800 3300 43.2 3050 Sierra
41.0 43.0 3017 3174 43.2 3190 Hodgdon
41.0 45.0 2960 3290 43.2 3142 Nosler
43.0 47.0 3116 3395 43.2 3130 Speer
40.0 46.5 2808 3300 43.2 3050 Lyman
43.2 43.2 3128 3128 43.2 3128 Actual Chrony
(I have many other examples of the cartridges I load at http://stevespages.com/table1.html if you are interested in the comparisons.)
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sricciardelli
New member
(Double post)
Nanaimo Barr
New member
a number of powder companies also have there pams in PDF downloadable formats online.
Jamie Young
New member
Isn't there a book out there that has everything by now? I have the Lyman but it doesn't have a lot of the bullets and powders I use. I picked up the Lee, but its still missing a lot of stuff. My Lyman doesn't have anything listed for Win 231 for the 230gr 45acp. And it doesn't list anything over 63gr .223 bullets.
sricciardelli
New member
Jamie Young
New member
Cool 