Over the last 30 years I have collected (to use!) about 20 reloading manuals from all the various sources. Every couple years when a new edition comes out for one of them I buy it and put it in the bookshelf in the reloading room. I don’t buy every edition but many new editions. I rarely even open them until I need to do some load level comparison for a particular cartridge. I like to use only the latest data.
While visiting the “Library” and doing my “chore” I took the Speer #14 Reloading manual to occupy my mind. I buy these manuals for the data as 30 years of reloading has taught me pretty much of everything that is in most reloading manuals about the processes. So I rarely read the “How-To” section of any of these new reloading manuals.
In reading the Speer #14 this time I noticed that not only were all the basics covered but several subjects I would consider advanced. If you read my Stickies on this web page you can see what I consider advanced. It was all there, presented in an easily digestible form. In the past I have touted the Hornady manuals for the drawings and the explanations of how cartridges work and fail. I have to say this Speer manual is excellent for describing the processes as well. Both these manuals should be used by the new reloader. There probably is no question that new reloader might have that is not covered in these two manuals.
“Library” reading can be liberating, in more ways than one.
I started with the Lyman, and still recommend it for the beginner. I regularly use Speer, Hornady and Hodgdon as well.
I quit buying new ones about 10 years ago.
It seems like for the last 10 years, every time a new class graduates from law school, maximum loads go down since I already have older manual;s, and data tested in my guns, I don't need new ones.
My advice to new reloaders is to visit gun shows and buy manual's over 10 years old. Especis;lly Lyman, Hodgdon, Hornady and Speer.
Sorry but I have to take exception to you advice to buy 10 year old reloading manuals. The loads have gone down on some cartridges not because of new lawyers but because of new testing methods.
Very early manual used no pressure measurement at all but just seat of the pants measures like flatness of the primer.
The next set of reduced load manuals did measurements with the copper crusher method. The gas pressure was allowed to smash a calibrated copper slug through a hole in the barrel. This gave a peak pressure reading distributed over the time of the gas pressures presents.
The method used today is with a piezoelectric sensor. It gives a real time look at the pressures with their ups and downs and spikes. It allows observation of every instant there is pressure in the barrel. The visibility of pressure curves is huge and in some cases it forced reduced loads to be listed in manuals. That was done for safety of the shooter not because a lawyer said so.
There is still another reason for reducing loads. Powder sources change and the powder with the same name may not be quite the same as the original. We get little warning of who makes which powder. It is made all over the world then imported and relabeled. The USA no longer has the corner on the powder production of the world.
Now, if a person wishes to reduce his personal level of safety and shoot loads the new manual disallows, that of course is his or her choice.
My choice is to use the very latest load data and to rarely use max loads as I usually find them not as accurate as loads off the maximum. I think it probably not a good idea to be suggesting to others to use old manuals, when new ones are available, because a problem when following your advice might get you in civil legal trouble.
I went to a local gun show last weekend, and picked up a copy of the Lyman #45 for $5.00. It's a little worn, but better than the one I currently have.
The Speer #14 was my first manual, and I still consider it among the best in my collection. Hornady #9 and Sierra Edition V follow closely. I have the Lyman 49th, too, but I rarely use it; it's mostly useless for anything I shoot.
As usual, I find your guidance to be most helpful, LD. Thank you.
a local friend/handloader suggested and almost demanded I get the Speer 14th as my first book. Then he said to read and understand the whole thing. Very good book. That, along with the others I have, and guidance from forum members like you LD make my life safe. For that I thank you
I don't quite understand those that push the envelope in reloading for so little gain. But it takes all kinds. I just try to inform the uninformed so they can choose for themselves with full knowledge of the risks, if any.
Several years ago I saw a warning in an outdoor magazine stating that a certain powder should not be used in a certain caliber magnum handgun. I won't name the powder and caliber because I don't want to revive a hackneyed discussion.
I happened to have quite a quantity of the powder that I had bought 20 years before. I shoot a bunch of that powder through my guns of that caliber. I called the manufacturer and discussed the issue with the brand manager for the powder. When I gave him the lot number on my powder and told him the source of my data, he was kind enough to be candid.
He explained that, over the years the powder had evolved to a point where using published data from old manuals had resulted in "serious " issues in the caliber named, prompting the warning. As it turned out I was OK at the time I worked up my loads and I continue to reload them today.
He also said that, when I buy a different lot of the powder, I should work up my load again using a current manual. That's a practice that I have always followed. I think most manuals suggest that too.
I think 4thhorsman was being dismissive when he referred to you as a "resident expert" but your advice is sound.
All manuals are are good even the ones considered bad ones if they make you thank about them and why they are bad they are worth the time to read we may thank they are dumb or stupid but if they make us stop and thank they are not so useless just my thoughts. Tom T
You make an excellent point, the web is great for resources of all kinds. I use it a lot to look for load data. I might well be obsolete myself but I enjoy perusing manuals and reading the directly related articles they include.
I live in an urban area with internet at my fingertips but I have a second loading room in the barn on a remote farm. I always like to have manuals there because I have no internet access other than dial up. Don't say it.......What is dial up internet????
Well.....my first computer at work used a teletype terminal! That's about 30 baud. You could watch it slowly type every letter. At home I had a 300 baud telephone modem. Today I complain about my 5/2 Meg (down/up) service. I'd love faster service but FIOS is not available to me and the commercial lines are way too expensive for my home use. I guess that is the cost of living away from a large urban area and living on the edge of my small semi-rural town. Sure glad I don't have to use the old teletype terminal!
Over the last 30 years I have collected (to use!) about 20 reloading manuals from all the various sources. Every couple years when a new edition comes out for one of them I buy it and put it in the bookshelf in the reloading room. I don't buy every edition but many new editions. I rarely even open them until I need to do some load level comparison for a particular cartridge. I like to use only the latest data.
While visiting the "Library" and doing my "chore" I took the Speer #14 Reloading manual to occupy my mind. I buy these manuals for the data as 30 years of reloading has taught me pretty much of everything that is in most reloading manuals about the processes. So I rarely read the "How-To" section of any of these new reloading manuals.
In reading the Speer #14 this time I noticed that not only were all the basics covered but several subjects I would consider advanced. If you read my Stickies on this web page you can see what I consider advanced. It was all there, presented in an easily digestible form. In the past I have touted the Hornady manuals for the drawings and the explanations of how cartridges work and fail. I have to say this Speer manual is excellent for describing the processes as well. Both these manuals should be used by the new reloader. There probably is no question that new reloader might have that is not covered in these two manuals.
"Library" reading can be liberating, in more ways than one.
Thanks for the heads up. Ive been working primarily (but not exclusively) from Speer #13 and have been on the fence about buying the new edition.
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