Newbe wants to know which reloading manual
- Thread starter encoreguy
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Contact Sierra Bullets. They will send you the appropriate sections of their load manuals. Sierra's data tends to be conservative--a good thing.
General Thoughts
It's a good idea to have various printed load manuals as references, but I strongly advise you to check the powder manufacturers' online manuals when available. Things change--powder "recipes" do get modified over time.
Also let me explain, as the author of a couple published books, something about the book-creating process. If a book is to be published in 2006 for example, in all likelihood, the final editing took place in late spring of 2005. So when you get the final product, the data's already a year old at a minimum.
The other thing I want to stress very strongly--pressures in a case are VERY much dependent on actual case capacity in your rifle, throat geometry, bore dimensions, and seating depth. Case capacity can vary by a full grain,or more) depending on the brand of brass and your chamber dimensions. Here's an example how seating depth affects pressure in a 6.5-284, using QuickLOAD projections. "Shank Depth" is the length of bullet bearing surface in the neck:
6.5-284
H4831SC,52.0gr), 142 SMK, 65.5gr H20 Capacity
Shank Depth | Pressure
.180 | 49074
.200 | 49499
.220 | 49935
.240 | 50380
.260 | 50820
.280 | 51290
,Use pressure numbers for comparison purposes only. Actual numbers will vary in your particular rifle).
So... the lesson is, you can't take stated recipes as "religion" in your particular rifle. ALWAYS start 10% low and work up gradually.
General Thoughts
It's a good idea to have various printed load manuals as references, but I strongly advise you to check the powder manufacturers' online manuals when available. Things change--powder "recipes" do get modified over time.
Also let me explain, as the author of a couple published books, something about the book-creating process. If a book is to be published in 2006 for example, in all likelihood, the final editing took place in late spring of 2005. So when you get the final product, the data's already a year old at a minimum.
The other thing I want to stress very strongly--pressures in a case are VERY much dependent on actual case capacity in your rifle, throat geometry, bore dimensions, and seating depth. Case capacity can vary by a full grain,or more) depending on the brand of brass and your chamber dimensions. Here's an example how seating depth affects pressure in a 6.5-284, using QuickLOAD projections. "Shank Depth" is the length of bullet bearing surface in the neck:
6.5-284
H4831SC,52.0gr), 142 SMK, 65.5gr H20 Capacity
Shank Depth | Pressure
.180 | 49074
.200 | 49499
.220 | 49935
.240 | 50380
.260 | 50820
.280 | 51290
,Use pressure numbers for comparison purposes only. Actual numbers will vary in your particular rifle).
So... the lesson is, you can't take stated recipes as "religion" in your particular rifle. ALWAYS start 10% low and work up gradually.
One of my favorite Handloading books is "Handloading for Competition" by Gled Zediker.
It is a geared more for gas guns, but there are many many bolt gun references, and the concepts are very sound.
It is also a very easy read, and a good general reference manual, in particular on tools, gadgets, and their uses. I still refer to it often.
Handloading is, to me, just as much of a hobby as the actual shooting.
Mark
It is a geared more for gas guns, but there are many many bolt gun references, and the concepts are very sound.
It is also a very easy read, and a good general reference manual, in particular on tools, gadgets, and their uses. I still refer to it often.
Handloading is, to me, just as much of a hobby as the actual shooting.
Mark
When I started reloading, I asked someone that this site regards as very knowledgeable about reloading that same question. It was his opinion that the best first book for a beginner was the LYMAN 48th Reloading Handbook and then the Sierra 5th Edition Manual.
My personal favorite book on reloading is Pet Loads by Ken Waters published by Wolfe Publishing.
My personal favorite book on reloading is Pet Loads by Ken Waters published by Wolfe Publishing.
I used to really like Noslers manual, because as a beginner it gave you some rought accuracy info to help you decide which powders to but and most of the time the accuracy info was fairly close. Since then I have gotten the new nosler manual, and the more i look into it the more i see data left out, cartridges missing, very few powders tested. I have gotten pages emailed to me from sierra and they test many more powders than nosler. You can also beg for loads here on the message boards and hodgdon lists a few on their web site.
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