I seem to be a little out of date manual wise and was wondering if their is a consensus choice for best Reloading manual. Hornady, Speer, Sierra, or other?
Really need some good data for 300 WSM.

Lee!!! Takes data from everyone. roger

I like the Sierra manual best.

If I could find a Sierra book in stock I would buy it

I really enjoy the Nosler manuals so my vote goes for Nosler.

The internet hands down !.
I've got one of everybody's on book mark .
I see no real reason to even have a loading book any more . Although I still do , Sierra ,Nosler .

Shoot Straight Know Your Target . ...

Personal opinion? Best manual for data is the Nosler #6.

The best place for up to date data with multiple brand/style bullets being used is the web site of the powder that you are shooting.

i use the sierra nd hogdons ones the most. nosler can get a bit hot, lee is the most humorous reading lee bitch about everybody else is kinda funny

Here is most of the data free!

http://web.archive.org/web/20050313194917/shortmags.org...rtmags/downloads.htm

I have most of them... but mainly use Nosler.
I mainly use Nosler bullets.... I like to read them all...

It's difficolt to say what is better. You'll never find the magic load for your rifle.
I would buy more that one: Sierra, Nosler, Hodgon and Lee.
If you have more information you'll have better possibility to find the right load for your gun!!!

Faina

I have all the books ever published in this country plus the Norma and VV book. I generally check the Sierra-Lyman-Nosler-Hornady-Barnes-Swift-Speer books before loading a new round. I also buy the Hodgden yearly magazine style book. You can also get a wealth of information off the net. Good shooting.

I don't think there is any one best.

But if I were totally limited to just one, I'd probably choose the Nosler.

But there's no good reason to limit yourself.

You can get the loading pamphlets (i.e. a small book, but not hardbound) free from Hodgdon, IMR (now Hodgdon, but still published as a different manual), Winchester, and Alliant.

don't know which one is best but I would say they get perused in the following order

nosler
sierra
hornady
hogdon annual
speer
barnes
hogdon
lee
GWB

quote:

Originally posted by WestCoaster:
I seem to be a little out of date manual wise and was wondering if their is a consensus choice for best Reloading manual. Hornady, Speer, Sierra, or other?
Really need some good data for 300 WSM.

It does not hurt a thing to have current manuals from a number of different sources. None of the ones published by powder or bullet makers are much better than the others.

I suggest the latest Lyman Handbook, because they cover powders and bullets from all different makers. In other words, their coverage is broader. In addition, I often find their loading information and velocity data to be closer to what I get when chronographing. Some of the others are not so close! This is especially true of Nosler, which seems to publish very "optimistic" figures. I usually discover that their loads do not produce the velocities they got when used in my guns. I am talking here about actual instrumental velocities.

the binder style Hodgdon. Since they control the powder market in the US they publish all the different powder brands in it.

Rich
DRSS
Knowledge not shared is knowledge lost...

I REFUSE to buy either the new Sierra manual OR their bullets... Much as I liked their loose leaf format

Why? because they kept increasing the price of their manual
and now it's just as high a price but if you want the ballistic tables you have to buy their loading software (more money) to get it.

Screw them and their bullets.


If I have the urge to buy something other than my usual Noslers or Barnes I'll buy from Hornady, Hornady no longer prints their ballistics tables (in a seperate volume packaged with the loading data), but they offer it FREE from their website, you just download what you need.


AD

You could write your own load book.

"How to write a mediocre load book" second revision

I find the Speer the closest to my chronograph results, I like teh Nosler then Hornady. It's a good idea to get data from several diff. manuals so you can find a realistic starting/ending point.

quote:

Originally posted by fredj338:
I find the Speer the closest to my chronograph results, I like teh Nosler then Hornady. It's a good idea to get data from several diff. manuals so you can find a realistic starting/ending point.

Speer uses actual rifles for their velocities, as I believe does Hornady. Nosler gives a raw reading from a universal reciever and SAAMI spec test barrel for theirs, and I am pretty sure Hodgdon does the same with some adjustment for barrel lenght in some cartridges. There is no set std for velocity data in manuals, and everyone seem to have their own idea as to how it should be developed.

loadbooks manuals. That are specific to cartridge.

I could never get by with just ONE loading manual...

Based on the costs, you can pick up about all the latest ones, for the cost of ONE Leupold 3 x 9 scope, which many guys wouldn't think twice about picking up....

yet they skimp on $25.00 or so on reload manuals....something I myself don't quite understand...

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:

the binder style Hodgdon. Since they control the powder market in the US they publish all the different powder brands in it.

Just for the record: My understanding is that Hodgdon now also owns or controls IMR and Winchester powders, but not Alliant.

I called them a few days ago with some questions about loading .410 shotshells, and the person who answered the phone answered something like "Hodgdon, IMR, and Winchester powders..." She did not mention Alliant.

All of the loading manuals mentioned above are really good. I have most of them myself, but please do not over look Ken Waters Pet Loads. These books are a wealth of reloading knowledge, and are considered by many as the Holy Grail of handloading.

quote:

Originally posted by WestCoaster:
I seem to be a little out of date manual wise and was wondering if their is a consensus choice for best Reloading manual. Hornady, Speer, Sierra, or other?
Really need some good data for 300 WSM.

IMHO, as far as current manuals go, I like the new Hornady - 7th Edition.
Also like the Modern Reloading manual - 2nd edition by Richard Lee.