Reloading Manuals

kingudaroad · September 26, 2005, 11:07 PM

I notice that reloading manuals in their recipes list types of powders in some sort of order, whats the rhyme or reason to the different orders of the different books?

**Mal H** · September 26, 2005, 11:19 PM

Seems like the various manuals have a different method of listing the powders, but each one is consistent within the manual. For example, Speer lists the powders in order from the highest velocity that the max load of that powder produces, i.e., the powder that produces the highest velocity is first and the powder that produces the slowest velocity is last. By contrast, Hornady lists the powders in order by max load, smallest to largest (with a few exceptions), no matter what the velocity produced by that load. Lyman appears to list the powders by max pressure achieved, lowest to highest.

Personally, I think the Speer method makes the most sense since bullet velocity is the one factor that most reloaders want to control with some degree of accuracy.

zeisloft · September 27, 2005, 10:25 AM

Does anyone list by case capacity? Often I am reluctant to buy a powder that I'm not sure what saaaaay 54 gns looks like. I have noticed that *****in MY experience, and in most of MY cases and in MY guns***** a case filled up to the neck, provided it is a "safe" powder for the load provides best accuracy. Any help?
~z

kingudaroad · September 27, 2005, 04:10 PM

Lyman seems to have powder brands in specific order. They do not have powders listed top to bottom of any other category consistently.

Quantrill · September 27, 2005, 04:57 PM

Most of the Lyman Manuals that I have seen list the loads in order of the powder burning rate. Quantrill

smedley · September 27, 2005, 06:41 PM

Zeisloft,
Nosler's manuals give you a case fill percentage.

Such as IMR4831 43grns 2600fps 84%
46grns 2790fps 88%
49grns 2920fps 93%

This of course is a ficticious load data table but you get the idea.

Smedley

Poke em in at the bench kick em out of the barrel

**Mal H** · September 27, 2005, 08:03 PM

The more I check the Lyman manual, the more I think there is no rhyme nor reason to their listing order. Last night the few examples I checked seemed to be ordered by pressure, but looking at a few more show that isn't the case. It's not by brand because several examples show that to not be the case (e.g., 308 Win). It's not by burn rate - look at the .44 Mag for example (H110 is before both AA7 and AA9). It's not ordered by min/max grains of powder or velocity. It's not alphabetical. Bottom line - there is no particular order.

smedley · September 27, 2005, 11:04 PM

Mal H.
The Lyman 40 something edition (to lazy to go look right now) was my first reloading manual. It is a very good reloading manual but when you try to figure out why they put the load data in the order they did, ya just gotta go hhmmm. Most others will either go by burn rate or case capacity or by velocity but Lyman don't.

Smedley

Wesa loadsa over thersa at da bench thensa wesa blast em outsa the tubea

roy reali · September 28, 2005, 12:05 AM

Do like the book type or binder type manuals more?

smedley · September 28, 2005, 10:24 PM

Roy,

BINDER ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!

September 26, 2005, 11:07 PM	#1
kingudaroad Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Location: austin Posts: 735	Reloading Manuals I notice that reloading manuals in their recipes list types of powders in some sort of order, whats the rhyme or reason to the different orders of the different books?

September 27, 2005, 10:25 AM	#3
zeisloft Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 2005 Location: Amarillo TX Posts: 419	Does anyone list by case capacity? Often I am reluctant to buy a powder that I'm not sure what saaaaay 54 gns looks like. I have noticed that ***in MY experience, and in most of MY cases and in MY guns*** a case filled up to the neck, provided it is a "safe" powder for the load provides best accuracy. Any help? ~z __________________ A scalpel can be just as effective as a broadsword Obviously, Occam was not a reloader

September 27, 2005, 11:04 PM	#8
smedley Member Join Date: June 21, 2005 Location: NW washington with property in E. Washington Posts: 43	No Rhyme No Reason Mal H. The Lyman 40 something edition (to lazy to go look right now) was my first reloading manual. It is a very good reloading manual but when you try to figure out why they put the load data in the order they did, ya just gotta go hhmmm. Most others will either go by burn rate or case capacity or by velocity but Lyman don't. Smedley Wesa loadsa over thersa at da bench thensa wesa blast em outsa the tubea

September 28, 2005, 12:05 AM	#9
roy reali Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2005 Posts: 3,248	Which Style Do like the book type or binder type manuals more?

September 26, 2005, 11:19 PM	#2
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	Seems like the various manuals have a different method of listing the powders, but each one is consistent within the manual. For example, Speer lists the powders in order from the highest velocity that the max load of that powder produces, i.e., the powder that produces the highest velocity is first and the powder that produces the slowest velocity is last. By contrast, Hornady lists the powders in order by max load, smallest to largest (with a few exceptions), no matter what the velocity produced by that load. Lyman appears to list the powders by max pressure achieved, lowest to highest. Personally, I think the Speer method makes the most sense since bullet velocity is the one factor that most reloaders want to control with some degree of accuracy.

September 27, 2005, 04:10 PM	#4
kingudaroad Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Location: austin Posts: 735	Lyman seems to have powder brands in specific order. They do not have powders listed top to bottom of any other category consistently.

September 27, 2005, 04:57 PM	#5
Quantrill Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 1999 Location: Arizona, USA Posts: 725	Most of the Lyman Manuals that I have seen list the loads in order of the powder burning rate. Quantrill

September 27, 2005, 06:41 PM	#6
smedley Member Join Date: June 21, 2005 Location: NW washington with property in E. Washington Posts: 43	Zeisloft, Nosler's manuals give you a case fill percentage. Such as IMR4831 43grns 2600fps 84% 46grns 2790fps 88% 49grns 2920fps 93% This of course is a ficticious load data table but you get the idea. Smedley Poke em in at the bench kick em out of the barrel

September 27, 2005, 08:03 PM	#7
Mal H Staff Join Date: March 20, 1999 Location: Somewhere in the woods of Northern Virginia Posts: 16,955	The more I check the Lyman manual, the more I think there is no rhyme nor reason to their listing order. Last night the few examples I checked seemed to be ordered by pressure, but looking at a few more show that isn't the case. It's not by brand because several examples show that to not be the case (e.g., 308 Win). It's not by burn rate - look at the .44 Mag for example (H110 is before both AA7 and AA9). It's not ordered by min/max grains of powder or velocity. It's not alphabetical. Bottom line - there is no particular order.

September 28, 2005, 10:24 PM	#10
smedley Member Join Date: June 21, 2005 Location: NW washington with property in E. Washington Posts: 43	Roy, BINDER ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!