Sr40ken

For handgun I like Hogdgon/Winchester and Alliant. For Rifle it seems I gravitate to Sierra and Accurate/Ramshot. So what do the masses use?
I load .38/.357(handgun and rifle), .40S&W, .45AP and .223/5.56.

Hungry

I'm fairly new to reloading. I've been loading for .45acp, 9mm, 38/357 and .30-.30.

I've been using the Speer 14 and Lyman 49.

punkinlobber

I have many different manuals but I only use data from professional sources. I don't use data from "just Joe" on the Internet.

mnh2obuff

I have several manuals, but I tend to load more from Hornady since their loads are a bit lighter which I prefer. When I load Oregon Trails bullets, I use their data.

punkinlobber

How is that Oregon Trails manual? Do you recommend it?

StandingTall

Depends on the projectile.

If I'm loading lead, I use the Lee Modern Reloading 2nd Edition Revised or Lyman manual. For jacketed projectiles, I use the reloading manual that the bullet manufacturer puts out.

Sr40ken

Very, very wise.

oneyeopn

I have several manuals but they are all the newest editions. I wish I had some of the older manuals. I really like Lyman, Lee seems to get their data from the powder manufacturers, Hornady does load light as was said, Hodgdon is kinda limited. I only use Hodgdon powders, so far and other than one box of Speer and one box of Midway Dogtown everything else I have (also so far) are Hornady Bullets. I load for 45colt, 30-30, 308, 5.56/.223, 45acp and whatever my Dad asks me to load for him this week which could be about anything other than 50bmg. LOL. I use them for guides then test for myself with my Chronograph and I look for signs of overpressure and test for accuracy at distance.

rclark

I use all I can get my hands on.... I have Lyman, Hornady, Speer, Lee from older to newer manuals... Then there are magazine articles, smaller specific caliber books. Finally the internet manufactures as another source. Of course 'Joe on the web' data (if looks interesting) will be verified before ever seeing one of my guns. All good... Just never rely on 'one' source (internet being the least reliable source ... the manufacturer or 'Joe').

terry_p

My old reliable is Speer but I also have Hornaday, Nosler and Sierra. I like Sierra bullets for rifle along with federal primers and Hogdon/IMR powders. For handgun a lot of cast or bulk JHP and Alliant powders.

opos

I get all my data from the blogs on the internet...I love to load hot and none of the manuals even come close...bunch of sissies! It's not near a decent load if it doesn't flatten those primers right out and spit stuff in your eyes and make your ears ring for a week.

No, not really but I think some of the keyboard "reloaders" get their advice from places like that on the net....I use several of the manuals (and I stay current with them)..also from the component manufacturers. I load light so I'm usually pretty easy to please on loads. I have a few friends on the internet on some of the sites that I've talked with over a long period of time and I might ask a question of them or for some advice now and then but again, loading pretty light if I see something that doesn't make sense I'm going to check, check and double check....got a friend that call's it "Bob'n it to death" (I'm Bob)...drives him nuts that I may ask the same thing 3 ways to see if the answer changes. Main thing is "Read the books" and check everything over and over.

One thing I mentioned some time ago was that I'd had some older data using a Speer 125gr projectile (#4013) and HP38...it was a nice load....I hadn't loaded if for some time so I went to the current manual and noticed it was not listed...I contacted Speer and was told they "no longer recommended" the loading the way it had been listed...so it pays to "stay current"...if you are using a 1956 manual and loading with today's powders it might be a nasty surprise if you get to playing around in the stratosphere...my 2 cents.

So my favorite load is 54 grains of Unobtanium behind a 55 grain silver bullet in my 476 Mag....get's about 5000 fps and ME of about 4#...great load for humming birds.

Temmi

This is a good question and one that I ask when I started Reloading all those years ago.

The simple answer is, I use the data from the Bullet Manufacturer.

That is always the best option.

For a HG I tend to use Speer, Horn or Lead.

For a rifle almost exclusively Nosler except for the 450M and 45 Colt.

I stay away from using one bullet and a different bullet manufacturer’s data.

If there is no data for a specific Bullet Manufacturer (Like Rem) I will call the powder manufacture and ask advice.

Any time you make a change start low and work up

Snake

Dt400

I have been reloading since I was 14..I'm 44 now and reload for 6 different calibers (3 rifle and 3 pistol) but I am far from a professional reloader.

I use the data from the bullet mnfr. So for Hornady bullets I use their data for Nosler bullets their data and so on. For the HSM SWC I use the data from the Hornady SWC chart for that particular caliber per the HSM websites recommendations.

If you look at tables for the same caliber/weight and style bullet from different mnfs you'll see there are differences in recommended powder weight for a specific powder brand.

I suppose there are differences in the actual resistance of the bullet traveling through the barrel because of different copper alloys and jacket thicknesses.

You can also use data from the powder mnfr. if they list your specific bullet.
Darrell

TMB

I use Lyman & Ken Waters Pet Loads the most.

andybothel

I have Lyman 49, the Cabelas One Caliber books, and the online Hodgdon directory that I reference. I will usually get info from all three, and start at the lowest end that falls within all the publishers ranges. Some times each source is real close, sometimes not. That's why it's good to compare between a few.

I will use load recommendations or recipes I find online if they still fall within the ranges in published books. (For example, my favorite load for soft 38's came from a forum member here, but I only tried it after seeing it was well within the limits of the various manuals)