I've reloaded on and off for about 23 years, mostly rifle. I agree that the recommendation to use the latest data makes perfect sense if you are buying new powder. I have powder from around 1998-2000 that I use with the data from that time period. What relevance, if any, would data from a current manual have on powder from back then? When my supply is gone, I will buy a new manual when I have to buy new powder.
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Why Use The Latest Reloading Data?
- Thread starter massgun
- Start date
All of the data was developed through testing, and not all at once. Some of the existing data is quite old. Manufacturers continue to add new data (when new components become available - not just powder but bullets too), and re-test some of the old data.
Modern pressure measurement instrumentation is much faster and more accurate than it was even a decade ago. Occasionally, when manufacturers re-test 'old' loads with new instrumentation, they learn something new. Sometimes they even have an "Oh shit' moment, and decide they need to reduce a supposedly 'time-proven' load because of a previously undetected pressure spike.
Also, as much as we'd like to think so, the testing is not completely exhaustive. Sometimes they find out after the fact that a particular powder is more temperature sensitive (or reverse temperature sensitive) than they originally thought.
Even if 99% of the old data is still good, you run a 1% risk of loading something nasty.
Modern pressure measurement instrumentation is much faster and more accurate than it was even a decade ago. Occasionally, when manufacturers re-test 'old' loads with new instrumentation, they learn something new. Sometimes they even have an "Oh shit' moment, and decide they need to reduce a supposedly 'time-proven' load because of a previously undetected pressure spike.
Also, as much as we'd like to think so, the testing is not completely exhaustive. Sometimes they find out after the fact that a particular powder is more temperature sensitive (or reverse temperature sensitive) than they originally thought.
Even if 99% of the old data is still good, you run a 1% risk of loading something nasty.
Thanks Jim. That pretty much sums it up I guess. Now, do you have a favorite manual? My old manuals are Sierra and Speer. I have tended to use Sierra bullets unless they were not available and currently load .30 Carbine, .223, .308 and 30-06.
I don't really have a favorite. If I have a manual from the manufacturer of the bullet I'm using, I'll go with that. I like the Hornady book because of the variety of info in there, and I can use their pistol data when I'm loading similar bullets from other manufacturers (that may not have their own books).
The Lee book has tons of raw data. The Lyman book is great for loading lead bullets, and the Hodgdon website is top notch.
The Lee book has tons of raw data. The Lyman book is great for loading lead bullets, and the Hodgdon website is top notch.
