New loading manuals - Handloader

Guns Magazine, March, 2004 by Charles E. Petty

The process of handloading is ever changing. Shooting thrives on new staff so every year we see new powders, bullets and even cartridges that confound present data or practice. The life-blood of handloading is good data and the best place to get it is from a reputable published source. There are three basic types of manuals. Those from bullet makers, powder makers and equipment manufacturers. And if we do much reloading we need them all. We've got new cartridges in the form of Ultra Mags, Short Ultra Mags and now even Super Short Magnums. We can be sure of new powders as the makers try to fill niche markets. Bullets change too and just because the weight might be the same as another brand there is no way to be sure charges will be the same.

And of this I speak from recent experience because a new bullet came in for which I did not have data at the time. I used data for a bullet of the same weight and basic construction from another source and loaded a series working up to the maximum in 2.0-grain intervals. This truly is working up to maximum. It was a good thing too. for the first load fired was very close to the maximum velocity 1 got with the original components. The second shot resulted in significantly heavier bolt lift (never a good sign) and a distinct drag mark on the case head where the ejector was located. When loads are too hot it is common for brass to expand into the ejector hole in the bolt face.

When I checked the recently arrived data from the maker of the bullet that gave me grief it showed that my maximum load was higher than theirs. This is something that drives handloaders to distraction because little things we can't even see can cause a nice load to become too hot. One of the biggest differences is in the bearing surface of different bullet profiles. Jacket hardness can be a factor as well.

If the jacket metal is very soft it may smear instead of engraving cleanly in the rifling. Even the hardness of the lead core matters. It is a pretty common belief that the lead is pure and dead soft. Sometimes it is, but the percentage of antimony in the lead influences how the bullet deforms as it passes though the bore. Lead with a higher percentage of antimony is harder, more resistant to deformation, and will give higher pressures. The problem, of course, is that most of these differences are invisible to us, and that's wily we should start first with data from the source if possible.

Before me now are the latest editions of three important manuals: Hornady, Lyman and Sierra. Of the three Lyman's is the most versatile for they use bullets from different makers and list the components right up front. And since Lyman is a major player in bullet moulds they have cast bullet data for doggoned near any cartridge you can load with them.

Sierra has departed from their previous style of having separate volumes for rifle mad handgun data. I think that is much more convenient and, since most of us load both types of amino, easier to have everything in one place. For year's now Sierra has offered a toll free phone line (800-223-8799) where shooters can get answers to questions about reloading in general--not limited to Sierra bullets. Recently this service was expanded to e-mail questions at: sierra@sierrabullets.com.

To me, this is an invaluable resource in this age of, "everyone can be an expert on the internet" wrong advice. Chance are if Sierra hired him the guy on the phone is going to give you a good answer. The manual also has a comprehensive section of frequently asked questions that covers most of the issues people ask about. My suggestion--even to the most experienced loader--is to read that part first before digging into the data.

Hornady's Sixth Edition of Handbook of Cartridge Reloading continues in the style of other volumes with exceptionally well illustrated drawings of cartridge cases and how they work within a chamber. There is also a well illustrated step-by-step set of instructions for the beginner.

Hornady is first to get into print with loading data for the .223 WSSM and .243 WSSM super short cartridges that are getting a lot of attention right now. There is much to be said for being first and Hornady clearly points out the steps they took to get there before final dimensions were approved or pressure barrels made.

Their data is developed in reformed WSM brass with maximum loads determined by case expansion rather than actual pressure measurements. There probably will be differences when factory brass is used. My experience indicates that they are definitely on the right track although I would approach the maximum loads they show with due care.