Do Powder and amounts change? The best friend I ever had passed away 4 years ago and I got a chance to buy one of his rifles and it came with some of his reloads now he had reloaded for years, but after checking his data some of his loads were over max according to my old manuals, I have been reloading for 60 years and some of my books are as old as I am, maybe I should spring fer a new manual. what do you think.
Reloading Books
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nvbirdman
Blackhawk
The ability to measure the amount of pressure generated changes, this means adjustments in the safe amounts of powder to load.
Paul B
Hunter
"I have been reloading for 60 years and some of my books are as old as I am, maybe I should spring fer a new manual. what do you think."
I have been reloading ammo since 1954. I'm 81 years old and I buy every new manual that comes out. Things change.
Paul B.
I have been reloading ammo since 1954. I'm 81 years old and I buy every new manual that comes out. Things change.
Paul B.
RSIno1
Hunter
Don't forget the lawyer factor. Their attorney may have suggested a lower powder charge in case someone had a substandard gun or scale that was slightly off.
akbluz
Blackhawk
In addition to using my various reloading manuals, I look online at Hodgdon's and Alliant's websites to check their current recipes (and always reduce 10% from maximum to start). Some current loads have changed a bit, some not. However I don't load "hot" loads - YMMV
jgt
Buckeye
The largest area for change is the powder lot. Some are larger than others and last a long time others get used up fast so powder companies have to keep mixing new lots. So, lot numbers are important when talking powder charges of a particular powders. Over all powder making has improved over the years. Powders tend to be more powerful for a given amount than they use to be. Thus the reason to work up a load when we change to a new batch of the same powder we have been using. Manuals get us into the ballpark, but we still need to work up a load. This is true also if we use a different gun in the same caliber. If we follow these basics it is unlikely we will have a gun turn into a grenade.
Clovishound
Blackhawk
Then there are things like the SAAMI change to .38/.357 max pressures a few years back. Apparently, some guns were not up to the beating they were taking from the pressures/recoil, and were wearing out prematurely. They downgraded the specs. I still see people posting recipes based on the old data.
langenc
Single-Sixer
Paul B said:
Ive been loading since 1967 and have several OLD manuals, esp Sierra.
I havent been to the gunstore since Thanksgiving and at that time and prior that did not have the newest Sierra (6th ed, I believe).
Does the newest (6th?) have data for 25/45 sharps or 6.5/223??
Thanks
recumbent
Buckeye
Some older 1995 manuals show higher amounts of powder than the new 2018 load manuals. That is because powder companies have changed ownership, manufacturer and sometimes formulation and the NEW powders are generally faster. Keep this in mind also. Your gun(s) may NOT handle maximum loads.
J. R. WEEMS
Single-Sixer
Paul B said:
:mrgreen: YEP!!
I've been reloading since 1967 and I too buy every manual that comes out. New bullets, calibers, and powders mandate that one has to keep up. The Sierra #6 does have data for the 25 Sharps if I am not mistaken. Don't have mine in front of me right now, but I have reviewed every page. Bob! :wink:
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