Dear Hodgdon,

[berettaprofessor]

Dear Hodgdon Reloading,

Every year, in great anticipation starting mid-way through November, I start searching magazine shelves for your annual Reloading Manual. This year, knowing it was available from Midway a week ago, I gave up searching Kroger's and Books-a-Million and made a special trip to Barnes and Noble to obtain one, much to my delight.

But, HR Team, I've got to ask, "What were you thinking?" Your previously right-sized and acceptably priced 2021 Annual has morphed to a too-large and $3 more ($12.99 vs last year's $9.99) format. Talk about missing your audience! We reloaders, despite the reality, try to keep convincing our spouses and financial advisors that reloading SAVES money. A 33% increase in price in one year that's visible on the annual cover doesn't help.

Additionally, you took a 10.5" X 7.75" nicely sized annual that fit into a file cabinet or folder nicely, and changed it to a 11" X 9" monstrosity that's too big. Let's fix that next year, please?

Also, I appreciate the extra 24 pages (192 vs previous 168 pages) and the heavier shiny slick new pages suitable for Vogue, but if that's what caused the cost increase, it wasn't worth it. We're simple people here, not hoi polloi.

Finally, can we please pick the cartridges article focus a little closer next year to the majority of reloaders? I didn't dive into the 6.8 Western yet, nor the 22 Creedmore. I probably will someday bite into the 45-70, but haven't yet. I am mildly interested in the copper loads of 45 ACP but won't move to those unless I'm forced too by anti's. Next year, an article simply updating 6.5 Grendel, 32ACP or 450 Bushmaster would be much appreciated.

Your avid reader......

 

[HowieG]

To heck with that. I want to know why they quit making black powder.

 

[ahutch71]

I almost wrote a similar message yesterday, but my disappointment is a little different in nature. I did like some of the articles (I'm an avid 45-70 reloader, and I liked the article on powder comparisons), but was really disappointed at the long list of cartridges that were dropped from the manual. 44 Special? Gone. 7.62x39? Gone. 8MM Mauser? Gone. 303 Brit? Nope.

I would far prefer comprehensiveness to glossiness. I have a slew of manuals that cover these cartridges, but I really liked that the Hodgdon manual was lightweight but packed with load data for a long list of cartridges. I'll obviously keep this manual in the stack, but am betting that the 2021 version will be the one that gets 99% of the attention for the upcoming year.

 

[mcb]

Is anything in the annual reloading publication not already in their online database? I haven't bought reloading data in dead tree format in years maybe decades.

 

[markr6754]

I haven't bought reloading data in dead tree format in years maybe decades.

Please stop saving trees. I have investments in Weyerhauser, the tree company, and my future wealth depends on turning saplings into dead trees.

 

[ahutch71]

Is anything in the annual reloading publication not already in their online database? I haven't bought reloading data in dead tree format in years maybe decades.

 

[25-20 WCF]

Since most paper pulp in the US comes from farmed trees, “saving trees” is kinda like saving wheat or saving cattle…



.

 

[rbernie]

I’d be happy if they just friggin’ shipped in some H4895 and H322.

 

[berettaprofessor]

Gone. 7.62x39?

Wow, I missed that. What's next, taking out 223?

To someone else's point, 7.62X39 is still on the website, but only for 108, 125, and 150 grain projectiles? What, no 123 grain, the classic load for 7.62X39?

 

[Crosshair]

disappointed at the long list of cartridges that were dropped from the manual. 44 Special? Gone. 7.62x39? Gone. 8MM Mauser? Gone. 303 Brit? Nope.

Oof. 7.62x39? Just as that cartridge is beginning to be commonly hand-made?

Is anything in the annual reloading publication not already in their online database? I haven't bought reloading data in dead tree format in years maybe decades.

Dead-Tree has much lower latency and easier to cross reference different manufacturers.

I don't buy every single year, but every few I will.

 

[armoredman]

To heck with that. I want to know why they quit making black powder.

Plant kept blowing up, minor issues like that.

 

[The Glockodile]

Plant kept blowing up, minor issues like that.

Yeah.

Minor

 

[Seedy Character]

Plant kept blowing up, minor issues like that.

So, what's the problem?

 

[Catpop]

I almost wrote a similar message yesterday, but my disappointment is a little different in nature. I did like some of the articles (I'm an avid 45-70 reloader, and I liked the article on powder comparisons), but was really disappointed at the long list of cartridges that were dropped from the manual. 44 Special? Gone. 7.62x39? Gone. 8MM Mauser? Gone. 303 Brit? Nope.

This is why “I” have older reloading manuals——38-40, 22 Savage HP, etc. and now those you have listed also! I still love my 1973 flat lay manual!

 

[Crosshair]

Plant kept blowing up, minor issues like that.

That happens to oil refineries all the time. What's the big deal?

 

[kmw1954]

Wholly disappointed in this new data release. Since their purchase and take over of Western Powders that pdf has become almost in accessible other than I have ver. 8.0 printed and a link saved to the file. That was the most comprehensive collection of plated pistol bullets one could find. Also had data for every powder they offered for all the most popular bullets..

Next there was data for 223 69gr bullet which included Benchmark. That load is also GONE! WHAT THE HAY?

 

[Ranger99]

The Weyerhauser properties closest to
me have been harvesting trees that they
seeded years back as far as I know.
Many of the areas don't look it, but I've
been to some of their lands that they
clear cut and replanted in the 80's that
if you didn't know for sure, you'd likely
not think it had ever been clear cut

 

[Ranger99]

Hodgdon has likely gone the way of the
rest of corporate America and a good
many of the wheels don't have a clue as
to their products or their customer
demographics.
They read reports and graphs and attend
meetings at the big oblong table and sip
artisan coffee and herbal tea and imported
spring water and nod at the appropriate
intervals.
Seen it bunches of times

 

[rbernie]

Hodgdon has likely gone the way of the
rest of corporate America and a good
many of the wheels don't have a clue as
to their products or their customer
demographics.
They read reports and graphs and attend
meetings at the big oblong table and sip
artisan coffee and herbal tea and imported
spring water and nod at the appropriate
intervals.
Seen it bunches of times

Well, in fairness - I would not tar Hodgdon with that brush unless you knew that for a fact.

 

[HowieG]

Well, in fairness - I would not tar Hodgdon with that brush unless you knew that for a fact.

Well, I find it interesting that they waited for the biggest shortage of components in my lifetime to shut the muzzle loading and BPC guys down.

 

[valleyforge.1777]

Plant kept blowing up, minor issues like that.

Sounds to me like the powder was working just as intended! Why quit making it when obviously they had the formula down just right?

 

[armydog]

Dear Hodgdon Reloading,

Every year, in great anticipation starting mid-way through November, I start searching magazine shelves for your annual Reloading Manual. This year, knowing it was available from Midway a week ago, I gave up searching Kroger's and Books-a-Million and made a special trip to Barnes and Noble to obtain one, much to my delight.

But, HR Team, I've got to ask, "What were you thinking?" Your previously right-sized and acceptably priced 2021 Annual has morphed to a too-large and $3 more ($12.99 vs last year's $9.99) format. Talk about missing your audience! We reloaders, despite the reality, try to keep convincing our spouses and financial advisors that reloading SAVES money. A 33% increase in price in one year that's visible on the annual cover doesn't help.

Additionally, you took a 10.5" X 7.75" nicely sized annual that fit into a file cabinet or folder nicely, and changed it to a 11" X 9" monstrosity that's too big. Let's fix that next year, please?

Also, I appreciate the extra 24 pages (192 vs previous 168 pages) and the heavier shiny slick new pages suitable for Vogue, but if that's what caused the cost increase, it wasn't worth it. We're simple people here, not hoi polloi.

Finally, can we please pick the cartridges article focus a little closer next year to the majority of reloaders? I didn't dive into the 6.8 Western yet, nor the 22 Creedmore. I probably will someday bite into the 45-70, but haven't yet. I am mildly interested in the copper loads of 45 ACP but won't move to those unless I'm forced too by anti's. Next year, an article simply updating 6.5 Grendel, 32ACP or 450 Bushmaster would be much appreciated.

Your avid reader......

Sounds like a lot of whining to me. Make your own manual next year. I bet the reloading world will just be so pleased with yours right? I bet your the type that would be surprised if you got one complaint right? lol

 

[rbernie]

Well, I find it interesting that they waited for the biggest shortage of components in my lifetime to shut the muzzle loading and BPC guys down.

Without knowing the condition of the plant, I would start by assuming that there were inherent and endemic safety / process issues that were simply not economical enough to remediate. Blowing up your employees sounds like a bad business model.

 

[Bcwitt]

Is anything in the annual reloading publication not already in their online database? I haven't bought reloading data in dead tree format in years maybe decades.

True, I just kinda like dead tree.

 

[buck460XVR]

Dear Hodgdon Reloading,

I did not quote your whole rant because of what "armydog" states....

Sounds like a lot of whining to me.

Hard to believe in the first place, at least to me, that one needs to buy a duplicate of the previous year's reloading manual every year.....unless one invests in new calibers every year. Unless the is a multitude of new and amazing powders introduced or new and amazing projectiles. Does this really happen every year? I still use decade old manuals because I still use the same powders, loading the same bullets, for the same calibers that I did last year. 'ell, even if I wanted to use new powders and projectiles, or even invest in a new caliber this year....where the 'ell do you find them, and find them at a reasonable cost? My loads are what I worked up so having a new recipe that calls for a few grains more or less doesn't really affect me. The "Gospel" of reloading manulas, the Lyman, has been 9X11 for a long as I have been reloading and it has always fit on the shelf with the others.

I'm thinking that Hodgdon has listened to and is focusing on the opinions of the "majority" of it's readers. I have my doubts they intentionally made their manual to offend the "majority" of it's intended users. $13 is not a lot to spend on a tool that has as much reliable information in it like a good reloading manual. It is a lot to those who use the online recipes that Hodgdon gives out for free on their website tho, or those that beg recipes off forums like this. If $3 is that much of a deal in today's world of unrealistically inflated reloading costs, I woulda waited at least another year or two before thinking I "just have to have it".

Sorry about the rant, but what's fair for the goose..........