Is the Hornady reloading book worth it?

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I find the Hornady load data to overly conservative ( or maybe I should say over lawyered). I load a lot of Hornady bullets but tend to rely on the powder manufacturers load data when working up loads.
 
Usually when I'm looking to start loading a bullet, and am deciding on where to start;
I find the pertinent data in all my manuals, toss out the highest and lowest, then average the rest, to come up with my working test range.

My Hornady manual is usually the one that gets tossed out on the low end
 
JJFitch said:
I have used Hornady manuals for years as well as their presses and dies. The introduction to reloading section in front of the book is priceless especially in the decades before the internet. As a Garand shooter their section on reloading for the Garand is also valuable. It's always a good practice to have several manuals for reference. I have a couple of NRA reloading manuals going back to the 60's just in case!

Smiles,
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Their garand data is borderline worthless
 
ms6852 said:
When I first began to learn about reloading, I found it confusing at first because of the disparities in load data from one manual to another on the same weight bullets. So to ease the confusion I decided that depending on the bullet manufacture and types of bullets I purchased I would use the data they strictly provided. So for Barnes bullets I had a Barnes reloading manual, for Sierra bullets I had a Sierra reloading manual and so on. So I do have a Hornady manual as well as other manuals.
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That was my thought too. Which is why I was researching the Hornady book/app. But the data seems awfully generic when they lump almost all of their 140gr 6.5 CM bullets, for example, into one set of loading data. I expected a table for each bullet.
 
I have the Lyman Precision Rifle reloading manual on order. Sounds like it will have what I need.

And I do check around with various sources before reloading. Information on current stuff is pretty easy to find on the internet these days. I was just having a hard time finding loads for the old Hornady bullets, like these. I may never even shoot these, but still wanted some data for them, just in case.
20220612_070706.jpg
 
Skgreen said:
My apologies to those who had to start before Al Gore invented the Internet! Y'all had it rough!
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You don't know what you don't have when you don't have it. I started reloading in the '80's... never a problem finding data in publications. That may have meant a trip to the library (anyone remember those?) or to the LGS for a new manual.

Jeremy2171 said:
Their garand data is borderline worthless
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In that Hornady's Garand service rifle data provides safe, tested loads that launch bullets with reasonable performance, then it is not worthless, or nearly so. If you are expecting to extract every bit of cartridge potential out of your handloads, then that data is probably not for you... so you can flip back a page or two and use the standard .30-06 data.
 
Charlie98 said:
In that Hornady's Garand service rifle data provides safe, tested loads that launch bullets with reasonable performance, then it is not worthless, or nearly so. If you are expecting to extract every bit of cartridge potential out of your handloads, then that data is probably not for you... so you can flip back a page or two and use the standard .30-06 data.
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The point is there doesn't need to be specific garand data.
 
JJFitch said:
Whoa! That's pretty specific! Please explain. :)
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Not to put words in Jeremys mouth... but he is correct when he says a serviceable Garand can take any reasonable (SAAMI) .30-06 load. The Hornady Garand data is generally less than full-house .30-06 data, so some people discount it as having little value. If all you are doing is poking paper, or even shooting to 300-400yds, the Garand data works very well... which is what I do.

The Garand load I worked up 30 years ago, when I started loading for my Garand, oddly enough mimics Hornady's Garand Service Rifle data almost exactly.
 
Load a enough of a variety of different cartridges and bullet brands and you’ll find a need to reference the manuals from time to time, including Hornady.

But, for instance, If you’re just loading .223 using pull down surplus bullets for range fodder, you don’t need a lot of reference data.
 
JEBruns said:
Not sure why you need to be insulting? I don't mind spending the money, I just hate to waste it.
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No insult intended
Not sure why your initial post pretty much bashes Hornady and you had your mind made up it's not worth it to you.?
It actually is a very good manual. I refer to it more often than Speer or Lyman (cast and regular).

Hornady does a lot of research and testing. They use actual firearms to test. All bullets listed have different COL
They list actual velocity fps with several different loads,(5 different ) not just min and max

Really do not see it as a "waste of money"
 
I live in Nebraska and have toured their plant a couple of times. If you are ever close to Grand Island stop in and ask for a tour. You even go down where the boys are shooting the data they will put in their books. They will take time to visit with you and are friendly and know what they are talking about.
The trip is well worth your time.
 
what do you think is the Worst reloading book? I was going with Nosler, because of the lack of data, but I used it so long, I kidda like it.
 
Rule3 said:
No insult intended
Not sure why your initial post pretty much bashes Hornady and you had your mind made up it's not worth it to you.?
It actually is a very good manual. I refer to it more often than Speer or Lyman (cast and regular).

Hornady does a lot of research and testing. They use actual firearms to test. All bullets listed have different COL
They list actual velocity fps with several different loads,(5 different ) not just min and max

Really do not see it as a "waste of money"
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Bashes Hornady? What did I say in the OP that is not true? If I had my mind made up, I would not have asked. I very much respect (most) peoples opinions here, and certainly would have bought the book had the jury come in differently.
 
JEBruns said:
Bashes Hornady? What did I say in the OP that is not true? If I had my mind made up, I would not have asked. I very much respect (most) peoples opinions here, and certainly would have bought the book had the jury come in differently.
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I’ll buy it and let everyone know how it goes. Then we can have a round table library and mail it to each other and get a group review. Like a book Club
 
Jeremy2171 said:
So if you want to shoot your rifle with training wheels on...yes Hornady garand data is just for you.
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Sooooo.... a load that fires and cycles the Garand action while producing good accuracy... is 'training wheels?' That would mean light target loads in, say, the .38SPC and .45ACP are the same?

Honestly... I've come around on my thinking after reading your previous thread comments on .30-06 in the M1, it makes sense even if I don't do it myself, but the insistence that a load isn't valid or useful just because it's not at top data is nonsense.
 
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