Spear reloading manual #13

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speer #13 is my absolute favorite manual. it has been updated (by, surprise, speer #14), but i find the loads in the speer #13 to be very close to real world, including pressure issues. great manual, and even though i have newer manuals, this is still the one i grab first.
 
I have the Speer #14 manual and after looking at several others, I'm pleased with it. It has good info in the front, as most do. It covers everything.
The ABCs of Reloading wouldn't be a bad one to pick up either. It goes into a lot more detail about the process of loading. Very informative. There's nothing wrong with having several manuals though. And the #13 is still good. There may be some new rounds in the #14, but what you're loading for has been around many years. It'll do just fine.
 
If you're going to load their bullets, it is invaluable.........For Sierra bullets, you'll need their manual. Same thing for Hornady and Nosler
 
Shop around. I have seen the Lyman listed for 39 bucks some places and a little over 20 at other places.
 
I have the Speer #13 and like it a lot. They use real guns for most of the data and the velocities are often very close to what I get. It has a good preface on reloading for the beginner as well. I'll pick up #14 one of these days when it's on sale again.

I have a couple of manuals, and it's the Speer I pick up 99% of the time.
 
I have the Speer #14 manual and after looking at several others, I'm pleased with it. It has good info in the front, as most do. It covers everything.
Click to expand...


.....for the most part I have to agree, and the info for the calibers you're loading are good.(.308 and .45ACP). But the info they give on loading the .460 S&W is pretty much a waste of paper. Another reason most folks recommend more than one manual.

BTW...most powder manufacturers have free loading data on their websites. I print loads off for the calibers I shoot, put them in a binder and use them as another reference manual.
 
I started out with Speer 12 when it came with my Rockchucker reloading kit ~ 12 years ago.

I have Speer 13, and they are 98% the same.

Pros:
Those books are good for looking up the max OAL and max case length.

Cons:
All the loads are lousy.
All the loads are at different pressures.
The start velocities are not from a chronograph, but from a formula that is not accurate.
 
I would caution you to carefully read the fine print, introductory notes, foot notes, and liner notes in the Speer #13 manual. For instance: If you just jump in and load for the .308, you may miss the fact that they based their recipes on IMI military brass (the thick wall stuff with lower internal volume relative to commercial brass), so additional knock down factor for mil brass is not needed. You may also miss the fact that they have tagged the gas operated friendly recipes with a special symbol. Other loading manuals (Sierra, IIRC) will have a separate section for mil brass and gas guns.

Some of the newer stuff like H100V powder may not be in there.
 
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The manufacturer's books only give data for their products. The doesn't mean there's anything bad about 'em. So the Speer book is just fine for Speer bullets.
Buying every manufacturer's book, both bullet and powder maker, get expensive, quickly.
The Lyman book is far more versatile. It has more loads, using more powders and bullet weights(you load by the bullet weight, not the make) than any manufacturer's book. The latest Lyman book runs $27.98 directly from Lyman for the soft cover(that'll do nicely.). http://www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/publications/49th-edition.php
Having more than one reloading manual isn't a bad thing though. Hodgdon's site(IMR, Hodgdon and Winchester powders) doesn't cover everything. http://data.hodgdon.com/main_menu.asp
 
I have to agree Lyman 49 is a good choice for your first reloading manual. Along with the load data there is a lot of additional reloading information available in it's pages. The Lyman site lists prices of $27.98 and $39.98 for the soft and hard cover books. They can be found for much less from third party vendors. Midway has them for $19.99 and $25.99 but the soft cover in on sale right now for $17.99.
 
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Just had to have the new 14th edition so I payed retail for it (34$). You can get used copies from Amazon and such, and I even bought several manuals for a dollar each at the flea market. Now I have the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, AND the 14th edition of the Speer manual. Also the 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th, and the 49th Lyman manual.

Check out flea markets and used books stores. It can be a lot of fun finding older references that way.
Michael
 
If you can only buy one manual, it should be the Lyman #49.

No other manual lists such a wide variety of bullet types & calibers, including the only source for cast lead bullet data that can be used with other store bought cast bullets of similiar design.

rc
 
My first manual was Speer's Volume Number 9. I learned to reload using that manual and some sage advice from a seasoned reloader back in the 70's. You won't go wrong buying a Speer Manual, however I have migrated toward the Sierra and Hornady manuals because I use mostly their bullets when I am not shooting copper clad pistol bullets from Rainier, Montana Gold, or Berry's.
 
Speer load manuals are NOT to be trusted. A Speer loading in 40 was confirmed wrong by their own people, resulting in a near kaboom. when the case went up to 308 pressures. Sloppy dangerous testing going on there at Speer.
More details here http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=71622

But heres a sample of what Accurate said about their load data vs Speer:

I just received a response from Ramshot/Accurate's ballistician after showing them Speer's response that "8.7 - 9.7 grains of AA #7 was a tested load with our 180 gr GDHP bullet".

"Alan,

We can only confirm our own data.

We test in SAAMI certified test barrels and 8.5 grains is definitely the maximum for a 180gr JHP whatever the make.

Regards

Johan Loubser

Ballistician

Ramshot/Accurate Powders"
 
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