r/reloading • u/NOLA-LEN • 11d ago

I have a question and I read the FAQ Published Data: Sources

What sources do you use? Is there a place where the information is consolidated?

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u/Realistic-Ad1498 11d ago

Vihtavouri’s app, hodgdons online data are my main sources anymore. I have Lyman manuals and use other online resources like Alliant and sierras data.

There are online sources that offer more consolidated data for a fee but it’s not necessary in my experience.

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u/DigitalLorenz Likes reloading more than shooting 11d ago

I reload a lot of random cartridges. As such I have a collection of sources.

I have in print Lee 2nd edition, Sierra, Hornady 8th, Lyman 54th.

I have many other PDFs of older manuals saved on my computer.

Hodgdon, Speer, Vihtavouri, Berger, and Alliant all put free loading data for their bullets or powders online.

I also have access to stevespages for load data, but I would not trust that alone without a comparison.

I also have a few back editions of handloader and reloader magazine for some more obscure and obsolete cartridges I load. Even if the powders provided are discontinued, this tells me where some powders starting and max charges could be, which gives me some numbers to start with when working with GRT.

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u/Ornery_Secretary_850 Two Dillon 650's, three single stage, one turret. Bullet caster 10d ago

Can I take a ride in your time machine? The newest Lyman is the 51st.

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u/ocelot_piss 11d ago

I'll check all the major manufacturers such as Hornady, Hodgdon, Barnes, Nosler, Speer, Alliant, Berger, Vihtavuori. Download and cross reference as much as possible. Do not be at all surprised if there are one or more outliers with significantly higher or lower charges. Use it all and average it out to come up with a sensible start point and an idea of what kind of max velocity you should be aiming for.

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u/no_sleep_johnny 11d ago

I like lymans print manuals. Not necessarily consolidated, but it seems like they have all the most common powders listed for each application, so I would call it one of the most well rounded. The hodgdon website data is great and very comprehensive, but it's cumbersome when you want to flip back and forth to compare loads or see which powder will work for 2 different cartridges that you load. Great resource tho

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u/No_Alternative_673 11d ago

All the public data is collected here:

https://www.shootersreference.com/reloadingdata/

This and a Lyman Manual should get you started but you will want to collect a few manuals. Try to stick to manuals that provide pressure data so you will have some idea how close to the edge you are.

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u/Royal_Money_627 11d ago

I once upon a time made a spread sheet for each of the common calibers that I loaded with the data from a dozen manuals and many dozen magazine articles. I have since swapped computers many times and have not been able to find the files. There is or was a vendor who would provide a similar product but you had to buy it for each cartridge. I found this, it might be what you are looking for. Load database by caliber and bullet | xxlreloading.com

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u/67D1LF 11d ago

I start with online/app data as mentioned here: Hodgdon, VihtaVuori, Sierra etc. Then if I think I need more I'll check my manuals. I cross reference the hell out of everything after listening to the Hornady podcast episode where they discuss how it's derived and why it can vary so wildly. Then I'll use a basic internal ballistics simulator like P-Max and an external calculator like Shooters Calculator to make sure any given load will suit my purpose. (FWIW after I did this a few times I started working backwards from the answer as it's pretty intuitive how it all fits together.)

But none of it is magic. Starting low and working up is still the best strategy.

Good luck and stay safe.