The definitive reloading book?

[Lorgar]

Not to mention half the info goes out the window when you actually start reloading for your rifle.

How many threads have you seen along the lines of "best coal for my Tikka won't fit in the magazine"

[chilliman]

I saw the ADI book at Abela's Campbelltown today going for $8.

[Warrigul]

Not to mention half the info goes out the window when you actually start reloading for your rifle.

How many threads have you seen along the lines of "best coal for my Tikka won't fit in the magazine"

I had been reloading for about a year when I started with the .300WM, set it up .010" from the lands like I would for my 7.62 range loads, did the whole three loads at various weights and shot for best group(feeding them in singly at the fullbore range).

Went hunting for the weekend and had to hand feed them into the chamber as they were too long for the magazine- absolute PITA

[Blackened]

Went hunting for the weekend and had to hand feed them into the chamber as they were too long for the magazine - absolute PITA

Ha ha.

Screw that. I'd have probably gone home

[Warrigul]

We were 3 hours from home (may not sound far to a mainlander but it is for a Tasmanian) I filled my two fallow doe tags the first morning then used the other 98 spotlighting over two nights.

I realised after a couple of spotlighting sessions that a .300WM wasn't the ideal calibre for roo anyway...

[Monty]

Out of curiosity, what inspired you to pick up the 300 Win Mag for Fallow and Roo in the first place?

That's a lot of gun obviously and I take it from your other posts your not a "fan" of big calibres as a general rule.

Just giving it a go, or...?

[yoshie]

Nick Harvey's book is called the bible, but just like the bible you can't take what's in it too literally, always double check with the manufacturers data too.

[reddog]

As Nick says in the manual you should always cross reference with at least one other manual , and the more the better . As far as the loads in there being hot it says on the bottom of every page Approach maximum loads with caution
Also if you have a look at loads in older manuals you will find maximum loads have come down by around 2grns over the years , just something to think about if your using older manuals
But that is why you have to load test because as we allways hear every gun is different

[Warrigul]

Out of curiosity, what inspired you to pick up the 300 Win Mag for Fallow and Roo in the first place?

That's a lot of gun obviously and I take it from your other posts your not a "fan" of big calibres as a general rule.

Just giving it a go, or...?

It was real cheap in payment for a debt and dad thought it would be handy for the odd trip up North (2003), up until that point the family rifle had been a .243 and my .303 had been fine for deer with the .22LR and Hornet for spotlighting. I now use a .223 for longer spotlighting sessions where a .22 isn't enough.

At the time I also had a mate with one egging me on a bit which didn't help so I thought I should give it a run and that was what made me see sense, it was totally unneccesary for what I was doing and I had also come to realise on the fullbore range that I was never going to hunt anything much past 300m (I have been known to take the Omark in .308 and sit and wait at distance but it is too heavy to cart around)

Live and learn, I have now come to realise that a 7/08 or .243 and a 300m max shot are more than enough for anything down here(even stags- yes in TAS we call them stags). I still take the old .303 for a run occaisonally and will do for doe this year but the most used rifle in the family(the one that they all borrow off me) is the .243 T3 lite stainless/synthetic running 100grain softpoints- a fine rifle in a great calibre.

The .300WM doesn't do anything on the range out to say 900 that you can't do with a .308 but I still take it out for a stroll occaisonally just to remind my self of what it is like.

The 7/08 is for Sambar (but the .303 was more than capable in its day) and I am working on a few more mainland trips to justify the space the .300wm is taking up in the safe, but it really can't be beat with a big woodleigh out front and this is where I see the .300WM -big pills at a decent speed.

[Bills Shed]

Cross referencing the manuals is a very good method of finding a starting load. I picked up a Nick Harvey's manual the other day in the LGS and had a peek at what he said for my rifles. I noticed a few typos. In one case Min and Max were exactly the same. I have never seen that before and left the book on the shelf. Went back to the ADI web site and the Speer manual and checked again. With several manuals you will get an average Min and a average Max powder load. Work up from the Min and play safe.

Bill

[Mick280]

Cant have enough reloading manuals !!!

[Farmjer]

Cant have enough reloading manuals !!!

Sort of.

s**ts me every time a newer version of the one I bought comes out though

[Mick280]

Im hearing you , Great to have a few to compare though.

[Farmjer]

Yeah, interesting to see what different authorities say the limit is.

[Mick280]

I have the Barnes - Hornady - Nosler and the ADI books , Just cross reference those using the ADI powder equivalent chart , Works for me !
Dont trust the other one (But thats not a story for the forum)

[Usurper]

Dont trust the other one (But thats not a story for the forum)

Assuming we're talking about the same one... In past versions several of the loads were significantly higher than other manuals, more than a few reports of high pressure signs from a range of them too.

Never acknowledged by the author directly AFAIK but confirmed by the fact loads have crept down in subsequent versions I'd say.

Safe to assume you had a similar issue as above?

[headspace]

You get all the ADI stuff free online anyway. It's all I use, and in any case the loads are just really a guide. You get to a point with an individual rifle where you can go higher. A 243 load for an 85grain bullet and 2209 comes to mind. I'm well above their max load but not showing any signs of excess pressure, even though my muzzle Velocity is a bit less. However I have a 22inch barrel, so there's undoubtedly a difference there. Still good load though, dead on at 200m and a bit over an inch high at 100.

[TheDude]

Looks like 7th edition is out now in hard copy but only the 6th is available for download.

[Chronos]

The ADI data is a fine starting pint for most shooters but it only covers their own powders and a small selection of bullets.

I think the Nosler manual has a fantastic amount of information. I have a spare one here if anyone would like to take it for a while and then send it on to the next shooter i'd happily donate it to a "library"

Chronos

[Mick280]

I agree,The Nosler manual is a ripper!
You can also access all their up to date data from their web site.

[Farmjer]

Was thinking about picking up a copy of their volume 7. I'm a few behind by now.