Best reloading manual for milsurp calibers

[nickarino]

I thought I would post in this forum instead because I know its all C&R here! I want to get into reloading, primarily for milsurp calibers. I shoot .303 Brit, 7.5Swiss, 8mm, 7.62x54R, and 30-06. I want to buy my first manual, but I wanted to get some opinions as to which manual is best for these and other milsurp calibers (I plan on getting a lot more guns since I got my C&R). Thanks for the help

[hylander]

I have most reloading Manuals.
I would get Lymans 49th for a first manual, it also has Cast loads which are great for Milsurps

[Milsurp Collector]

Hornady Reloading Handbook 7th edition http://www.amazon.com/Hornady-Reload.../dp/B000PD6SGW

It even has a section of data just for the M1 (Garand) Rifle. The Lyman is the best for covering reloading methods/procedures, but Hornady covers some milsurp cartridges that others don't.

[jr916]

I recently started reloading for my Mosin, and picked up the Lee "Modern Reloading" SECOND edition (the first edition isn't very good). Aside from great reloading info in general, the Lee manual covers all the milsurp calibers you mentioned. It has 83 recipes for .303 Brit (100-216gr bullets), 32 recipes for 7.5x55 Swiss (125-180gr), 84 recipes for 8mm Mauser (125-225gr), 78 recipes for 7.62x54R (110-220gr), and HUNDREDS of recipes (11 pages worth) for 30-06 (100-250gr).

The deal-maker for me was the fact that they provide load data for BARNES SOLID COPPER lead-free bullets, even in obscure calibers like 7.62x54R. This is amazing as I've never found ANY load data for this bullet/caliber combo on the internet and I needed it to load lead-free for those pigs and coyote. The Lee manual also has an entire section on cast lead bullets. Hope this helps.

[CEDaytonaRydr]

I would get Lymans 49th for a first manual, it also has Cast loads which are great for Milsurps

Depends on what Milsurp calibers you plan on getting.

Lyman's 49th has no load data for 7.5 MAS or 7.65 Argentine. Some other calibers are also not included.

The Lee manual is pretty extensive and normally, it gives you a wider range of powder charges, when using the same powder as is listed in the Lyman manual.

I say get a Lee manual.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Cartridges of the World has some basic loads for most of them. They are hot, but within the correct pressure envelope for the cartridges. The only one that I have found to be wrong is the 8x58R Danish Krag load data, which is WAY over pressure. Doubley so since those old cast iron rolling block rifles from the 1860s (yes, 1860s) have come out on the market. Those are old freakin bombs waiting to go off. Especially with that load data. The rest of the loads have all been fine for me.

[bigstick61]

I recently started reloading for my Mosin, and picked up the Lee "Modern Reloading" SECOND edition (the first edition isn't very good). Aside from great reloading info in general, the Lee manual covers all the milsurp calibers you mentioned. It has 83 recipes for .303 Brit (100-216gr bullets), 32 recipes for 7.5x55 Swiss (125-180gr), 84 recipes for 8mm Mauser (125-225gr), 78 recipes for 7.62x54R (110-220gr), and HUNDREDS of recipes (11 pages worth) for 30-06 (100-250gr).

The deal-maker for me was the fact that they provide load data for BARNES SOLID COPPER lead-free bullets, even in obscure calibers like 7.62x54R. This is amazing as I've never found ANY load data for this bullet/caliber combo on the internet and I needed it to load lead-free for those pigs and coyote. The Lee manual also has an entire section on cast lead bullets. Hope this helps.

Do they have 8X56R? Seems to be a hard cartridge to find load data for.

[knucklehead0202]

i'm also interested, i've got a sierra manual which lists some, but not many c&r cartridges and the load data is VERY conservative. i've already loaded some 7.65 argentine and 8mm-06 for one of my sporters, but have many more milsurps to load for including 6.5jap, 6.5carcano, 6.5swede which i already have dialed in, 7.5swiss, 7.5french, 8x56r, 7.7jap, and i'm sure there's one more i'm forgetting. anyhow, trying to find all these in one book is hard, but i'm looking for a more old-school book that wasn't as paranoid with the load data. i always work up to max, but some of the loads these manuals list are embarassing. you can watch the bullet go out the muzzle and downrange they're so slow. another bother i have is the lack of powder variety in the loads. right now i'm trying to load pretty much everything with 2 powders, but it's nice to see what else will work, as well as provide similar ballistics to others. i'm told speer is very descriptive, and lee has a lot of info, but perhaps i'll just have to get all of them.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

That is why I like CotW. I have used the information in there to cook up some good 8x57S loads, as well as 6.5 and 7.7 jap. The load data that came with my Lee dies is anemic, to say the least. Aside from the 8mm Krag round in there, I have found it to be very safe and reliable. The 8mm Krag issue is a result of him using a converted mauser for the load data supposedly. And the fact that some VERY old rifles came on the US market several years after he died, making that particular loading very dangerous. Think something along the lines of an 1873 Trapdoor being modified to fire the latest, hottest .30-06 load. Yeah, kinda like that...

[-hanko]

Do they have 8X56R? Seems to be a hard cartridge to find load data for.

Same cartridge as the standard 8mm, but with a rim on the back end...use regular 8mm loading info.

For general purpose minute-of-can plinking, a cast bullet with 7.0gr Unique works well with just about any .30 cal rifle.

hth

-hanko

[gun toting monkeyboy]

Same cartridge as the standard 8mm, but with a rim on the back end...use regular 8mm loading info.

-hanko

No, it isn't. 8x56R is totally different. That is the updated Austro-Hungarian round. It uses a .329-.330" bullet as opposed to a .323" bullet like the 8x57S or .318" bullet like the 8x57J. The rimmed one you are thinking of is called 8x57JR or JSR depending on the bore diameter. Those use identical loadings to their J or S rimless counterparts. In fact, IIRC, I used the load data for the JSR version when I cooked up my hunting loads. It had different powders listed than those in the 8x57S section, and somewhat better loadings.

[NotSoFast]

I have Hornady, Nosler Speer, Lyman's, and Sierra. IMO, Hornady's has the widest selection of military loads of them all. It even carries the Swiss 7.5x55, which is one I load, plus, as someone else already said, it has a section dedicated to the M1 Garand. Overall, it is my goto manual of choice.

[IrishPat]

+1 for the Hornady. I think a better approach would be to use the loading manual for the make of bullets you're using, though. The bullet makers' process of generating and recording data is a longer and more thorough process than that of the powder companies, nothing against them. You'd be well-served with the Hornady and Sierra manuals I'd think.