Need help with loads from different manua

[Blank Zero]

Hello all,
I am looking at 2 manual, one is Hornady 7th Edition and the other is Lyman 49th edition. I am looking for loads for .223 and 30-06 for M1 Garand, and I am very confuse with the load data

For .223 Remington, Bullet weight 55gr, powder Varget
- Hornady: Start load: 22.8 gr Max load: 26.4 gr
- Lyman : Start load: 25 gr Max load: 27.8 gr

For 30-06 Springfield (M1 garand) bullet weight 150, powder IMR4895
- Hornady: Start load: 43.2 gr Max load: 46.r gr
- Lyman : Start load: 46 gr Max load: 51.5 gr

As you can see the data is very different from one to another, and both have good reputation for being good source for reloading data. So which one should I go with? For the .223 anything more then 26.5 is a compress load for me. I found that 25.4 is the best load for my AR. However, on the 30-06 for the M1 garand. Lyman's start load is Hornady max load. I read on here that "It is not recommended to load with LIGHT LOAD UNDER MINIMUM" and I know for sure I should not go over MAX load. How should I go about this correctly? Especially for the M1 Garand 30-06?

Thank you so much in advance for your help,
Andy

[joelogic]

I dont mean to thread jack but I was going to start the same thread for 9mm.

I failed to double check my load data before I started loading.
9mm, 124gr plated, with 700x

Modern Reloading 2nd Edition says,
700X 4.3 to 4.8gr For FMJ so I loaded 200 rounds at 4.2 grs since they are plated bullets.

But then I pulled up Hodgdon's info and it says,
700x 3.0 to 3.6grs for FMJ.

What the heck? Which should I use.

Andy, my book list .223 55gr at 25.5 to 27.5c for varget and 30-06 150gr 46 to 51 for 4895. With rifle a grain or two is not going to be catastrophic and the starting weights for one do not exceed the max weight for another. Plus you are going to need to dial in your load for your rifle anyway start low and work your way up..

[mnguyen84]

i dont use the same guides you guys use, but i'm guessing that the info is different because it's not the same types of bullet. although they are the same weight, they are not necessarily the same make & model/type. for example: the ram shot pdf guide gives me 3x loads for 130gr bullets (270) using Hunter powder... apparently, the different make & model of bullets yield different results.

you can't go wrong by using the suggested amount for starting-load.

[Boots]

I think mnguyen84 hit it on the nose. I have the Lyman 49th edition and was looking at loading a 55 gr bullet as well. But I think what you may have overlooked is that they specify which type of bullet for that particular grain on the preceding page.
The load info is for the Sierra SPT #1360 bullet.

[rg1]

Lymans data is in a 24" barreled test receiver suitable for bolt action load data. Hornady's 7th Edition manual doesn't test IMR 4895 powder only Hodgdon 4895.
You need to keep velocity in the M1 Garand with 150 gr. bullets from about 2600-2700 fps. Most recommend using from 45-48 grains maximum of IMR 4895 powder in the M1 Garand. Data in manuals going higher than 48 grains is usually tested in bolt action rifles. I'd start at 43 grains and work up not going above 48 grains looking for reliable cycling and best accuracy in the Garand. Reloading manuals should include reloading data for bolt action and semi-autos especially for Garands and AR's but they all don't.
Just for more info to compare, Sierra's 5th Edition manual for AR-15 data with their 55 grain bullets calls for 25.1 grains of Varget at 2700 fps up to a maximum of 27.2 at 3000 fps. Speer's 13th Edition with their 55 grain bullets and Varget lists 25 grains at 2969fps and maximum at 27.0 but their test is in a bolt action rifle. Haven't used Varget myself but have read that most loads with 55 grain bullets are compressed loads.

[Blank Zero]

Thank you very much for your reply. I tried Varget for .223 from 23 gr to 26 and found my load good at 25.4 gr. I am just worry about 30-06 for the M1 Garand, since from what I read, it is very sensitive and a wrong load can bent the op rod. I'll foolow RG1 advice and see how it goes.

Thank you all,
Andy