Reloading manual question- modern reloading from lee.

MAX308

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Hello everyone.
I just got into reloading and I have couple of books
From Lyman and Lee.
With Lyman its simple and clear what bullets and charges they use,they name specific band and type.
But with Lee they just say "168 jacketed bullet" do they refer to 168 SMK or 168 Hornady BTHP or any other brands or all the same?
Just can't fine any information about that in the book it self.
Thank you.
 
So far as I know, the Lee book is not a "loading manual" - don't think they have ever done any pressure testing - just re-print what someone else has written. Compare to Nosler, Hornady, Sierra, Western Powder, Speer, and so on. But all of them give a recipe - what brand and size primer, brand of brass, bullet, over-all length of cartridge, length (and often make) of barrel used, etc. In my experience, changing brand of bullet used can be like changing brand of brass used - sometimes makes no difference, sometime it does. Almost assured you will get into trouble substituting a TSX mono-metal bullet of equal weight into a red-line load for a cup and core bullet.
 
Same here and follow the usual practice of starting low and working up.

sub any primers or cases as needed too my 9mm loads are mixed brass. shotshell is where you have to follow the recipe to a T because there's no real sign of pressure and subbing components can change pressures dramatically.
 
I've tried few different brands of primers/cases combination and I'm finding that Hornady not my favorite but I like Winchester then Remington and federal.
Bullets- I'm using 168 SMK and 168 Hornady BTHP.
My rifle likes both. But Hornady doesn't have any loads recipes with IMR4064 for 168 BTHP. And I have couple of pounds of that.in Lee they have load info but not in Hornady. Same goes with 150 gr SP Hornady. Lyman said H380 on 48 gr best performance but that powder not on Hornady book. And actually that's the best results I've got 48 gr of H380 .
 
The thing I found when I started loading was something I think you’re doing similarly. I was expecting load info to be “follow this recipe to a T” but what I found was it’s more of a general guideline. That’s why, as previously mentioned here, it’s so important to develop your own loads and work up slowly as every rifle is going to react differently to all variables.

I don’t play around with COAL very much so I just load to whatever length the manual recommends. Seat a bullet in an unprimed and uncharges case and chamber it in your rifle. If it chambers without issue I’d just load it to 2.800” and be done with it.
 
One more thing.
Bullet seating in Hornady 150 gr should be 2.735 OAL
Same bullet weight in Lee said 2.8 OAL

Bullet seating depends on 'your' barrel/chamber. There is no 'should be'......

Whatever is published in those manuals is what they used for 'their' test barrel/chamber along with the powder weight to get the pressure/velocity results they publish.
 
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