Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles New Berger Loading Manual

I was at my local sport shop today and out came 8 brand new Berger Loading Manuals - without the Saran Wrap envleopes the first 12 manuals had come to the shelf in.
In other words I was able to carefully peruse one of this latest batch of Berger Manuals (the first 12 sold out very quickly and I never got to see inside one!).
I was actually very impressed with the content as it had ALL my favorite Varmint cartridges and pretty extensive load listings for all.
This includes the 17 MachIV, 17 Remington Fireball, 17 Remington, 204 Ruger, 6mm PPC, 6mm Remington Bench Rest, 6mm Norma Bench Rest, 6x45, 6x47 LaPua, 221 Remington Fireball and on and on.
I am going to look it over again tomorrow with some notes in hand so's I can get a feel for the load data as compared to my known safe and peppy loads from years past.
I no longer "automatically" buy all the latest loading manuals as I find them often to be redundant of previous manuals and more often OVERLY lawyer proof in their loads.
The cost of this manual is $30.00 and it looks like it had some interesting articles to go along with the extensive caliber loading charts.
Anyone else have experience with this new Berger loading manual.
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VarmintGuy

i was looking forward at gettting one myself, but between all the lawyered up load books, and complete lack of updating from one version to the next, i was gonna hold off until i heard a little more.

also, nobody has copies on the shelf near me - i can order from midway, but that's not exactly laying eyes on either.

let me know your thoughts!

I picked up a copy yesterday and am happy with the amount of data they have for the 22 Hornet especially. Some of the data does appear to be on the mild side for several cartridges but I'm fine with that. I backordered mine with Brownells a couple weeks ago.

Recon_Jim: Like I mentioned my local small shop has had two orders of this manual come in now - one about 3 weeks ago and the one today so maybe its new and just getting in the distribution system?
Will let you know when I do some more comparison and such.
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VarmintGuy

Recon_Jim: I took some of my loads for the 204 Ruger cartridge down to my local gunshop today and compared the loads I "developed" back in 2,004 when the 204 Ruger was brand new and when load info was sparse at best.
Anyway my loads (and again I am a notorious "non-hotrodder" when it comes to handloading) were 1.9 grains above what Berger listed as maximum with H 4895 powder and 1.0 grains above maximum with Varget powder?
These comparisons were made for the 35 grain Berger bullets.
I was fully prepared to buy the manual today but I am going to do some more comparisons of my long time used loads and Bergers load suggestions.
Forgot to check and see if the 17 Hornet is included in this manual.
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VarmintGuy

Any and every reloader should own a copy of the new Berger manual it is far more than a data book - I bought 2 on the principle one is none in the prepublication get an autographed copy (but not John Barsness signature just folks at the company office I think) - the information is as essential as the data. And notice that the data is not modified to suit lawyers - some of whom take advantage of being able to flex time their hours and shoot while others are working - but to meet SAAMI standards in light of better data and statistical process control. But then again I've been buying new data books for the past 40 odd years and find something useful in each. Of the current newish books I like the Berger best and the Nosler next but the Hornady is well worth having as well.

ClarkEMyers: Thank you for your insights and opinions.
I just returned from town again and I checked the Berger manual, again, it does have 17 Ackley Hornet loading information and that may be a very good place to start for someone who is going to load for the 17 Hornet.
But nothing in regards to the new version 17 Hornet.
I did buy a couple of the new style MTM cartridge boxes made especially for the 22 Hornet (the 17 Hornet fits fine in these and the empty cases won fall out of their places when the box is turned upside down).
So I am getting ready for a new 17 Hornet Rifle when one shows up.
Thanks again for your input.
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VarmintGuy

ClarkEMyers: I bought my first reloading manual in 1959 it was the "expensive" Speer Reloading Manual #3 (copyright 1959) - I was 12 years old and was teaching myself to reload centerfire Rifle ammunition!
Thank goodness I lived through that endeavor.
So I have been buying loading manuals for 53 years now - I clearly recall paying $1.50 for that first manual.
And again, I bought virtually every manual that came along from the bullet makers, the powder makers and from Ken Waters and P.O. Ackley etc for the next 45 years or so.
Then when the manuals began becoming rather expensive and rather unrealisticly "overcautious" (useless) I quit buying them all.
If anyone is going to look one of these manuals over then be sure to be aware that the manual will address a particular bullet weight on one page and then without notice on the next page they continue with that bullet weight.
This caught me the first time I looked at it as I was perusing the 204 Ruger with 35 grain bullets and the page had a listing of 10 powders with minimums and maximums and no clear reference that is was continued on the next page with 10 more powders. I did not notice this the first time I looked at it earlier this week.
I do have a Nosler Manual that was signed by John Nosler in my collection of manuals.
Thanks again.
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VarmintGuy

As I said on another thread there really was a time I hoped the next data book would have the secret hidden load that magnumized my sporting firearm while shooting into one hole at absurd distances. Never occured to me that the same folks who just might exaggerate the G1 ballistic coefficient of their bullets would never hide a load that performed better than last year's manual.

These days I don't expect much improvement from new data though as Neal Knox long ago suggested the number of new and different powders on the market suggests the possibility of optimizing otherwise very similar loads with the precisely correct powder. Truth is I could get by with H4895 for most of my shooting in most of my guns. Or maybe Varget or maybe...... I do prefer newer powders to say Ball C(2). Given the way Powder Valley is falling behind in shipping these dark days maybe a variety of data will be more important in a future that may in fact see less variety of powder in the market place.

Still as I browse the information in new books such as load density associated with starting and stop here loads and some of the graphics I learn things. The newest Nosler book has rather a rather dark color scheme by my lights - maybe I need full spectrum reading lights for these short days.

Besides although I think the current Handloader greatly exaggerates the potential market value of the Lyman 45th Edition (see Amazon for some wildly optimistic, or I miss my guess, vendors) I'd hate to miss a really valuable reloading book while the price is still in my means. That's why I have two copies of Ken Howell's case forming book though Huntington Die Specialties has it back in print and in stock.

Still I don't expect any great changes in data more in my understanding of the data.

ClarkEMyers: I have a couple of friends who are of very recent bemoaning the delays from Powder Valley - shame that.
I remember the first year I owned my Oehler Chronograph and the changes in what was written and what was real (what I actually experienced).
I also have been known to buy a loading manual and then sell it for profit.
I specialize in the two early Speer "Wildcat" Manuals and making a profit on them - buy low, sell high and then use the monies to buy more guns and loading components is my motto.
I think when my next batch of retiremnet checks get here (December 31st) I will spring for this new Berger (first edition) manual.
I even bought a Vitha Vouri loading manua last year at an estate sale - I only use their powder in a couple of calibers I load for and their powder is expensive and tough to get in my neighborhood so I sold that manual also.
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VarmintGuy

I bought a copy 2 weeks ago and really think its one of the best out there I really like that they talk about the .17 cal which there is more info in ther about the .17 than any other load manual , plus they got good bullets to boot

I thumbed thru it yesterday along with the New Hornady # 9 Manual...

I did pick up the 2013 Hornady Load Manual ( the magazine one ) at Barnes and Noble the other day... it is one of the more better ones I have seen...

it does have load data for the new 17 Hornet, along with the 17 Ackley Hornet...

VG, If you want load data from it for the 17 Hornet, without having to buy it, let me via PM and I'll let you know what they have.. they did have a decent selection of powder choices they used...

Seafire: Thank you very much for the offer and the heads up on the new Hornady Loading Manual (paper) and your opinion on same.
I will, on your recommendation, pick one of the paper Hornady manuals up next time I am in a big city.
Thanks again for the offer but I am coming into some money here by the first of the year and I feel obligated to spread some around to American firms.
Happy and safe New Year by the way to you and your'n.
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VarmintGuy