Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Hodgdon's 2008 Annual Manual

I previously posted that the 2008 edition of Hodgdon's Annual Manual would soon be out. I received a copy of it yesterday, and here are my initial impressions:


The Hodgdon Annual Manual for 2008 is out, and it clearly addresses the dissatisfaction that many reloaders voiced with the previous edition. The 2007 manual, as you may recall, was limited to the top 50 most popular rifle and pistol cartridges, plus a comprehensive shotshell data section. Many reloaders were taken aback that their favorite but less-popular cartridge(s) weren�t included.
Those reloaders will not have a similar complaint this year � although shotshell reloaders may. By my count, the 2008 manual contains data for a whopping 227 different cartridges, 144 rifle and 83 handgun. (There is some overlap, with separate loads listed for a good selection of rifle rounds used in handguns, and vice versa.) There are data entries for three all-new cartridges, updates for 20 older rounds, and introductory data for three new powders. Also announced is the new Hodgdon Reloading Data Center, on the www.hodgdon.com website. To squeeze all that, plus burn rate tables, powder usage charts and other useful content into 178 pages, something had to go. Shotshell data was eliminated completely.
Also included are ten full-length magazine-style articles by respected gun writers on a variety of reloading topics � every one both interesting and pertinent. The articles alone would be worth the newsstand price, as they are the equivalent of two monthly magazines in content. The data entries are, of course, the focus of the manual. Almost all entries include a good selection of jacketed bullets (plus cast bullets where appropriate) with starting and maximum loads for Hodgdon, IMR and Winchester powders. Notably, there is data not only for Hornady, Speer and Sierra bullets, but also for Nosler and Barnes bullets in some cartridges. Pressures for maximum loads are also shown for almost all loads, except for some wildcat cartridges such as the 6.5x284.
That said, the Hodgdon Annual series is not intended to be a complete reloading manual. It does not include �how-to-reload� instructions, nor sections on component selection, equipment usage or extensive ballistic tables. Fortunately, those are provided in all the more traditional loading manuals; which all reloaders need to own anyway. What The Hodgdon Annual Manual does supply is load data � current load data, and LOTS of it.
My summary is an enthusiastic thumbs-up. Hodgdon has responded to the complaints about the previous edition with a positive effort and once again has provided up-to-the-minute information about the latest powders and cartridges; all at a very reasonable price. Buy it.

Rocky,

Excellent run down. Thank you for taking the time to write about it.
That will definitely push me to buy the 2008 edition. I had bought Nosler 6 and Hornady 2008, but decided not to buy any others. That just changed.

And, by the way, I did buy the Browning Huntsman in 22 Hornet, thanks again to you. Waiting for some decent weather to shoot it.

Merry Christmas.

Don

Bought a copy of the 2008 edition two days ago at Books-a-Million. First thing I checked was for loading data on .257 RBTS, .225 WIN, .338/06, and a few others. I didn't buy last year due to the limited information on loads - glad they changed their format. Good review, Odessa

Right now, Hodgdon is in the dog house for me for their lack of data on shotshells, anyway. I've been trying to put some predator loads together with WW571 (= HS-7), and since their takeover of WW powders, the older data has gone "poof". I'm digging through old WW pamphlets to get something to go on.

Harrummmph!

Dutch.

Really? They have a shotshell section on their web page. Is there no WW571 or HS-7 data there? I've never wandered through that part of their website because I don't load shotgun.

All the 571 data has been dropped on the WW side, and the HS-7 data is sparse, sparse sparse. There's some 1 5/8 oz data, and some 1 7/8ths data, but that's about it.

They're flogging Longshot pretty hard. Good stuff, but I still have 9 lbs of 571....... LOL! Dutch.

RockyRaab:
Thank you for your review of the 2008 Hodgdon Annual Manual. I have bought every issue of that fine annual publication in the past. I will continue my habit and I will buy the 2008 version as soon as it hits my local Wal-Mart. That annual mass of lab-tested reloading data is an unbelievable bargain!

You better download the HS7 data while it is still up. Yesterday while searching the shotshell data, I saw a blurb that said HS7 is being discontinued.
I have been using HS7 & WW 571 in 20 ga. for 30 years. Looks like I will be back to the drawing board soon.

Leon

Green Dot is a possibility for the 20 gage. I have 8 pounds of it that I use for the 20.

Don

RockyRaab:
Today I bought my very own copy of the Hodgdon 2008 Annual Manual. After reading some articles and checking some reloading data, I still believe it's a bargain! No buyer's remorse here!

Great review Rocky!

It's on the "need" list, 2007 got thumbed and replaced on rack.

I always favored the cartridge, shotgun, muzzleloader as separated book, manual, annual, etc. Makes for quicker research grab from the shelves or files.

I'll have to find one.

I have the 2006 and 2007. I didn't like the 2007. But hearing that they improved it, I will try the 2008.

I am glad they got rid of the shotshell data

I picked up a copy, at the grocery store of all places. Which is unusual for this area, shooting and hunting mags are pretty thin even at bookstores.

I like the format presenting Hodgdon, IMR, and Winnie powders right in a row for each cartridge, at least for some cartridges. It makes it easier to pick out weird things,like for instance only one Winchester powder is listed for the .358 Winchester, 748, and it gives a pretty good darn velocity with a 250 grain bullet.