VII. Reloading Information
C. Manufacturer Information
7. Nosler
a. Nosler Reloading Manual, Number Three
by Dave Munroe (dmunroe@hpvclmun.vcd.hp.com)
Detailed comparative review of:
Nosler Reloading Manual, Number Three
(printed October, 1989)
Nosler, like Hornady, is a bullet manufacturer, so a fair amount of space
in the beginning of the manual is devoted to Nosler bullet manufacturing.
Included are some very good cutaway views of various types of Nosler bullets,
with a description of their characteristics.
The Introduction to Reloading section is one of the best I've seen in a
reloading manual: it's very well organized, easy to read, and covers
topics I've picked up over the years, but haven't seen written down and
organized in one place. The section first discusses the work area: the
reloading bench, loading blocks, shelves, storage space, and privacy. It
has a good sized section on safety issues. Next, there is a nicely
illustrated section on reloading tools: presses, dies, and the usual
accessories. This is followed by a section on cartridge components,
a primer interchangeability chart, and a good description of chambering,
the firing process, and pressure. Hornady goes into somewhat more detail
about the firing process, but Nosler's description is also very good; many
other reloading manuals do not discuss the issue. Also good is a section
on chamber pressure which has excellent photographs and descriptions of
high pressure symptoms. Lastly, techniques are described for comparing
pressure between factory loads and reloads, resizing methods, and bullet
seating in relation to the lands of the barrel.
The step-by-step Rifle Reloading section is well written and accompanied
by lots of useful photographs. Additionally, they have several pages with
photographs that describe the use of a progressive reloading machine.
The next two sections are real gems: the first is titled "Accuracy Made Simple"
by Layne Simpson; it is a very thorough discussion about what accuracy is, case
preparation, primers, powders, the bullet, and the accurate handload. Next is
Technical Tips and Troubleshooting. Here we have detailed information on
topics such as rifle cleaning, determining the barrel twist rate, checking
case stretch, casting a chamber, working up a new load, bore sighting, and a
detailed checklist of 20 problems you may encounter and their possible causes.
This section is uncommonly good.
Next is the step-by-step Handgun Reloading section, equally as detailed as the
Rifle section. Finally, we have a section by Bob Milek on evaluating handgun
hunting loads.
The Rifle Reloading data follows next, beginning with an index to the available
bullets, their sectional densities and ballistic coefficients. For each
caliber there is a diagram of the case dimensions and test information. It
appears that all loads in this manual were fired in test barrels rather than
actual rifles or handguns. In any case, information is given on barrel length,
twist rate, and the case and primer manufacturers. No information is given on
overall length or seating depth, however these issues are discussed in the
beginning sections of the manual. Like the Hornady manual, there seem to be
fewer selections of bullet weight and style than one would expect (the .30-30
rifle loads, for example, list only 150gr and 170gr weights, but this is an
extreme case). On the good side, there seems to be a good variety of powder
selections in the load data. Load data consists of a minimum, medium, and
maximum charge along with velocity and load density information. Energy
information is provided in the ballistics tables. One of the really nice
things Nosler does is to show the most accurate powder tested for a particular
caliber and bullet weight, and, for the other powders, which of the starting,
medium, or maximum, loads was most accurate. Instead of the usual history,
good points, and bad points regarding a cartridge, Nosler begins each
cartridge description with a one page related "story" written by a well known
gun writer or shooting personality. Although these stories are very
interesting, enjoyable, and often amusing, I miss the usual historical and
comparative information the other reloading manuals give.
The format of the Handgun Reloading data is identical, with data organized
by caliber rather than bullet type or shooting discipline. The handgun
section isn't visibly different in appearance as it is in other manuals: the
entire manual has very pleasant forest green highlighting. Although you're
not likely to mistake .30-06 data as a handgun load, you have to flip to the
beginning of the cartridge description to see if you are looking at a .30-30
rifle load or the Contender load. You'd most likely do that anyway, so this
is a very minor point.
Both the rifle and handgun sections have newer cartridges such as 7x30 Waters
and 10mm Auto, but the selection of calibers is fewer than either Hornady or
SPEER.
Lastly, the book ends with rifle and handgun ballistic tables and a description
on how to use them.
An illustrated glossary is also provided.
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nice features:
- exceptionally well organized, with good descriptions and photographs
- contains useful techniques not found in other manuals
- provides information on load density
- provides information on accuracy of a powder for a particular caliber
and bullet weight
- Attractive cover, highlighting, and typography
missing features that would be nice to have:
- better distinction between the rifle and handgun sections
- description on cartridge history, good points, bad points, and
any special considerations
- load data for a broader range of bullet weights
- wider selection of calibers
- description of powders
pages: 516
typical cost: $16.00
overall impression:
If you can have only two reloading manuals (and you should have at
least two for comparing loads), this should be one of them. It is
very well organized, thorough, well illustrated, and provides useful
techniques not found in other manuals.
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The Nosler manual has reloading data for these calibers:
Rifle cartridges:
.22 bullets
22 Hornet
218 Bee
222 Remington
223 Remington
222 Remington Magnum
225 Winchester
22-250
220 Swift
22 PPC
.243, 6mm bullets
6mm PPC
243 Winchester
6mm & 244 Remington
240 Weatherby Magnum
.257 bullets
250-3000 Savage
257 Roberts
257 Roberts Improved
25-06 Remington
257 Weatherby Magnum
6.5mm bullets
6.5 x 55mm Swedish Mauser
6.5-06
264 Winchester Magnum
.270 bullets
270 Winchester
270 Weatherby Magnum
7mm bullets
7x30 Waters
7mm-08 Remington
7x57mm Mauser
280 Remington (7mm Express Remington)
7mm Remington Magnum
7mm Weatherby Magnum
.30 bullets
30-30 Winchester
300 Savage
308 Winchester (7.62mm NATO)
30-40 Krag
30-06
300 H&H Magnum
308 Norma Magnum (30-338)
300 Winchester Magnum
300 Weatherby Magnum
8mm bullets
8x57mm Mauser
8mm Remington Magnum
.338, 358 bullets
338-06
340 Weatherby Magnum
358 Winchester
35 Whelen
350 Remington Magnum
358 Norma Magnum
.375 bullets
375 H&H Magnum
378 Weatherby Magnum
Handgun cartridges:
22 Hornet (pistol)
221 Remington Fireball
22 BR Remington
6mm BR Remington
7mm TCU
7mm BR Remington
7x30 Waters
30-30 Winchester (pistol)
380 Auto (9mm Kurz)
9mm Luger (Parabellum)
38 Special
357 Magnum
357 Maximum
10mm Auto
41 Magnum
44 Special
44 Magnum
45 Auto
45 Long Colt
45 Winchester Magnum