USA Loadbook for Contender

[tipiguy]

I was planning on buying one of the USA Loadbooks for all of the Contender calibers.  Anyone else use this to reload for the Contender?  Or should I use a Hornady (or some other brand) instead?

Thanks.
Tipiguy

[coltfan]

It's a great acquisition if you don't have many of the other manuals, but it is simply a reprint (actually a xerox copy) of the contender sections of the "Big name" manuals.

For example, I bought it for loading my 7-30 Waters, and since my son and I already have the Speer, and Nosler manuals, and were just waiting for the new Hornady set to come out. I would have been better off just adding the Sierra manual to our collection. The loadbook is nothing more than a xerox copy of those manuals with a smattering of info from some of the powder manufacturers and some data from the lyman manual.

If you plan on using one or two specific brands of bullets, consider just using the manuals published by those companies. For example I have only been working with Hornady and Sierra bullets in my 7-30, so the Speer and Nosler information serves only as a reference point. I could have gotten by with just the Hornady and Sierra manuals, if I had already owned them.

[Robert]

If you have multiple barrels, you will find that there are 1 or 2 calibers in one manual, and a few more in another, Speer has got quite a few in their book, but not nearly enough.  I have found the Loadbooks to be the final authority and the most valuable book existing for the Contender.  I also compare loads in other books, but alas...Speer only has Speer bullets..My Accurate Reloading book goes right down the line with their own powders...#2, #5, #7, #9.....many powders of which I do not use ..Hodgdon's new Annual Manual is a must have, but once again ...very limited to chamberings and guess what?...they only have Hodgdon powders.  Who would-a thunk it?  Now on the other hand, my new loadbook has Thirty-six calibers, and it isnt just a reprint from the last book, it is updated....For instance...my old  Contender Loadbooks changed some of the 7TCU data that I tried and I considered to be too hot.  They ended up with very close to the load that I ended up with.
GET THE BOOK.  It is cheap, and you will use it over and over again.  Get some of the other books too.  The more sources you have for load data, the better off you will be.  There is no such thing as too much information when it comes to re-loading.