Is this website worth the $29.95 per year charge? Anyone subscribe, or have an opinion?
Quote from: EdMc on August 18 2012 08:05:32 AM MDT
Is this website worth the $29.95 per year charge? Anyone subscribe, or have an opinion?
IMO, it isn't worth it. That site is, essentially, nothing more than a storefront (selling their selected brands, at unimpressive pricing), and a database of published load data. Very little information available there you can't get from the mfg's for free. Have a look at www.ammoguide.com (for one) for much better development information, from real developers and handloaders. A lot of the loads there are not published, but tailored to specific conditions, such as varying barrel lengths and powders/charges not available in published data. They also make available several "calculators" very helpful for specific load development. They also have a discussion forum, with a very friendly environment (no BS, no whining kids, very few trolls). Very little advertising, and none of it obnoxious or persistent.
Otherwise, choose a good print manual (such as Hornady, Lee, Speer, etc.) and stick to that, or just use the mfg's published load data, which available for viewing/download free from them. $30/yr. is no bargain, for something you can get free.
I have friends who have the "Load Data" subscription and they like it for the various cartridges they shoot. They shared some 10mm & 9x25Dillon info but none of it at the time was any better than the Speer, Hornady, Lyman, Sierra or other manuals to include manufactures published data.
I invested in the Speer, Hornady, Lyman manuals over the years as they cover many cartridges/bullets/powders and glad I did... ;D Many of my loads exceed what are in the manuals but they provide great references for every aspect of handloading. 8)
Thanks gentlemen, for the advice and links. I do have three fairly new manuals and several of the powder company reloading brochures. Thought the price was too high, anyway. ;D
I have subscribed in the past.
If you load for many calibers, its ok, or if you want to do some research.
I will say that generally, it gets new data a little sooner than a manual.
It will be worth it for a year or two, then a deminishing return.
Handloads.com has most of the same mfg data. The only trick there is to be sure watch the stuff from user contribution.