LYMAN - 51ST EDITION RELOADING HANDBOOK

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My issue is once I got into the book, and the strange (limited) selection of load data they provide for some of the most popular calibers. I'll give a few examples here. MISSING: - .223 / 5.56 - 55gr FMJ - completely missing from the book. THE most common projectile for THE most common rifle cartridge in America.. nowhere to be found. They have a 55gr Sierra Softpoint - maybe that's close enough? - 9mm - They have 7 standard projectiles (not including cast lead options) to choose from. THE most popular round in America; more volume of duty use, civilian use, military use, and by reloaders - and there's no standard 124gr FMJ. And no 115gr FMJ, either. There's JHP for those two weights, which I suppose is close enough.. but OAL will be off slightly. Only 1 load for 147gr - so hopefully you're only planning on reloading the Speer 147gr TMJ or you'll have to find load data elsewhere. - .308 Win - They acknowledge Berger Bullets in their book's forward, but despite Berger making 32 different .308 projectiles, not a single load with a Berger bullet is provided in the .308 chapter. Berger has a great 168gr hybrid and a 175gr OTM round that I wanted to test - will have to look elsewhere for load data because none of them are in this book. One of the more "standard" .308 bullets - a simple 147gr FMJ - also not included. - 300 Blackout - Decent variety of loads here. Wasn't as disappointed. They've got a 125gr and a 200gr projectile that is close enough to what I'm loading-- I think. There are no loads for full copper projectiles that you might use from Gorilla or other brands for hogs / self defense. You can get the load data from Gorilla for that. But still - with all the other strange choices of projectiles (and calibers) they included in this book - seems like another oversight not to include a single full copper projectile for 300 Blk. - 8.6 Blackout - Doesn't exist at all. Look elsewhere. I'm pretty new to reloading. Have about a year under my belt so far, so I am not some seasoned 40-year expert. And that's exactly why I need a book like this. Is it acceptable to choose the "closest" load to the one I'm loading from the book? Can I select the 55gr softpoint .223 and use the load data for that to load Hornady 55gr FMJ projectiles? I have no idea. And the book doesn't tell me. I assume I can use the load data for the 124gr 9mm JHP to load plinking round-nose rounds... but again, my OAL is going to be different, so there again I can't rely entirely on what's in this book. Which means I'm going to either send this book back and buy something else - maybe the Hornady book? - or I'll have to buy a second book to get the loads missing from this one. Bottom line: IF the specific loads and projectiles you want are in this book, it's put together in a good way, easy to read and understand. But if you reload some of the most popular rounds and projectiles, like those mentioned here, there's a chance this book isn't going to help you.