What do you think of Quickload software?

[chasep255]

I am considering buying it. Any opinions?

[wncchester]

"I am considering buying it. Any opinions? "

I have an opinion; used to work in the space program so I was exposed to some high grade computer projections. When the programs are fed sufficent and CORRECT data they can do a pretty good job BUT the results still had to be tested under operational conditions. Meaning computer projections are just projections, not facts and there a lot of unpredictable variables in reloading/shooting. Have you ever noticed how often computer projections get election results wrong, or how the fancy global warming projections are so wrong, or how often next months economic projections are wrong, etc? And wrong enough to get you injured if there's a similar error in your reloading!

Bottom line, QL is a really cool program for computer geeks who also reload and like to play at a key board but they better not accept the projections as fact without careful confirming tests. And, since I still have to do that, I can just use a loading manual at much lower cost!

All IMHO of course, others will no doubt feel differently but the facts seen to be on my side!

[Brian Pfleuger]

QuickLoad's predictions certainly need to be verified but I have found it to be astonishingly accurate with all conventional rifle and handgun bullet and powder combinations that I've tried.

Predictions for my rifles with traditional jacketed bullet have been in the realm of 99.8% accurate. Handgun predictions are right in the same error range.

The only "off" prediction I've seen was for Barnes TTSX bullets and IMR 3031. I don't know if it's the bullet or the powder as it was the first time I used either but the predicted max charge was WAY too high.

There is a bit of "tweaking" required though. You can't expect to enter a charge weight and get good numbers. There are several variables that need to be tweaked, most of which are directly measurable but there is the mysterious "weighting factor" that is, sort of, a measure of the "overbore" of a cartridge. That particular variable is as much intuition as anything and the default setting is sometimes dramatically wrong.

QuickLoad is particularly valuable if you want to use bullet and powder combinations for which there is no published data.

The PC that had my QuickLoad on it crapped out on me. I feel lost without it. Luckily I'm not developing any new loads right now.

[Crosshair]

A superb program that is well worth the money. Used it for developing subsonic loads for an integrally suppressed 77/44 and use it all the time on other loads. No it is not perfect, but I can confirm that it does get you in the ballpark.

[srsmith]

My reloading notes start in the 1960s.
QL has revolutionized reloading for me.

It lets me quickly focus on reasonable solutions when developing a load and quickly paid for self in powder that I did not need to buy for testing.

By modeling different solutions, it also helps me understand what is happeneing with different loads.

If you pay attention to how QL works (ie, read the manual) and enter data that accurately reflects your gun and components, it does velocity predictions that are very accurate for rifles.
Handgun loads take more care to get good predictions.
It does not model cylinder gap in revolvers, but you can make an approximate correction based on chronograph data for a particular gun.

It is not a replacement for a set of good manuals.
As always, you need to cross check QL results with other data.

I would not be without QL.

Be Safe and Have Fun !

-steve

[chasep255]

Well it sounds like something I really want to buy now.

[Clark]

It cost ~ $150.
I would pay 10 or 20 times that much, if I had to.

Just like you would pay 10 or 20 times what a microwave oven costs, if you had to.

[Loader9]

It's a tool like anything else. The value is what it is worth to you. I personally won't have it as it is a projection of what should happen under ideal conditions. Not all firearms are created equal even when new. Some have tight chambers and others loose. Some have tight barrels, others loose. Unfortunately, far too many folks take these programs as an absolute and start their loads at max if that where it shows the sweet spot to be. For some, it's not a problem, for others it may be hammering the weapon to pieces and the shooter isn't smart enough to know it. And then there are the catastrophic failures. But regardless, not all guns are created equal and what shoots in mine probably doesn't work in yours even if identical brands and models. So if the $150.00 for the program isn't too much to pay for a maybe load, buy it. Or just buy factory ammo. It's already optimized for most rifles and $150.00 can buy a lot for most shooters.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by Loader9

It's a tool like anything else. The value is what it is worth to you. I personally won't have it as it is a projection of what should happen under ideal conditions. Not all firearms are created equal even when new. Some have tight chambers and others loose. Some have tight barrels, others loose. Unfortunately, far too many folks take these programs as an absolute and start their loads at max if that where it shows the sweet spot to be. For some, it's not a problem, for others it may be hammering the weapon to pieces and the shooter isn't smart enough to know it. And then there are the catastrophic failures. But regardless, not all guns are created equal and what shoots in mine probably doesn't work in yours even if identical brands and models. So if the $150.00 for the program isn't too much to pay for a maybe load, buy it. Or just buy factory ammo. It's already optimized for most rifles and $150.00 can buy a lot for most shooters.

Except that QuickLoad has variables for your exact gun, including case capacity, bore diameter, estimated pressure required to engrave the bullet into the rifling and many others.

Starting at predicted max loads is no more QuickLoads fault that it is the load manuals fault when people do the same thing with that data.

QuickLoad is far better than any generic load data manual.

Properly used, it's data is perfectly customized to your gun, cases, bullets and powder and can be tweaked until near exact matches are found for known loads and predictions for unknown loads are then incredibly accurate.

Improperly used, well, I don't care. People should learn to use stuff or don't use it. What happens when they're too ignorant or lazy is not relevant to me.

[bluetopper]

Where do you buy/order Quickload at?

I haven't seen it at WalMart.

[Brian Pfleuger]

Originally Posted by parisite

Where do you buy/order Quickload at?

I haven't seen it at WalMart.

http://www.neconos.com/details3.htm

[Zak Smith]

If you are a serious reloader it should pay for itself in avoided failed experiments in 3-6 months (ie, cost of bullets, power, primers wasted going down dead ends)

[NWPilgrim]

I just started using QuickLoad and it is amazing. Punched in some of my known loads and its prediction is very close. I already discovered why some of my loads are underpressure, I suspected it and have not had a chance to check with my chrony yet, but a shorter bullet greatly reduces pressure for the same charge and COL.

I have been wanting to tinker with other powders and QL has already saved me from buying and trying several pounds. And has pointed me towards the best few candidates to try.

[WESHOOT2]

Can it predict with any accuracy accuracy?

If not then it remains useless. To me....:barf:

[Brian Pfleuger]

QuickLoad's predictions are very often in the 99.5% accuracy range for muzzle velocity.

It was off on it's prediction for my 357sig by 8 fps on a 1350-ish fps load and something like 35fps for my 204 Ruger at 4,000 fps and about 15 fps on 22-250 at 4,435 fps

So, that's about 99.5% for the Sig, 99.1% for the 204 and 99.6% for the 250.

On pressure, unless someone has RSI Pressure Trace and QuickLoad, we can only assume that if all the variables match and the velocity matches then the pressures should be reasonably close as well.