Load Development - ???

[Zeebrahed]

I have been pressed to start reloading to help offset the enormous costs of shooting. I am all setup to reload .45, 9mm, .38 Sp, and .357 Mag on a Dillon Square Deal. In addition, I have a Rockchucker set up to load .223.

My question is this: How do you guys personally work up a load? Using the .223 as an example, there are an incredible amount of variables in the load to tweak. I know that I must have an intended use for the round, varmint or target for example, but even then the choices are incredible.

Also, how many rounds of each test lot should I load up? What do I change first, powder charge, primer, bullet manufacturer (I have heard that not all generic 55gr FMJ's shoot the same.) Could this be any more confusing?

I can read directions and starting loads in the manuals all day. How do I determine what shoots best in MY guns?

I am a very detail oriented person. I have 3 ring binders set up for each caliber detailing load progression and eventually working loads.

Thanks for your help, I have MANY more questions but I will try and meter them!

Tom

[tonyz]

I suggest reading a good manual like the lyman or speer's.
As far as working up a load I first make sure that I have a good Bullet, then I start with the powdwer load start at min and work up.
There are many Factors. But this is a start. Again I would get a Couple of good manuals and sure the web for Info.

Tony Z

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also for gun accessorys. http://gungoodies.com

[Sgt.K]

Here is the way I start developing an accurate load.

1. Pick your components.

2. Load 7 to 10 rounds each (Speer manual states this provides a realistic example) in .2 grain encrements starting 5 to 10% below max. Example: 7 to 10 at 55.2, 7 to 10 at 55.4 etc.

3. Test fire using optical sights, if possible, and some type of rest.
Cool-down between groups or rounds.
Rifle: 100yrds, Hunting Handgun: 25 to 50 yrds, Defensive Handgun: 7 to 15 yrds.

4. Determine best group with a particular load.

5. Load two more groups of test ammo going .1 up and down from the most accurate load (#4). Example: Best load, 55.2. Load 7 to 10 rounds each 55.1 and 55.3.

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4.

If the above steps don't produce the results I'm looking for then I switch ONE component and try again.

Most, I assume, are wanting to use a particular bullet style or manufacturer. In that case you could change the primer first (since you have at least a pound of powder). Then try a powder change.

Why go to such trouble, especially w/a defensive handgun? If I can consistantly produce a 1" group from a rest yet my off-hand groups are 3" then I know its me and not the gun or ammo. JMO

This is just ONE way to develop a load for accuracy. Many other things can change how a cartridge performs such as crimp, seating depth, over-all length etc.

Hope this helped you.

Sgt.K

[Hutch]

Sarge has lots of good ideas. I spend a lot of time, reading magazine articles, Internet posts, etc. and generally settle on a bullet weight/style I WANT to work well. I generally start w/ Hornady rifle bullets for hunting, Sierra rifle bullets for target/varmint and Speer pistol bullets. Dunno how I got started this way, I just did. That being done, I first look to see if I have powder in stock already for testing. It's not TOO expensive, if you build up a test inventory over a few years, to have most of the IMR and Hodgdon rifle powders at hand. Pick one you have a useable supply of, and go thru the Sarge's excellent procedure. If, after tweaking, you cannot get, for example the Sierra 168gr MatchKing to hold in a peach basket from your Remington PSS that has shot sub .5 moa, then you have to blow taps on the Sierra MatchKing in that rifle, and try: 1)another bullet weight 2) another manufacturer.

As you've pointed out, this is not for the easily discouraged. If you take up this hobby seriously, you'll never lack for a load development project.

Best of luck

[Bud Helms]

Sgt.K,

How about a slight modification to your excellent suggestions. Instead of a certain number of grains, how about a half grain or 0.5% or 1% increment. 0.2 grain jumps could take forever in a .223 starting 10% down. For a 25 gr W748 max load, starting at 22 grs would take 15 incremental loads, if you make it to max. God only knows how many loads 0.2 gr jumps would be in a .30-'06 from 10% down.

[bergie]

I'm pretty new at it myself. These more expeirienced guys here have given some excellent advice. I know what you mean, all that data and variables can be a bit overwhelming..
What I've been doing for whatever rifle cartridge I'm working on (.223, .270, .308, .30-06) is first pick a bullet.
Say for .223, I want to load up some 50 grain V-MAX for a drive up into S. Dakota to a dog town I know. Then I pick a powder. After looking through several manuals and asking for some advice, before I ever started loading .223, I bought a couple of pounds of different powders that I thought would fit my needs.
For safety, compare the load data for that bullet from a couple of manuals, check both the bullet makers data, and the powder makers - they often vary. I start at the low end, of whichever listing is lower, split this into .5 gr. increments. 10rds of each. Shootemup. Pick the one best shooting, go .2 on either side of that, or split the difference between the two best. If there are no signs of excess pressure at my top loads, and other manuals indicate that I could go at least a grain or more higher, then I might go a little more if the groups have been tightening up at the higher velocities and I think they might get better.
Then I will start playing with the length a litle bit, I have a buddy that has the Stoney Point gauge thing, it will tell you how long you can go with any bullet in your rifle, again split the range, of what the manual says to just short of touching, into a couple of increments and see if it helps.
hope this helps,
Learnin by doin,
bergie

[Art Eatman]

A useful data point for rifles is the relative capacity of the case. GI brass is generally thicker than commercial, so any given load in GI brass will have higher pressures.

In .30-'06, I have found no difference between Remington 9-1/2 primers, Winchester "Large Rifle" and Winchester "Large Rifle, Standard or Magnum". They all shoot to the same place.

I go to any of several books I have. I look at the max load. I back off about 5%, and load five rounds of starting load; shoot it; look at the primers; load five more, halfway toward max; shoot it...

I'll go a half-grain under max, next, and look for pressure signs on the primer. If they look a bit flatter than the previous load, I quit.

I also compare group sizes as I work up. If one or two grains under max is a tighter group than max, I'll back off.

A deer just cannot tell the difference between 2,800 feet/second and 2,900 feet/second. Neither can my shoulder.

For pistol, I just load about 1/2 to one grain under whatever the book says is max and forget it. I'm not in bear-country, nor do I shoot tight-group target competition...

Once I find a "pet load", I get lazy. I've been using 52.5 grains of 4064 behind a 150-grain bullet in all of my '06 bolt-action rifles since 1950...

FWIW, Art

[Bud Helms]

Art's got the idea!

[Reddog]

Zee,
To answer your question, "How do I determine what shoots best in MY guns?", it's strictly up to you, by trial and error. Each gun has different preferences, and if you don't take the time to do what these guys are telling you, you're shooting in the dark.
Reddog

[Mike / Tx]

Since you have the Rockchucker then you might save some time and driving by loading up your stuff and taking it too the range to do your development. If you have a Uniflo or similar measure then you can weigh up the different charges at home with a scale then just use the setting on the measure to set your powder. Set the measure to throw the minimum load, record the setting on the stem. Do the same for the max. This way you will know the starting and stopping point for several powders. Then check how much a quarter turn increases each powder. This way you can work up in quarter and eigth turns to get what you are looking for. It saves time and money going and comming from the range and range fees.

Hope this helps.
Mike / Tx