Load Development - what do YOU do?

[zzsstt]

As I sit down at the reloading bench, it occurs to me to wonder what other people do to establish an optimum load for a given rifle.

The variables in question would seem to be:

1/ Powder
2/ Charge weight
3/ Projectile
4/ Primer
5/ Neck tension
6/ Seating depth (OAL)
7/ Brass

Now the more sensible (less obsessed?) among us will use whatever primers and powders they have in the cupboard, and without bushing dies neck tension is not adjustable. However that still leaves a large matrix of possible combinations. So assuming most people don't test every possible combination, what do you do?

I normally test two or three powders based on other peoples recommendations (or loading guides), using my normal "benchrest" primers. I start off with new brass, uniform and deburr the primer pockets etc. Seating just off the lands (or as long as the magazine allows) I find the upper end of pressure that I'm comfortable with. Then I shoot about 4 sets of groups with charges decreasing 0.5gn per set. I repeat this for each projectile I'm interested in. Having found the best combination, I may then play with seating depths.

It's a long process, so I'm interested in knowing what everybody else does!

[kjd]

I usually pick a powder that I think is suited and a weight of projectile that I'm after!

Get my rifle's max OAL and back off it making sure the round fits in the mag and what not.

Work up grain at a time till I reach 2 gn below max and go up in .5 gn increments then I go to the range and see what I have working from lightest powder charge to heaviest.
Usually I find my load within the first range trip sometimes not!

My aim for a hunting rifle is an inch or .75" for a varminting gun!

[Mullet]

If I know the rifle I pick a load 1 grain under Nick harveys fastest, load a couple and shoot em, If they are OK I load his max and use it if it is good.
If it isnt good (which rarely ever happens)then I try another powder.
I seat about 1mm off the lands or what works from the mag.

[Ackley Improved]

I am a believer of the ladder test.

I usually start all my loadings 2 grains under max, and depending on what caliber, actually load over the max (Not recommended for everyone). Mostly find a load thats right under the max anyway.

I pick one powder, one projectile, one primer... but always when picking components use ones that are known for working with that caliber.

I then work out seating depth, usually light touch of the lands.

I then load in 0.2 increments, with one round per weight.

Target at 250m, have very steady rest, no wind (early mornings or dusk).

I hols the same spot on the target, and starting with the the lowest powder weight shoot each round, each time taking notice of pressure signs.

Mark each shot so you know which weight hit the target where.

After all the shots are fired, you should/will notice a nice cluster on your target. Pick the middle weight, and there is your load.

Make sense? Should take around 10-15 rounds to find a load for your rifle!

Cheers
AI

[ogre6br]

What AI said.
Though I give it more bullet jump than a slight kiss as I'm making hunting loads and need mag function as well as accuracy.

other than that I choose my starting weight as the middle weight of min/max listed in the ADI manual which is usually a little more than 2 grains under max. Means I have about 20-22 cases to fire instead of the 12-15.

What I find hardest with a ladder test is having enough optics to accurately plot the fall of shot on the target next to you on the bench as you need to do that for each shot before you shoot the next one.

but if you have a spotting scope is a POP to do.

later
p

[Rinso]

ogre,

I put a nice cheap spotting scope in the for sales mate ???

cheers
Rinso

[ogre6br]

ogre,

I put a nice cheap spotting scope in the for sales mate ???

cheers
Rinso

wish I had the $ but I'm on the bones of my arse- havn't work in 12 months

later
P

[Col. Pogy]

What AI said but let me allow a little additional related discussion for an example of minor controversy. Our .222 caliber is now rated about 48Kpsi by our shooting industry & CIP. But it used to be rated at a higher pressure. I shoot a CZ 527 Lux in .222 and that gun is also furnished in .223. The .223 is rated a little less pressure than the 5.56X45 at 62Kpsi. The CZ is throated for the military ammo and its OK in the CZ. Using new prepped cases,I start a half grain below max in a powder noted as excellent for the bullet weight in the .222, such as our Hodgdon, your ADI, 322 and the 50 V-max. I go up by 2/10ths grain in 3-shot groups till I get pressure signs like those of shooting 5.56 in other guns. You know these signs. The loads are set for just off the rifling, and to magazine feed. The very best group or two at the top get a little further work, then I load in bulk for the season. Some pretty nice high velocities come out. But this may not work for all cartridges. I chuck cases after 4 reloads too. What do you think? pogy

[Drew Jaeger]

I usually pick a powder that I think is suited and a weight of projectile that I'm after!

Get my rifle's max OAL and back off it making sure the round fits in the mag and what not.

Work up grain at a time till I reach 2 gn below max and go up in .5 gn increments then I go to the range and see what I have working from lightest powder charge to heaviest.
Usually I find my load within the first range trip sometimes not!

I use a similar sort of process. With the small calibres the charge is worked up by 0.2-0.3grs and larger calibres 0.5grs. Where possible projectiles are seated 0.015" off the rifling (243 and 30-06), otherwise so the rounds fit in the magazine (204 & old 223).

With the 204 I was fortunate, as the load was selected without development.

My aim for a hunting rifle is an inch or .75" for a varminting gun!

Strewth!!!!! I've seen your 222 group. Time to raise the above standard mate.

[El Toad Man]

I choose a powder that's middle of the road (burn rate) for the calibre/proj weight.
Seat projectiles deep enough in the case so they wont dislodge easily. Otherwise it's +1 on what's been said previously.

[crowbuster]

zzsstt wrote

Then I shoot about 4 sets of groups with charges decreasing 0.5gn per set. I repeat this for each projectile I'm interested in. Having found the best combination, I may then play with seating depths.

G'day zzsstt,

you don't mention when testing these loads what level of accuracy you achieve. Do you test them off a benchrest to minimise the human error..

Don't worry mate, I'm just a shit stirrer.....

[jt]

Same as A.I., but I make up two sets of rounds just to cover for anything unusual.I shoot each batch at a different target, then compair the results. The farther you can put the target out the more accurate will be the sweet spot area in your ladder test. I did a ladder test with a .308 at 235 yards and fired 11 rounds, each at .2 grains incruments, and got a 1" wide by 1/2" high hole. Either one big sweet spot or the target needed to be further away to find the tighter sweet spot.

[Dr G]

zzsstt wrote

Then I shoot about 4 sets of groups with charges decreasing 0.5gn per set. I repeat this for each projectile I'm interested in. Having found the best combination, I may then play with seating depths.

G'day zzsstt,

you don't mention when testing these loads what level of accuracy you achieve. Do you test them off a benchrest to minimise the human error..

Don't worry mate, I'm just a shit stirrer.....

ROFL

[HiWall]

The first thing I think about is what am I trying to achieve. Is it accuracy for target work, accuracy and performance for hunting - what am I going to be hunting - is it worth spending heaps on premium projectiles or will cheap but good do the job.

So I guess bullet selection comes first, followed by choice of powder. If I am going to use a bullet from one of the majors that publish their own data I will use this to select what they consider to be the best performing powder (highest velocity/best accuracy(if listed). No data on the particular bullet, Nick Harvey's book is a great source of 'generic' information. I tend towards using the slower powders as they generally fill the case more than the faster ones.

This pretty much chooses the primer I will use, but if I don't have the one they list I will go straight for my stash of Wincheser primers.

I make up two dummy rounds of every bullet I use, firstly to magazine length, which is the basis for any hunting rounds - I will dick with seating depths deeper than this for accuracy. The other is just on the lands - the basis for experiments for single shot accuracy loads. I don't bother with this second dummy for hunting calibres though, mag length is the critical factor here.

I will start load workup from a couple of grains under maximum listed to 4 or 5 grains over maximum listed in 0.5 and 0.2 increments and keep a close eye on case and velocity over the chrony. I only use one case for this and reload it at the range. I will keep going until I find the max load that the rifle will take and still give a linear increase in velocity without destroying case.

This is then the Max for the rifle with those chosen components and only then will I start accuracy experimentation with different loads in 5 round per load samples, under the maximum, up to the rifles maximum already established.

After I have the load that is shooting the best I may dick around with seating depths to try and tighten it up a bit more - depending on whether I am going to shoot at targets or little critters.



It is very common to be able to exceed maximum loads published in manuals and quite often the best accuracy is well above those published maximums and unless you establish the maximum load in your rifle you will never know - using published maximums simply means there is a good chance that you are using a lesser performing round that may not be as accurate as possible.

[Dr G]

I only use one case for this and reload it at the range. I will keep going until I find the max load that the rifle will take and still give a linear increase in velocity without destroying case.

Dumb question I suspect but i have very limited reloading experience

Why only one case, if you are firing that many shots with it wouldnt it begin to fail with continued neck resizing? therefore wouldnt it give you a false load as to the maximum charge for the rifle.

I have practically no reloading experience at all (other than a lee loader for the 303 which was never experimented with- or used in the last 12 years),

Thanks

Dr G