Good idea or no?

[CourtenayBoy]

Wondering if it is an acceptable practice to load in 0.5 grain increments but only load one shell at each charge weight. My theory is, you can get up to where you notice pressure signs by firing only one shell and then work back down to check groupings. I have a new Marlin in .45-70 that I am starting to load for.

Mike

 

[Spawn-Inc]

yes you can and it's a common practice called ladder testing. you keep the same point of aim and shoot through all the rounds made up then see which powder charges group together and then make more rounds with similar powder charges.

 

[rl4930]

Just me , but I would do an ocw test. How will you be able to tell where your accuracy node is if you're only shooting one round? This makes no sense?? Unless you just want maximum velocity and accuracy doesn't matter.

 

[CourtenayBoy]

Just me , but I would do an ocw test. How will you be able to tell where your accuracy node is if you're only shooting one round? This makes no sense?? Unless you just want maximum velocity and accuracy doesn't matter.

Not sure what an OCW test is, but I will work from max pressure down the spectrum to see where an accuracy node is instead of working from the bottom up

 

[rl4930]

That sounds kind of dangerous? Why ??

 

[CourtenayBoy]

That sounds kind of dangerous? Why ??

I have found best accuracy to be near max loads, so wouldn't it make sense to find where a certain load is developing signs of pressure and then back off in 0.5 gn increments or so and start looking at groups.

Makes perfect sense. What don't you get?

 

[Spawn-Inc]

I have found best accuracy to be near max loads, so wouldn't it make sense to find where a certain load is developing signs of pressure and then back off in 0.5 gn increments or so and start looking at groups.

Makes perfect sense. What don't you get?

it makes more sense to start low and work up to find said node even if you end up at max or even above listed load data. with today's lawyerized load data you'll likely be fine starting at the max but you should still start low and work up.

 

[OldDude]

I usually load 5 rounds at each powder charge I'm testing. If I find a group that looks promising, I'll repeat the test with a smaller increment (0.1 - 0.3 grains), depending on the cartridge / firearm / intended purpose around the promising group(s) from the first test, within max pressure limits.
If I load a batch of three different charge weights, I'll sometimes load 10 rounds per test weight.

Loading one round might give you a ball park for max pressure load of a given combination, but you have no idea how well that charge weight performs.

 

[Shooter ----/]

Wondering if it is an acceptable practice to load in 0.5 grain increments but only load one shell at each charge weight. My theory is, you can get up to where you notice pressure signs by firing only one shell and then work back down to check groupings. I have a new Marlin in .45-70 that I am starting to load for.

Mike

Best way to go. You'll find your particular rifles max and then find its most accurate and potent load with the least amount of waste.

 

[CourtenayBoy]

Best way to go. You'll find your particular rifles max and then find its most accurate and potent load with the least amount of waste.

Thank you good sir. I feel like some folks didn't understand what I was saying. I only have 60 TSX's so I'd like to think I can get it worked out with the least waste

 

[Spawn-Inc]

Thank you good sir. I feel like some folks didn't understand what I was saying. I only have 60 TSX's so I'd like to think I can get it worked out with the least waste

so once you've found your max load by starting with the lowest load then you'll work your way down correct? i was thinking you wanted to load up 1 round each from min to max then start with the max load and work your way down without knowing if the book max was to much for your rifle.

 

[Dogleg]

Barnes used to put a little leaflet in with their bullets describing exactly what you're contemplating. The main difference was they suggested playing with the distance to lands at the established Max load instead of working down. There are things you can do to build on the idea, like shooting the series over a chronograph and shooting them all at the same target for a bit of a informal ladder test at the same time. If when you find your max load you find that you could have thrown it faster you can quit and save the bullets to try with a different powder that might get your speed. You can watch your groups forming and will probably notice parts of the series piling together. With any luck at all it'll be at the top end at the proper speed.

Tons of bullets and miles of barrels get wasted on shooting groups with squib loads that the shooter wouldn't want anyway if he only knew. Why? Bullets get selected by what makes smaller groups that probably don't matter instead of what they do when they hit which is close to the only thing that does matter. Why? There is such a thing as accuracy that is good enough, and better uses for bullets than chasing accuracy that doesn't matter.esrning to shoot from field positions comes to mind.Compound that by the many shooters that are trying to prove accuracy at short yard in the misguided belief that it means something at long range.

 

[gunlaker]

You might not notice pressure signs in a Marlin 1895 in .45-70 before you are well over the max safe load. Those rifles operate well below the pressures you'll see in a bolt gun.

Chris.

 

[hunters home]

Thank you good sir. I feel like some folks didn't understand what I was saying. I only have 60 TSX's so I'd like to think I can get it worked out with the least waste

I've been using this method for over 20yrs in my hunting rifles. Works great and saves components and barrel throat.

 

[teenahlake]

Ladder testing finds a bbl node contributing to accuracy. this 223 group shows a node around 25.3 gr. Then you can zero in and accuracy test

http://s1168.photobucket.com/user/brettm357/media/IMG_0462.jpg.html

 

[Shooter ----/]

Ladder testing finds a bbl node contributing to accuracy. this 223 group shows a node around 25.3 gr. Then you can zero in and accuracy test

http://s1168.photobucket.com/user/brettm357/media/IMG_0462.jpg.html

Yup. Looks like you found one. But are you anywhere near your rifles potential? If your wanting to drive a hunting bullet hard for maximum impact or a target bullet hard for less drop and better wind fighting abilities, you need to find a node as high as your rifle will tolerate. If your just a casual plinker, by all means, load lite and save components and throat life.

 

[supernova]

I always start new load development by working up to max just the way the op is thinking except closer to min I use 1 gr increments then switch to .5 around mid. Then I know where my max is. But for this rifle you won't see much for pressure signs. I worked up every load for my guide gun this way and all I saw was primer cratering starting to develop near max then the lever would pop open when firing. Cratering isn't much of a pressure sign, its more of a result of firing pin hole diameter and chamfering. But when it only develops near listed max loads its atleast a hint. That particular rifle was for bush carrying and had ghost ring sights sighted for 10 yds. Groups at 100 yds didn't matter.