Hot Loads,, why bother ??

HKMark23

HKMark23

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As you work up loads for accuracy with a given set of components, starting with the lightest loads in a table and working up, is there any real point in developing a load beyond the lowest velocity that does the trick; ie, finding a second node ?

I understand a barrel may, in fact, have 2 "nodes" at different velocities where smallest groups are achieved. What real benefit would there be in loading for the hotter of the two. Does a slightly flatter trajectory have much of an impact on accuracy ?

The reason I ask is that to me a cooler load = longer barrel life = good thing, or is the difference just splitting hairs either way ?
 
It depends on what you are trying to do. If you are working on a hunting load, it is likely that you are trying to get the maximum velocity possible that meets your accuracy criterion.
If you are working on a short range target load (100 or 200 m) for personal satisfaction, then the lowest velocity that is accurate might work, as suggested.
If you are trying for longer range accuracy, then velocity starts to become an issue due to drop, wind adjustments. You are probably trying to get the maximum velocity possible that meets your accuracy criterion.
It would seem that there is only a limited set of circumstances where you would actively stop load development at lowest possible velocity.
 
Does a slightly flatter trajectory have much of an impact on accuracy ?
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A flatter trajectory helps a lot in hunting because the flatter it is, the less range becomes an issue. If it is dropping from the sky like a catapult shot you have to estimate your range much better then if your shot is flat like a laser.
 
The original question is like asking if there was any advantage of a 30-06 over a 30-30?
 
To add to what H4831 said, what type of firearm are we speaking of? It would make a big difference if I was shooting paper with a .38 special, trying to hit an animal at varying distances with a rifle.

More context required.
 
Can be for technical reasons sometimes.

My Glock 34 used to run 125gr LRN/Titegroup @ 3.8 until I swapped a Lonewolf 4 port barrel in. The rounds that worked before were now way underpowered to actuate the slide back due to the ported barrel dissipating so much of the pressure.
Had to step up to 4.7 to settle it back (max load is around 4.0)

My 625-3 loads are slightly under minimum. 230 gr LRN/Titegroup @ 3.8.
I enjoy speed load/shooting it, so a very light charge works well for me.

Just 2 examples. One an over maximum charge and the other an under minimum charge that are both safe, work, but are done to achieve 2 specific results on 2 specific pistols.

Food for thought :)
 
my hunting load is alittle hot, that way its a bit flatter shooting. no pressure signs so im not worried about it

my target load is a grain under max, nice and accurate there.
 
Most hunters I know shoot so little with their hot loads that they will not live long enough to shoot out a barrel.
 
I perfer the feel of a slightly hotter load especially in my pistols. Totally agree with hunting loads, you'll never shoot enough rounds to harm the barrel
 
MudChucker said:
This is very true... My 30-06 hunting loads are quite hot...Im not the best shot in the world, but Im incredibly accurate off hand with this load.
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as I submitted this I thought to myself, "how could the load make you any more accurate ?" honestly, I dont know, and I dont care... I get giddy when I shoot this gun just because it makes me look good :):cheers:
 
As a Remington 700 quite often prefers being loaded to the high end there is quite often an advantage to hot loads both in accuracy and trajectory plus end results. However, a 338 WM performed better as I went from 69 to 70 to 71 to 72 grains of powder but it was a colder weather round to be avoided if the temperature got above 10 degrees.
The decision to go hot, hotter and hottest rests with the rifle and shooter but concerns about shortening the life of the barrel and brass depends on one's own desired accomplishments.
 
My example is that I own an iron sighted target rifle in .308 Winchester with a Kreiger barrel on a Wichita action.
I have pretty good medium range loads that shoot okay to about 800 meters.
The same loads are pretty much sub-sonic at slightly beyond 1000 meters and accuracy is terrrible with many impacts well below the target and dispersed left or right with no consistancy. This was not so obvious at Homestead (900 meters) maybe due to the higher mountain elevation gave this marginal load, artificial ballistic help of sorts.
I now have hotter handloads specifically for this longer distance task, for more common use at lower elevations.
My next task will be experimenting with Varget powder. I hear it's an optimum powder for 308 handloads.
In my case, I want the need for speed/accuracy purely to stay supersonic at 1000 meters or thereabouts on paper targets.

ymmv
 
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I do not know about anyone else here but I have never walked out to check or take down my targets and have had one of them tell me my loads are to wimpy. If you are target shooting the less powder you use and as long as the loads are still accurate the better I like it. Less cost and less recoil. Now hunting is a whole different ball game.

Graydog
 
My hunting loads are loaded hotter simply for more velocity yielding slightly better energy at the target; my hunting rifles are sighted in for those loads and that is what I hunt with. My precsion rigs are loaded for optimum accuracy and all are less than max loads.

With pistol however or my fun guns.. they are all loaded to max simply because they need to work reliably in several different firearms of the same caliber. Hot loads are the way to go in this case....YMMV
 
graydog said:
I do not know about anyone else here but I have never walked out to check or take down my targets and have had one of them tell me my loads are to wimpy. If you are target shooting the less powder you use and as long as the loads are still accurate the better I like it. Less cost and less recoil. Now hunting is a whole different ball game.

Graydog
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Tell that to someone buying a .44 mag or larger.

Hell, by this logic why own anything bigger than a .22lr?

Sometimes big loud heavy recoiling guns are just more fun, nevermind the fact half the cartridges that exist today started by pushing the envelope.
 
Most of my hunting rifles are using loads that are in the upper area of velocity/pressure.
These loads get practiced with as well.
If you stop at a lower velocity accuracy node, then what is the point of shooting the chambering?
May as well be using a lesser capacity one at full throttle.
Barrels are relatively cheap, and it will take years to wear one out.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
Hello,

For me it's totally what I want the bullet to do.

I load for the 7.62x54R. If I want to paper punch, I just use a precise load with pulled bullets.

If I want to make loads for deer hunting (not that it's legal to use this rifle in Indiana for deer!) I will load 150grn at around 2800fps. Not fast but not slow.

A 125grn bullet gives nice low recoil and good terminal ballistics when loaded to 2500fps or so. However, if I want to hunt coyote for pelts, I can push that same bullet up to around 3000+fps and the bullet will come apart inside the animal and not damage the pelt except for a small entrance wound.

I prefer to run mid to warm loads in the 1911 and other auto pistols. It may decrease life just a bit, but I've found warm loads enhance reliability.

Regards,

Josh
 
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