Dan Newberry's Optimal Charge Weight Load Development Proces

[gth]

Has any one tried this method of load development?

Has everyone already been using this and I'm an idiot for just realizing it exists?


http://www.clik.to/optimalchargeweight



Seems like a pretty good common sense approach to load development. Previously my method was loading up a range of charges and shooting them to see what load held velocity and accuracy in good porportion.

I'm gonna try this with the .222, 6mm and 22-250. (because I just pciked up a crap load of remington bulk softpoints for them)

 

[todbartell]

each rifle is a different beast and will take a different powder charge to hit it's most accurate potential. I don't do this OCW crap at all, but Ive been hearing about it for about 3-4 years now. :roll:

 

[downwindtracker2]

I was one of the guys who gave him some 30-06 data when he was researching his idea of optimal loads. With the wide range of tolerances of hunting rifles,it's easy to say each rifle is different. But how many times have you heard about the 30-06 "If it doesn't shoot IMR4350 and flat base Hornady 165,send it to the gunsmith." That's because most 30-06s have 22" sporter barrels and the same twist.I think it's nothing more than that.Besides,anyone using me as an authority is pretty suspect

On a different theme,the ladder method of load development makes good sense.

 

[Gatehouse]

I use a ladder method that isn't as involved as Dans OCW.

FOr a hutning rifle, I start at a lower charge, and work up unitl I get to max.

After studying the target, you usually see that (for example) 59.5, 60, 60.5 and 61 all fell together, but 62 was out of the gorup a bit, as was 57 and 58...

So I then load up a batch of 3 of each of the "close" charges, and shoot them at targets, in a round robin sort of way, so that fouling doens't distort the results.

Then I'll get a pretty good idea abotu what works, and will muck with seating depth if necessary.

I take mygear tot he range, so it's pretty easy to do it all in one extended range session.

 

[BIGREDD]

I use a similar ladder method but I start with a series of loads in .5 grain increments. I then take the two best and load a series of .1 grain increments until I find the tightest grouping.
I guess this is very similar to what Newberry is doing but I never thought about the science behind it much. :?

 

[PEI ROB]

As far as I understand him, the main point of Dan's method is to find a zone of charges that work well, it isn't to find the best load. Sometimes you will work up and find a great group but the immediate lesser and greater charged loads were crap. Dan Newberry would not use this middle load if using his OCW method. Many people do. Basically, a set load is going to group differently on a hot day compared to a freezing day and I think he would rather find a comprimised load that doesn't change.

I don't shoot competition and the two accurate rifles I own are more accurate than me in a wide charge zone so further testing is pointless in those rifles, for now :wink: .

For the rest, I work up with a ladder method like many others but keep an eye out for Dan's observations. So far, I haven't used the ocw method for a load.