So this may sound like a silly question to some of you. I'm wondering how many of you load up a large amount of ammunition without testing loads? If you are not looking for 0.5" groupings and maximum velocity, Just a round that will save money and give hunting accuracy. So do any of you just load up about a grain below the max level and make 100 of them and then sight in?
Lack of load testing
- Thread starter StevieK
- Start date
I load for 3 Norinco M-14's, an FR-7, A Spanish 1895 cavalry carbine, A Savage American Classic, a Remington VTR and a Browning A-Bolt Target.
I don't have the time or inclination to tailor a load for each one. I duplicate (as close as I can) Winchester White box 147 FMJ ammo. Shoots good enough out of all 3 Norincos and the FR7 and as a bonus shoots less than MOA in my Browning A-Bolt Target.
I have a total of 8 rifles chambered in .308. only the A-bolt, The VTR and the Savage get loads tailored to them. The rest of them have to be satisfied with "generic" ammo
I don't have the time or inclination to tailor a load for each one. I duplicate (as close as I can) Winchester White box 147 FMJ ammo. Shoots good enough out of all 3 Norincos and the FR7 and as a bonus shoots less than MOA in my Browning A-Bolt Target.
I have a total of 8 rifles chambered in .308. only the A-bolt, The VTR and the Savage get loads tailored to them. The rest of them have to be satisfied with "generic" ammo
- Location
- Island in the Pacific
X 2, It is a great hobby, as well harvesting an animal with something you made is a bonus as well..
At one time or another, I have checked a reloading manual, and picked a load out of the range for a particular load. I've stayed away from the high end of the range, simply because of the "these loads were safe in the test setup used for this cartridge / bullet / powder /primer / firearm combination" type of disclaimers / warnings all over the place.
With that out of the way, even if you happen to luck out and pick a load that won't blow up your gun, you might be missing an accurate load that happens to use 1 grain less powder..... You won't know unless you try.
Sighting in with ammo that produces 2" groups at 100 yards is just a bit more difficult than sighting in when you're shooting .75" groups..... ;-})
With that out of the way, even if you happen to luck out and pick a load that won't blow up your gun, you might be missing an accurate load that happens to use 1 grain less powder..... You won't know unless you try.
Sighting in with ammo that produces 2" groups at 100 yards is just a bit more difficult than sighting in when you're shooting .75" groups..... ;-})
Kind of, not really.
I've gone ahead and loaded up a bunch of ammo, using a conservative upper-mid load I know would work and be safe, for the reason of economy out a rifle that would not group, and having never tested that load before in that rifle. Doesn't happen often. I did that when I bought a 1000 lot of 62g FMJ's for 223. Never shot those bullets before but had extensive experience with the powder of choice, whereas I would usually opt for a faster powder and hotter load had I been working up as normal.
But yeah, key term, a load I know would be safe.
I load a lot for AR carbines. I'll mix up batches of 100 at a time. The loads I work up for my AR's are more base on economy and cleanliness then accuracy.
In this case I got in the new bullets I never tested and just wanted to shoot the thing, so I played it safe, had fun, and worked up a hotter better load later on.
I've gone ahead and loaded up a bunch of ammo, using a conservative upper-mid load I know would work and be safe, for the reason of economy out a rifle that would not group, and having never tested that load before in that rifle. Doesn't happen often. I did that when I bought a 1000 lot of 62g FMJ's for 223. Never shot those bullets before but had extensive experience with the powder of choice, whereas I would usually opt for a faster powder and hotter load had I been working up as normal.
But yeah, key term, a load I know would be safe.
I load a lot for AR carbines. I'll mix up batches of 100 at a time. The loads I work up for my AR's are more base on economy and cleanliness then accuracy.
In this case I got in the new bullets I never tested and just wanted to shoot the thing, so I played it safe, had fun, and worked up a hotter better load later on.
For pistols I will load 50 rounds of a load that is mid book levels and go testing. If it gives satisfactory accuracy and cycles the action well I will build more or tweak it a little and try another 50.
For rifles I always build 5 of each powder charge starting just above the book min and work up in increments to just below max. I then go testing and hope to find the most accurate load. If I find a good one I'll load a few more with tighter steps on either side of the one that worked best and see if I can get tighter groups. I use the chrony to find consistancy not max velocity.
Too many people are overly concerned with maximum velocity. I've learned that higher velocity rarely produces tighter groups (although some rifles do respond well) and what good is a really fast load that gives you a flatter trajectory out to longer ranges if it isn't accurate. I would rather find a very accurate load and figure out my bullet drop at long range and give my scope a couple extra clicks and hit what I'm aiming at.
For rifles I always build 5 of each powder charge starting just above the book min and work up in increments to just below max. I then go testing and hope to find the most accurate load. If I find a good one I'll load a few more with tighter steps on either side of the one that worked best and see if I can get tighter groups. I use the chrony to find consistancy not max velocity.
Too many people are overly concerned with maximum velocity. I've learned that higher velocity rarely produces tighter groups (although some rifles do respond well) and what good is a really fast load that gives you a flatter trajectory out to longer ranges if it isn't accurate. I would rather find a very accurate load and figure out my bullet drop at long range and give my scope a couple extra clicks and hit what I'm aiming at.
No, that's why we handload! Instead of buying a box of 50 or 20, I load 10 of each likely load and try them over the chrony at the range.
Each load's data is written in my old highschool science lab book, so I know what I have done in the past and can can look back and see power factors and groupings.
Once I get something I like, it's time to fill up some pickle jars.
Each load's data is written in my old highschool science lab book, so I know what I have done in the past and can can look back and see power factors and groupings.
Once I get something I like, it's time to fill up some pickle jars.
hometownhero
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For hunting and target ammo I working good loads. For my fmj plinking ammo I picked a medium load and used that.
i load differnt powder weights in groups of six. after testing i will load up 15 rnds of the best one. if it proves to be good enough i will load 15 more and crony them the check the speed. if none of that works i will try a different powder or bullet and keep trying. its very rare you can't find a good load unless there is an issue with the rifle. i rarley test rifles until the trigger is adjusted and the bedding checked out.
Uhhh....Yeah. Me.
Looked up a load that supposedly matched the velocity of the factory ammo I was using, long time back.
Cross checked the load, to find that it was well in the middle of the load range from several sources, loaded a hundred of them, and they shot well enough to shoot an awful pile of venison over several years, and I still shoot that same load.
Can't tell you what the velocity is, don't care either.
It'll hit a paper plate at ranges well beyond what I need to adequately kill a deer or a moose, using an inch and a half high at 100 yards sight-in.
I may put more effort in to the next load, or not.
I may get called a heretic, but I loaded with Lee scoops and no scale for 15 years or so. By sticking to low to mid range loads, I shot a lot of deer and gophers with cheap accurate enough ammo, and was happy with that.
Cheers
Trev
I always load up 10 rounds only, each 10 rounds in 1 grain increments [unless it is a small case, then ½ gr]
If one of these loads shows promise without excess pressure indicators present, then I may "tweak" the load a bit
in an attempt to get optimum results.
Often, for hunting at least, One of the incremental loads is great. Then I will use that.
For any rifle matches, the whole ball game changes.
Regards, Eagleye
If one of these loads shows promise without excess pressure indicators present, then I may "tweak" the load a bit
in an attempt to get optimum results.
Often, for hunting at least, One of the incremental loads is great. Then I will use that.
For any rifle matches, the whole ball game changes.
Regards, Eagleye
I like to buy 5 or 6 boxes of top notch ammo in a particuliar caliber, then i shoot them over my P-35 with a target @ 100 metres, recording the speed and the grouping of each weight, then i have my fireform cases to that rifle and i will start load devellopment with the bullet weight that gave the best group, when i approach the speed of the commercial ammo i might have some room left to increase the charge a bit, saying that i never went over max, would be not true but stuning results i've got from my Nemesis reloads with 208 gr Amax and R-17 biased my opinion, nobody should go over max... JP.
