A friend of mine bought a new barrel (used but excellent) for his Husky 7x57 off this site. He had been using handloads at pretty well the max or a bit over of 4064 with 140 grain Nosler partitions. I told him he should work up a new load starting at the minimum with the new barrel. He thinks I'm crazy. I therefore turn this over to the many experts on this site. I hope I'm wrong but I am on the cautious side where my buddy is on the other end of the scale!
New Barrel - Start load work up again?
- Thread starter Varmit
- Start date
+1
I set the barrel back on my 280 because of a worn throat and it uses a different load with a bit less powder when it begins to show signs of pressure.
Yes. With a long bearing surface bullet it only takes a small difference in throat or bore to dramatically change pressures.
Also, by make a survey in 0.5gr increments he will quickly find the accuracy preference for the rifle.
I have a number of rifle sets (I make rifles for myself, my sons, my daughter and my wife) where I bought a set of 3 or 4 barrels from a quality barrel maker and chambered them all with the same reamer. They are as "identical" as you can get. Usually each rifle has a different load preference. In the case of the 223 target rifles, each preferred a different powder.
Also, by make a survey in 0.5gr increments he will quickly find the accuracy preference for the rifle.
I have a number of rifle sets (I make rifles for myself, my sons, my daughter and my wife) where I bought a set of 3 or 4 barrels from a quality barrel maker and chambered them all with the same reamer. They are as "identical" as you can get. Usually each rifle has a different load preference. In the case of the 223 target rifles, each preferred a different powder.
He could just load a cartridge 4 grains under, one 3 under, and so on just for the sake of safety. You don't need to do a full blown work-up just to find out if the load is safe in the new barrel. How it shoots after that is how it shoots.
Yeah, I talked to him again but he is one of those guys that are straight ahead all the time (contractor) and he would hardly listen to me so I will stand stand back if I'm around when he tries it. He gave his son some reloads and his son (who is cautious) found one with no powder in it at all. He shouldn't really be reloading but the 7x57 is hard to come by pre rolled around here anyway.
Varmit
Tell your friend to eat a large bowl of Lima beans and the a week later eat a large bowl baked beans and then ask him if he noticed any difference in chamber pressure and muzzle blast.
And tell him to check for other pressure signs to.
No, the load pretty much much fills the case so it wouldn't hold two charges.
