Working up a Load

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TPB12335

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Just wondering on what peoples experiances were with working up a load for a rifle. I have reloaded a few bullets so I know the procedure of basic reloading. I am in the process of getting a new rifle for hunting and want to get an aftermarket stock trigger and some good optics and get the rifle shooting as well as I can and then I want to work up a load.

What I was wondering was if it was basically just a shot in the dark as to what combinations of powder/primer/bullet/brass work best or if it is a gradual process that you can "work" up to. What I mean is if you start with a load increaseing powder and you see that your rifle is getting more accurate up to a point and then begins to drop off?

I guess what I am looking for is some starting tips or things to look for? Thanks for the help guys.
 
TPB12335 said:
I am in the process of getting a new rifle for hunting and want to get an aftermarket stock trigger and some good optics and get the rifle shooting as well as I can and then I want to work up a load.

What I was wondering was if it was basically just a shot in the dark as to what combinations of powder/primer/bullet/brass work best or if it is a gradual process that you can "work" up to. What I mean is if you start with a load increaseing powder and you see that your rifle is getting more accurate up to a point and then begins to drop off?
Click to expand...

For a basic procedure this one is as good as any. It is a variation of the ladder test. Note this is just the introduction and you need to click on the other links to the left to get the details.

OCW Load Development

I like to start with a known good primer, powder, and bullet for the cartridge, and a 0.010" jump to the lands (if that fits your magazine). Do the OCW. It helps to have a chronograph, but not totally necessary. The reason it is good, is that sweet spot loads tend to be at a fixed velocity even though you change bullets. Once you have that sweet spot identified, then you may want to try different seating depths to the extent the magazine length allows. For hunting a jam is probably not a good idea, although it may give better accuracy.

Then I would try other bullets while maintaining that sweet spot velocity.

On a quality gun and scope I would suggest a Savage AccuTrigger, and Bushnell Elite 4200 or Sightron II. The AccuTrigger is very good, and should not need to be replaced.
 
Or you may find your rifle shoots excellently with all loads, and the process of working upwards is to ensure there are no signs of excess pressure as you approach the maximum recommended load. That was my experience with my Tikka 308.
 
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