working up pet loads.

[hardek]

I am working on pet loads for my 303. My question is how do u add more powder? Do you go up by 1 grain or by less than that? I have been going up by 1 grain at a time should I be going up by .5 grain? Thank you for the help.

 

[H4831]

I am working on pet loads for my 303. My question is how do u add more powder? Do you go up by 1 grain or by less than that? I have been going up by 1 grain at a time should I be going up by .5 grain? Thank you for the help.

My first thought is if you have to ask this question, perhaps you should stick to published loads, until you are thoroughly familiar with reloading, including how to make a make a determination on what is low pressure, normal pressure and various degrees of higher than normal pressures.
I am not taking anything from you, just encouraging you to learn more about the whole thing.

 

[hardek]

I am staying with published loads. Just wondreed if I am missing some accuracy by going up by 1 gr. Not .5 grs. I start at the min load published and end 1 gr below maX load.

 

[zuke]

I go 1 grain at a time. For my 303's if I get a couple reload's with the brass,I'm happy

 

[dead meat]

On a larger type case i go up by .5 gr, on small cases like a 222 or 204 i go up .2 gr. As H4831 mentioned learn to look for pressure indicators.

 

[rookie wildcat]

OP, I generally work up in stages. If there is a large difference between min and max loads (10-15gns), then I will do the initial loads by 1gn. Then I will work up my most promising loads by .5gn. That really dials in the "nodes". I will then, depending on the application, rework using .2gn increments. Most of my best groups are at or above max listed pressures but I have done this for years. As H4831 has stated, you need to play safe until you can determine pressure signs accurately. Often what looks like a flattened primer can be missed. You usually have time to study your cases when you are working up a load. Get to know your rifle and how cases should look before pressure builds to dangerous levels.
You can take this advice for what it is worth, but when an credible reloader says something, you may want to heed that, and H4831 is just that. Even if we do argue on occasion...