bdlder

I've been wondering how you guys start working up a new load, do you take one bullet you like and load up with several different powders and then take the best to work with oruse that bullet using working with one powder? Thanks, Tim

steve4102

For a hunting round I select the bullet and weight. In most cases it is the Nosler Partition. I try differnt powders until I get the desired result, accuracy and sometimes velocity. If I cannot get that bullet to shoot I will go lighter or heavier with the same bulletand start the process all over again. If that doesn't work I will try a different bullet, Accubond, TSX, or Sierra.

Chris_H

I start with the game I'm hunting. Different bullets for different situations. It really depends.

whitetaildreamer

For hunting I start with the bullet I'm going to be using for the game that I will be harvesting. I usually use Noslar partitions or Sierra game kings. I would then look at the balistic charts for a couple of different powders. I start about 10% off of max. load and work up. when I find the load that is grouping well, I still will continue up a couple more steps just to see the performance. If no better than the one I liked then I would go back to that charge and try a few more. This seems as if it takes a long time but it really doesn't and this system has seemed to work for me. Best of luck finding the right load for your gun.

eldeguello

Tim, I take the bullet that I want to use, select a powder that appears to be appropriate for the bullet in that cartridge case, and look up the starting load (lowest velocity) in several manuals to get an idea of what would be a mild load to start with. Then I load five rounds of that powder charge, and five more at each increasing charge level, 0.5 grain increase per five-round group for standard cartridges, and at 1-grain steps for true magnums (not so-called "magnums" that usestadard capacity cases!). Up to withing 0.5 grain of what the maximum load is in the book that gives the HIGHEST maximum load.

Then I go to the shooting bench and fire five-shot groups starting with the lowest and then the next, etc. I check each five-shot batch for both accuracy and MV using a chronograph. I stop working upward in powder weight when I get to the most accurate load that produces an acceptable velocity level. This load usually appears before the maximum load is fired, and signs of too much pressure show up. If I get up to where the pressure is unacceptable, and no accuracy was obtained during the workup process, I will usually change to the next slowerpowder, and do the drill all over again.

So, what am I saying? I work with one powder at a time. The powder charge weight will be the only thing I change-case make, primer type, and bullet seating depth will not be fooled with until I find a promising powder charge - I never change more than one variable at a time. Otherwise, you won't know WHICH factor is important in obtaining the results you got.

Howler

I do similar, BUT I want to point out that since the poster doesn't say which cal. he is interested in loading for,we must remember that with the smaller cals. such as .17 Rem. or .204 ruger, a powder increase of .2 grains would be better because thepressures rise quicker in the small cases than they do in larger cases, 30 cal.for instance, where a .5 or even a 1 grain increase would be fine to use.

eldeguello

Yes, you are right! I overlooked that, and should not have!