Load development, what’s your powder increments?

[wildfowler.250]

So just quizzing for opinions as it can’t hurt!

In my case I’m loading up 130grain Sierra prohunters in .270

Starting load suggests 51.5 N160 to 58 grains.

I’ve previously done 0.5 grain jumps but this seems a lot?

I was going to load 1 round in each from day 52-58 for pressure. Then maybe load 4x in each powder weight from 55-58? Maybe 0.3grains at a time?

Or load in 0.5 grains and this will guide me closer then load more either side of the best?


Interested to see how everyone does it!

 

[Alantoo]

Are you gong to use a Chronograph to look for the velocity flat spot?

10 Round Load Development Ladder Test

www.65guys.com

Or the OCW round robin to find a similar point of impact?

OCW instructions - Dan Newberry's OCW Load Development System

Dan Newberry OCW or Optimal Charge Weight Load Development method or system for handloading, reloading, bullets, brass, powder, primers, accurate handloads.

optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com

I have tried both and had similar end results with both.

But I should add I get similar-ish results with most factory rounds so maybe it is not that conclusive...

Alan

P.S. Just looked it up, the last couple of times I did my initial pressure/safety, velocity and POI single shot test in 0.05g steps which is around 0.7-0.8grains.

 

[hendrix's rifle]

I'd start at the bottom and go up in grain increments, once you've got to a point where the group size closes up load another few rounds in say .2 or .3 increments, with such a big variant I think that's probably the best way to do it. I'd also do the same as Alan, OCW then fettle seating depth unless you fall luck and get ragged holes lol

 

[Rusty Gate]

Like you .5 from start. Look for groups opening back up. I then go back .5 & work groups up in .2 until im two loads past the earlier ideal. Im not on a range but get good results this way.

 

[takbok]

I use roughly 2% increments, so 1gr for my .270 when working up loads to find acceptable pressure limits.

 

[nun_hunter]

I use the same method as the 6.5 Guys as mentioned by @Alantoo a d it always works well and makes reloading much faster and has proven accurate loads out to 500m so far.

 

[Cottis]

I use OCW method and for smaller cases like .222, I go up in 0.2grain increments. I load 3 of each charge weight and normally use the lowest 3 (min start weight) as sighters and to condition the barrel and then start from the second group up. Initial charge has never been a node for me.

For larger cases, I go up in 0.4grain increments and follow the same procedure.

 

[Sako308]

I (a bit sceptically) tried the Satterlee (10 round method) recently and I must say it worked a treat, and all in less than 20 rounds.

 

[wildfowler.250]

Thanks guys! I’ll have a read of the links and methods posted.

To be honest I don’t have a chrono. I thought loading up various batches of powder and picking the smallest group was the norm? That’s what I’d planned anyway. Possibly chrono the best after that,(if I could borrow or buy one).


Cheers for all the info!

 

[Laurie]

Sierra Bullets - whose people know more than a little about load development - advised 1% increments many years back in one of their many handloading articles. This is excellent advice, so 0.5gn is about right for the 270 Win's charges.

When starting from scratch, it may also make sense to use one or two low charges with 2% increments between them just to get 'a feel' for what's happening , and at the top end if working with a chronograph to drop below 1% down to 0.2gn or 0.3gn increments in a case of this size / charge weights. Without a chronograph. the only way (with the assistance of QuickLOAD) that we know what is happening inside the chamber / barrel, it's wise to stick with either the bullet or powder manufacturer's top loads. At one time, I'd have said a bit below it even, but companies have become so safety conscious and litigation-wary these days that it's a rarity for any recent published loads to even approach SAAMI or CIP maximum pressures.

 

[25 Sharps]

Hornet .1 gr, .223 family .3, everything else .5 gr usually good enough to find at least one

 

[JTO]

I suppose the bigger the case, the bigger the incriments. 0.5gr seems about right for a 270, but if it were for .17 Hornet.........

 

[wildfowler.250]

Cheers gents, appreciate it. First lot with the accubonds previously weren’t stunning - although they dropped deer well! Trying some prohunters.

Do folk tend to load towards the max in the textbook? Or are the mid range loads perfectly suitable? I suppose you’d need a chrono but what I’m trying to gather is are mid range values ‘normal’ or conservative. Is the high end of 58 ‘hot’ or still a conservative load due to health and safety? It’s nive to have a laser but not at the expense of meat damage.

From memory. I read somewhere the “best” hunting” load was 55 grains but can’t remember how they worked that out.

The 1% idea makes sense

 

[25 Sharps]

Cheers gents, appreciate it. First lot with the accubonds previously weren’t stunning - although they dropped deer well! Trying some prohunters.

Do folk tend to load towards the max in the textbook? Or are the mid range loads perfectly suitable? I suppose you’d need a chrono but what I’m trying to gather is are mid range values ‘normal’ or conservative. Is the high end of 58 ‘hot’ or still a conservative load due to health and safety? It’s nive to have a laser but not at the expense of meat damage.
From memory. I read somewhere the “best” hunting” load was 55 grains but can’t remember how they worked that out.
The 1% idea makes sense

In most rifles its purely for accuracy, so if the most accurate load is mid range in the powder weights then so be it, was testing 129 gr ABLRs in the creedmoor the other weekend, most accurate load was the start load at 42.2 gr top load gave around 3000 fps but had opened right up, the 42.2 gr load was giving 2870 fps and the difference in drop at 250 yards was <.5" so accuracy wins out. To be fair nosler's load data for the 129s give the minimum load as the most accurate with just about every powder tested.

The only exception for me is the 25-45 which needs top end loads to get over the 1700 ft-lb, accuracy still there but not as accurate as slightly lower

In terms of book max, generally accepted wisdom is book max is max. If you or anybody else as a very experienced reloader choose to go over that then its up to you / them, but generally max is max.

 

[The Bear]

I don’t do any increment smaller than double my measurement accuracy. I.e. if my scales will reliably measure to 0.1gr repetitively, I wont go lower than 0.2gr steps when developing loads but as a percentage, in the big cartridges this is well within my ammunition accuracy requirement for hunting

 

[wildfowler.250]

In most rifles its purely for accuracy, so if the most accurate load is mid range in the powder weights then so be it, was testing 129 gr ABLRs in the creedmoor the other weekend, most accurate load was the start load at 42.2 gr top load gave around 3000 fps but had opened right up, the 42.2 gr load was giving 2870 fps and the difference in drop at 250 yards was <.5" so accuracy wins out. To be fair nosler's load data for the 129s give the minimum load as the most accurate with just about every powder tested.

The only exception for me is the 25-45 which needs top end loads to get over the 1700 ft-lb, accuracy still there but not as accurate as slightly lower

In terms of book max, generally accepted wisdom is book max is max. If you or anybody else as a very experienced reloader choose to go over that then its up to you / them, but generally max is max.

Funnily enough I got my beat groups in the accubonds with low end 52g n160 but got very sooty cases / I burnt powder I assume so scrapped them. Thought they might come a bit short at longer distances as well

 

[25 Sharps]

Funnily enough I got my beat groups in the accubonds with low end 52g n160 but got very sooty cases / I burnt powder I assume so scrapped them. Thought they might come a bit short at longer distances as well

Lack of obturation (case expanding and sealing to the chamber) leading to shoot coming back between the chamber and case. No need to bin the cases to be fair but not an ideal load.

Unless you’re shooting longer distances probably would not have come up too short

 

[riflerob]

Do folk tend to load towards the max in the textbook? Or are the mid range loads perfectly suitable?

What works is most important. If that's right at the bottom of the range, in the middle or right at the top is pretty well irrelevant - unless you want to really stretch the limits of range, etc., in which case having less bullet drop with the hotter load is a bit more important.

For me, it's all about repeatability. If that means losing 100fps of velocity by using a slightly lighter charge, so be it.

 

[wildfowler.250]

What works is most important. If that's right at the bottom of the range, in the middle or right at the top is pretty well irrelevant - unless you want to really stretch the limits of range, etc., in which case having less bullet drop with the hotter load is a bit more important.

For me, it's all about repeatability. If that means losing 100fps of velocity by using a slightly lighter charge, so be it.

Fair point!

 

[wildfowler.250]

Lack of obturation (case expanding and sealing to the chamber) leading to shoot coming back between the chamber and case. No need to bin the cases to be fair but not an ideal load.

Unless you’re shooting longer distances probably would not have come up too short

That was with brand new brass so maybe that’s to blame. May be worth going back with some once firedcabd trying the same load