I was thinking about another post where someone asked about trying a new powder. How many of you guys can try 1/10th of the new components that comes out?

Everytime I go shooting, along with the guns I want to practice with, I bring 6 to 10 experimental loads for 2-3 different rifles now and I'm running out of time to shoot all of them. I've had 5 different loads for my 300WSM ready to shoot for about 3 months now and everytime I go to the range, I just don't have enough time to shoot them.

It got me thinking that with all of the different components that we have now, a person could not try even one bullet weight with all of the different powders that exist now.

Take a 308 and limit it to just 150 grain bullets, if you shot one 5 shot group using every suitable powder, in one grain increments could you try them all without shooting the barrel out?

There are easily 25 different powders suitable for the 308 and at least 25 different 150 grain bullets available. Most reloading manuals will give you loads of about 5 to 8 grain differences and that adds up to 15,625 rounds at the minimum.

(5 powder weights x 25 powders x 25 bullets x 5 rounds)

Go ahead, try a new primer while you're at it.

I already have at least 25 different open containers of powder and 100 different bullets now and everytime I buy a new rifle I usually wind up buying at least a couple of different powders and 3-4 different bullets.

I don't think I'm a hunter or shooter anymore, I'm a reloader.

A few years ago I decided I was spending to much time at the range and not enough time in the woods. Now for hunting guns I stop when I find a sub 1 moa load with a real hunting bullet. Sometimes its easier than others, but I get more field shooting time now. And my kids enjoy hunting/shooting in the woods more than bench work at the range.

typically I find that after you have tested three or four bullets and three or four of the reasonably correct powders you pretty much know what the gun will do. Sometimes the bullet selection may be a given.....example a shooter wants to shoot the Nosler Partician no matter what.....I say that's a smart man.....as long as he's willing to change if it don't shoot with three consecutive powders and he's sure the bedding is good. Most folks have learned for example that if their gun don't shoot ballistic tips it's not likely going to shoot anything well.

I believe one can limit the testing very reasonably to three and three. You already know what bullet you want to shoot don't you!!!

I like to tinker w/ my loads, always think I can do better. If I find a hunting load that goes constantly 1moa, I'm good. For varmint or target, I'm looking 1/2moa. I select the bullet I want to use & choose a powder that should give me max. vel./load density, that is usually 2-3 powders. If the bullet won't shoot, I change bullets & start over.
The ladder method is interesting, tried that too. It's fun to experiment but it's always a time & money thing.

I usually let the gun pick the bullet but a light and heavy bullet for each caliber still gives almost infinite possibilities. Every great new bullet and wizzbang powder just adds more possibilities!

The goal of my 90% reloading is to find a good hunting load for a rifle. For that reason, I pick the bullet/s I want to hunt with and then try to get a load that will give me the velocity and accuracy I desire. I look for a sub-moa load, but 1.5" is plenty acceptable.

I reload the less expensive bullets to improve my shooting skills and a load that gets 2.5"@100 yards is fine. I normally load these practice loads a bit lighter.

BigBullet

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
I don't think I'm a hunter or shooter anymore, I'm a reloader.

I won't get to reload them all in what's left of my life but I'm sure making a dent in it . The experimentation is becoming an end unto itself and I find the knowledge gained from it to be quite rewarding. I started reloading as a young hunter who had a hard time affording factory ammo. A hundred bullets were less than $4.00 and 4895 and 4831 could be had for less than $2.00/ lb. Primers were about 3/4 a cent and brass was picked up where ever you could find it. You loaded what you needed and than went out and killed a deer or elk. Believe me unless you went with Nosler or Barnes the choices in bullets were slim and we didn't know the difference anyway.
Reloading isn't the search for the magic combination in each hunting rifle over a long period of time. If the learned reloader can't get there in short order there is a bigger problem than a components combination. The novice if he is on the ball will seek advice from knowledgable sources.

After reading you postings, Frank, and having made all these words available , I guess the conclusion for my point in time is that these are just my toys and I guess I'll be thankful that Boxer, Arnold and Finestien haven't taken them away yet . roger

I may have been the one asking about using a different powder you were talking about. I was trying to get, and did, a prespective on another powder and found that the same velocities could be reached with less pressure than the powder I was using. The problem I see out there is like anything else. A person needs to search out some good reloaders that are willing to help and then take one rifle and get it shooting accrute. Then move on. I have carried 4 different rifles with 4 different loads each out to shoot and found it would over load this old mind. So I worked on one at a time and when I grab one I know where it will hit and how it will shoot. Of course I have one I keep working on!

I used to be a handloader then I discovered I liked shooting more than loading and load development. Now I when I start a new gun project the first thing I do is call a tech at Sierra/Hornady/Nosler and ask what they found to be the must accurate or consistent. Start there and find my way it eliminates alot of waste and gets me to the load I am wanting to use.

For some reason I always have a bullet that I want to use with each rifle and I usually like to stick to it, my .416 Rigby for example is based around the 410 gr woodleigh soft, although I have found a plinker to use as well in the 400 gr taipan.

Absolutely true! I limit myself these days to those powder makes that I think will continue on the market, and to the range of burning rates appropriate for the cartridge in question. In other words, for the magnums, IMR or H4350 at the fast end, and RE25 or so at the slower end....

I have quit using Norma powders because these have disappeared from the US marketplace at least three times after I had developed some really good loads fro them. In addition, I have been leery of the VV powders for the same reason. I have had excellent accuracy performance from Federal primers, so don't use other brands any more. Sierra, Speer, and Nosler bullets have perfomed well for me over many years, so I don't buy other people's bullets. I do cast some for my own use in rifle plinking loads and full-charge hunting handgun ammo as well as for muzzleloaders!

Good advice about staying with something that works. Years ago after following some piss poor advice I spent a lot of time and money on things that didn't work. Now I use Sierra for most of my bullets, Federal primers and IMR 4064 powder when It will work well on the caliber Iam loading for. Damn you could spend a thousand dollers a week trying all the things out there. Be nice to be able to do it but with a limited income you go with what works at the lowest cost possible and that means using the least amount of things possible.

frank,

i have several guns, so making one gun do many things doesn't enter into the end result. i resaearch what the cartridge can do, i decide what i want the gun for and pick a bullet. i then try an appropriate powder. once i get the accuracy and velocity i need to get the task done, i consider it done. example, every deer i ever shot was bigger than moa, so an moa rifle is more than enough. i have a customer who in fact ruined a barrel in a 223 trying every component combination he could looking for whatever. i put the barrel on it and shot three shots of remington ammo to test it, they grouped under 3/4 inch and his reloads did a whole lot better.

max

I guess it depends on your purpose in reloading. When you direct your reloading towards a definate end, the choices narrow down a LOT! When you are just tring the latest and greatest, have fun, you will be out there a while!

One added benefit is forums like this. Why try those 25 powders when you can post the question here and get 20 paople telling you what works. If the top 3-5 picks from those 20 people don't work in your rifle, it is really likely nothing will.

Some people travel to get to a destination, some people travel for the sake of the journey...

Have fun!