Do QuickLoad or any of the other packages out there, allow you to enter the results you actually got from a given load, and give back calculations of what other loads might do?

E.g., if I tell it that a 30-06 load with a 190 Hornady BTSP and "x" grains of H4350, at "y" OAL in Remington brass with a CCI primer got 2640 fps, can it tell me that if I then use "y" grains of RL-19, with all other factors being equal, I will likely get 26XX fps?

With QuickLoad, you assume the mildest primer that will do the job. The author says there are too many variables in primers to predict. He says he probably will never attempt to address primers.

If you have known velocity with a given powder, QL will estimate pressure if you input powder charge, bullet and OAL. Or you may setup the propellants table for a given case, bullet combo and you may use every powder between two burn rates to deliver:

1. loads that produce your desired pressure
or
2. loads that will achieve a desired velocity.

QuickLoad will then make a printable table for each powder, between the upper and lower burn rates showing:

Powder (Name and brand)
Density
Calculated charge
Velocity
Pressure
Barrel time

You may export this table to Microsoft Excel if you have it.

It will allow you to do a lot of "what if" modeling.

Regarding the brass, you may make a case file for each type of brass in a given caliber. You need to determine the water capacity for each brand of brass edit the file and save to a new name. It sounds very involved, but it takes more effort to describe the procedure than to do it. All in all, QuickLoad is very good software and very easy to use.

Yes - in a manner of speaking. Put all your info into Qload and it will respond with more data then you want or need. But, The velocity will not (likely) match what you are getting. This is because your rifle is different than what was used to come up with their "standards." So, you tweak Qload by changing (on the screen) the "case capacity" until the screen matches your velocity. In effect, you are making Qload think your rifle is the "standard." This is Kosher, and accurate.

Now, you can go up and change powder type. If the new velocity and pressure are too high or low, change the charge. Theoretically, the program is still recognizing your barrel as it's "Standard."

However, Qload recognizes (assumes the possibility of) a 10% variation or error factor. Not bad given that SAAMI, if I remember correctly, operates within a 9% factor. If you do a lot of load development a program like Qload will save you a lot of time, effort and, eventually, money. But it's not the Holy Grail. On one occasion I ran into an error factor of 18%! So you still must test loads and start low.

Where the program earns it's money is helping you find those powders that are most suitable, offer max velocity with min pressure, and which powders are very close. I consider the program VERY much worth while.
Steve