How do you guys work up a load for your rifles

One a medium size cartridge, such as a .270 win or .30.06, I pick a component combination that I believe will work well, start with the min load in a reputable book, and work up in 1/2 grain increments, usually 4 rounds to the group, that gives 5 groups in a 20 round box.

If it doesn't shoot well, I change one component at at time until I find a combination that does. After I have settled on a powder, bullet, primer brass combo, I begin adjusting OAL.

Some folks begin with the Ladder system. A search of the sight will produce many informative posts on this method.

If it is one I have never loaded for I check to see what I have for powders that will work.

Check for loads in 2 or 3 reloading books take a avg load and load some fire a couple of rounds checking vel and for pressure signs and go from here.

When I get to near the vel I figure one should have I shoot some groups if the group size is near what I want.

I load some more shoot a few more groups If they are good I stop playing load some ammo and call it good.

Creighton Audette Ladder

Turn down your volume first!

quote:

How do you guys work up a load for your rifles

What Rifle an What caliber ?.

Over the years I've found what seems to work best for myself. New brass or used brass ,PREP the cases carefully including trimming if necessary ,I neck turn mine now days ( but you don't have too ).

First I use a factory load ( if I have any ) an see what # 5 shots do from a clean barrel an steady rest Bags or Rifle rest preferred.
If I don't have any factory stuff , I Carefully load a middle of the road load maybe 15 rounds ,as I use them for fouling any way ,so they're never wasted .

Start with Bulk bullets as their less expensive ( try an stay in the same weight ) as the bullets you'll either be hunting with or target shooting with .

Now load #5 on the low side an # 5 on the upper side of medium loads ,in between medium and max ( DON'T GO MAX ON ANYTHING ).

OK ; Clean barrel, scope or Iron sights solid mounted , now on the bags carefully aim with empty rifle and dry fire 4-6 times NO ROUNDS .

Load a medium load and fire a fouling shot off center of target . NOW your ready !,place a low end cartridge in Steady aim an squeeze that trigger . Repeat with low end loads all #5 did they group or spread ? Don't worry where on the target they're setting just if they grouped well /. CLEAN bore and Change target,repeat with #5 middle loads ,repeat entire sequence with #5 upper end loads .

Now set down with all targets in front of you , an COMPARE Group sizes point of impact low off center high ??. Your Rifle tells the tale of what it prefers , some do it with #3 shots ,I prefer #5 as it's a Definitive number and allows for a pulled shot .

Once you determine what area your Rifle likes Low Med or High end , then it's time for Powder an bullet refinements including distances off the Lands . Rifles an Pistols are funny ,I've never seen any two shoot a like and what one will do another of the exact same manufacture won't !.

WestPac's or Marines ; Tag line or motto sums it up pretty well !!!.

quote:

This is my rifle, there are many like it but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend, it is my life.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc224/375:

quote:

How do you guys work up a load for your rifles

What Rifle an What caliber ?.

Over the years I've found what seems to work best for myself. New brass or used brass ,PREP the cases carefully including trimming if necessary ,I neck turn mine now days ( but you don't have too ).

First I use a factory load ( if I have any ) an see what # 5 shots do from a clean barrel an steady rest Bags or Rifle rest preferred.
If I don't have any factory stuff , I Carefully load a middle of the road load maybe 15 rounds ,as I use them for fouling any way ,so they're never wasted .

Start with Bulk bullets as their less expensive ( try an stay in the same weight ) as the bullets you'll either be hunting with or target shooting with .

Now load #5 on the low side an # 5 on the upper side of medium loads ,in between medium and max ( DON'T GO MAX ON ANYTHING ).

OK ; Clean barrel, scope or Iron sights solid mounted , now on the bags carefully aim with empty rifle and dry fire 4-6 times NO ROUNDS .

Load a medium load and fire a fouling shot off center of target . NOW your ready !,place a low end cartridge in Steady aim an squeeze that trigger . Repeat with low end loads all #5 did they group or spread ? Don't worry where on the target they're setting just if they grouped well /. CLEAN bore and Change target,repeat with #5 middle loads ,repeat entire sequence with #5 upper end loads .

Now set down with all targets in front of you , an COMPARE Group sizes point of impact low off center high ??. Your Rifle tells the tale of what it prefers , some do it with #3 shots ,I prefer #5 as it's a Definitive number and allows for a pulled shot .

Once you determine what area your Rifle likes Low Med or High end , then it's time for Powder an bullet refinements including distances off the Lands . Rifles an Pistols are funny ,I've never seen any two shoot a like and what one will do another of the exact same manufacture won't !.

WestPac's or Marines ; Tag line or motto sums it up pretty well !!!.

quote:

This is my rifle, there are many like it but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend, it is my life.

Yeah, you'll find Doc's method in all the reputable publications!

Here is the way I work up loads for the typical bottle neck cartridge from say 257 Roberts thru 375HH

Lots of people with lots more experience than I but here is what I do.

I try to settle on a few powders for all my needs.

I & H 4350, RL 15, Varget, I & H 4895 are some good all around choices.

I then check a couple of different manuals and start at the lowest minimum and load 1 round each working up in ½ grain increments to the highest of the listed book maximums for a given bullet weight. For Barnes TSXs do not exceed the Barnes book max.

After each shot fired, I check for bolt stickiness, flattened primers, ejector marks or any other anomaly. If I see any signs of pressure prior to getting to the highest book max, I note it and then I drop back 1 full grain and consider this “Safe Max” for that rifle and that bullet. If there are no signs of pressure then I use the highest book max as Safe Max.

Then starting at 1.4 grains under Safe Max I load 4 rounds each in .2 grain increments up to Safe Max. This equals 8 different loads.

Starting with a clean barrel, I fire two fouling shots and let the rifle cool.

I then fire the 32 rounds letting the rifle cool between each shot. I have eight different targets dots up and I shoot 1 round of each load at its particular target dot (or aiming point) from the light load to the heavy load and then reverse the order so there is uniformity of barrel fouling until I have fired all 32 rounds.

You will usually find a point where the groups tighten up then loosen up. I then use the smallest group as my load. If two loads half the same group size, I split the difference.

This in my mind is a little easier than the ladder method at 200 yards because the ladder method assumes a “perfect hold” by the shooter on every shot to analyze the bullet impacts. This method assumes that whatever shooter error exists will simply be consistent across all the shots fired. It is also why I use four shot groups instead of three shot groups. The four shot group allows you to have a 3 shot measurement if there are flyers.

For Barnes I seat 50/1000 of the lands and for everything else 10/1000 off the lands but always with at least 90% of caliber length of the bullet shank excluding the boattail seated in the neck.

I then sight in dead on @ 200 yards. If you don’t have access to a 200 yard range then I would sight in 2 inches high at 100. With most bottle neck cartridges shooting bullets with a BC between .400-.500 and an SD of .25 to .28 and a muzzle velocity between 2650-2850 you will have a 5 inch window between 0 to 230-250 yards and be about 7-9 inches low at 300 yards.

Nothing beats being able to practice at various ranges and knowing the exact characteristics of your load but I find this to be a pretty good start.

Depending on what the firearm/load is intended for dictates which bullet I try. The bullet is the key, everything else is just the delivery system.
Then I check several reloading manuals to see if I have any of the commonly used powders on hand.
Then I begin load development as others have outlined.
If I don't get the accuracy I was looking for, I will look at other bullet weights or manufacturers.
If I still don't get the hoped for accuracy, I may get some factory shells and try them out but usually will start tweaking the rifle (bedding, switching scopes, etc) before that.

First off if i'm buying a rifle I buy it to fit a need I pert much know what bullet grain I want to shoot so i'm looking at barrel twist that said and from years of experience you just know what bullet mfg and powders seem to work 90% of the time.

I start right in the middle of the book and work up in 1/2 grains till I find a load that will shoot at least 1.5"@100 if I can't first thing I switch is powder if that does not work bullet mfg at that point in all my years I have never had a rifle that did not shoot at least 1.5" then start playing with the primers if I lower the group to MOA I start on OAL if nothing happens I move on to cases if nothing more then i'm happy with MOA.

What I have seen a lot from guys at the range is a piss poor rest like a jacket folded over a ammo can that is not a rest or two shot bags filled with sand that is not a rest most guns will shoot better then the owners and there rests.

For the most part, I may well start with a box of factory loads just to get an idea as to velocity and accuracy I might expect. This is with a bullet weight I want to use. I'll then get a box of "good but inexpensive" bullets (ie., Sierra or Hornady) in the weight I want to use. Next, I usually go to the "Accurate Powder" listed in either the Sierra manual or perhaps the Nosler manual and work around that. I even seat bullets to the book length for starters.
I keep all of my range results, including velocity in Excel on my computer and can go back to them for reference later. Invaluable!!
I'm still playing with my .270 WSM and am not sure as to the powder/charge combo I'm gonna settle on. Right now, my 2 main hunting rifles are my .270 Win. and my .338 WM. If I were to get another one of either of those, I'd just start with what I'm using now.
Just what I do.
Bear in Fairbanks

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Fillman:
How do you guys work up a load for your rifles

Jim,

I pick the bullet I want to use.

Then I get a box of factroy loads with that bullet. Chrono 10 of'em 1 fouling shot then 3 three shot groups for accuracy. If they pass the accuracy - Keep the rest for a chrono and accuracy standard for life of rifle.

Then get lots of reloading powder data and pick 4 to 6 different powders (Have friends - We can swap small amounts of different powders).

Load 10 rounds of each powder in 5 step ladders of 2 duplicates. Shoot each powder on the same target over chrono.

Pick the better performing powder then load more for pratice and hunting.

Whatever method one uses , it's the end result that matters . Accuracy is a BROAD scoped term often misused .

Over all my years of shooting an re-loading ,I've found barrel harmonic can wreak havoc with accuracy . So the first thing I want to determine is the Action is tight an hopefully bedded properly . Some barrels like pressure point ,some like free float .

Cartridge loads either low, med or high end give one a feel for group placement . So from that stand point now comes refinement of that inherent accuracy preference . Why waste a lot of components if the Rifle spits fliers at Max loading !. That's why the Triple #5 rule applies in development . Refinement begins either low & up Med & Up or High an Down ,so Knowing where to begin is a GOOD THING .

If one is simply looking at Hunting with a particular bullet of preference , that's a different species altogether as accuracy becomes somewhat of a misnomer ! . As we all know " Hunting Tolerances " greatly vary, by Rifle, Bullets , Caliber and one's ability to place shots without bench's !.

I have an have had the good fortune of shooting with a retired Marine /Gunsmith , not just any Marine rather a multiple Olympic Medal winner . Did he make me a better shooter ; MOST DEFINITELY , am I David Tubbs , NO and I NEVER will be !!!. Sniper Marksmanship is indeed a High Honor . Gunny informed me He Never reloaded , it wasn't allowed they used match ammo . He quickly did point out he didn't but dam sure knew how .

Paying attention to what others have done an are doing is BENEFICIAL ,IMO !. It's one of the reasons this forum is unique everybody has a different script ...

PS; If you're after velocity Check powders which produce it without excessive pressures , it's a good use of loading manuals or powder sites . Again IMO ;those powders generally give better results than ones that don't ,with respect too a particular weight or caliber of bullet for accuracy !.

I first do a lot of investigation to find what powder and bullets have worked for others, and what manuals recommend.

I start with the lowest suggested powder charge and work up in approx 2% powder weight intervals until I am at the maximum allowed or just below it.

I seat the bullets to the depth listed by my reloading manuals.

I usually load four or five rounds of each charge weight.

I then go to the range and fire these loads, recording the info.

If there is a group that shoots good, I'll then reload more going about 1% above and below the powder weight that shot good.

Then, go to the range again and record findings.

If one of these groups shoots really well, I'll stop there and use that loading data to produce as many as I think I'll need.

If I'd like to fine tune some more, I'll take the best shooting group and load some more with that powder charge weight, but varying the seating depth.

Then I take these to the range and record my findings.

If I haven't found anything that suites me, I'll then try a different powder and go through the above process again.

If the second powder doesn't produce, then I'll try a third powder. If that doesn't work, I'll change bullets, and go through the process, listed above, for the new bullets.

Good luck!