handloads

[bruce moulds]

i have noticed a trend here for some to ask what other's loads are.
it seems that they want to go straight to a load.
some of the answers imply that some brand of brass is the only thing good enough for a load.
this is often norma.
maybe norma has improved their metalurgy, but they have a name for being soft in the web, meaning that they will not take the pressure of some other brass, including winchester, lapua, and rws.
weatherby ammo has a bad name in this area, and is loaded by norma.
most brass today will give more than sufficient accuracy for hunting, well below moa.
another trnd seems to be to offer a cartridge overall length when replying to load requests, without a reason.
two factors affect ideal coal.
one is the rounds must fit in the mag and function.
the other is the bullet ogive's relation to the origin of rifling.
for hunting you do not want the bullet jammed into the rifling, so establishing this relationship is vital.
jammed bullets can also affect pressure.
you need to experiment with both coal and powder charges to get accuracy with velocity.
your rifle is in all probability not the same as the other guy's.
there are no free lunches here, you have to do the work for your rifle to reap the rewards.
one thing about testing loads is that it is practice shooting the rifle,a thing we all need more of.
bruce.

 

[crs]

Bruce,
No argument with anything you said- Just an additional point.
I NEVER post all load detail in-the-open and rarely in a PM.
There are just too many variables involved to risk a mistake.

 

[Shootist43]

I don't mind using someone's pet load as a reference. IMHO most of the time it is probably going to be more realistic than the info in loading manuals. There is always the caveat that you should start with a lesser powder charge and work up. Production rifle barrels have chambers cut to SAMMI specs. This commonality between brands is what allows pre manufactured ammo to be used. For instance I recently used an accuracy load recommended by a very experienced individual for my 404 Jeffery. I was told to expect 2300 FPS. the first three shots over a chrony. were 2300, 2309 and 2306 FPS. Groups were 1 MOA.

 

[ChrisG]

i have noticed a trend here for some to ask what other's loads are.
it seems that they want to go straight to a load.
some of the answers imply that some brand of brass is the only thing good enough for a load.
this is often norma.
maybe norma has improved their metalurgy, but they have a name for being soft in the web, meaning that they will not take the pressure of some other brass, including winchester, lapua, and rws.
weatherby ammo has a bad name in this area, and is loaded by norma.
most brass today will give more than sufficient accuracy for hunting, well below moa.
another trnd seems to be to offer a cartridge overall length when replying to load requests, without a reason.
two factors affect ideal coal.
one is the rounds must fit in the mag and function.
the other is the bullet ogive's relation to the origin of rifling.
for hunting you do not want the bullet jammed into the rifling, so establishing this relationship is vital.
jammed bullets can also affect pressure.
you need to experiment with both coal and powder charges to get accuracy with velocity.
your rifle is in all probability not the same as the other guy's.
there are no free lunches here, you have to do the work for your rifle to reap the rewards.
one thing about testing loads is that it is practice shooting the rifle,a thing we all need more of.
bruce.

The main reason that loaders and manuals list COAL or "bullet stick out" is for pressure. For a certain load and a certain bullet, pushing the bullet into the case further may result in much higher pressures than the charge of powder should indicate. I never load anything compressed. I am well aware that there are loads and powders that can be compressed but it is something I am very leery of. If reducing air gap spikes pressure, pushing granules closer together by compression increases burn rate and reduces air gap so doubly so. I just know that the laws of propellants and explosives are linked. If you compress an high-order explosive, you increase its detonation velocity. Compress a propellant too much then pass a high pressure shock wave through it and you have a grenade. Not that I think that a primer produces anywhere near enough heat or shock to detonate smokeless powder, but I would rather spend my time on the low risk side of that pressure curve. So COAL is always kept to book minimum or longer.

 

[PARA45]

I own several Weatherby calibers and the Weatherby brass has served me well. On one of my 257s, the brass has been loaded at least 5-7 times, and they are still going strong. I only neck size them and full size only when needed and by then I only bump the shoulder enough for them to fit the chamber. That is new news to me about Norma brass being soft.

I only share my pet loads with those who I personally know and know their reloading experience because I know that they will at least start below my listed load (specially if it is a max or over max load) and following the manual guidelines.

 

[nztimb]

It is the responsibility of a handloader to use judgement when sourcing a load whether it be from a load book or from an internet forum. When excepting loads posted on forums it is not just the load that we are judging but the previous posts that the particular individual has made and it is generally obvious as to whether there is a common thread of actual knowledge or blowhardiness from that simple check. I know one poster that used to be here and still posts elsewhere and his loads are often (well nearly always) at the very upper ends (and possibly exceeded) of excepted safe pressure. In particular his 404 Jeffery loads were such that they would put a 416 Rigby to shame and his 7x57 , (always long throated) would rival much larger cased 7mm cartridges for velocity.
I got some very valuable load guidance for reduced loads with a powder not usually associated with the practice from a chap who had done extensive testing on cases as small as the 221 Fireball up to the 30-06 and I have a friend who applied the formula to his 404 with equally good results. This poster was ridiculed by the forum "experts" but checking into his past posts convinced me of his expertise and with PM correspondence this proved to be the case.
Use judgement and caution and there should be no problem.

 

[meigsbucks]

Bruce said it very well.
Every rifle has it’s own idiosyncrasies. There is a joke going around the range and my relationship with Varget powder. Several people swear by it, in several calibers. Me: I swear AT IT in those same cartridges. Just because it works well in one rifle doesn’t mean it will work well in another.
As far as listing a load, I try to only state what powder, what bullet, maybe primer and case.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Not that it's the end all and be all, but I run any unverified combinations through QuickLoad software. It at least gives me an indication of expected pressures in my rifles.