Any Quickload user out there?

[GW Hunter]

After about a year and a half, I've finally found my copper load for California's upcoming awesome lead ban. Here are the specs... 7mm Weatherby magnum, 140 gr Barnes TTSX, 80.5 gr H1000, Remington 9 1/2M primers, Weatherby brass, bullets seated 2.743" to ogive. I get 1/2" groups at 100 yards at 3350'/sec. I know this is 1 1/2 gr over max from the Hodgdon web site, but I get absolutely zero pressure signs. Cases good, primers good, bolt lift good. It just feels right. Still... I was hoping someone could punch in these numbers for me into Quickload and get the actual pressure values and pass it on.

 

[bigedp51]

You need the case capacity of your fired cases and then you have to change the burn rate in Quickload until the velocity matches your chronograph.

You will then have a computer generated guesstimate of your chamber pressure. There are too many variations in firearms and reloading components for a software program to be as accurate as a pressure test barrel or a strain gauge.

If your load is too hot your primer pockets will tell you to back off. And Quickload doesn't know how hard your brass is or how thick your flash hole web is in your cases.

Example below, the Federal case has softer brass and has a thinner flash hole web. And cases with harder brass and thicker flash hole web will take more pressure before the primer pocket stretches out of shape.

The photo below came from AccurateShooter.com, this case belonged to a long range competitive shooter. He increased the load until he got brass flow into the ejector and then backed off one or two grains of powder and called that max for the cases he was using.

Bottom line, you don't need Quickload you need to read and study your cases.

 

[cape cove]

Bottom line, you don't need Quickload you need to read and study your cases.[/QUOTE]
Well put

 

[GW Hunter]

Well, I think my cases tell me I'm good then...

 

[MajorSpittle]

Never EVER trust QuickLoad Data, Verify by book. I have seen bullet length way off and burn rates so far off that it would get a person killed.

Not a big fan of QuickLoad.

 

[ehryk]

QuickLoad works great, WHEN you use it as intended. It is not intended to just select components and POOF! A load! No, you need to do your homework first. You need to measure your bullets for overall length, length of boat tail, large and small diameter of boat tail, case length, case capacity of water, adjusted Ba value for your powder, and air temperature. Having all of this I still use my Pressure Trace to confirm and when I do everything right, it's fairly close. Even with all of that, I still look for my target, back off then work up to it. A few of my rifles are silly expensive. My face, such as it is, is mine and I would rather not alter it spontaneously. I am kinda fond of my hands too really. This explains a lot of what I mean:

 

[GW Hunter]

The load is what it is. I've shot multiple sessions with it. Never had any cases fired show me that there might be a problem. I'm just wondering what the estimated pressure is at that load according to the program. Nothing more. I'm not looking to load any hotter than it is. Maybe I'm misinformed on what the program is intended to do...

 

[MajorSpittle]

The first load I worked up for my 30-06 when I was new to reloading was a 178 A-Max with Reloader 17. QuickLoad showed max load as 57.2; when I put my case capacity and seating depth in it said 58 @ 60k psi and 59.4 @ 65K psi with 2930fps. I decided to start at 56.5gr and I got 2970fps with the ejector mark printed on the headstamp. I thought QL would be more scientific/accurate than hornady 9 edition data that had a 168 A-Max max load at 54.1 gr of reloader 17. Near as I can tell I got 10lbs of a Hot batch of Reloader 17, a tight chamber in my Tikka T3 and a very unrealistic burn rate model from QuickLoad. I don't put much faith in QuickLoad's modeling. Someone could put your info in and it may spit out a number like 55,000psi but you could just as well be at 70,000psi.

Like you said though, you aren't looking to get a number and then dump 7 more grains of powder in based off the data which is good. If your brass is good you should be under 70,000psi.

I just ran the generic info for you (without your seating length) and it showed from a 26" barrel @ 3468fps and 73K psi. It showed 69K psi to get your velocity from a 26" barrel.

 

[GW Hunter]

Thanks... what about from a 24" barrel?

 

[MajorSpittle]

I think it was about 3420 out of a 24" barrel, but I am at work and don't have QuickLoad.

 

[dsculley]

FWIW, Hodgdon's shows 79.0 gr as max at 3,273 fps. You are a bit over that but with your chamber and cases you may be safe.