How does this work???

[Lonewolf74]

So I was trying to do some quick load work up with some cheap bullets for plinking rounds. What I did is shot 5 rounds with a half grain charge increase in each round looking for a plateau in velocity. I actually got a loss in velocity on one of the powder charge increases. The velocity was 2818, 2886, 2861, 2917, 2949 powder from 45 to 47 gr in .5 grain increments.

So was this a fluke and I should redo it or does this happen with some powder bullet combos?

What should I do next, hoping to not put a lot of time into this load just get decent accuracy?

 

[Rich Coyle]

If you didn't reach presure, continue. That's what I did when it happened.

 

[Lonewolf74]

I didn't reach any pressure signs but 47 grains is 1 grain over book max so I wasn't gonna go any hotter for just a plinking round.

Another thing that I don't get is I also tested some 95 grain Berger vld's at the same time with the same powder and charge weights and the cheap plinking 95ers where 80-90 fps faster across all charge weights. I know there will be some velocity differences between bullet design but is it normal to be this much?

 

[Wedgy]

Read the article on ladder testing, that's basically what you are doing but without the target. Yes, more powder can give less velocity. Usually that's an accuracy node.

Long-Range Load Development

 

[J E Custom]

So I was trying to do some quick load work up with some cheap bullets for plinking rounds. What I did is shot 5 rounds with a half grain charge increase in each round looking for a plateau in velocity. I actually got a loss in velocity on one of the powder charge increases. The velocity was 2818, 2886, 2861, 2917, 2949 powder from 45 to 47 gr in .5 grain increments.

So was this a fluke and I should redo it or does this happen with some powder bullet combos?

What should I do next, hoping to not put a lot of time into this load just get decent accuracy?

Give us more information. Powder, primer, cartridge, ETC.

It sounds like your primer is not setting the powder charge consistently (Could be to hot or not hot enough, Or neck tension on the bullet is not enough.

Just a guess

J E CUSTOM

 

[cahunter805]

I assume it's a 243win. Neck tension could be the culprit. The VLD probably has less bearing surface than your plinking bullet. What powder is this? What's your plinking bullet?

 

[Schnyd112]

Shoot/chrono more than one round per charge to get a better idea of what is happening. Especially if is it a traditional chronograph, one round is not enough to get any reliable data.

 

[Lonewolf74]

I always forget to put the details. It's a 243 win RL25 powder CCI large rifle primer and Hornady brass on its 3rd firing, not annealed. The plinking rounds are Midway factory seconds, they're a polymer tipped flat base 95 gr bullet. I check each one that diameter is right but don't worry bout anything else.

The node for the 95 Bergers was at 45.5-46 gr RL25, right where I seen the velocity drop in the midway bullets.

What I was gonna do next is either redo the initial ladder or load up 3 rounds at each charge of 45.8, 46, 46.2 and see how they shoot