How nonsense becomes fact.

[Jud96]

Nothing you will ever kill will die faster because of an extra 100 fps.

If the bullet doesn't expand below 1800fps that extra 100fps will extend your lethal killing range.

Also that extra 100fps adds less drop, less wind drift, less time of flight, and increases energy and hydrostatic shock. 100FPS is important, if it's safe of course.

 

[AlphaDogs]

Yeah and if you get off your ATV you can closer too.

 

[Jud96]

I don't even own an ATV, but very constructive reply. Really shows a strong argument for what you're defending....

 

[AlphaDogs]

Almost as silly as believing 100 fps makes a difference.

 

[Jud96]

If you run the numbers for yourself instead of being hard headed, you would understand the difference. We shoot long range here. 100fps at 100 yards doesn't matter but it sure as heck matters at 1000 yards.

 

[AlphaDogs]

Tell us about all the animals you have killed @1000 yards and how 100 fps made the difference.

 

[Jud96]

I'm done here. With your methodology we should all be spearing animals and not taking advantage of modern cartridges and components. Why even have a firearm if you can get close to them. Why even have a magnum if 100fps doesn't matter. I'm guess you use a 44-40 and your big gun is a 30-40 Krag

 

[L.Sherm]

No doubt something close here you could start from.

You are being redirected...

Nope not in 2005, I built my first 2 wildcats then 17 badger is what I call it now after a couple revisions I made it's a 19 Badger necked down to 17 cal. When I did my first one I had to make my own cases from 30 carbine.
I also did a 6.5x300wsm same year, there was zero data other than 270wsm or go off of 264WM. As far as I was aware then there wasnt even quick load.

 

[Gone Ballistic]

I am going to have to go rummaging through a old box of books related to reloading and find the first Speer manual I used for reloading bullets. The reason is because of the horrible data they printed on reloading the 25-06. I imagine that many others who used this data were either injured or had the same experience I did. The data regarding the use of IMR 4831 was around 5 grains higher than Hornady or any other data I was able to find. I started with a mid grain load and my action seized on my new 700 Remington BDL. After getting it opened, the case was split open clear through the base of my case. My friend, who also had a 25-06 at the range thought I might have dumped too much powder so he decided to try shooting a round. Afterwards we headed to the Smith to get our actions opened. The Smith asked me if I had loaded using a Speer manual and began telling the stories about his encounters with others who had and been less fortunate. Apparently we were the luckier ones...
Since then, I check load variances on each data source I use to make sure that it's not a misprint or mistake.

 

[fiftybmg]

The book is a reference. I've gotten faster and slower loads compared to multiple books. They're a starting point. If you're 200fps over their max then yeah something isn't right. But if you have no pressure signs and you're 50fps over their max, then you're most likely fine.

I agree that you can be over max and not see indications, but with a fps number to guide you, at least you're verifying something against a known value, and making an informed decision.

Your common sense tells you that 200 fps over is excessive, because you have the reference. Even if you can't see anything to tell you otherwise, you understand that 200 over is not ok. You also know that 50 fps is nothing to get excited about, exactly because of the reference.

The OP was reloading blind, according to the narrative the data did not come from a book, the book was only referred to after the load development was complete. By his own words, he was adding powder and feeling the bolt.

A lot of people see nothing wrong with that. A lot of people think that's how it's supposed to be done. And it is entirely their business to do that or not.

 

[Bingoc]

That's actually a pretty standard method of working up to pressure. Some loads in some books are over pressure in some rifles and squibs in others. If you're using good techniques with a good scale and workin up in .2-.4gr increments, you're not going to go from perfectly fine no pressures signs to a hand grenade unless you used the wrong powder or wrong charge weight. I've loaded many many combos that aren't in books or have any data for and I have yet to blow up a gun lol. When you feel the bolt get stiff when opening or start to see an ejector mark, then back off at least 0.5 grains and call that your max. There is no safety in just picking what the book says is max and shooting it. You can go off chrono data, but that doesn't always tell you the full story.

I agree. I now have a number of guns for the same caliber, and none of them have the same load using the same primers, powder, and brass. But 60 years ago was the first time that I experienced this when I acquired another gun of the same caliber. Luckily as I was working up a load for the new gum, I was more interested in accuracy than maximum velocity. I was getting signs of excessive pressure at 3 grains of powder less than I was used to with the older gun. I did not have any friends or acquaintances that reloaded, and no one at the little range that I used had more than one gun of the same caliber, so I had the devil of a time figuring out what was going on.

 

[25WSM]

That's why we always drop 10% and work up. Well we're supposed to.
Shep

 

[milo-2]

Tell us about all the animals you have killed @1000 yards and how 100 fps made the difference.

It is funny how this morning this thread was a waste of bandwith in your words, yet here you are.

 

[YZ-80]

After my recent issue with the 6.5-284 and 12 years of reloading, 3 things have become abundantly clear:

1) Don't hang you hat on what you read
2) Every rifle is different
3) Always start at the bottom and work your way up (I do check charges)

Just today I had pressure signs like the ones I experienced in the 6.5 Norma, in my .25-06 @ 51.0 grains of IMR 4831 under a 115 Nosler. This was a whole grain under Noslers published max in their 2010 manual. I've read that loading manuals are conservative. I think I'll decide that for myself from now on.