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Proper steps to work up a new load?

No one starts their accuracy load development by starting with bullet seating depth adjustments first, and powder charge adjustments secondly? This approach seems to be establishing itself as a very valid approach to developing accurate loads...
 
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If you have been around long enough to have some old reloading manuals, you see some rather large changes. A classic example is the 7mm RM in Speer #6 the max listed is 72 grains of 4831, presumably H4831 giving 3146 from a 24" barrel with a 160 grain Speer flat based Spitzer. In #14 the manual lists a max of 62.0 grains of H4831SC and a velocity of 2853 from a 24" barrel and 160 grain Speer bullets. I do not think the burning rate of H4831 has changed that much over the years.
 
No one starts their accuracy load development by starting with bullet seating depth adjustments first, and powder charge adjustments secondly? This approach seems to be establishing itself as a very valid approach to developing accurate loads...


with berger VLD's!

Match Kings, Berger Hybrids and many others are not so COL sensitive
 
I usually start in the low middle of recommended loads in the reloading manual and work up in 0.3 to 0.5 grain increments. I pay attention to the accuracy nodes and the pressure signs. you usually will get a midrange accuracy node and one near the max. I have a tendency to use the midrange node for day to day shooting just to save my brass but for long range and hunting I will try to find that upper node. With experience you will know where to stop. For beginner reloaders until you really know what to look for stick with the manual.
 
Thank you everyone for the help. I emailed Berger and they recommended their 185 grain classic hunter bullet and gave me some load data to start with. I will give that a try and see what happens.
 
Thank you everyone for the help. I emailed Berger and they recommended their 185 grain classic hunter bullet and gave me some load data to start with. I will give that a try and see what happens.

berger classic hunter is a good place to start. Very forgiving on COL. I ran the berger jump test and all the group sizes were the same.

pick your powder and run your ladder. Personally I believe that berger has the most conservative reloading manual of all but it is my favorite one for reading. Good luck.
 
Without getting into too much detail, once i have found a powder and primer combination for 'x' cartridge, I load develop with bergers method as follows:

Seating Depth
Powder Charge
Fine tune Depth

This has worked very well for me, even with powders that arent very well suited to the cartridge. Ive yet to find a powder/bullet combo that any of my rifle's "dont like" maybe i'm lucky?!?
 
Without getting into too much detail, once i have found a powder and primer combination for 'x' cartridge, I load develop with bergers method as follows:

Seating Depth
Powder Charge
Fine tune Depth

This has worked very well for me, even with powders that arent very well suited to the cartridge. Ive yet to find a powder/bullet combo that any of my rifle's "dont like" maybe i'm lucky?!?

If I am using berger VLD I start my load development with whatever powder I pick start low mid recommended loads from the manual, work up in .3 to .5 grain increments and the COL bullet into the lands 0.01.

I find my charge weight. If it is a target round I am done. I single load my target rounds and have found Vld's shoot best stuck into the lands.

If it is a hunting bullet and I want to get to mag length then I use the berger jump procedure.

Any other bullet I start load development with my COL at mag length, Pick a powder and go to work. If you want to adjust your col for fine tuning after load development go for it.
 
I finally got around to loading and shooting some bullets and have a new question. Shooting a 300WM Berger 185grn classic hunter bullets. COAL is 3.340". Using H-1000 powder I started off with 76 grains and worked up to 79 grains of powder. CCI 250 primers, federal brass fired once in my rifle.

The 79 grain load shot really nice with about a 1/2" group at 100 yards and muzzle velocity through my cheap chronograph was really consistent.

So I loaded 5 more with 80 grains of powder and the group opened up to around 1-1/2" at 100 yards and the muzzle velocity was all over the place.

Is this an indicator that I screwed something up during loading or does it just mean my rifle does not like this load?
 
probably your rifle doesn't like the load. I've had the same thing happen when working up a load. You reach a point where the rifle likes one and the next higher load goes haywire. I usually stop with the accurate load point. With about a 1/2" load, you are good to go for hunting.
 
Some years ago, I decided to shoot several 5-shot groups with a couple of match rifles. Sitting at a bench holding the rifle to my shoulder and it resting on bags, six 5-shot groups were put down range on the 100-yard target with each rifle. Each one on top of a backer paper to have a composite of all six groups in one place.

Groups ranged from 3/4" to near 2 inches. The first 5-shot group was not always the smallest. All their groups centers were not at the same place relative to the aiming point. The 30-shot composite on the backer for each rifle was larger in extreme spread than the biggest single 5-shot group.

That convinced me to quit shooting single 5-shot groups to evaluate a load's accuracy. It also convinced me to judge accuracy one can shoot their stuff by the largest group fired; the more shots there are in it, the more credibility it has.

Therefore, huntoregon, I think what you shot was very normal when shooting 5-shot groups to evaluate the load. Part of it's you and part of it's the rifle and ammo. The system includes you the rifle and the ammo. They all have variables and when they add up in one direction bullets strike a long ways away from the point of aim. Amazing as it may sound, when all those variables tend to cancel each other out, the bullet strikes exactly at the point of aim. Which happens the most often in your opinion?

If you're OK with a single 5-shot group to evaluate any thing shooting bullets, so be it; have a nice day.
 
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