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Posted: 5/6/2014 5:53:31 AM EDT
| Well I am ready to start loading powder. My question is how many rounds should I load for each powder quantity for evaluation? I do not have a chronograph, so I will have to test fire them. |
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Quoted:
Well I am ready to start loading powder. My question is how many rounds should I load for each powder quantity for evaluation? I do not have a chronograph, so I will have to test fire them. 3-5. I start with three(3) then when I find an accuracy node I go back to the bench and load 5, when I'm satisfied I have found that Magic load I load twenty to verify. |
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What are you evaluating?
If I am evaluating accuracy I will shoot two 5 shot groups for each load I am testing. Frequently I will shoot the second group over the chrono. If I am doing nothing but ensuring my velocity (for example to ensure I meet a min power factor), I will shoot 25 over the chrono. |
| Whatever you do it'll probably take more than one trip to the range. I only load a couple near the start charges, and increase to 3-5 from midrange loads up to near maximum. The near start charge loads I only shoot to just check for any pressure signs. From mid-range loads up to near maximum I'm also checking for pressure signs but also looking for best accuracy. Whichever loads shoots best I load more rounds for the next range session up to 10 each and again look for best accuracy. I vary powder charges for the final loads in small calibers I test one-tenth grain and in larger calibers that take more powder I go to two-tenth increments. You really need a bullet puller to pull down loads you don't shoot because they don't show accuracy or your high end charges show slight pressure signs. I always seem to not have enough rounds loaded that I want to shoot more of and always too many of loaded rounds I don't want to shoot. It's the challenge and also the fun of working up loads for a particular rifle. |
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Quoted: Well I am ready to start loading powder. My question is how many rounds should I load for each powder quantity for evaluation? I do not have a chronograph, so I will have to test fire them. STOP Save yourself some trouble. Before you continue, do a test to make sure your sizing die is set correctly. Will save you posting the "Why don't my loads chamber" thread. Take a sized case (no primer, powder, or bullet) and make sure it chambers. When you pull the trigger, you should hear a click. No click = case is not sized enough. Ensure case extracts normally also. Hard extraction = case not sized enough. Do this for several rounds, especially if you are using mixed headstamps. Once you confirm you sizing die set up is good, continue on. |
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Quoted:
STOP Save yourself some trouble. Before you continue, do a test to make sure your sizing die is set correctly. Will save you posting the "Why don't my loads chamber" thread. Take a sized case (no primer, powder, or bullet) and make sure it chambers. When you pull the trigger, you should hear a click. No click = case is not sized enough. Ensure case extracts normally also. Hard extraction = case not sized enough. Do this for several rounds, especially if you are using mixed headstamps. Once you confirm you sizing die set up is good, continue on. Quoted:
Quoted:
Well I am ready to start loading powder. My question is how many rounds should I load for each powder quantity for evaluation? I do not have a chronograph, so I will have to test fire them. STOP Save yourself some trouble. Before you continue, do a test to make sure your sizing die is set correctly. Will save you posting the "Why don't my loads chamber" thread. Take a sized case (no primer, powder, or bullet) and make sure it chambers. When you pull the trigger, you should hear a click. No click = case is not sized enough. Ensure case extracts normally also. Hard extraction = case not sized enough. Do this for several rounds, especially if you are using mixed headstamps. Once you confirm you sizing die set up is good, continue on. Thanks, I will Cmax 
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Quoted:
STOP Save yourself some trouble. Before you continue, do a test to make sure your sizing die is set correctly. Will save you posting the "Why don't my loads chamber" thread. Take a sized case (no primer, powder, or bullet) and make sure it chambers. When you pull the trigger, you should hear a click. No click = case is not sized enough. Ensure case extracts normally also. Hard extraction = case not sized enough. Do this for several rounds, especially if you are using mixed headstamps. Once you confirm you sizing die set up is good, continue on. Quoted:
Quoted:
Well I am ready to start loading powder. My question is how many rounds should I load for each powder quantity for evaluation? I do not have a chronograph, so I will have to test fire them. STOP Save yourself some trouble. Before you continue, do a test to make sure your sizing die is set correctly. Will save you posting the "Why don't my loads chamber" thread. Take a sized case (no primer, powder, or bullet) and make sure it chambers. When you pull the trigger, you should hear a click. No click = case is not sized enough. Ensure case extracts normally also. Hard extraction = case not sized enough. Do this for several rounds, especially if you are using mixed headstamps. Once you confirm you sizing die set up is good, continue on. THANK YOU FOR THIS POST! I went even further. I was belling the cases, (1st time doing this) and i belled 9 cases and thought..."you need to check the flare, put them in the chamber...well I had too much flare, I adjusted it in more to the correct amount and finish the lot I was doing.....Thanks again .......Cmax
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Quoted:
3-5. I start with three(3) then when I find an accuracy node I go back to the bench and load 5, when I'm satisfied I have found that Magic load I load twenty to verify. Quoted:
Quoted:
Well I am ready to start loading powder. My question is how many rounds should I load for each powder quantity for evaluation? I do not have a chronograph, so I will have to test fire them. 3-5. I start with three(3) then when I find an accuracy node I go back to the bench and load 5, when I'm satisfied I have found that Magic load I load twenty to verify. I do this after finding my minimum and maximum charges to determine what is too hot and what is too slow for my needs. Since you wont be using a chronograph, I would do 3 per load with the charges .2-.4 apart depending how much charge range you are covering. |
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Quoted:
THANK YOU FOR THIS POST! I went even further. I was belling the cases, (1st time doing this) and i belled 9 cases and thought..."you need to check the flare, put them in the chamber...well I had too much flare, I adjusted it in more to the correct amount and finish the lot I was doing.....Thanks again .......Cmax
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Well I am ready to start loading powder. My question is how many rounds should I load for each powder quantity for evaluation? I do not have a chronograph, so I will have to test fire them. STOP Save yourself some trouble. Before you continue, do a test to make sure your sizing die is set correctly. Will save you posting the "Why don't my loads chamber" thread. Take a sized case (no primer, powder, or bullet) and make sure it chambers. When you pull the trigger, you should hear a click. No click = case is not sized enough. Ensure case extracts normally also. Hard extraction = case not sized enough. Do this for several rounds, especially if you are using mixed headstamps. Once you confirm you sizing die set up is good, continue on. THANK YOU FOR THIS POST! I went even further. I was belling the cases, (1st time doing this) and i belled 9 cases and thought..."you need to check the flare, put them in the chamber...well I had too much flare, I adjusted it in more to the correct amount and finish the lot I was doing.....Thanks again .......Cmax
You shouldn't be able to see it. Only needs a little. |
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Buy a chrono. You can get a decent one for $100-$120.
For pistol, I determine a powder weight range and load 10 rounds of each charge weight in .3 gr increments. For rifle, the same except I start with .5 grain increments. I fire 5 shot groups for accuracy over a chrono so I can test speed/SD/spread and accuracy at the same time. Your pistol findings probably won't need to be fine tuned (i.e. less than .3 gr increments) but for rifle, I drop to .2 gr increments when I find the sweet spot in the range. Final verification can be done with 7 round groups if desired. |
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Quoted:
What are you loading, rifle, pistol, caliber? Bullet style, wt and powder charge? (Sorry if I missed it.) Well I am starting with 9mm, 38 special. Berry's plated ; 9mm 124 grain RN, 38; 158 gr RNFP. Using Red Dot powder. I will be doing; .357 Mag 45 ACP (Red Dot) .223 .308 30-06 7mm Rem Mag 30cal M1 Carbine don't have powder for these yet Thanks for the info all....Cmax
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