Don’t just assume the holes are .308″. They’re not. Do not pay attention to which load is being shot. I label mine A-Z and don’t even look at that those letters mean.

how to do load development

You’ll need one that has load data for the bullet you’ve chosen, so that you can be sure that the powder can safely work with your bullets, and so you know the minimum and maximum amounts. As you might recall from above, bullet weight is one of the factors that determines power factor. But first…disclaimer that reloading can be a dangerous hobby. Be sure to cross-reference all load data with manufacturers/reloading manuals. The load that allows for the greatest variance with minimal change. That way if the powder drop is slightly more or slightly less than intended there is no change to the point of impact on the target.

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I have never found a load that worked up close that did not also work at long range. I will concede that that is theoretically possible, but I have never seen it in real life. A brief session with QuickLOAD and some advice from other shooters pointed me towards a load in the 44 grain range, with bullets seated out as long as my chamber will tolerate.

If you can’t get a windless day, use some good benchrest style wind flags, or at least some surveyor tape tied to a pole. Throughout the entire process, take detailed notes. Second, make sure that you carefully document exactly what you are loading. First, be extremely precise in preparing your test loads. If you decide to make a test batch with several different loads, there are two things you need to do so that you can duplicate the best load you find after you get home.

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Some guns will show a strong preference with given bullets
but might not shoot particularly well with others. With
experimentation, loads can usually be developed that will produce better
accuracy than factory ammunition. Fire a few rounds, carefully checking each case for signs of excess pressure. Contrary to what has been widely published, primer
appearance is not always a good indicator of pressures, as there are
simply too many variables. Nonetheless there should be no signs of
rupturing.

  • It’s a high end rifle built on a Barnard action with a Bartlein barrel.
  • Charge weigh seems to achieve a minimum group size at roughly 44.6 grains.
  • They are often designed for a more consistent trajectory over great distances.
  • Don’t just assume the holes are .308″. They’re not.
  • For F Class, I’m a skilled enough shooter that I will lose X’s if not points due to a suboptimal load.

Hornady is primarily known for its bullets, but the company has also played an impressive role in making loaded ammunition. Here, Jason Hornady walks us through the development of Hornady’s ammunition business. You need to work out your own load specifically for your firearm under your local conditions. Do not get your load developement from Facebook or somewhere else. You do not know what “load developement” means to them and their firearm is not yours.

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Reducing recoil is a common goal driving reloading for people who shoot a lot…especially competitive shooters. Are you shooting in an area with; high humidity, cold, hot, windy or wet? External factors of your environment can affect your bullet performance even for an identical firearm. Thanks for pointing out that ammunition is not as dependent on changing heat conditions.

how to do load development

Find the right powder and type of projectile from the list and record the details. He then did a proper load developement and has had fantastic results ever since. Dedicated to hunters and shooters in Australia, with necessary information and stories for our community.

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Preferably, that means a concrete bench, prone, or from another very stable position. These targets are printed on high quality card stock, and have 20 small targets on one sheet. Even at 100 yards, wind can play a significant role, and we want to eliminate that variable.

Damon Cali is the creator of the Bison Ballistics website and a high power rifle shooter currently living in Nebraska. The next week, I repeated the same procedure, but tested load combinations around the green area high load systems of the first round contour plot. Still, I produced one single 5 shot group that was any good out of this whole batch. All but one of these groups are big enough that I would call them unacceptable for this rifle.

Most efficient load development method

In between are bullets coated with various synthetics, usually some sort of polymer. There are many varieties of those on the market, so you’ll need to research and experiment. Generally speaking, plain lead bullets will be dirtier and smokier when shot, so you’d need to clean your gun more and put up with more potentially toxic fumes.

The first step in load development is research. Find out what other shooters are using and why. There are far too many variables in load development to test them all, so we need a short cut. Look at what bullets, powder, brass, and primers they are using. Ask around for loads and expected velocities (always be sure to note the barrel length, and any special considerations like non-standard chambers).

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He wasn’t looking for the specific bullet jump that grouped the best, but the largest window of bullet jumps that provided a similar point of impact. That means the rifle would be more consistent from the start of the match to the end of it or could shoot a particular kind of match-grade factory ammo really well for a longer period of time. Mark’s findings may seem counter to conventional wisdom when it comes to bullet jump, but a few national-level precision rifle competitors also support the idea, which I highlight in this post as well.

How A 2-Time PRS Champ Trues His Ballistics & Calculates His Dope At A Match – Austin Orgain Spotlight Part 3

Or you might find that you need a second or third day of testing, when the best load seems to be on the edge of your test range. The first thing to note is that group size seems to decrease with increasing cartridge length (decreasing jump). Charge weigh seems to achieve a minimum group size at roughly 44.6 grains. Once I get my targets home, I measure every group with calipers and convert them to MOA. When measuring groups, make sure you measure the black smudge  that the bullet leaves on the paper and subtract that from your edge to edge measurement. That way, you will get an accurate center-to-center (or extreme spread) measurement.

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Naturally it takes a Large Pistol
primer, but many deduct that since it’s a magnum cartridge it will
require Large Pistol Magnum primers. There are many excellent powders for loading the .44 Magnum that
actually give better accuracy and less pressure when used in
conjunction with standard primers. On the other hand, there are many
other powders that need a Magnum primer to ignite correctly, and using a
standard primer has proven (in laboratories) to produce erratic
pressures and velocities.

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