Working up a load..

[DirtySteve]

Ok, it has been cold and windy, nothing to do so I began wondering how you all work up a load for a new rifle...

So what steps do you take or what is your method for finding the best load for your rifle.. Also what distance do you test your loads..?

Thanks,

Steve

[Randy Bohannon]

What I do, is the new rifle from the same maker and same chambering you have been reloading for ? I have a new 1877 Shiloh showing up soon in 45-70 and planning to start load development using what worked in my 1874 45-70 given both chambers will be close to the same.
New cartridge with everything new to me I seek what others have done with the same and find a starting point, bullet, shape size powder/charge weight. Somebody somewhere has done what you’re trying to do with what you are working with and with success.
I can’t imagine to many cartridges that the likes of Wasserberger, Mc Dowell,Beltfed, JimK ,Kurt and bunch of other guys have done extensive work with that are viable and they freely share their knowledge.
I have no interest reinventing the wheel and seek the fastest potential to get things right the first time. Follow the winners they have much to learn from.

[Kurt]

Ok, it has been cold and windy, nothing to do so I began wondering how you all work up a load for a new rifle...

So what steps do you take or what is your method for finding the best load for your rifle.. Also what distance do you test your loads..?

Thanks,

Steve

Steve,

There a number of ways to work up a load.
If your short of components like powder, primers you can do a what I call a ladder load. You can use a two shot or three shot or more if you want.
I start with no compression with three shots and increase it one grain for the next three and so on down the line till the compression fro each three shots gets to great.
Using three shots of each compression you will see the groups tighten usually with just 21 shots fired. You can do this at what ever distance you can shoot, but for a start I use 200 yards, 100 yards will also get it done for a start. 100 and 200 yards will eliminate some variables like sight errors and conditions.
After the first 3 shot ladder loads I will do a 5 with the best three to see which one repeats the good showing.
I don't have a range that I can shoot past 200 yards unless I sneak some shots over the bean field but the neighbor don't like it so I don't do it.
When I go to the matches where I get longer ranges I will take some test loads and re check what worked here at home. and I usually find that the good 200 yard load will pretty much hold 1000 yards.
When you work up loads change just one component with your ladder loads, like switching primers, powder granulation, wad stacks.
One thing I hold for importance is case prep. Uniform cases and neck tension for bullet release to hold the vertical down.
If the neck tension is too tight compared to others this will raise the chamber pressure that will increase the velocity changing the impact down range. I hold case prep pretty high for a good load. There is a lot of case wall thickness and inside case volume especially if your using new and old in the same box. But extreme case prep goes back to my bench rest days and it's sort of hard to just stop.
This is just my way I work up a new rifles load and new lots of powder.
Spend time behind that buttplate when you get your new shooter, that will even make it a better load finder when you use it with less work.

Kurt

[Distant Thunder]

I can't add much to what Randy and Kurt said. Kurt's ladder load procedure is what I do if I have no experience with the cartridge the new rifle is chambered in. If I have worked with another rifle chambered for the same cartridge, I have a base to start from. If I don't have any history with the cartridge, I do what Randy said, I ask others who have gone down this road before and I search this forum and Shiloh for what others have done.

When I say others, I mean I look to successful match shooters, those who consistently place in the top at matches. There are others who spend more time at the keyboard than at the range, they may or may not have useful advice. The guys who shoot well at matches are the ones who work at it and know what it takes to get the result we all want. It's pretty easy to see the difference just look at match results over time, look at the names at the top. You will find their advice holds up over time.

[DirtySteve]

Thanks for the info. I have worked up some ladder tests with two different powders, I was wondering how other folks do it..

[Steveu]

Use a chronograph when you shoot 3or 5 shot ladder test.

[Kurt]

I guess I fall in the group of the keyboard shooters. 8193 posts on the Shiloh forum since I first logged on and 3800 on this site.

[mherth]

Hey Randy, I’m working up a PP load for my 45-70 and am curious what load works well for you in your Shiloh. I assume you have the standard chamber?

[mherth]

Most rifles of the .44-77 Sharps and Remington rifles were over bored, and the reason are lost to history. I saw this statement recently, what does it mean? Is it the same as “freebore” in the Farmingdale Sharps?

[Kurt]

Mike,

The .44 Remingtons were closer to the .45 caliber than the .44.