How often do you rework your load data

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Dewman
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How often do you rework your load data

Post by Dewman »

Since I still consider myself very new to reloading I was thinking about The VMD of powders.

I understand that this can change from lot to lot by as much as 15 %.
Do you rework the amount of powder you use each time you buy a pound of powder ?

I'm not talking about getting 1/4 inch groups at 200 yards but a fun safe day at the range with a decent group at 100 yards.
Shooting out of a DPMS 5.56.

If the first pound I buy is at one end of the tolerance and the next is at the other end. Could not the difference make for more pressure than I want.

Wife can not understand why I walked in with 16 pounds of H-335.
My thinking was that once I worked up my load I should be good at that weight of powder for a lot of range time.
Allways remember when in combat your weapon was made by the lowest bidder
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JustaShooter
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Re: How often do you rework your load data

Post by JustaShooter »

Technically you should re-work your loads every time you change lots of powder (though unless you are throwing charges by volume instead of weight the VMD isn't what matters). But, unless you are up at or near max, chances are you won't have any pressure issues, it tends to be more about accuracy at that point.

For me, I'm not a good enough shooter and my equipment isn't likely good enough to be able to tell the difference in accuracy, especially handgun loads. I do not re-work my loads when I change lots of powders but I do check weight when using a volumetric powder measure to make sure I'm where I want to be, but I do that regardless of whether I'm switching lots of powder.

To be honest, with today's manufacturing techniques and quality control processes, I think they hold tolerances much closer than they used to and the lot to lot variance is minimal - again, especially with regards to pressure.
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BobK
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Re: How often do you rework your load data

Post by BobK »

Since I use a powder measure, like many people, that throws a charge based on volume instead of weight, I still check the weight of the charges with a routine.

If I am starting a new loading session with a powder I've known and used a long time, I'll charge 10 cases and just toss the charge back into the hopper to get everything "settled in". Then I'll weigh the next 5 rounds. After that, I will weigh about every 25th round.

I put this into its own paragraph because this is very important to me: I still visually verify the powder level in every single case. Visual verification will not catch a 0.1 grain difference, but it will catch something drastically off. A missed charge or a double charge are the obvious cases, but I have also seen powder bridging, where I expected 6.0 grains but there were only 2.8 grains in the case. Visual verification makes you used to seeing where the power is usually filling to in the case and is obvious when the level is different than expected, and thus protects against both squibs and kabooms.

When I am starting a new powder container for a powder I have used, I simply go through the weighing process mentioned above. There have been times where the first 5 measure cases had the weight slightly high or low, and caused me to adjust the powder measure slightly up or down to dial in the weight.
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Dewman
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Re: How often do you rework your load data

Post by Dewman »

Thanks guys

I do try to set up a consistent check of my loads. I will check every 10 once I'm set up for the weight.

I was interested in how many would redo their load data every time they buy a new pound of powder.
I myself I run at the low end of the pressure load. So that I don't have to worry about a high pressure round.
If that load gives me good consistent hits on the target.
Allways remember when in combat your weapon was made by the lowest bidder
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BobK
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Re: How often do you rework your load data

Post by BobK »

Well, I don't have a chronometer, nor a place to easily use it. If I had one and could shoot in my backyard, then I'd probably confirm the load or work up a new one.

Since I did not have access to velocity or standard deviation data from a chronometer, I worked up my original loads by shooting five separate 5-shot groups at each charge, and then comparing mean group sizes. I was looking for the most accurate load.
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Dewman
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Re: How often do you rework your load data

Post by Dewman »

I would be nice to set up in my backyard. But I'm sure I would be the next gun owner in the news.

Would be nice to be able to chrony a few of my loads.
Allways remember when in combat your weapon was made by the lowest bidder
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