How compressed is too compressed?

[Jfjfrye]

How do you know if the load is too compressed? I’ve heard some compression is great for accuracy. 300wsm. 67gr h8831sc and 190cx @ 2.860 COAL has me questioning because it seems very compressed and crunchy.

 

[Rolando]

I use quick load and don’t go beyond 103% case capacity personally

 

[Chris in TN]

If it'll seat and stay seated, I'm fine with it. I've had my 6,8spc handloads (110 vmax and N133) push back out of the case. A second seating seemed to solve the problem.

I have a bunch of N565 and I had planned to shoot it in the kids' 6.5cm but I simply cannot get enough of it into the case to make any sort of decent speed. I bought a powder funnel but haven't tried it yet. But in general it's gonna be really hard to really put anything together that's much over maybe 105% load density.

 

[jlchester5045]

Yeah avoid anything that’s pushing the projectile back out. Secondly, if your compressing powder that much, there’s probably a better powder selection with a more suited burn rate to play with. Give us some reference of cartridge, powder, projectile, and charge weight.

 

[greyghostnw]

Can use a powered tooth brush to settle powder in case. Use the back of brush and tickle the case.

 

[Jfjfrye]

Yeah avoid anything that’s pushing the projectile back out. Secondly, if your compressing powder that much, there’s probably a better powder selection with a more suited burn rate to play with. Give us some reference of cartridge, powder, projectile, and charge weight.

It’s in the original post

 

[Jfjfrye]

Can use a powered tooth brush to settle powder in case. Use the back of brush and tickle the case.

I like that!

 

[Jfjfrye]

If it'll seat and stay seated, I'm fine with it. I've had my 6,8spc handloads (110 vmax and N133) push back out of the case. A second seating seemed to solve the problem.

I have a bunch of N565 and I had planned to shoot it in the kids' 6.5cm but I simply cannot get enough of it into the case to make any sort of decent speed. I bought a powder funnel but haven't tried it yet. But in general it's gonna be really hard to really put anything together that's much over maybe 105% load density.

I’m going to double check seating tonight and see if it stayed. These loads are more or less using extra components that I have laying around just to fireform the rest of my new brass to then load with the good load I use.

 

[Andouille]

Too much "crunch" indicates that the granules are being smashed, which theoretically alters the surface area of the powder and consequently burn rate. The point at which burn rate becomes noticeably inconsistent pro ably depends on the speed of the powder and case capacity.

I've had great loads in the low 100-104% ish range with slow powders, but sesting bullets consistently becomes a PITA.

 

[Chris in TN]

These loads are more or less using extra components that I have laying around just to fireform the rest of my new brass to then load with the good load I use.

I think that's reality for most of us. Do we run out and buy the perfect powder in an 8# jug or do we use what's already on the shelf? I usually do the latter. And it might take years before I get low enough on it to have to go buy more. And the new powder I buy still might not be perfect because what I want might not be in stock or I might move a notch up the burn rate chart to get one powder that serves multiple purposes.

 

[wind gypsy]

I used to shoot a lot of heavily compressed loads - 77 TMK over varget at 556 mag length, 200 gr eldx over a stiff charge of h4831 at wsm mag length. They can work and shoot great but I have avoided loading like that for a while now. I found that i was always doing little nick knacks to get the powder settled and try to get consistent seating and it was fine but would rather just not deal with it. Dump powder, seat bullet, repeat.

 

[jlchester5045]

It’s in the original post

My apologies. Don't ask me how I missed that.

If it's just to fire form, you can always just back off of it some. Monolithic projectiles require more initial pressure to engrave into the lands so I can't imagine your pressure will be too low to fire form completely.

GRT doesn't have the CX bullets but even with a 180gr TTSX and 67gr of H4831SC your looking at over 106% load ratio. And the 190gr CX projectile are a bit longer than that so your probably closer to 109% if I were guessing. I'd definitely back off the load a few grains considering its just the need to fire form. Hope that helps.

 

[Truck24hr]

I also use a toothbrush to settle powder. It goes from lots of crunch, to none at all. Yes, there may be better suited powders for the application, but they may not shoot well in that particular rifle.

One I use a lot is one of my 5.56 rifles and Varget.