Painless load development (mine)

[streamerfish]

There definitely is a way to correlate. The problem is we...or most of us, just don't have the data to do so effectively. If we had some load data that showed the same bullet, powder, brass etc with loads at 3 or 4 different COL then we could do some extrapolating. Just don't have the info. You can do some simulation stuff on Quickload or GRT. But I wouldn't trust either explicitly.

Where to safely start would probably depend on what cartridge your running, and how big of an increase in in COL. Personally I would start maybe 1grain lower instead of the "standard" 2 grain drop to pressure ladder. But it would depend on how big a difference in COL it is, what cartridge it is, and which powder it is.

I would also add to this......If your running the same powder, stretching the COL a bit, and adding proportionally more powder, your pressure curve is going to be roughly same, your velocity is going to be pretty similar. You might be squeezing a bit more out of it. But its going to be a pretty small difference, a white noise difference so to speak.

Your heading into painful reloading and out of painless reloading.......heading into the white noise space...

 

[streamerfish]

thanks guys. Any suggestions for a next step for the "painless load development" method. Shoot a 10 shot group with 4831 at 45gn & 4350 at 42gn? Or back down further. Then pick the best group as my load and let it rip at distance? FYI i was shooting a t 1500 ft and it was 90 degrees out, so I dont see my self hunting in hotter or low elevation than this.


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I apologize if I missed it somewhere, what's your overall length?

You can often times go a bit above max in a .243 due to the relatively low saami spec. But this is very barrel dependent.

Personally, I would be very hesitant to go more then 1 grain over book max.

 

[huntsd]

I apologize if I missed it somewhere, what's your overall length?

You can often times go a bit above max in a .243 due to the relatively low saami spec. But this is very barrel dependent.

Personally, I would be very hesitant to go more then 1 grain over book max.

I dont have that # with me right now. But I am using a M+ mag and am just inside of that. Guessing about 2.95-2.97 ".

 

[Alpha Echo]

I would also add to this......If your running the same powder, stretching the COL a bit, and adding proportionally more powder, your pressure curve is going to be roughly same, your velocity is going to be pretty similar. You might be squeezing a bit more out of it. But its going to be a pretty small difference, a white noise difference so to speak.

Your heading into painful reloading and out of painless reloading.......heading into the white noise space...

Super helpful, and logical, to look at percent change in COL to determine a rough ceiling for percent change in charge weight (assuming all else, including powder type stays the same) to maintain roughly the same pressure curve and velocity.

But yes, to your point, easy to fall into yet another rabbit hole.

 

[tim tarras]

The discussion about COAL couldn't come at a better time. I'm going to be building a 257 Roberts AI and loaded some dummy rounds with the bullet (copper) loaded to the neck/shoulder junction and wondering if they are actually too long. I am building on a Tikka action so they will fit in a LA magazine.

This is new territory for me as this is my first build so any help is appreciated. TIA.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

The discussion about COAL couldn't come at a better time. I'm going to be building a 257 Roberts AI and loaded some dummy rounds with the bullet (copper) loaded to the neck/shoulder junction and wondering if they are actually too long. I am building on a Tikka action so they will fit in a LA magazine.

This is new territory for me as this is my first build so any help is appreciated. TIA.

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To me, the first thing to establish is whether they will feed. If you are using those bullets, to me it looks like hunting loads. I don’t care how accurate a load is in a hunting rifle if it won’t cycle 100% reliably.

I’d probably load 10, cycle them through a bunch, then test fire one to check for pressure, then shoot the rest if that one looks okay.

 

[tim tarras]

To me, the first thing to establish is whether they will feed. If you are using those bullets, to me it looks like hunting loads. I don’t care how accurate a load is in a hunting rifle if it won’t cycle 100% reliably.

I’d probably load 10, cycle them through a bunch, then test fire one to check for pressure, then shoot the rest if that one looks okay.

Unfortunately, I don't have the barrel. I am going to be sending one of these to PBB for to determine the throat of the barrel.

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

thanks guys. Any suggestions for a next step for the "painless load development" method. Shoot a 10 shot group with 4831 at 45gn & 4350 at 42gn? Or back down further. Then pick the best group as my load and let it rip at distance? FYI i was shooting a t 1500 ft and it was 90 degrees out, so I dont see my self hunting in hotter or low elevation than this.


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Why not just back off to 40-41gr H4350 .050-.060 off, live in that 2850-2900fps range and never have to worry about it?

I load 108 eol, 108 eldms in a 22” Mcgowen barrel 40gr in Starline and Hornady sub 2900fpsavg for both and just shoot. I’ve got 300 round of 108eldm through this thing with 40gr and no drama ever. Even longer strings of fire.


Every chamber is different I’m not saying do exactly what I’m doing, I’m just saying, why even push it if you’re not even sure where you should be at? Drop the charge be realistic with your velocity and go shoot