Protocol for testing Hunting Loads? Do you test extreme temp spread?

[liveaxle]

I have been doing some reloading for target shooting and I have had some great results. I have not been hunting in a few years due to life/career/location changes and I am hoping to do some deer hunting this fall.

My number one concern when preparing for hunting is doing everything I can to avoid injuring an animal that I cannot recover, when I hunted previously, I generally took for granted that my factory ammo would perform (looking back that was a less than ideal assumption, but back then I was on a confident side of the Dunning-Kruger curve).

When I start hunting again, I would like to use handloads for the better performance, but before I do that I want to make sure I am in a position to properly document the performance of the ammo I will use. As part of addressing this concern, I would like to do extreme temp testing on my handloads (especially cold testing).

Has anyone here done that testing? What was your testing process?

 

[TaperPin]

My cold weather testing procedure is to call up a buddy, tell him to dump the sand out of his bikini and get dressed in warm duds cuz we’re going to the range despite how cold it is.

If slower velocities are enough to see on target it should be easy to see on a chronograph. Trust the target. It’s as much a rifle test as ammo test. Dirty greasy bolts create sluggish firing pin fall and highlight old worn springs as group size balloons due to wide swings in velocity.

Getting out on a hot day shooting prairie dogs is as hot as any conditions I’ve ever hunted big game in. If you load is going to be over pressure or increase velocity enough to matter, you’ll see it shooting small targets.

If hunting at 100 degrees or more, simply leaving the ammo and rifle in a closed up vehicle on a sunny day will give as much heat as you want. I’ve done that and quickly chronographed a magazine full of cartridges, but for me it’s much to do about nothing. Quickload will estimate velocity and pressure changes with temps if you’re really worried about it.

 

[liveaxle]

I've been using GRT, but I have notice that most of the powder models do not have specific inputs for temp sensitivity (they just use defaults).

The issue I run into with cold testing is that where I want to hunt is much colder than where I live or work. It rarely drops below freezing at the ranges near my home or work, but in the places I plan to hunt below freezing conditions is not uncommon.

I am less concerned with hot testing considering there is summer between now and hunting season.

 

[BCsteve]

What exactly are your concerns? The cold temperatures will affect your velocity to the point of affecting trajectory and/or impact velocity? Or something else? Choosing a temperature stable powder will negate all those concerns.

 

[liveaxle]

I want to generate enough DOPE to be able to confidently predict the trajectory at lower temperatures, and to verify that changes in burn rate will not impact dispersion.

My concern is that "Temperature stable" means different things for different powders. For example, H4350 and Varget are both marketed as "Temperature Stable" but, based on my internet reading, H4350 seems to be almost twice has reactive to temperatures vs Varget. In addition, most of the powders I currently have are not marketed as "Temperature Stable" and I would prefer to not have to buy different powder just for my hunting loads.

 

[N2TRKYS]

Waste of time to worry about it. Develop your hunting loads in the temp range you’re gonna be hunting and don’t worry about it.