Testing handloads the right way.

[Caveman Jim]

Well folks it seems that I've been helped tremendously here with comments and pretty dang good advice on the starting of my newfound reloading hobby (dungeon of doom for my wallet).

Now for the next topic, How do I correctly test these hand loads that I have so painstakingly produced? That is the question of the day.
I do not own a chronograph (at this very moment, Good Lwady I'm a gonna go broke).
I do have many shoot n See targets which greatly improves my ability to see where I hit...
My AR (Bushmaster w/Adams Arms carbine piston conversion) is sighted in to hit a 5" metal plate at 100 yds (30 out of 30 shots) with the optical aid of a red/green dot Vortex Strikefire.

What say you masters of the range folks?

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[ageingstudent]

Well with .223 I usually do an initial work up of 5-10 rounds each in .1-.3 grain increments, depending on how wide the spread is between min/max charge. I fire them at 50 yards from a rest to check function, and pick the best group, and then load 50 at that charge and group/function test those 50 the next time out. If I want to fiddle with the charge or primers I do a mini work up to tweak things at this point. Then I load up 50 more and try them at longer range up to 200 yards. I do this with optics.

I don't bother with the chrony until I'm getting the function and accuracy I like first.

When I get a load I like I put the iron sights on and do it old school.

 

[Member 5605]

Rifle rounds:

I take the target loads, make a ladder of .3-.5gr variance and shoot 5 shots per load at the target. My pattern will go from large to small then back to opening up again. Once I have zeroed in on my powder load range (.6gr) I can make some more specific loads in the .2gr range and test those. If I wasn't in bed already I would post up a target showing what happens as you ladder a load up in powder.

Then when I find an accurate rifle load I will check velocities to make a range card for that load.

Without a chronograph I shoot for accuracy. Then I go to 200y. If I'm shooting 1.5" high at 100y and -2" at 200 I have ballistic calculators that can give me a good idea of velocity within 25-75fps making shooting further easy to calculate.

Pistol:
I just shoot them. I make sure they are consistent and I can consistently hit my target. I have a 9mm and a .40SW load that's mild but damn accurate.

I recently made a batch of 147gr 9mm and they shot like crap. Too hot and inaccurate. I'll still shoot them because I loaded but they are for practice.

 

[Crohnos01]

I pretty much do the same.... I am told I get a little anal as I ladder .1 gr after I get a general ideal of the powder/primer combo my gun likes... but what the hell... I like my system

But I too pretty much point and shoot pistol rounds trying to increase my accuracy by shooting more and often.... Bullseye smoke is a beautiful thing

 

[Caveman Jim]

Thanks guys, I'll check in tomorrow.

 

[Who The F R U]

If it cycle's the action and you aren't using a crono.
Watch for:
* Flattened primer's
* Case stretch / ringing
If they group ok you are good to go.

 

[mjbskwim]

OK so you get a second mortgage,go to the book and online to see what powders are used for your calibers. Then what bullets for your rifle's twist rate, the get every brand of primers you can find.
Then you alternate bullets and powder and primers and powder measures and seating depths.
Then go buy a 4' stack of targets and a box of sharpies.
Then shoot all of the hand loads... oh yeah get a journal to write it all down.
And this was supposed to be funny but really that's what hand load geeks do.

 

[Member 5605]

Forgot to add about pistol rounds:

Make sure they cycle your gun.

Lol. Seriously. I've made a few test loads that didn't cycle well. Added .4gr of powder over that minimum load and blamo! Fired perfectly and still had low recoil for practice.

 

[Caveman Jim]

Awesome reflections on the small stuff guys.

mjbskwim, I'm gonna have to do this on a small scale because I don't have a Golden Goose.
I am not into competition shooting or in a group of tacticool guys so just wanting to get a good load that shoots the same each time out.

 

[PaulB47]

Besides what others have mentioned, if I am working with loads that do not completely fill the case, I make sure to fire a couple rounds with "powder back" and another couple with "powder forward". Some loads are more sensitive to this than others.

Lately I tend to stay farther away from max loads in rifles. As soon as I get something grouping reasonably well I stop and just go with that, rather than continuing with heavier loads. If I want more power I have a .338 WM I can use.

 

[mjbskwim]

I just bought 2 boxes of 120gr for my 6.5 to what I can come up with. I loaded from the bottom load to top load numbers with just varget cause that's what I have for that caliber .
I may later this summer,try out another powder,but if I get good accuracy I may not. I surely don't go as far as some of these guy will go

 

[bbbass]

Keep records!!! The loads I really like go into my big-ish spiral bound notebook in the loading cabinet. (I'm old so I'd forget even if it was only one load) I also keep a pocket notepad with my workup info to go to the range with. I mark all targets to take home with me but only keep the best to compare later on.

Even if one doesn't shoot for accuracy like I do, since I shoot varmint/rifle and IDPA/pistol, the info is helpful when changing setups for different calibers, powders, etc.

 

[Mikej]

OK so you get a second mortgage,go to the book and online to see what powders are used for your calibers. Then what bullets for your rifle's twist rate, the get every brand of primers you can find.
Then you alternate bullets and powder and primers and powder measures and seating depths.
Then go buy a 4' stack of targets and a box of sharpies.
Then shoot all of the hand loads... oh yeah get a journal to write it all down.
And this was supposed to be funny but really that's what hand load geeks do.

That's too much hassle! I don't do long gun ,YET! When I do, I will come to the members here, ask what loads THEY use in whatever powder is easily available and meters well. I will then look in the book(s) to make sure the recommended recipes are withing boundaries. I will load and shoot them and adjust from there if I need to.

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Member 5605]

Besides what others have mentioned, if I am working with loads that do not completely fill the case, I make sure to fire a couple rounds with "powder back" and another couple with "powder forward". Some loads are more sensitive to this than others.

Lately I tend to stay farther away from max loads in rifles. As soon as I get something grouping reasonably well I stop and just go with that, rather than continuing with heavier loads. If I want more power I have a .338 WM I can use.

Often I like to take a powder load and when I find that tight group, I'll load a couple more heavier and verify that the group starts to open backup.

Example is the .223 with 69gr SMK's that I loaded. I shot the ladder and I had a damn tight group with reasonable SD's. Then I worked up higher and it expanded then came back down to the next low point which was a good group as well but at a higher velocity and even tighter SD.


The first good SD in blue was 14 (#2), the second one (#9) was 6.2fps. Sometimes it's not always beneficial to stop at the first one.

I hope to go out the next time I do a ladder test and compare SD's to group size when I have the rifle locked into the vice sitting on the bench. This should be interesting and I'll make a plot of the results.

Caveat:
Depending on what the intent for the load is, sometimes a low pressure round suits just fine for the PNW and hunting. The difference between the first and last load above was 270fps.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

The right way to test your handloads is to con your buddy into testing them for you using HIS firearms.

One can never be too safe.

 

[Caveman Jim]

The right way to test your handloads is to con your buddy into testing them for you using HIS firearms.

One can never be too safe.

.
I hear ya but half the fun is setting the rifle in the sled, attaching the 30' cord to the trigger & letting them pull the string. That way you can blame them for whatever happens...

 

[thorborg]

@Dyjital advice Works well,
Considerably more verbose:
I do five loads & five rounds each between max and min @ .5 increments and 5 @ .5 over max.
I have a RCBS 69 dollar sale chronograph which seems to work for me so I shoot two rounds each through the Chronograph to record approximate speed examine telltale stress signs related by @Who The F R U (regardless of Chrono use). this tells me if I may continue shooting each load up to max and if shooting the .5 beyond max is prudent (which has been ok for a few loads I have encountered) I shoot all the Chrono test at the same target unconcerned with of accuracy so I don't have to keep resetting the machine five times or running the 75 yard gauntlet.
Lastly, I set up my 4foot x 4foot card board with five, (if the two shot test said I can do all five) rifle bulls eye targets @ 75 yards (younger eyes were @ 100 yards) bench and bag up the best I can then shoot three shot groups at each targets. Lots of cooling time. I'm not concerned with hot barrel accuracy since for hunting, I have never fired a second shot.

Besides having fun, if you are serious about doing the best you can, then you must adhere to @bbbass admonition on record keeping, Including the spiral notebook As I had a ten year period when I relied on the computer for which is now lost thanks to some Russian skumbag.
I have a home made form I record all load data, components including any trim or crimp, Annealing, gun used, any noticeable stress, kick, dirtiness of the powder/load, environment etc, including pictures of each targets three shot group (identified with a felt pen.) and whatever other info seems pertinent to reproduce the load years after the fact.
@ home I sort through the data and pick one or two promising load zones then process five rounds @ that load (or loads if 2 zones were identified) plus five .2gr & five .4 below and the same for above for a total of 25 rounds for each zone identified then, back to the mountain.
The best load (or loads) data goes into my ring binder the rest of the data stuffed into a growing stack of manila binders Albeit I don't know why as I've not had to enter them other than retrieving a few things from when the computer got hijacked.
If all this makes you despondent, relax; I'm just an old man that tends to get carried away. Generally speaking, one can usually zero in on an effective load well below the quantity I process.
I prefer five shot groups over three. Also, I have had some loads be seemingly accurate over a considerable powder spread and others that change radically over a .2 gr change so quantity helps me zero in on my preference.

 

[tac]

This was IMR4064 with 0.5gr increments, with the aim of fining it down to get an idea...ended up that I didn't need to go any further than 44gr - note that the 44.5gr load is the one high and right. The few actually IN the target were shot by a pal using the last three 44gr loads, aiming off to get them in. 155gr Lapua Scenar bullets in Lapua cases with CCI #200 LRP.

 

[Capn Jack]

TAC,
What's more fun than stacking bullets in the same hole a?

As far as reloading...My best advise would be. "It is not a social activity."
Unless you are teaching a class. Measuring fast burning pistol powder is
not a time to be visiting, or watching TV.

 

[Tirving]

So..... this post is awesome. I have only loaded 9mm and .45, some .40 for a friend. I am VERY anal and I test loads the same way most are explaining here. I don't have a Chrony (I too will get one, but I am also anal about buying "the best", without the budget to do so....often).
So I journal: accuracy, felt recoil (I even go as far as to shoot 2 handed, 2 handed and off-handed), and even.... this is embarrassing... where the cases land and how consistent it is.
Moving forward to .308 and .223 (both of which I have purchased very recently). I am very happy to see some very detailed posts about load work-up for rifle loads.... thanks guys!