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I have a fun Little dilemma for new reloaders
FrancF
Member Posts: 35,278 ✭✭✭
To mull over.
I have always loaded my .22-250 with Hodgdon H380. I have shot up all my old stuff and want to try Hodgdon "Varget" since it's not as temp sensitive as H380.
So I pull out all my load books and here are my components and rifle
Rem 40X 26" BBL
Lapua Brass
CCI-BR2 primers
55gr Nostler BT
Varget Powder
Now lets look at the powder charges for Varget with a 55gr. bullet. by book.
Hornady
Start 30.8gr Max 34.6gr
Nosler
Start 31.0 Max 35.0
Speer
Start 32.0 Max 36.0
Sierra
Start 32.1 Max 36.1
Lee
Start 34.0 Max 36.0
Lyman
Start 34.0 Max 37.0
Myself, I have my load ladder picked out. I am starting @ 33.0 and working to 34.8 and if all goes well, I will try a little hotter and see how accuracy goes.[:)]
I have always loaded my .22-250 with Hodgdon H380. I have shot up all my old stuff and want to try Hodgdon "Varget" since it's not as temp sensitive as H380.
So I pull out all my load books and here are my components and rifle
Rem 40X 26" BBL
Lapua Brass
CCI-BR2 primers
55gr Nostler BT
Varget Powder
Now lets look at the powder charges for Varget with a 55gr. bullet. by book.
Hornady
Start 30.8gr Max 34.6gr
Nosler
Start 31.0 Max 35.0
Speer
Start 32.0 Max 36.0
Sierra
Start 32.1 Max 36.1
Lee
Start 34.0 Max 36.0
Lyman
Start 34.0 Max 37.0
Myself, I have my load ladder picked out. I am starting @ 33.0 and working to 34.8 and if all goes well, I will try a little hotter and see how accuracy goes.[:)]
Comments
Different powder lots, different test equipment, different primers, different ambient temperature, different fudge factors on the max end... all could be correct for what the researcher did that day with his components.
Ya hit the nail on the head Jonk.[^] I wanted to post this as an example as why one load book is not enough to find a safe starting average.
The 40x rifles I've used have had a 1:14" twist rate so stabilizing heavier bullets will be a problem.
"A heavier bullet might be a little slower and save the barrel..."
Barrels are perishable, plain and simple. Every shot you fire wears a barrel no matter what conditions you change. Single base powders are usually less abusive to barrels and double base powders are can be more damaging. Long strings of fire, improper cleaning, the list goes on for the thing NOT to do to a barrel.
The only way to prevent barrel wear is to not shoot the rifle.
Best.
Great post! [:0] [:)] [^]
+1
I was looking at the same sort of data when I started loading 7mm Rem Mag.
This illustrates why bullet weight is NOT the only consideration. Different bullets have different jacket construction, different friction coefficients, different ductility, and different bearing lengths - not to mention different diameters.
Try pushing a 50-pound block of lead across a concrete floor and then a 50-pound block of ice or nylon. Weight is only part of the issue.
ALWAYS use the bullet maker's load data as your primary guide. Crosscheck it with the powder maker's data in case of typos or other errors. If there is a discrepancy, check a third source. I recommend Lyman as being neither a bullet nor a powder maker.
I start at the lower end of an average of the three, and work up. As soon as I start to see signs of overpressure I back off.
One thing jonk overlooked in his otherwise excellent post: different bullets.
This illustrates why bullet weight is NOT the only consideration. Different bullets have different jacket construction, different friction coefficients, different ductility, and different bearing lengths - not to mention different diameters.
Try pushing a 50-pound block of lead across a concrete floor and then a 50-pound block of ice or nylon. Weight is only part of the issue.
ALWAYS use the bullet maker's load data as your primary guide. Crosscheck it with the powder maker's data in case of typos or other errors. If there is a discrepancy, check a third source. I recommend Lyman as being neither a bullet nor a powder maker.
Very, very true for sure. This ought to get any newbies (or used-to- loaders) thinking , reading and inquiring for certain. Good going! [:)] [;)] [^]
Change ANY of those things, and the data is no longer valid. It's that simple.
Oh, and it's the MAXIMUM load that is the fact, and the starting load the suggestion. Some labs simply take the maximum and subtract 10% to get their suggested START. Others actually work down to a set pressure level and/or the onset of erratic performance.
.22-250 Charge 36.5 gr Bullet 55 gr Spr. SP-- Max Load reduce by 10%
Do that- The Start comes out 32.85.
Edit: This is one of the fun parts I find with reloading. Yes I can ask people here if they have used it, I have found results on the net. Do I trust it? No.
I am only posing this as a "Were do I start?" and "Whats safe for me" for new reloaders.
I have done that for over 40 years and never had a problem.
Max load is too dependent on the specific chamber and must be determined cautiously. Since I have never needed to take any of my rifles up to "the max," I haven't worried about it.
You do what you want...
like I said lots of work getting there, reading, writing, & arithmatic to come up with the loads, start low and work em up was always my way.