just a thought for the learning curve

[tuckerdog]

when searching in unfamiliar territory i usually look for a powder that gives close to but not always at top velocity with relativly low pressures as a starting point.
in my opinion too many new reloaders go for raw power before accuracy. I had a leg up on reloading as my grandfather started me out 'his way' at a very young age and those teachings stuck. To those of you starting out please get a quality manual and read it from front to back, look at pressures and velocity numbers both and you will start to see how things work together.

just because this super duper heavily advertised powder will give you 1250fps from a 51/2" bbl with a 300grn boolit does not mean its the best powder for the application, in 'most' cases 1000 fps with said boolit will be more accurate and is plenty enough for 90% of north American hunting

above all else be SAFE and have fun

[williamwaco]

in my opinion too many new reloaders go for raw power before accuracy. I had a leg up on reloading as my grandfather started me out 'his way' at a very young age and those teachings stuck.





Tucker !

You are a lucky man.
Your grandfather was a very smart man.
You did good when you chose him.

[runfiverun]

i tend to look at the what i call the 3/4 loads they are about 3/4's they way up on velocity and at a powder speed about 3/4's up the scale and about 3/4's the way up in pressure.
in my jaxketed rifles i too look for the lower pressured stuff if i give up 50-75 fps and have 5k lower pressure thats a good load.
and if i can find a powder thats on the verge of being too slow thats about ideal in my book.

[sqlbullet]

I frequently find the miser loads to be the best loads out there. I shoot a lot of 10mm, and the lowest charge loads often fall in that magic 80% zone you are talking about.

I think many guys starting out would do well to look to the best way to stretch their dollar, and I think many would find the same loads that are give good mileage will give good accuracy.

[fecmech]

In Magnum handguns I have had a different experience. As a young man starting in reloading I wanted to go as fast as I could with the .357 and .44 mag. That lead to powders such as H110,296 and 2400 for top velocity with 358429 and 429421 and those powders (at max loadings)are the most accurate I've found. My .357 will average less than 2" 5 shot groups at 50 yds with max loads of 296/wc820 in the 1300 fps range and the .44 is a little over 2" with those powders. I'm not talking one "show" group but an average of at least 5 five shot groups. I'm not saying that accuracy can't be found in the middle, just that I've found it at the top end with every .357 or .44 that I've owned.

[runfiverun]

the wsm cartridges i have messed with are usually more accurate at the top end in velocity also.
thats where the slow end powders come into play.
if you are right there but run out of case then a switch to a faster powder will usually bring things right around.
but if you start right up there at the high end with the faster powder you'll miss out on that zone and not know you went past it.

[gon2shoot]

I spent a few years trying to see how much I could get from a gun (speed), with many loads being over recommended data, some way over. Thankfully I survived that phase.
When starting a new load now, I normally go about 50% of max, and work down before working up.
As I age I've decided I'd rather put one round where it counts than have a really high speed miss.:lovebooli:lovebooliaint the noise that kills em.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Well, I want good groups, so a load that is not top of the charts will get the nod if it, in fact, does produce the best groups.

However, many time in my tests, the loads giving the best groups are at or near the top listed loads.

Now from another direction, if I want .308 velocities, why buy a 300 win mag?

Unless of course, I am working on reduced practice loads for practice or trigger time with a young shooter.

Or if I want my .44 mag to provide .44 special velocities, then why did I buy a .44 mag?

AS per the reduced loads for a young/new shooter, give them the trigger time with reduced loads, LOTS OF IT!!!!, then let an experienced shooter sight the rifle in JUST before the hunt with loads of normal for that rifle velocity/pressure levels and go hunting.

The very few shots taken by the young/new shooter while shooting game will never be felt by the shooter - unless waaaaay over gunned - and will cause no injury or flinching.

Other then that, let your firearm tell you what it wants/likes as per load levels.

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[waksupi]

I've never been a speed demon for loading. I always found the most accurate load for the firearm, and used it. If I needed more poop, I went to a bigger bore. Just like the old timers did.
When you look at ballistics tables, you will see you need to gain at least 300 fps over a given load, to have any marked improvement on shooting flatter. And most people can not benefit from that extra flatness, regardless of what they like to think.

[mpmarty]

Shooting mainly 45/70 in light weight lever guns I shun the high velocity loads. I've never had a paper target stagger off and make me track it. The deer I've hit were all DRT.

[44man]

My guns dictate velocity. I start with starting loads and work to the accuracy point for hunting since I care less about paper, steel or flat trajectory.
Some will be below max but a few really need top loads or groups suck.
I go with what a certain boolit needs for a match to twist with velocity.

[1Shirt]

Agree Tucker, and also with 44 Man! Have found best accuracy in some handguns to be close to the top as 44 Man says. Howeve, have only rarely found the same to be true with rifle.
1Shirt!:coffee: