How do you determine Load Density

[Ed_Shot]

What is the correct way to determine "load density" for a given powder in a given rifle casing?

[Zymurgy50]

Quickload would be the easiest in mt opinion. If you dont have the program send me a pm with the powder and case you want info on and I will get back to you.

[Larry Gibson]

Depends on the seating the depth of the bullet. Simply fill the case with the proposed powder to the base of the bullet. I tap the case a couple times on the bench to settle the powder. Weigh that amount of powder. Divide the proposed charge of that powder by the weighed full case amount. That gives the load density in %.

Example: 8x57 cartridge fire formed and neck sized holds 50 gr of H4895 to the base of the case neck where the bullet will be seated to. I propose to use 28 gr H4895 as a starting load. Thus 28/50 = 56% load density.

Larry Gibson

[Doc Highwall]

There are two was to look at it. The real way to determine load density is say your case has 100 grains of usable water capacity under the bullet seating depth, and you have the space filled with powder, but the powder has a density of .9 grams per cubic centimeter you have only a 90% loading density. In this case you are directly comparing the density of the powder to the density of water which everything else is compared to, this is the way a ballistician does it.

Then you have where the usable internal case capacity of the case under the bullet has a volume and how much of that volume is occupied by the powder charge is represented as a percentage. Say you are using a slow powder and you can get 50 grains of powder into the case touching the base of the bullet and you are only going to use 40 grains of that powder, 40 divided by 50 equals .8 or equals a 80% powder charge. This is what most people think of when they talk about loading density.

[Ed_Shot]

Thanks to all of you. I was hoping to do it the way Larry Gibson described above but didn't know if that was valid.

Again thanks!