Trouble Shooting Loads

[JAbee]

Does anyone have info on techniques or "tips and tricks" for steps on trouble shooting your cast loads or fine tuning your load? Books, Mags, reliable internet pages....etc. I have read many post here about experimenting with your loads to get the best out of it. A few questions that come up are: How does one go about "experimenting"in a safe way? What are all the changes that could be made to your load when experimenting? Are there certain signs to look for that will tell you where to start?

Anything at this point will help this new caster/re-loader out.
Thanks

[Hick]

Start with a known beginning load (start load, not max load) then look at all your variables (lube, GC or not, primer, grains of powder, seating depth, etc) and change one thing at a time. For example, go up in steps on loading (not above max) without changing anything else. If you find a load the rifle likes, keep it constant and play with seating depth and see what that does, then maybe lube, or primer, etc. The secret to a good experiment design is to only change one variable at a time, and see which direction of change makes things better or worse. When you think you've got it, make small + and - changes and see what they do. Just keep refining until you get what you want or give up. Above all, while making these changes stay in the bounds for your rifle (min load and max load, max Cartridge overall length to chamber properly, known loading manual limits).

[skeettx]

Hello JAbee
All depends
Bore size is important, for every inch the bullet travels down the bore, volume in the burning zone is
increased and much more so with larger diameter bullets.

Let's narrow the field, and start with one cartridge.
Which one?, and what would you like it to do?
Mike

[Yodogsandman]

To start, get a Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook, the #4 is the latest. Get your loads from that. If you can, double check the book loads. Don't use loads from the internet unless you can confirm them in a trusted published load book. Be sure to read the front sections over a few times until you understand it all.

Your loads will depend on your needs and the strength of the alloy used. Use a boolit that fits your chamber and bore. Start testing at the "STARTING" loads. Work up carefully, looking for signs of excess pressure. Use ladder tests, ones that increase the load incrementally in small increases. Look for groups to tighten and then loosen up as you find accuracy nodes of the powder used. Try a few different powders. Go back to the most consistant and accurate load. Then experiment with the overall length by seating the boolit at different places again looking for those accuracy nodes where the group tightens up. Then try a few different lubes and amounts of lube used. Then try a few different primers, all the time watching for groups to tighten up. Lots more to fool with when you're ready.

Post your results and frustrations and you'll get all sorts of help. Good luck in your quest!

[country gent]

There are several techniques to testing and trouble shooting a load. Use the most accurate datss available perferably from several printed sources. If 3 or 4 manuals all list the same powder and close to the same charge its a good one to start with. Average the 3-4 starting loads for your start point and work up from there to the averaged max. Here working up .2-.5 grns (depending on case size) with smokless propellents or 2 grns with Black Powder. For this pick a case manufacturerr and work with them same with primers. Work up to most accurate powder charge for the given bullet, seldom will this be a full out max load. Next try diffrent primers and adjust powder charges a little. Last is seating depth. One very handy tool is a chronograph and watching velocity, extreme spreads and standard deviations. Another method of working up a load is the Audette ladder method. Load 1 round every .2 grn from min to max and fire carefully, do not adjust sights. This forms a line up the target with some shots clustering together. When xx.0, xx.2 and xx.4 from a group that is the dead point in the harmonics node and test there at the mid point. This works better with range 200-300yds is good. This method is quickest with 2 people 1 loading and one shooting at the range. Chronographing as you go shows consistancy and velocity range of the clusters.

[WHITETAIL]

#1 with country gent.
Please what ever you do get
a note pad and write it all down.
And then when you shoot, have
a note book with you and write the
results down. This way when you get
back to your bench you will have no
doubt what you did last.:coffee:

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Over many years - 80% of accuracy is bullet fit whether jacketed or cast, powder compatibility is about another 15%, case prep, primers the remaining. This has been gleaned from 50 years of reading most things available. The 'ladder' method of load development is what I use for almost all rifle load development. It works best at 'longer' ranges - I use 200 yards. Pick a bullet and powder, load cartridges two-tenthes aprt over a safe range of 2 or three grains. A vertical string will develop with 4 or 5 bullets closely grouped will develop. The middle of that powder weight is your load. Bullet fit is the most critical. There are some common start points that are USUALLY successful. For 30's - .310, 2'2 - .225, 45 Auto - .452, .45-70 - .459/.460. Run a soft slug through the bore, measure it, a thousandth .001 inch over is good place to start. Start with powders that are commonly used for the cartridge. NO MAGIC - simple scientific principles. Pick a 'common' start point and change ONE thing at a time. Write down results - identify every cartridge by what is loaded in it. Colored Sharpies on the primer can keep loads separate when you drop the cartridge box. There are many threads on EVERY item I have mentioned. A lot of Internet BS but a lot of good info. Published data from powder and bullet maufacturers - Alliant, Accurate, Hodgdon, Speer, Hornady and of course Lyman is probably the best place to start. There are are many opinions on this forum. Do you need a 'pound-cast' probably not. Should you start with the ' universal Unique powder load' - probably not. What you are loading for and your purpose makes a great difference. Tin cans at 50 feet, antelope at 250 yards, auto pistol, single shot rifle. Requirements differ widely and wildly. ENJOY and take care, SAFETY FIRST.

[44man]

For my revolvers I know from testing for years what primer, lube and powder to use. I then just work up 1/2 gr at a time until I group. I see groups tighten to best and then start to enlarge at the same rate. I go back to best.
Same with rifles. Rifles can be affected more with distance to rifling. So you must test. You can work rifle loads with the same powder charge and just change OAL.
These things do not fall from gun rags or the sky. No loading manual will tell you what shoots best. They are useful for min to max loads, the rest is YOU.

[reddog81]

There's no way to trouble shoot without knowing what the problem is. With cast bullets and reloading in general there are tons of variables. Too hard a bullet, too soft a bullet, wrong powder, wrong lube, bad powder coat job, incorrect die setup, improperly cast bullets, improperly sized bullets, etc, etc, etc.

The best thing you can do is learn as much as possible so you know how and why you're doing each step and what the results should look like.

" Are there certain signs to look for that will tell you where to start? " - You're using a reloading manual right?

[runfiverun]

the book doesn't really tell you what to do about stringing.

[JAbee]

Thanks guys. I've had my hands on the lyman #49 manual and their cast manual since I started a few months ago.