Adjusting powders in Quickloads

[megasupermagnum]

This is my first time using Quickloads software. I've mainly been trying out known loads in handgun rounds to get a feel for the program. I've found H110 to be accurate, and shown velocity is very close to what I get in reality. The pressures shown are very close to those in a reloading manual as well. Bluedot on the other hand seems to be much slower than it should be, and I've tried it in a bunch of calibers. Loads that have been listed in manuals for decades are coming up as way lower pressure and velocity than they should be. I've found that I can adjust the burn rate input until the velocity is where I get in the real world. Is this the correct way to make adjustments?

[Kosh75287]

I will NEVER decry H110/W296 as a second-rate powder. I just dislike using propellants with only a 3% safety margin. If I'm reloading for .30 Carbine, I'll almost use nothing else BUT H110. But otherwise, I try to avoid using it.

I've never used Quickloads software, so I'm hesitant to offer much input about it. I HAVE had several very experienced users tell me that QL is not at its best when used to predict the behaviour of loads in straight-wall cases, so be wary.

[Moleman-]

I've always adjusted the case volume to match the speed if needed. Used W296 and QL today to work up some 400FUW wildcat loads after a switch to a different case with a smaller case volume. Fairly close for a wildcat guess. I've had other powders for instance 1680 be way off. Always start low and work your loads up. Don't be tempted to try that near max load first because QL says it's ok.

[megasupermagnum]

I'm not trying to predict load data, not yet anyway. I'm currently trying both published loads, as well as loads I have worked up myself. I am currently only trying it with handgun rounds 327 Federal, 45 ACP, 357 magnum, 41 magnum, 44 magnum.

I tried adjusting case volume, but it doesn't seem to have a huge impact on the velocity. Again H110 is spot on, but Bluedot is not. Take a time tested 357 magnum load for example, a 358429 with 10 grains of Bluedot, and has been in the manuals since Bluedot came out. It should be running around 36,000 psi, and in my case of a 5" barrel runs about 1225 fps. I'm using a 180gr XTP from the menu, but then inputing the 358429's bullet overall length, cartridge OAL, and the seating depth is calculated. I change the weight to 175 gr, but it isn't a big difference. With 10 gr Bluedot QL's telling me that load should only be doing 1120 fps and 27,000 psi. Case volume does little to change this unless I input huge differences. If I change burn rate to 1.8300, I get my expected 36,000 psi and 1230 fps. This has played out in 44 magnum, and 45 acp as well, 1.8300 being perfect. It doesn't seem to quite work out in 327 federal, where I had to go to 2.2000 to get real world velocities.

@Kosh75287, I've been using H110 as long as I've been loading metallic cartridges. I can promise you, you have way more than a 3% window to work with. H110 is not a do or die powder. The only thing you can't do is download it significantly. You can start 10% below max load like any other powder. It is also very forgiving at the top end, say you want to push the magnum's to CIP standards. H110 is a purpose built magnum handgun powder, so it has almost no use outside of that realm. Inside of that, which is pretty much any straight wall cartridge of mid to high pressures, it does phenomenally well, and is a very safe powder to work with.