Records

[cptinjeff]

Hello,

What kind of reloading/casting records do you keep? I've been reloading fairly heavily for over 15 years but just in the last couple of years started casting. I recently was looking over my reloading records from the very beginning.

It's amazing what I've forgotten until re-reading the thing. You can look at the records and see the progressions and changes in your life/habits/preferences. Starting very light. Going as heavy as possible for a while, gradually shifting back to average etc. “Or this must be when I started loading for -------gun. Or this was when I was hunting pigs all the time-----. Or this is when I was focused on getting itty bitty groups for whatever reason”. You can tell all this just from your records (which mine don't include any of the above info....but in review it is obvious).

So...after rereading my records and having a great walk down memory lane...It occurred to me that my records for CASTING are very inadequate. What data is including in your casting records. Hope this turns out to be an interesting thread! If it is a sticky already somewhere…I haven’t found it yet.

Thanks. jeff

[runfiverun]

my casting has more to do with what molds like what temps,or how they like to be poured into.
alloy notes for the guns are kept in a separate note book with the load data.

[cptinjeff]

Smelting? Is that a different book also?

[southpaw]

I keep records of everything that I load. I am working on keeping more detailed records other than primer, powder charge, bullet/boolit, c.o.a.l and quantity. The lead I am not so good with records on. I write it on the lead but not in a book (other than when it gets loaded).

I like looking through my load book too. I like to make sure that I am moving forward and not reinventing the wheel. I do need to start recording group size and velocity in the same book so I don't have to keep looking through a couple of differant books.

[Shiloh]

Brass, powder charges, velocities at a particular charge, boolit weights.

Thats in the casting books. I try to cast at as low a temp as it takes to get good fill and good boolits and keep it there.

Shiloh

[higgins]

I keep the targets in 3-ring binders. At the range I note the load, weather, etc. and velocity if chronographing. After I get home I add any other notes and put them in the binders, divided by gun. That way I can refer back years later to not only group size, but stringing, fliers, etc. It's been a good method for many years now.

[MT Gianni]

I use 3 hole noebooks. I have one for each caliber with sections for seperate guns in that caliber. I keep notes on what each mold likes or doesn't that I review before casting. I have put some on disk [3.5"] that I can't find and now try to stick with paper.

[winelover]

I keep the targets in 3-ring binders. At the range I note the load, weather, etc. and velocity if chronographing. After I get home I add any other notes and put them in the binders, divided by gun. That way I can refer back years later to not only group size, but stringing, fliers, etc. It's been a good method for many years now.

I'm with Higgins on this method. I switch off on firearms for hunting and I can look up my most recent targets and select the optimum load for the situation.

Winelover :lovebooli

[watkibe]

I keep logs of component purchase with dates and lot numbers, files of dated targets with load and velocity data on them, an individual data sheet for each combo of one powder and one bullet, and a summary page for each cartridge I load for so I can see what my best loads are for different purposes.
I standardized my casting with water dropped WW alloy, every bullet is sized and lubed with LLA, and all rifle boolits (no revolver boolits) get gas checks. I only make notes about casting when I vary something besides powder charge, usually seating depth.
After shooting it only takes a few enjoyable minutes to record velocities, group sizes, and any notes on performance, pressure signs, etc.

[runfiverun]

the loading data book is just the culmination of a ton of notes and targets.
when i am happy or decide thats all i am gonna get from the gun, then the load and alloy goes in the big book. untill then loads and brass is kept in a box with the notes.
smelting is different i only have lino,ww's, and pure to deal with.
a 20 lb pot for final alloy mixing in,a 10 lb pot for lino only,and 2- 40 lb pots for casting.
notice the final pots are larger than the melting pots? it adds up to a better [more consistant] final mix of alloy.

[XWrench3]

i HATE making notes! realisticly, i do not make any casting notes at all, other than what i put in the actual reloading records. i do mark all of the containers i have with what the alloy is, and what lube. but that is about it. i do make my reloading records every time i load even a few shells. i found out very early about that, the hard way of course. but if my computer ever crashes, i am going to be in a world of hurt!

[whisler]

Down load your computer records to a disc. Save yourself that world of hurt.

[Sailman]

Cptinjeff

I use a 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper on which I record my data records and it is also used as a target for scope mounter rifles. For iron sight rifles this sheet is just a record keeping device.

The following are the items I keep records:

Rifle
Bullet
Bullet weight
Bullet sized
Powder
Amount of powder
Overall length of loaded cartridge
Primer
Brass
Gas Check
Type of lead alloy
Wind
Light
Temperature
Number of shots in group
Date
Range

For scope mounted rifles this works out great as a record keeping device and also you can look at the bullet hole pattern your load made for that particular load. If you are shooting an iron sighted rifle, the sheet serves as a record keeping device and you can draw a reproduction of the bullet hole pattern.

Sailman

[stubshaft]

I keep a couple of card files (that date back to the 60's) with load data listed by caliber. I also keep targets shot by these loads listing the respective conditions and weapon used. If that wasn't enough, I also have dedicated memo books for my favorite guns listing amount of rounds shot (by date and cumulative total), load data, group size and if it is for a cast boolit the lead alloy, hardness, sizing diameter and loob used. I learned early on that if I didn't keep accurate records it made it more difficult to assess the variances and create an accurate load for each individual gun.

[cptinjeff]

Thanks for all the responses so far. I'm pretty happy with the handloading records I've kept. Although I have never saved targets (and wish I had ), it would take up volumes of space?.

Sailman.....that is exactly the kind of response I was looking for...thanks again

[mpmarty]

Records? Records? What records? Don't need no stinkin records!
I smelt anything that will reduce to liquid state at less than eight hundred degrees. I have around four hundred pounds of monotype and several hundred of clip on wheel weights. I just melt a pot and add some mono and call it good. In my 45/70 with the 350 gr Ranch Dog boolit I like around 35 or so grains of 3031 and with iron sights and seventy plus year old eyes I'm quite happy with the results. Gotta remember to anneal my 45/70 brass though as I think I saw a tiny crack in one of the crimps yesterday. Love shootin' these rounds in my Marlin. Hate fighting the bolt back in after cleaning however. Use a hemostat to install the ejector down in its hole, then twist and shout until I can fit the lever back into the bolt and replace the screw.:bigsmyl2:

[SciFiJim]

Although I have never saved targets (and wish I had ), it would take up volumes of space?.
I've started scanning my targets on a flat bed scanner. Now, I just need to make sure to back those images up to someplace. Written on the target is Boolit, load, range, date, number of shots fired (can't necessarily count the holes, sometimes I miss the paper), and anything else that seems pertinent.

[fecmech]

i HATE making notes! realisticly, i do not make any casting notes at all, other than what i put in the actual reloading records. i do mark all of the containers i have with what the alloy is, and what lube. but that is about it. i do make my reloading records every time i load even a few shells. i found out very early about that, the hard way of course. but if my computer ever crashes, i am going to be in a world of hurt!

My hard drive gave up the ghost 3 weeks ago. I am ordering an extra internal hard drive and a external hard drive box so I don't get bit in the future. After I get back from a cruise I will be trying to figure out how to set it all up.

[Jim_Fleming]

I've gotta question for you target shooters, tiny group seekers, and all the rest of you crazy rascals that measure group sizes down to the .001 of an inch, like me...

What do you do with your fired targets, *after* you take those critical (kidding!) close measurements... In this day and age of scanners and spreadsheets and computers, etc...

Does anyone bother scanning the actual targets and keeping the archived for a particular gun, etc...?

What do y'all think...? I see that some of y'all do keep your paper targets, but the idea of scanning them in seems to be appealing to me. It'd be a whole lot less messy fo' sho..

I'm going to post this in several other places, I guess it'll be a sort of unscientific survey...

Thanks Guys,

Jim

[SciFiJim]

My first thought was to keep the actual targets in my records binder. That idea died a quick death because of space considerations. I scan the targets into jpg files and then toss the targets. The software I use to measure groups (OnTarget) uses jpg files so I had to scan them anyway.

[Jim_Fleming]

Jim you make 3 out of 3 in favor of scanning...

Thanks, Sir! :)

[SciFiJim]

It seems like everything is getting high tech! I wonder how long it will take before someone invents a computer screen that will mount on an accessory rail and supply us with info on where to aim for each shot.

[Jim_Fleming]

Jim, you're waaaay too late, sir, it's been done... Seems to be that G&A did a write up, YEARS ago, to the effect that Ohler marketed a system that incorporated both a chronograph and a triangulation device (to be used down range) that you attached your targets to, and the downrange device was able to measure location of each impact, and would give you both the exact location, on paper, of each shot, and eventually as it gathered more and more data, it would give shot count, and finally group sizes...

I've been out of the Gun Game for years, but I haven't seen that device lately after I got back in... etc...

As far as using a Picatinny Rail goes, check out, www.readyshot.com you'll have a kitten sir... lol! [smilie=p:



It seems like everything is getting high tech! I wonder how long it will take before someone invents a computer screen that will mount on an accessory rail and supply us with info on where to aim for each shot.

[dragonrider]

ScifiJim
"The software I use to measure groups"

May I ask what software that might be????

[Changeling]

Jef this was an excellent post on your part that is long overdue! I used to keep records of everything basically. I used to really just like to sit and read some of the things I wrote. No matter how much you say, when you are reading down the road I will guarantee that you will say, how come/why didn't I put XX information in, LOL.

The one thing I didn't foresee was the wrath of a soon to be X-wife (at that time), long story but suffice to say, I know longer have any records associated with guns or whatever!
On the down side I could only find 1 pair of "shorts", but on the upside I was still wearing them, life is GOOD!

[Doc Highwall]

dragonrider, you can find the OnTarget 6mmbr.com under their articles. You might even be able to google it and it is a free down load.

[SciFiJim]

May I ask what software that might be????

It's called OnTarget

the link

http://www.ontargetshooting.com/ (http://www.ontargetshooting.com/)

[JIMinPHX]

I use targets that have a place for all my load data right on them. After shooting, I punch 3 holes in them & put them in a loose leaf binder.

[SciFiJim]

Jim,
Is that supposed to be 8 1/2 x 11 sized (regular paper)?
Thanks,
Jim

[JIMinPHX]

Jim,
Is that supposed to be 8 1/2 x 11 sized (regular paper)?
Thanks,
Jim

Yes. I have it as a MS-Word document, but the Word document didn't show up in the post. If I scan a print & save it as a bitmap, then the file size is too big for the board to accept. That's why I only posted the crummy little picture. If I spend some more time fooling around with file types, I should be able to find a way to post a better copy.

[JIMinPHX]

I can't post a better version for some reason. The board is resizing my pictures. I try to post a 81kb file & the board turns it into a 13kb file. I don't know why.

[SciFiJim]

JIMinPHX and I have been emailing back and forth about the targets. He asked me to find a way to post them if I could. Here they are in pdf format.

[Ben]

I'll often times take a dig. camera with me when I'm testing loads. I commonly take the dig. photos of the fired targets and attach them to the reloading data stored on my computer at my loading bench.

It is nice to look back 2,3,or even 4 years and see a group that was fired with a particular rifle and be able to obtain, the powder type, the powder charge, the bullet style and mold info., the cast bullet dia. that was loaded that day, the lube used, method of bullet sizing, the primer type, neck sized or F/L sized brass, and the OAL of the loaded round.

I may not actually measure the group until I'm sitting in front of my computer . Then I'll record the extreme spread onto the JPEG photo of the target with text using something like PICASA.

This reloading data format is convenient and easy to Email when a friend is in need of help with a difficult reloading dilemma and is in need of critical reloading data sent via Email.

Good record keeping is essential if you want to duplicate the performance of a particular load in the future.

[Dannix]

Thanks JIMinPHX and SciFiJim for the pdfs. I gave up trying to find this type on the interweb.

Any particular reason you're using a 'square grid target' and not a 'concentric' one?

[SciFiJim]

Any particular reason you're using a 'square grid target' and not a 'concentric' one?

I find it easier to line up the scope cross hairs on a square target.