My load data sheet: Critique it

[Stopsign32v]

Is there anything you would add or take away from it?



Main credit here goes to ryanmattes. And here is his real version:

[Huskerguy]

Are you hand writing the information in those boxes? Will this piece of paper be your actual target or how are the "target" results getting on the form?

I am a spread sheet kind of guy so I can go from cell to cell quickly. That is IF you are doing this on a computer and not by hand. Aren't there some chrono pieces missing?

Are you going to use this for developing loads? If so, then some of those boxes are going to be redundant. For instance, I might work up a 38 Special load with 125 grain bullets but the bullet is constant through all the loads, generally the primary piece that changes is the amount of powder.

Looks good!

[JoeJames]

That looks good. I have a data sheet as a part of my target and then shrink the target to fit in my 5x8 size notebook.

[Stopsign32v]

Are you hand writing the information in those boxes? Will this piece of paper be your actual target or how are the "target" results getting on the form?

I am a spread sheet kind of guy so I can go from cell to cell quickly. That is IF you are doing this on a computer and not by hand. Aren't there some chrono pieces missing?

Are you going to use this for developing loads? If so, then some of those boxes are going to be redundant. For instance, I might work up a 38 Special load with 125 grain bullets but the bullet is constant through all the loads, generally the primary piece that changes is the amount of powder.

Looks good!

These blank pages will fill a 3 ring binder and a pen will go with me to the range. I will fill in the information by hand and take notes on the targets. Once I get home I'd cut out the targets and tape them to the paper and the notes beside the targets with information.

This will be for developing accurate loads for a particular firearm. Later I can organize via powder, firearm, whatever.

I've never used a chrono and don't even have one (yet) so I can't tell you if info is missing or not. But I feel velocity is enough. Notes would be for things like pressure signs if needed and other things.

[ryanmattes]

Avg velocity, extreme spread, and std deviation is more important than high and low in the chrono data section.

Like in the picture, I'll write in all 10 readings next to each target if I think it's useful.

@Huskerguy The copy of my sheet he showed actually is a ladder. I wrote the charges in as a list, and taped the targets for each group in on the same page, marked each of the targets with the charge weight, and wrote the velocity data next to them.

So if only one thing is changing, I'll do the whole ladder on a single sheet, or maybe two if I need more room for targets.

[Outpost75]

In revolvers barrel-cylinder gap is important and should be recorded

[Stopsign32v]

In revolvers barrel-cylinder gap is important and should be recorded

Can you explain more? I know in Rugers you can shim the barrel-cylinder gap and I also know how to read it. But what does this information tell you?

[Stopsign32v]

Avg velocity, extreme spread, and std deviation is more important

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Ok I understand average velocity. What is extreme spread and std deviation?

[ryanmattes]

Ok I understand average velocity. What is extreme spread and std deviation?

Extreme spread is the distance between highest and lowest.

Std deviation is like, how different, on average, is each shot from the others. How much difference is there, from shot to shot, among the whole group.

In both cases, smaller numbers are better.

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[ryanmattes]

Can you explain more? I know in Rugers you can shim the barrel-cylinder gap and I also know how to read it. But what does this information tell you?

If I loaded more for revolvers I might've added that. Otherwise it can always go in the notes section, since it only applies to some guns. The stuff at the top is needed for nearly every gun, except BHN for jacketed.

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[ryanmattes]

It does take a little discipline to write everything down by hand, to mark each target correctly, and the get them all marked up and added to the book after a day at the range. But it leaves a paper trail that I like to have.

Also, my book has grown from a 1/4" binder, to a 1/2", to a 3/4" over the years, and it's starting to be too big to carry to the range. So my current plan is to have a second, 1"+ binder at home as an archive, and I'll move all my failed experiments into there, and only keep current "known good" loads and new developments in my smaller book.

Also, I mostly separate them by caliber, but I'll sometimes make a separate tab if I'm loading for someone else or a unique gun.

[1006]

I like to have the temperature recorded.

[ryanmattes]

I like to have the temperature recorded.

I'm never shooting long enough ranges with test loads for it to matter. If I was, I might also add barometer and dope.

I've also gotten lazy and stopped writing in the target distance unless it's unusual. Unless otherwise noted, pistol is at 10 yards and rifle is at 100.

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[Stopsign32v]

Extreme spread is the distance between highest and lowest.

Std deviation is like, how different, on average, is each shot from the others. How much difference is there, from shot to shot, among the whole group.

In both cases, smaller numbers are better.

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We are still talking about just velocity right? Extreme spread of highest to lowest fps? What I'm not understanding here is on your filled in sheet you have charge weight of 7-7.5-8-8.5. Shouldn't extreme spread and std deviation be with 1 charge, be it 7, 7.5, 8, OR 8.5? So one page could only be used for 1 exact load?

[dverna]

Shooting cast, I suggest adding the lube you used, and if you visually inspected and/or weight sorted your bullets. If you weight sorted, the range of weights.

Anal inspection and weight sorting are silly for pistol blasting/plinking ammunition but it will matter in evaluating rifle loads.

It is easier for me to list the alloy instead of hardness but that is just my preference. Nothing "wrong" with using hardness but be aware you can get the same hardness with different alloys. And it may matter if you water quench or air cool.

[Outpost75]

Can you explain more? I know in Rugers you can shim the barrel-cylinder gap and I also know how to read it. But what does this information tell you?

Knowing gap is absolutely necessary to validate velocity data. In .38 Special a 2-inch barrel at minimum assembly tolerance pass 0.002/hold 0.003 will usually produce higher velocity than a 4-inch at customer service maximum pass 0.008/hold 0.009.

[Stopsign32v]

Knowing gap is absolutely necessary to validate velocity data. In .38 Special a 2-inch barrel at minimum assembly tolerance pass 0.002/hold 0.003 will usually produce higher velocity than a 4-inch at customer service maximum pass 0.008/hold 0.009.

You gotta dumb this down for me to understand. What is "assembly tolerance pass" and "customer service maximum pass"? And what is the hold?

[ryanmattes]

We are still talking about just velocity right? Extreme spread of highest to lowest fps? What I'm not understanding here is on your filled in sheet you have charge weight of 7-7.5-8-8.5. Shouldn't extreme spread and std deviation be with 1 charge, be it 7, 7.5, 8, OR 8.5? So one page could only be used for 1 exact load?

In the ladder on the sheet I sent you I wrote them next to each target. They're listed as AVG, SD, and ES.

In a single load I'll write it up at the top.

When I'm done with the ladders and I settle on a "known good" load for that cartridge, I'll fill out a single load page the next time I load it, and move it to the front of the book. I'll usually record the first time I bulk load it, and put a couple targets and notes in about it. That one stays at the front with my repeatable loads, for quick reference. Having a baseline average, std deviation, and spread for that load is useful.as a rough gauge for how consistent to expect that bulk load to be.

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[Stopsign32v]

In the ladder on the sheet I sent you I wrote them next to each target. They're listed as AVG, SD, and ES.

In a single load I'll write it up at the top.

When I'm done with the ladders and I settle on a "known good" load for that cartridge, I'll fill out a single load page the next time I load it, and move it to the front of the book. I'll usually record the first time I bulk load it, and put a couple targets and notes in about it. That one stays at the front with my repeatable loads, for quick reference. Having a baseline average, std deviation, and spread for that load is useful.as a rough gauge for how consistent to expect that bulk load to be.

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Ahhhhhhhhh ok!

[ryanmattes]

And, to everyone, I'm in no way saying my sheet was a one size fits all. It's what I adapted to my use over time, until I lost the spreadsheet in one computer upgrade or another, and then I just kept using what I had.

It works for me, but likely wouldn't work as well for guys doing precision long range or high powered revolver loading.

But it's a good place to start to figure out what works for you.

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