How many do you load

[catkiller45]

So when trying different loads,how many do you load up.? Myself,I usually only load 3 of each different charge. If the weather is good I might even run them over the chronograph. Most are only tested at 25 to 30 yards..

[JimB..]

Depends on the round. Ladder of pistol is usually 10 at each load. Rifle is usually 5 of each in the first round, as many as 20 of each as I approach a solution. Being a poor shot requires volume to average out my errors

[nhyrum]

I'm with Jim. 5, maybe 6 if I want to ensure I get good data for rifle, even if it costs me 2 bucks a round and I burn a pound doing it. I usually do .2 or. 3 increments. Auto loading pistol gets 10, revolvers get a cylinder plus one if it's a totally new load.

I could probably save some time, components, and barrel wear on the big guns by doing the bulk of the narrowing down in smaller groups, but I feel like I have to have at least 5 data points for me to count any particular group as an effective data set, so in those cases I will use the optional barrel time formula and use quickload and my adjusted burn rate to narrow down the loading range

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[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Pistol ladder test, I'll load at least 20 rounds each, except when I get near max, then just 5 or 6 for those rungs.
Rifle, 5 each, then for secondary or third test, I load more, as I like 10 rd groups.

[Old Caster]

For initial groups I use just 5 rounds with the powder variable depending on how much powder is in the load. My 32 acp's for my Pardini uses just 1.15 grains of Titewad or 1.5 grains of Tite Group and my 44 mag is 22.8 of H110 so there is more room to manipulate. I shoot everything in a Ransom Rest when I can because it is way faster without mistakes. Shooting a bunch of bench rested groups from a pistol making every effort to be perfect is tedious, especially with iron sights. After I am satisfied with a small group of different loads, that are close to each other I will shoot 10 and maybe even twenty to be sure. All this is a lot of work but if you are shooting pistols in bullseye competition it is imperative to be the best possible and the load stays the same forever.

[popper]

Pretty much load for terminal effect I want and change load/alloy to get there. Select a load below max, maybe 20 rnds. If it doesn't do right, tinker a bit.

[Winger Ed.]

I do 5 rounds with each test load for rifle, and usually have about 5-6 different charge weights at a time.
Whichever does best, I'll load 100 and see how I like 'em.
If the results are good, and consistent, I'll load another 500 and stick with it for awhile.
If I still like 'em, I'll keep that recipe for years, loading at least 500 or 1,000 in a batch.

Handguns: I'll do the same thing with 50 for a test batch at 25 yards.
If I like 'em, I load in batches of 1,000, and keep the recipe for years or until their batch of powder runs out.

[Mal Paso]

10 of each was the number given by the fellow that also gave me the spread sheet to track them with. His reasons were statistical but it's also enough to save the day when the chronograph doesn't record half the shots or you have gun issues.

[dverna]

With jacketed bullets, I do not worry about a “bad” bullet. I load five for each load point. If a group goes larger than my desired maximum after the second or third shot, I do not waste the components. Otherwise I shoot the five test rounds. I will take the best groups in a bracket, average the powder charge and fire five more five shot groups. If I am satisfied, I am done...if not will tweak powder charge.

With cast rifle, bullet consistency is a concern. I shoot 10 shot groups. Rinse and repeat as above.

When I shot Bullseye, I used a Ransom Rest and 50 rd groups at 50 yards. Nowadays, I cannot shoot well enough to make that worth doing.

With the PCP rifles, wind is my nemesis. I test pellets at 50 yards and feel a minimum of ten 5 shot groups are needed. I normally will shoot 20 groups.

[charlie b]

When supplies were not limited I loaded up quite a lot. 5 or 10 rounds per load. 0.2gn steps around the velocity region I want. These days I'd probably go with 3 rnds to start.

The problem is some rifles are fouling and/or temperature dependent. Those mean you will have to do development on several trips to the range. One of my rifles took 4 trips to the range to narrow down a load. The other took only one trip.

[beagle]

When I did the castpic articles on the .223, I shot several thousand rounds of .223 cast. I'd load in batches of 25. Part would be for chronographing and the remainder would be for groups. Occassionally, I'd have to redo a lot but this seemed to work pretty well for my needs and give me at least three chances at 5 shot groups. The 9mm was the same way.
Chronograph, check for function through the magazine and check for accuracy. Just depends on your needs./beagle

[dale2242]

For rifle rounds I load 5 of each load.
I shoot cast at 50 yards to start.
I shoot jacketed at 100 yds.

[MrWolf]

10 of each was the number given by the fellow that also gave me the spread sheet to track them with. His reasons were statistical but it's also enough to save the day when the chronograph doesn't record half the shots or you have gun issues.

Yup. I do the same.

[Wolfdog91]

With cast i learned there's alot more variables. Started doing five but once I moved to ten round groups alot more things became apparent actually went back and re tested loads I though where bad after just running five round groups and found them actually better then I thought with ten round groups

[44Blam]

So, what I do is load up 5 or 6 (6 if it is a revolver) of each charge and I tend to do either 0.5 or 0.2 grain increments depending on the powder. I'll generally load up about 5 different charges. Then I have a few cases primed with belled mouths, some boolits and some powder. If I feel like loading something different than what I brought, I use my little Lee hand press and a digital scale to make up some right there.
I also have a lab radar so I always chrono new loads so I can see where the ES/SD is and correlate that with where the boolits are hitting...

[MT Gianni]

10 for each step while working up. 16 for the first load with two, three shot groups to verify sights for the new load and season the barrel. For pistol loads not near max, 20-25.

[stubshaft]

10 of each for ladder loads increasing in .3 gr. increments.

[dale2242]

BTW, I chronograph all new loads as I shoot for groups.

[georgerkahn]

When I did the castpic articles on the .223, I shot several thousand rounds of .223 cast. I'd load in batches of 25. Part would be for chronographing and the remainder would be for groups. Occassionally, I'd have to redo a lot but this seemed to work pretty well for my needs and give me at least three chances at 5 shot groups. The 9mm was the same way.
Chronograph, check for function through the magazine and check for accuracy. Just depends on your needs./beagle

I am appreciative of the many hours/many rounds (not excluding the $$$) of your efforts -- much kudos and again thanks for your efforts, to HELP others (like me ).
In my case -- often even "duplicating" published loads -- I prepare (resized, primed, trimmed cases) a lot of fifty. I charge and load my "hopeful load" at home for ten cases. Case mouths marked with Magic Marker (blue; green; yellow; orange; red) in groups of five -- they are taken to range -- complemented with my battery-operated Dillon Determinator scale and one of the gorgeous hand-reloading tools I purchased from a fellow on this site: Buchanan Press.
Armed with a pad and pencil to write down results (I write this as this is something I've forgotten more than once !) and either my Labradar or Oehler chrony and the powder I'm to use, I first shoot my five at-home loads. By "gut feeling" I generally go up, adding to initial load just two rounds. IF it is not a clear degradation -- I follow with three more. That five done (the blue cases) I move to the green for a repeat... et cetera... until I'm happy. I -- VERY important to me -- then again shoot the remaining five from-home loads to "objectively" (???) make an executive decision if/what the best load may be.
Back in the day -- years back -- I'd follow with another range trip starting at determined "best load" and do a ladder test. All firing was done on a Target Shooter Model 1000LP rifle rest (https://targetshooting.com/about-tsi/) or a Gil Hebard (from the early 1970's) pistol rest.
geo

[FISH4BUGS]

I usually go 20-25 of each rifle/handgun load.
With a Dillon 550 it is easy.
I hate setup time.