When you try and replicate factory

I work up to what shoots well for my purposes and call it good. In most cases, my reloads shoot better than any factory load I've tried.

JSneezy said:

I work up to what shoots well for my purposes and call it good. In most cases, my reloads shoot better than any factory load I've tried.

Click to expand...

Ditto. I start with, “What do I want to put a hole in?” and work backwards from there.
I used to do the “factory duplication” thing but it occurred to me eventually that the generic, “Shoots okay in most guns,” of factory ammo is what I was handloading to get away from, not duplicate.

GeoDudeFlorida said:

Ditto. I start with, “What do I want to put a hole in?” and work backwards from there.
I used to do the “factory duplication” thing but it occurred to me eventually that the generic, “Shoots okay in most guns,” of factory ammo is what I was handloading to get away from, not duplicate.

Click to expand...

That piece of paper 25 yards down range doesn't care if I'm shooting a 180 grain XTP with a max load of Longshot or a Berrys 180 grain FP at the minimum required to cycle the pistol. The steel plate doesn't seem to be too bothered about muzzle velocity either. As long as I get the accuracy I'm looking for, I can't be bothered to try to squeeze out another 50 FPS. Even my hunting loads seem to be closer to minimum, because that's what my rifle seems to work best with. It seems like ever factory load I look at is always trying to squeeze the maximum velocity out, regardless of accuracy.

I don’t bother chasing factory loads.

Even if you match the same velocity, unless you’re using the same powder and primers, which in most cases, we can’t, then the harmonics don’t end up remotely similar.

As I've discussed and shown a few times on the what have you done in the reloading room today thread, that my new 45 Auto pet load in my Springfield mil-spec 1911 which consists of 6.9gr of CFE Pistol and a 230gr copper jacketed bullet, shoots darn good and basically is the same as Winchester Ball as far as velocity and accuracy is concerned. I didn't set out to duplicate the Winchester Ball stuff but it is happenstance that it just worked out that way. Seems like not everyone on that thread has the same luck as I do with picking a max charge of a popular powder and just sending it and getting decent results.

I do both. I find someone's petload, confirm that it's within reloading safety margins, and work around that accuracy load +/-. The more common the variables like the gun used, primer, powder.. the more confident that the accuracy load is same or close. I seldom work a full workup to save components unless I don't have someone's accuracy load to work from or just want to experiment. The more common the accuracy load like 2.8gr BE for 38-148wc for example, I'll work around that. Variables like the bullet, primer, case could affect my charge. I think it's crossed almost all reloaders' minds to replicate factory loads. Not only do you have a reload that shoots well but the factory load you can use for self-protection. Unfortunately, that's not the case for the majority of the time.

I replicate carry ammo for practice. I have done very well with the FBI Load and the Speer GDHP 38/357 short barrel loads. (very well)

I think the FBI load uses the 158gr SWCHP cast bullet. The Speer GDHP is a great bullet that expands well. Is your load a duplicate to the Factory load. What is your load if I may ask?

If there is some factory round I like I will use the same projectile and choose the propellant to get a subjectively equivalent recoil at max accuracy.
Usually I only get two of the three to line up.

ArchAngelCD said:

I replicate carry ammo for practice.

Click to expand...

That's one of my objectives as well... and particularly in 9mm.

Every handload has it's purpose... sometimes one of those purposes is to replicate factory ammos.

Accuracy is somewhat overblown as a handload requirement... but, again, it circles back to what you expect out of your handloads. MOBC (Minute of Body Cavity,) or what I call combat accuracy, very often is what I'm looking for... I'm not a target shooter. I'm not lining up at the 100yd range with my carry piece, in much the same way I'm not doing defensive shooting with my bolt action Savage.

Charlie98 said:

That's one of my objectives as well... and particularly in 9mm.

Every handload has it's purpose... sometimes one of those purposes is to replicate factory ammos.

Accuracy is somewhat overblown as a handload requirement... but, again, it circles back to what you expect out of your handloads. MOBC (Minute of Body Cavity,) or what I call combat accuracy, very often is what I'm looking for... I'm not a target shooter. I'm not lining up at the 100yd range with my carry piece, in much the same way I'm not doing defensive shooting with my bolt action Savage.

Click to expand...

Well said!

AJC1 said:

I know a lot of guys try and replicate a decent or good shooting ammo. Do you do a full workup or just match velosity and call it good?

Click to expand...

If going in cold, and commercial ammo is available I can tell you what I do.

I will grab a few different flavors of factory offerings in different weights. I will then go out and do some tests with those. I will use what the "rifle liked best" as the base line and start from there.

If there is no factory option available I will generally start in the middle load wise, the bullet selection might come down to what is out there, or I might have an endless supply. 223 vs 6.5 carcano for example of a great many choices and not that many.

Hand guns, and the "defense" thing....I want to push the bullet fast enough for it to "work", Then really any faster then that I don't see as really that big of a deal. I want to hit what I point at, like some said minute of man at roughly parking lot distance at most, generally a few shots.

It depends on why I am reloading but unless cost gets into the list of variables, I am generally looking to get better results than factory ammunition, not equal. That would be a lot of work for nothing I couldn’t just have shipped to my door and skip the homework.

AJC1 said:

I know a lot of guys try and replicate a decent or good shooting ammo. Do you do a full workup or just match velosity and call it good?

Click to expand...

Duplicating (or trying) factory defense ammo for practice is a goal I had.
Trying to find velocity AND felt recoil is the main concern.
Sometimes it takes a bit because I’m not using the same components as the factory is…..

AJC1 said:

I know a lot of guys try and replicate a decent or good shooting ammo. Do you do a full workup or just match velosity and call it good?

Click to expand...

What do you consider "a full workup"? That question means a lot of info to a lot of different people depending upon the application.

I consider getting hand loads to equal factory loads a failure on my part.

Nature Boy said:

I consider getting hand loads to equal factory loads a failure on my part.

Click to expand...

While that's true, I'm old enough now to care less. Sorta like sex. When I was young it mattered more. Now if it goes bang and hits the target close enough to be respectable, I'm satisfied. You competition junkies, have a whole different attitude.....one I don't relate to nor have patience for any more......but do have fun....

Work up? Heh......that ended 20 years ago.

As long as I have components and lots of brass, it's still worth it to me to load. When I run out of brass, maybe I'll sell everything and buy factory again....if I survive to 80 or 90 that is.....

GW Staar said:

Sorta like sex. When I was young it mattered more. Now if it goes bang and hits the target close enough to be respectable, I'm satisfied.

Click to expand...

Well, sometimes just going “bang” is an accomplishment

I had a Ruger M77 in 7mm Mag that would shoot 1 M.O.A. with factory Winchester 150 gr power points and I went through a great deal of various power, brass, primers and bullets to try to match that performance but I never could. Otherwise, I mostly try to make consistent, accurate ammo, not worrying about factory ammo since I mainly shoot reloads.

AJC1 said:

I almost never shoot factory, but it often comes up from the newer loaders in our forum. Some factory stuff is really good like black hills 77gr stuff. Beating factory now depends a lot on how good of factory you were buying. I've seen 185 burgers in lapua brass on the shelf. I haven't bought any. But I can't immage it's garbage.

Click to expand...

Holy cow, factory ammo with Berger bullets and Lapua brass?? Some people have more money than sense lol. I imagine the markup over buying the components yourself is decent.

AJC1 said:

I know a lot of guys try and replicate a decent or good shooting ammo. Do you do a full workup or just match velosity and call it good?

Last time I saw it was 48.00 a box of 20.

Click to expand...

I go by holes on target, not velocity.

I shot a lot of various factory .223/.308 Match ammunition with Black Hills .223 producing smaller groups that I used as reference for my load development. Good .308 match ammunition did help hit targets all the way out to 600, 800 and 1000 yards. (No, I wasn't competing or shooting for groups, just trying to hit large plates ).

My current goal is to surpass sub 1" groups at 100 yards produced by Remington factory ammo from 18" .223 Wylde heavy barrel AR and work towards matching Black Hills ammo with RMR 69/75 gr 3GH BTHP bullets out to 300 yards.

To me a "full load workup" is starting low, most times with min. book data, and going up as much as necessary. Load a few, shoot, record results. Then increase the powder charge depending on cartridge from .3 gr. to .5 gr load up a few, shoot, record. When a load looks promising, tweek the powder charge .1 or 2 gr either way and try again. I like reloading so this process, while for some is too slow, I get a lot of good bench time.