Load development vs plinking ammo

[BJung]

For me, a chrono has two purposes: to know the bullets MV and to related the MV to the powder charge and other components so when buy a new canister of the same powder, I can adjust for any change in MV with a new powder charge if necessary.

 

[HowieG]

Testing is all I do because it's fun. I gave a few loads that I've tested enough I just load when I need more. The 3.8 grain load for a 158 cast right on the front of the bottle is the 38 load. I've tested a bunch of others from unique to red dot, it's just easy cheap and shoots as good out of my carbine as 4". I tested my #9 357 load of 13.7 with a cast 158 for six months strait from 110 degrees to 40, indoor and outside and it's old reliable when I need a full power load in any case. 9mm 115 rmr match winners at 4.0 grains tg and 1.090 shot very tight in my pistol and the two people I've let try them it worked well in their pistols as well. Rifle is an entirely different affair and even the good loads are tested and reverified often.

Testing is fun, but I have been sliding to air rifles and muzzle loaders because of component prices and shortages. I think my days of burning powder just to see how something works are getting limited.

 

[AJC1]

Testing is fun, but I have been sliding to air rifles and muzzle loaders because of component prices and shortages. I think my days of burning powder just to see how something works are getting limited.

I had no experience at all a paltry 3 years ago. I had no loads worked up for about three dozen rifles I inherited because dad didn't take notes or records. I started with nothing and load testing out of nessisity turned out to be the most interesting part of this hobby for me next to casting. My son will have a Lyman manual with pages falling out and load data for days.

 

[HowieG]

I had no experience at all a paltry 3 years ago. I had no loads worked up for about three dozen rifles I inherited because dad didn't take notes or records. I started with nothing and load testing out of nessisity turned out to be the most interesting part of this hobby for me next to casting. My son will have a Lyman manual with pages falling out and load data for days.

Yeah, I put entries in a load book about any tests I do. I am on volume 3 now. I started volume 1 on May 29, 2005 when I decided to get serious about things. A 223 test out of a Handi Rifle. The catalyst was I moved to a place where I could shoot anytime I had the time, and I had money. Before that I just threw things together hit or miss (no pun) with no records. Life was simpler then, lol.

We all started somewhere. I started in 1971 reloading 300 Savage with a Lyman 310 tool and a brand new copy of the 45th Edition Lyman Handbook. I still have the tool, the handbook, and the Remington 722, 300 Savage.

 

[AJC1]

Yeah, I put entries in a load book about any tests I do. I am on volume 3 now. I started volume 1 on May 29, 2005 when I decided to get serious about things. A 223 test out of a Handi Rifle. The catalyst was I moved to a place where I could shoot anytime I had the time, and I had money. Before that I just threw things together hit or miss (no pun) with no records. Life was simpler then, lol.

We all started somewhere. I started in 1971 reloading 300 Savage with a Lyman 310 tool and a brand new copy of the 45th Edition Lyman Handbook. I still have the tool, the handbook, and the Remington 722, 300 Savage.

I have one also... great book.

 

[HowieG]

I have one also... great book.View attachment 1125163

That's awesome, dude! My original has a bit more wear. I do have a fresh one stored away though. You and I need to have a conversation about old stuff. You see that tin of bullseye on the cover of that book? Here it is. Full too.
View attachment 1125176

 

[BJung]

I had no experience at all a paltry 3 years ago. I had no loads worked up for about three dozen rifles I inherited because dad didn't take notes or records. I started with nothing and load testing out of nessisity turned out to be the most interesting part of this hobby for me next to casting. My son will have a Lyman manual with pages falling out and load data for days.

The rabbit hole goes deeper. Take up bullet casting.

 

[AJC1]

The rabbit hole goes deeper. Take up bullet casting.

 

[HowieG]

The rabbit hole goes deeper. Take up bullet casting.

Buy a flintlock rifle. Cast your own ball. Knap your own flint. Mix your own black powder.

 

[Charlie98]

I wonder how many re-loaders actually spend the time to really develop loads vs just making ammo to shoot or plink.

Both. It depends on what I'm loading for, and why.

I have an expectation of accuracy out of my ammunition, which is different from load to load, or firearm to firearm. I don't expect bulk 150grn .30 FMJ's to shoot as well as a 168grn SMK, although I do have a certain expectation from it, accuracy-wise. And the aforementioned 168grn SMK load... I expect better results out of my bull barrel Savage model 10, than I do with the same bullet out of my 16" M1a, for example, but I expect the SMK load to shoot better out of my M1a than the 150grn FMJ's.

 

[WVRJ]

For my carry/defense pistols,I usually start out making good loads that I've developed and then step down to make practice/plinking ammo.Down in velocity because I usually stay close to starting loads for practice and closer to max for the stuff my life depends on.Same with bullets.I use Hornady XTP's in all my carry ammo and either cast bullets or something like HAP's for playing around.
For my long range rifles,load development is basically a never ending process.I do enough development at the bench with the chronograph to get a rifle shooting something like I think it should,but if something new comes along,or if I think a different combination of components might do better,I'll be doing more development.I seldom ever load rifle ammo for plinking,it's always done as well as I can do it for the most part,although when I'm just shooting steel at distance I'll use cheaper bullets like blems or just cheaper more readily available bullets out to 500 yards and save the good ones for ranges beyond that.As an example,I have a custom 223 that's very accurate,and I have 5 different loads that I've worked up for it.That way,in these crazy times of limited component availability,I always have something that is good for target work that can also do double duty for varmint shooting should the need arise.Most of my rifles have more than one good load developed for them.

 

[wcwhitey]

I had no experience at all a paltry 3 years ago. I had no loads worked up for about three dozen rifles I inherited because dad didn't take notes or records. I started with nothing and load testing out of nessisity turned out to be the most interesting part of this hobby for me next to casting. My son will have a Lyman manual with pages falling out and load data for days.

. I can relate to that. I started putting all my ammo in white cardboard boxes. I make labels and print them with all the associated data. So when you pick up a box you know exactly what you’re getting down to the tenth of a grain. It all started when I found myself shooting ammo that I kinda sorta remembered loading. I knew it was mine , I knew what caliber and bullet but no clue if it was spicy or not. The notes in my books are there it was still some guess work. Only happened once or twice but it was enough for me to start labeling. Now if you shoot a box and like it you can reproduce it from the information on it.

 

[Varminterror]

I’m with the Colonel, “only accurate rifles are interesting.”

I have a few loads which are “accurate enough,” with affordable bullets, meant for purposes where raw precision isn’t the primary measure of success.

But in fairness, I’ve come to adopt an extremely efficient load development methodology, so I’m not burning components and barrel life to reach my destinations at even half of the scale I used to use.

 

[BJung]

Buy a flintlock rifle. Cast your own ball. Knap your own flint. Mix your own black powder.

I don't think I'll live long enough to get there.

 

[tominboise]

I do have multiple guns that shoot my favorite calibers 38/357 & 9mm and don't like the idea of separate loads for each gun accept for special purposes.

I used to just pick a pistol load out of the manual and crank off 500 rounds. But anymore, I don't want to end up with 500 mediocre rounds, so I do some testing.

I have multiples of the same cartridge handgun like you. I usually work up a specific load for my most accurate pistol in the particular caliber. I then load a bunch and use it in all of them. If the rest shoot it great, then great. If not, they are never that bad, and usually better then if I just picked a load out of a manual. For instance, i will work up the most accurate 9mm load in my Sig P210. Then use the same load in my glocks.

Sometimes, I will load enough test loads to run through all my guns of a specific cartridge, and pick the best that works in all of them. For instance, I have four 44 mag revolvers. I ran test loads through all of them to find a couple that work well in all of them. Those sessions can be fun and draining at the same time, keeping all the targets straight.

It's all part of the fun of reloading, IMO.

 

[HowieG]

I don't think I'll live long enough to get there.

Ditto. Wouldn't mind it, but time is running out. My list of "that's neat, I'd like to learn that" far exceeds my remaining years. It doesn't help that I keep adding stuff to the list.

 

[GE-Mini-Gun]

What's the criteria for "plinking ammo"?

For me it has to function in the gun, worst case scenario for me is a machinegun…if they function in it they will function in the pistols, next would be components as cheap as I can get them, mainly “seconds” bullets and some time lead, brass is free…primers and powder I buy in bulk so there is a price drop…small, but a drop none the less.

 

[Russ57]

Assuming proper reloading practices and all that it entails; would you say the bullet is the biggest single determining factor in accuracy?

 

[GE-Mini-Gun]

Yes

 

[jmorris]

In the past I have done some load development but seem to never find the time to go out and set up my chrony and bench test for accuracy.

Not to mention all of the back and forth changing loads to testing them.

I have a range in my backyard now but before that I would take everything with me in one trip and just knock it out in one trip.

 

[Bartojc]

I feel like to do what I want I need to do like jmorris does. I started reloading too late in life, and at this point I load for "good enough". Most of the time I can't shoot the difference in the changes made so good enough is, well good enough.

-Jeff