Load development.

[DudeRick]

Just curious, do you guys develop a different load for each of your guns or do you settle for just one per caliber?

 

[jwrowland77]

Each different gun get a complete workup. Even if it's same brand same caliber. A new workup gets done. Granted same caliber same brand might be close but each gun is unique.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. For practice I will find a load that works good in multiple guns. For serious shooting, such as matches, hunting or self defense I work up loads for each gun.

 

[Toprudder]

^^^^ This.

I don't shoot competition, so I want to find one load that works well in all the guns of one caliber.

For 9mm and 45acp, I only have one gun of each, so that is easy. For 40 and 380, I have multiples. I pick a COL that feeds well and chambers in all of them, then work up loads from there, making sure the guns cycle reliably.

 

[cfullgraf]

It depends...

Me too although I am less fussy about handgun ammunition. I find a good functioning round and use it in any gun I have that uses that cartridge.

I have been going on Prairie dog shoots the last two years. Both rifles I took used the same cartridge and I found a load/bullet combination that worked well in both. Less stuff to carry

When I shot Service Rifle, ammunition was developed just for my match rifle.

 

[ImjinScout85]

I develop one load per caliber that will work in all my guns of that specific caliber.

 

[gamestalker]

I'll often use the load for another rifle as a general guide, but I always do a complete work up and development for each one, then I keep a log so I know what each firearm will shoot.

GS

 

[Mad Chemist]

For most HG calibers, I work up multiple loads for different purposes. For more obscure calibers like .38S&W I only work loads for whatever bullets I have on hand.

 

[Ex]

I don't do much in the way of working up loads except that they must function in any pistol I shoot it in, Usually start with a new powder at 40-50% of factory recipe. Usually pump up a bit to slightly better than factory velocity... barely, then just use that one. No reference to old loads and such here. Have some pet powders for certain rounds, have some pet "do alls" like Unique that works in everything.

Do have a couple notes in the shed and the office about a couple I like just so I don't have to re-research it. Most detail might be the original starting point, then maybe a +3 tenths note to indicate that's what I liked.

 

[spitballer]

One caliber, .223 bolt, with recipes for different bullets.

 

[Bronden]

One pr gun. Even the same make and model rifle can have small differences in chamber etc. so i have one for each. But i have some 308 that i just train with on 100 meters. Where i care more about the shooting positions than the 1/4 moa. They are loaded as cheap as possible ( still ok bullet for the sake of the barrel) and i use them in both my 308's

 

[Don McDowell]

Just depends mostly on the gun and what it'll be doing. Some rifles get a couple of loads for different hunting situations. Some handguns get both target and hunting loads. Some rifles get loads for different competitions.
That's the great thing about reloading, you can tweek one gun to do several different tasks and do them well. Or you can tweek several guns to each have a specified purpose.
The sky is the limit.

 

[Sunray]

"...Even if it's same brand same caliber..." Even if the two firearms are consecutively numbered, you must work up a load for every firearm. No two will shoot the same ammo the same way. You need a load for every rifle and a new load every time you change bullet weights as a minimum.
"...at 40-50% of factory recipe..." Impossible. Factories do not publish what they use and you can't get the powders used anyway. You're getting functional ammo, but not the accuracy you could.

 

[dickttx]

I have five different size 1911's and two 38 Supers.
I pick up the boxes on the end when I get ready to go to the range and I expect it to work in the proper caliber gun.
I only shoot at paper or plates.

 

[Schwing]

I have done both. For example, Two of my 45's shoot the loads I work up about the same. All of my .38s and both of my .357s do this as well. It seems that any accurate load I work up for one works for the others.

My 9MMs do not allow for this. I have different loads for all 3 of my 9mms. They have varying chamber and barrel diameters and seem to require their own loads.

 

[Jim Watson]

My pistols (I shoot IDPA, so great accuracy is not required, but reliability is.) get compromise loads that shoot reasonably well in all of the same caliber.

I have shot a little F class and BPCR. Since I only have one rifle per caliber, each requires tailored ammunition.