Load data and outdated rifles?

[sunnysmarine]

Lee hand held does take RCBS shell holders

[kcstott]

Lee hand held does take RCBS shell holders

It should. Only the lee primer shell holder are different

[pennstater]

Thank you guys.

[Capt.Dunsel]

What is a "outdated" rifle ?

[dwinters14]

until you get a chrono or access to one. Do the rounds cycle through the weapon good? no sign of over pressure? then use it. you are over thinking this. I've had a chrono long before i reloaded but even with reloading i seldom used it. it rarely worked correctly. that pile of junk was replaced with a Magnetospeed. I don't have that issue anymore and Now I chrono everything. but more because I can and not because I have to.

Like others have said a few hundred FPS won't matter for plinking and won't matter till after 400 yards.



Oh and twist rate unless at the extreme end of the spectrum will not effect velocity, barrel length does. on 308 based cases and up 20-30 fps per inch is about right, smaller cartridges 30-50 fps per inch is the norm. Remember that book is a guide and shows you what you should expect using a similar combination. It won't be exact, and that is where you will have to learn what is going to add up to a correct load.

stuff like lighter bullets need faster powders. Slower powders produce less pressure all other things being equal. stuff like that.

I've never had an issue with any load ive built. This is what I was hoping to hear, so I'm just gonna keep doing what im doing until I'm satisfied with accuracy.

[kcstott]

What is a "outdated" rifle ?

OP thinks an A2 rifle is outdated. Well you won’t see any M4’s on the firing line for a service rifle match that’s for sure. And no offense to the OP, he’s learning this stuff so...

No it’s just another case of a novice reloader trying to figure out what the published data means to him and his rifle. Not knowing that yeah the AR platform may be the most popular rifle around today. The .223 is not the most popular to load for. Nor are the majority of AR owners reloaders. The vast majority of reloaded .223 is bolt gun ammo. It is still a top round for deer, varmint and competition and I don’t mean three gun. While it would be nice to have data published for your rifle, that’s just not going to happen. So the need to load and test loads comes into play.

[kcheung2]

I have never loaded for velocity. For many years I worked up accurate loads without ever owning a chronograph.

I bought my first chronograph just three years ago and I am almost 60. I did it the old fashioned way.

I would start with a suggested load in the manual. Load three rounds of each, going up 1/2 gr at a time. When the loads showed signs of over pressure I would start back down the ladder, now testing for accuracy. Easy peasy. Seriously, what good is velocity if your accuracy is no good?

And the game that I have killed with these loads couldn't tell the difference between a 2200 fps load and a 2600 fps load.

The chronograph only served to verify my records and also to verify some commonly held beliefs.

...

Chronographs are nice but not necessary.

Now that's wisdom right there.

[dwinters14]

I have never loaded for velocity. For many years I worked up accurate loads without ever owning a chronograph.

I bought my first chronograph just three years ago and I am almost 60. I did it the old fashioned way.

I would start with a suggested load in the manual. Load three rounds of each, going up 1/2 gr at a time. When the loads showed signs of over pressure I would start back down the ladder, now testing for accuracy. Easy peasy. Seriously, what good is velocity if your accuracy is no good?

And the game that I have killed with these loads couldn't tell the difference between a 2200 fps load and a 2600 fps load.

The chronograph only served to verify my records and also to verify some commonly held beliefs.

Probably the best tool that I have purchased for load development was the Lee hand held press. When I was working up loads I would prep a lot of brass. I would then pack everything in a box for a trip to the range. Since the brass was sized, trimmed and primed I could add a powder charge and seat a bullet at the bench. I could play with powder charges as well as seating depth.

Chronographs are nice but not necessary.

That's great to hear, as that's what I've been doing. I only recently wanted to start getting out to range to check out how my loads hold up. For the most part I shoot close distance so my ammo is really just plinking stuff.

[Jimmy's]

Just wanted to add. I load every round 1 at a time and I weigh each and every charge as well as trickle any that need be. Never had a bad one.