Why Work "Up" a Load?

[sfonelson]

I have been reading a lot of information lately, and I wanted to ask you guys, why do you necessarily need to work up a load? Why not just go with the recommended recipe that's been documented?

It seems like that when you work up a load, there are more negatives than positives. Such as decrease brass life, use more grains of powder, possible damage of firearm, or even bodily damage. So what are the positives?

[stphnman20]

When you work up a load, your trying to find that "sweet spot" for your rifle. Every rifle is different.

You can have 2 of the same rifle, but one will like 24gr and the other might like 24.5grs.

Yes brass is going to decrease during work ups. But when you find that "sweet spot" you wont have to work up anymore. Just load up which ever load you rifle likes the best.

[SixPointEight]

There's much greater risk of damage by just using a recipe and not working up. Your chamber could be smaller etc.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=377764

We certainly have had a lot of people asking/suggesting this recently, and that tells me one of two things. People are telling each other that it's okay. Or lazy people are starting to reload. If you decide you're smarter than the people that wrote the manual, then by all means use whatever load you want. But please don't sit next to anyone who will be hurt by the shrapnel of your rifle. It's not a matter of IF, it's a matter of WHEN. Especially if you get that data from the internet. Ever heard of a typo? What if someone makes a typo and you go and use that load? Think it's going to be safe?

[B Strong]

Every firearm, even within model and type, are unique - a round that performs perfectly in one may be dangerous in another due to variations in chamber, bore diameter etc.

The other issue, if we're taking stricly about accuracy, is that the individual behind the weapon may find they like one or another particular load for a given weapon.

[GeoffLinder]

Short answer: YES!

Long answer: YES! Because all rifles and load combos are different (bbl. diameter variances, chamber dimension variances, bullet diameter manufacturing variances, brass internal volume differences, bullet seating depth differences, etc...). All of these things are known as tolerances and when tolerances stack they can tip you in one direction or another pressure-wise.

This is why you ALWAYS take 5% off a max load or start at the minimum suggested load and work it back up to where you see pressure signs or reach the intended velocity.

Working up a load is all about reaching the intended velocity or finding a specific velocity where the ammo/rifle combo provides the smallest group size or desired downrange ballistic performance.

Most folks start loading by duplicating known safe loads. Known safe loads are NOT the max listed load and you typically want a little more velocity than the minimum published load data so there you have it, the reason for "working up".

Hope this helps :-)

[sfonelson]

Thanks guys!

In my situation, I am shooting through irons probably out to as far as I can see, which is about 300 yards or so. Which means that I am not too concerned about tight groups, even at 100 yards.

Maybe when I get some optics, I will focus more on working up a load, but for now I am just going to get started with the minimum loads, and then get used to the art of reloading first.

By the way, I dropped the dime on an RCBS kit this morning from Midway. =)

I plan on building a bench this weekend with my buddy. Now I get to go to Home Depot and buy myself a Skilsaw!

I thought that reloading was supposed to save you money! I haven't even started yet, and I already LOVE it!

I already have the dies for both 30-06, and .223, and most other components. I'll be able to start my first rounds in a few weeks. =)

[SixPointEight]

If you're just punching paper a minimum load will be fine. Or you could work up simply looking for signs or pressure and not measuring groups if that's not your thing.

Sounds like you're just plinking, so a minimum load will allow you to stretch your powder further.

[swifty]

In addition, loads given in the manual are tested in either real firearms or a "test" gun. The loads listed were safe in that particular gun. As guns are manufactured the tooling wears, is resharpened and used again. Every barrel, every chamber, every cylinder is slightly different from the last one. Parts have their tolerances and specifications, the gun used for load development will be different from yours. Working up a load helps ensure that your load is safe in your gun.

[GeoffLinder]

One very important tool in load development is a chronograph. If you do not know the velocity a recipe is giving you, you really don't know much about that load

Knowing the velocity is very important for several reasons. When the velocity you get is in the range you expect AND you are not getting excess pressure sign then you know it's time to stop. Second main reason for chronographing reloads is that if you change anything in a recipe you can test until velocity is back where you want it. Once you have a recipe that performs well in a specific rifle, hitting that same velocity again with different powders, primers, cases etc... will bring that load back to the same level of performance.

When you get new batches of primers, powder, bullets and cases things can be different and velocity will not necessarily be the same. Restoring the velocity by varying charge weight is how you get back to that sweet spot you found in the first place.

I highly recommend the CED M2 Chronograph. The Chrony is cheaper and will also do the job, it just doesn't have as good of a feature set.

[SixPointEight]

One very important tool in load development is a chronograph. If you do not know the velocity a recipe is giving you, you really don't know much about that load

Knowing the velocity is very important for several reasons. When the velocity you get is in the range you expect AND you are not getting excess pressure sign then you know it's time to stop. Second main reason for chronographing reloads is that if you change anything in a recipe you can test until velocity is back where you want it. Once you have a recipe that performs well in a specific rifle, hitting that same velocity again with different powders, primers, cases etc... will bring that load back to the same level of performance.

When you get new batches of primers, powder, bullets and cases things can be different and velocity will not necessarily be the same. Restoring the velocity by varying charge weight is how you get back to that sweet spot you found in the first place.

I highly recommend the CED M2 Chronograph. The Chrony is cheaper and will also do the job, it just doesn't have as good of a feature set.

I believe this to be true with everything except the powders. When you change powders, the pressure curves can vary greatly, and this can cause different harmonic motions in the barrel, moving your accuracy nodes.

It's all theory though because I don't have the resources to test it. If you have data supporting the part about powder though, I'd love to see it because there seems to be more theory out there than data on the subject.

[GeoffLinder]

I believe this to be true with everything except the powders. When you change powders, the pressure curves can vary greatly, and this can cause different harmonic motions in the barrel, moving your accuracy nodes.

It's all theory though because I don't have the resources to test it. If you have data supporting the part about powder though, I'd love to see it because there seems to be more theory out there than data on the subject.

I too don't believe changing powder (read burn rate / density here) and then just recreating the old velocity will restore you to a barrel node. BUT, changing cases, primers and seating depth and then restoring velocity will indeed restore a barrel node IME as long as you use the same powder.

Also, it is well known that changing to same density powder with same burn rate characteristics can indeed provide performance identical to previous load once velocity is restored (all else in the recipe being equivalent).

AA2520 and WW748 are good examples of this level of powder interchangeability.

[SixPointEight]

Ahh, then we're very much on the same page.

[sfonelson]

I'll probably end up getting a chrono sooner or later, most likely later. I just want to get used to reloading now.

[stphnman20]

Ahh, then we're very much on the same page.

How cute! haha

[GeoffLinder]

How cute! haha

Cute has nothing to do with correct, but I don't mind being both LOL