Why Work "Up" a Load?

[Kerplow]

if you dont work up your load how will you know how well minimum charges function in your gun? i recently tested my first reloads. i was using 69gn SMK's, varget, federal #205 primers and federal brass. i used .223 data for AR's from Sierra. i started with the lowest charge and worked my way up to .1 grain less than their max charge. i did not see any signs of excess pressure on the hotter loads, but it turned out the minimum charge seemed to be the most accurate, anyhow.

[Chief-7700]

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?

Very well stated.

[Fjold]

One of the standard accuracy loads for a 22.250 is 38 grains of H380 with a 50 grain bullet. This is the minimum load listed in Hodgon's online and printed manuals. Their maximum load is 41 grains of H380 powder.

38 grains of H380 and a 50 grain bullet is the maximum load in one of my Savage 22.250 rifles. 39 grains blows the primers out of the case in my rifle and expands the primer pockets so much that primers literally fall right out.

Always start at the minimum listed load and work up from there.

[vacaman]

Check Out this this Finite Element Analysis of what is happening during "The Explosion".

http://varmintal.com/apres.htm

It also helps to understand the "Harmonic Frequency"...When the shot goes off....there is a shock-wave that goes down the barrel...causing it to flex.

Then the Shock Wave re-bounds...reverses...and heads back down the barrel towards the Action.

If your bullet leaves the muzzle at the same time the shock wave hits the end of the barrel....your accuracy is shot. Muzzle is going who knows where....and consequently...your bullet goes who knows where.

By "Working Up A Load"...the objective is to load the powder...so that your bullet leaves the muzzle when the shock wave has returned to the action end of the barrel...and the muzzle is steady.