How would you know a good reload?

[gemini1]

Where the recommendation is to start from the lowest load and work up from there. How would you know what load works best if you dont have a chrono?
Is/are there any signs to observe, ie groupings? distance of target silhouette?
Lets say this is for a 16" 223 and 9mm pistol.

[rusty815]

It depends on what your after. If you want the most accurate load, a chrono isn't really going to help you, you need to shoot all of your loads and see which one groups best. If you are strictly only looking for velocity, then you'd need a chrono to see how fast you're slinging rounds.

For the 9mm, I personally wouldn't be concerned about velocity, its not a long distance round, so I would look for what groups best and feels the most comfortable,

For the 223, it depends on the application. If I'm only going to be shooting it at 100-300 yards, I wouldn't worry about velocity, but if I wanted to shoot it at longer ranges, then maybe velocity would be a concern.

I have a 300WSM that I put together strictly for long range hunting and target shooting, I wanted to make something that can shoot a round capable of proper expansion at 1000yds and capable of being supersonic at a mile, in this case I focused mainly on velocity and trying to squeeze as much out of it as possible. I couldn't come up with one single load to accomplish both of my requirements, but I have two that accomplish one. I shoot a 200gr. Barnes LRX round at 2960-3000fps, this is capable of properly expanding at 1000 yards (according to the information I recieved from Barnes), and I have a 208gr. AMAX load going at 2950fps for extreme long range shooting, I'm also working on a load with the 230gr. Berger Hybrid to try to replace the 208, since in a lot of cases, depending on the weather, it may or may not be supersonic at a mile.

Application is everything.

[huckberry668]

For me it's always accuracy first, function 2nd and cost 3rd (rarely an issue for reloading). I find it a waste of good money & my time if the load doesn't have acceptable accuracy. Function without accuracy is like pizza with out the sauce to me.

I shoot and average the group sizes of properly benched 5-shot groups. I standardize on the less than maximum but most accurate load for plinking. Given it functions properly at least 99% of the time.

For my match loads I'd go the extra step by prepping the cases, inspect and separate by headstamps to ensure consistency and 100% reliability. I'd bench or Ransom rest my pistol loads at 50 yards and 200, 300 yards or more for rifle rounds.

[Wrangler John]

1. Groups shrink, flyers are nonexistent.
2. The rifle or pistol is still in one piece.
3. You have the same number of fingers and eyes you arrived with.
4. You are not blind or have a loud ringing noise in both ears.
5. There are no bandages covering sutures so that you look like Jason.
6. The last load registered 5,700 fps once you found the chronograph three benches down after your rifle blew up. Back off 10% and work back up.

[sonnyt650]

I'm not a great pistol shooter but if nothing else I've got a rock solid hold on handguns so no feed problems with light loads. Other folks experienced regular failures with my reloads so I've upped the load a little bit more, definitely a subjective measure there. I'd need to invest in a rest and shoot for groups to determine similar quality levels as for rifle. For rifle you know the drill, though I'll suggest that if you're looking for power it's better to start with a cartridge that can do the job even with light loads so you've got room to maximize accuracy as well.

[Paper Boy]

I am all over the place.
I chrono for some loads because I am pushing them and want to see how they are doing.
I load for cost when its for my AR's because they are not meant to shoot the eyes out of a fly.
I load for precision when its my bolt actions. I also sometimes chrono these just to get an idea of what the drop is at different ranges...

[Quinc]

The Chrony is good to see how consistent your loads are. If there is a wide spread in FPS between shots your accuracy is going to suffer. The further you shoot the tighter you will need that spread to be.

[nn3453]

1. Groups shrink, flyers are nonexistent.
2. The rifle or pistol is still in one piece.
3. You have the same number of fingers and eyes you arrived with.
4. You are not blind or have a loud ringing noise in both ears.
5. There are no bandages covering sutures so that you look like Jason.
6. The last load registered 5,700 fps once you found the chronograph three benches down after your rifle blew up. Back off 10% and work back up.

Accuracy + function. For instance, the most accurate 38 load won't do you any good if it won't knock down steel in a match. A chrony will help you figure out how consistent your loads are, but final accuracy depends on the firearm you are shooting it out of.

[Colt562]

I would say function first and then accuracy. Your not going to get any accuracy unless your gun can function.

[Cowboy T]

Agreed with Colt562. For semi-autos, that basically means your load's reliably cycling the action. For revolvers, that means it's going fast enough that you're not risking a pill getting stuck in the barrel. Stay between the min and max loads in the book, and that shouldn't be an issue.

Once that's done, I then tune for precision, i. e. smallest grouping.

[Black Majik]

If you don't have a chronograph to measure muzzle velocity, you can get pretty close by finding a load you like, then entering your DOPE into a ballistic calculator. Play around with the muzzle velocity until it matches the dope you gathered.

[gemini1]

Thanks everyone for the inputs.

@ Black Majik. Quite frankly, I dont even know how DOPE is done. Is it the # of clicks on the elev/windage knob depending on distance (ie hundred yard increments)? Is there a way to do this if I only use irons and the range I frequent is only up to 100 yards?

Thanks

[Cheap Shot]

I used the 'ladder method' to find the loads my rifle liked best. I now have a chronograph so I can go and measure those loads so I know accurate information to key into the ballistic software on my smartphone and get more accurate out to 1000yds.