RockyMtnMT
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@Ingwe asked me if I would start a thread detailing how we do load development, so here goes.
With a rifle that is new to us the 1st thing we do is clean it until there is no copper from other bullets in the barrel. I recommend this anytime you are changing bullets. Once the rifle is clean then I check all the optic mounting screws and action screws to make sure they are torqued to the proper level.
Now that the rifle is ready to go and we have a bullet chosen that is proper for the twist rate of the barrel ( I prefer to use bullets that are running with a higher than the min required twist for the given bullet for hunting), I will look at published load data for a like weight bullet from a couple of sources. I generally find what I need from Nosler and Hodgdon data. Any of the published load manuals will give you a good start load since the Hammers will show less pressure than conventional bullets. I like to look for a powder that does not show a compressed load. Since the pure copper bullets will be a bit longer than the equivalent weight lead bullet, compressed loads generally will not get enough powder in the case to reach top end. This will also depend on the seating depth of the bullet. If you have a mag and throat that will allow you to seat longer that will help with case capacity. As a general rule the Hammers will like powders on the faster side of normal powders listed for the bullet weight.
We prefer to use magnum primers with most cartridges. I am not as adamant about this as I used to be. Some smaller cartridges will show early pressure signs with the mag primer. If that happens then just switch to a standard primer.
Now that we have our ingredients picked out I figure out the longest COAL that will function properly in the rifle without touching the lands. If I can reach the lands I will start 20 thou off. There is no good reason to touch the lands particularly in a hunting rifle. A primer failure can stick a bullet in the bore and ruin you trophy of a lifetime. I know this personally. The method to this madness is simply that if I have to make a seating depth change to get good accuracy, there is only one way to go.
Now we are ready to light a fire in it. I always load with a chronograph and log muzzle vel with each shot. We use the Labradar now, but the Magneto Speed will also do you very well. I run a modified ladder to find my load. I like to load develop at a min 200y. Everything looks good at 100Y. I aim each shot at the same spot shooting as well as I can. I watch the target and expect to see pretty close to an moa target even if we have spread of vel over 200 fps. At this point the target is not the most important thing though. As long as we are not shooting all over the place. If it is bad I just change to a diff powder. No point in making the rifle like what I want it to. We run our ladder one shot one charge at a time looking for pressure. In most cartridges I load up in 1g increments. Small ones in smaller increments. Using the muzzle vel, bolt lift, ejector marks on the case head, and the flattening of the primer. I don't as much attention to the primer as the other indicators. Vel is a very good indicator of pressure. You can't have monster vel without pressure. The Hammers will show 50 to 100 fps higher vel, in most rifles, over the load data. Nosler data is pretty hot data and will line up pretty close with the Hammers. I like to find pressure and back away from it. That way I know where it is. This is kind of a "feel" thing as to how much to back off when you find pressure. Some brass is soft and shows more presser than some of the tough brass. If I am getting an ejector mark in Nosler or Norma brass I don't worry about it as much as I do with ADG or Lapua brass. As we work this ladder up, I like to see nice predictable increases in vel with each increase in charge weight. If it is random in the vel as it works up I usually change to a diff powder. Some times at low pressure though it is not as predictable.
Once we have found the top end, I load a few of this load and shoot them for group and to check to see that the ES is not goofy. For a hunting rifle under 1000y ES under 30 fps will be fine. I like it to be less for sure and usually I can not get myself to settle on a load unless it is under 20 fps ES. Particularly if it is not punching solid sub moa. At this point we are usually done with the load development and just zero the rifle to go out and confirm it at long range. Once in a while we will get a rifle that is not shooting as well as we expect. If that is the case then I will start seating deeper about 15 thou at a time, or a quarter turn on the seater die. Almost always within two or three adjustments the group will tighten right up. If I am making seating depth adjustments I don't bother shooting more than two shots if they are not good. Can't make a bad group better by shooting at it more times! Now zero dead nuts and you are ready to go confirm drops. Very rarely do we shoot over 20 rounds to finish a load that is solid sub moa. I strive for .5 moa and really don't spend time and resources to try and get better than that. I would rather go out and hunt rocks with my .5 moa rifle than try to get it tighter. Most rifles we are done in less than 15 shots and zeroed, ready to go confirm drops at long range.
I think that pretty much covers it. You can try this method with other brand bullets as well. They probably won't be quite as easy as the Hammers, but it is still a good process to save time and money.
I will add that we take all of our loading equipment to the range and load one at a time through the loading process. Makes it easy to make changes on the fly.
With a rifle that is new to us the 1st thing we do is clean it until there is no copper from other bullets in the barrel. I recommend this anytime you are changing bullets. Once the rifle is clean then I check all the optic mounting screws and action screws to make sure they are torqued to the proper level.
Now that the rifle is ready to go and we have a bullet chosen that is proper for the twist rate of the barrel ( I prefer to use bullets that are running with a higher than the min required twist for the given bullet for hunting), I will look at published load data for a like weight bullet from a couple of sources. I generally find what I need from Nosler and Hodgdon data. Any of the published load manuals will give you a good start load since the Hammers will show less pressure than conventional bullets. I like to look for a powder that does not show a compressed load. Since the pure copper bullets will be a bit longer than the equivalent weight lead bullet, compressed loads generally will not get enough powder in the case to reach top end. This will also depend on the seating depth of the bullet. If you have a mag and throat that will allow you to seat longer that will help with case capacity. As a general rule the Hammers will like powders on the faster side of normal powders listed for the bullet weight.
We prefer to use magnum primers with most cartridges. I am not as adamant about this as I used to be. Some smaller cartridges will show early pressure signs with the mag primer. If that happens then just switch to a standard primer.
Now that we have our ingredients picked out I figure out the longest COAL that will function properly in the rifle without touching the lands. If I can reach the lands I will start 20 thou off. There is no good reason to touch the lands particularly in a hunting rifle. A primer failure can stick a bullet in the bore and ruin you trophy of a lifetime. I know this personally. The method to this madness is simply that if I have to make a seating depth change to get good accuracy, there is only one way to go.
Now we are ready to light a fire in it. I always load with a chronograph and log muzzle vel with each shot. We use the Labradar now, but the Magneto Speed will also do you very well. I run a modified ladder to find my load. I like to load develop at a min 200y. Everything looks good at 100Y. I aim each shot at the same spot shooting as well as I can. I watch the target and expect to see pretty close to an moa target even if we have spread of vel over 200 fps. At this point the target is not the most important thing though. As long as we are not shooting all over the place. If it is bad I just change to a diff powder. No point in making the rifle like what I want it to. We run our ladder one shot one charge at a time looking for pressure. In most cartridges I load up in 1g increments. Small ones in smaller increments. Using the muzzle vel, bolt lift, ejector marks on the case head, and the flattening of the primer. I don't as much attention to the primer as the other indicators. Vel is a very good indicator of pressure. You can't have monster vel without pressure. The Hammers will show 50 to 100 fps higher vel, in most rifles, over the load data. Nosler data is pretty hot data and will line up pretty close with the Hammers. I like to find pressure and back away from it. That way I know where it is. This is kind of a "feel" thing as to how much to back off when you find pressure. Some brass is soft and shows more presser than some of the tough brass. If I am getting an ejector mark in Nosler or Norma brass I don't worry about it as much as I do with ADG or Lapua brass. As we work this ladder up, I like to see nice predictable increases in vel with each increase in charge weight. If it is random in the vel as it works up I usually change to a diff powder. Some times at low pressure though it is not as predictable.
Once we have found the top end, I load a few of this load and shoot them for group and to check to see that the ES is not goofy. For a hunting rifle under 1000y ES under 30 fps will be fine. I like it to be less for sure and usually I can not get myself to settle on a load unless it is under 20 fps ES. Particularly if it is not punching solid sub moa. At this point we are usually done with the load development and just zero the rifle to go out and confirm it at long range. Once in a while we will get a rifle that is not shooting as well as we expect. If that is the case then I will start seating deeper about 15 thou at a time, or a quarter turn on the seater die. Almost always within two or three adjustments the group will tighten right up. If I am making seating depth adjustments I don't bother shooting more than two shots if they are not good. Can't make a bad group better by shooting at it more times! Now zero dead nuts and you are ready to go confirm drops. Very rarely do we shoot over 20 rounds to finish a load that is solid sub moa. I strive for .5 moa and really don't spend time and resources to try and get better than that. I would rather go out and hunt rocks with my .5 moa rifle than try to get it tighter. Most rifles we are done in less than 15 shots and zeroed, ready to go confirm drops at long range.
I think that pretty much covers it. You can try this method with other brand bullets as well. They probably won't be quite as easy as the Hammers, but it is still a good process to save time and money.
I will add that we take all of our loading equipment to the range and load one at a time through the loading process. Makes it easy to make changes on the fly.
