Spreadsheet for reloading

Mike6158

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Joined
Jan 19, 2003
Messages
688
Location
Texas
I've built a couple of spreadsheets that I think are handy so I thought that I would share them with the reloading community here.

I use one for documenting my load when I use a chronograph. It calculates the following for a 1 to 10 shot group for 7 different loads:

Number of shots
Lowest velocity
Highest velocity
Average Velocity
ES
Energy in ft. lbs
SD (note- Standard Deviation is a statistical value. 10 data points is the least number recommended by most chronograph mfgs and a very small sample. Statisticians will tell you that SD is only as good as the number of samples and they generally wrinkle their nose at a sample as small as 10. If you have less than 10 data points the spreadsheet will still calculate a result but it's probably not of much value)

Just fill in the blanks that you can before you go to the range and add the velocity and atmospheric data once you get there and start shooting. I take a printed copy with me but it will load on to a PDA (I loaded it on my Dell Axim 50). Once you get home you can type in the recorded values and do file Save As and save a copy specific to a particular test.

I also use the sheet when I don't use a chronograph. It's handy for keeping track of what loads that I've tried. I also have columns to record atmospheric data as well as data about the load that I am testing (caliber, BC, powder, bullet, etc.). The spreadsheet is protected to prevent accidental over writing of a formula. If someone wants the password I will gladly give it out. For that matter, if Len wants to include it when he edits the post that's fine with me. Who knows, maybe someone will get froggy and change the calcs to handle a larger sample size :)

I use the other spreadsheet to give me an overview of what charges I will use for a specific cartridge. When I go to the loading bench all I take with me is one sheet of paper rather than the manual. Once the loads are built I put the printout into the cartridge box with notes on which row contains which load. This doesn't sound like it would be that handy but I list every powder that I have on hand and I have a tab for rifle and a tab for pistol. I know this is going to make some long time reloaders wince a little but we have a lot of new to reloading people out there (that's a good thing). By listing all of the rifle powders on one tab and all of the pistol powders on another the likelihood of accidentally loading a rifle powder in a pistol case or vice-versa should be diminished since the "recipe" is for a specific powder is right there. Another benefit is that I only have load info for the powders that I have on hand. I don't have to worry about weeding through all of the other data. I thought about breaking it into caliber specific tabs but decided it would be more useful to more people if I did it this way. To tweak it to your liking just remove the powders that you don't have and add the ones that you do.

If Len posts the sheets that I sent him then they will already have data points entered in a couple of columns. Just delete the blue and red colored info. BTW- I used red to indicate max or over max charges in.

Feedback is appreciated but not necessary.
 

Attachments

  • Load Information.xls
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  • Load Data Summary.xls
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Last edited:
I like the LOAD DATA SUMMARY sheet.!! Good Idea. That's a nice way to keep all the data on one sheet, AND have the computer do all the calculations too. I plan on doing alot of load testing over the next couple of years, as I've got 3 custom guns being built currently. I like to find the best load for each rifle and then, once I've found it; I'll load up a few hundred rounds. I'll probably find this easier than keeping it all in "scribble" form in a small notebook....LOL.

Thanks for sharing this:)
 
It depends on what a guy is trying to accomplish.
10 years ago I was using a spread sheet when I tried to work up ever powder and ever bullet combination in 9mm to case failure or case full.

These spread sheets look like a Sierra load book.
I really like the Rifle Sierra data, but that is not how I am currently organizing.

Right now I have hundreds of guns with ~ 60 different cartridges. I write up range reports and email them to friends. Each time I am about to do something new, I do a search on that gun and that cartridge to see where I left off.

Most guys organize their reloading with shelves of dies and shelves of bullets.
I have a file folder box with the dies and brass for a cartridge. I have the bullets in another file folder box. This way everything for a project is already kitted up.
 
Nice spreadsheets. Only thing that I saw in your spreadsheets that might have made it a little easier on you at the time was for the standard deviation calcs. Instead of the formula you used (which is absolutely correct) you could have just entered " =STDEV(B19:B28) "

Very nice sheet and useful as well.
 
Thanks everyone.


Nice spreadsheets. Only thing that I saw in your spreadsheets that might have made it a little easier on you at the time was for the standard deviation calcs. Instead of the formula you used (which is absolutely correct) you could have just entered " =STDEV(B19:B28) "

Very nice sheet and useful as well.

I was so intent on trying to use an equation I never thought about that. That's a really good thing for everyone to know. It's a lot easier to add more data points to the sheet by using that formula than it is to add to the one that I used.
 
Great spreadsheets couple of things I added was Case type and COAL in the load info sheet and Sectional Density, Headspace, Max Coal, Coal, and group size in the Load Data sumary sheet.

Also what is "Bullet Stability Factor" I'm not familiar with this term?

Thanks for the post
 
Great spreadsheets couple of things I added was Case type and COAL in the load info sheet and Sectional Density, Headspace, Max Coal, Coal, and group size in the Load Data sumary sheet.

Also what is "Bullet Stability Factor" I'm not familiar with this term?

Thanks for the post

Those are good adds.

If I'm not mistaken the term Bullet Stability Factor comes from LoadBase 3.0. I lost my main hard drive a few months ago and I haven't gotten around to recovering everything that was on it yet otherwise I would look.
 
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