trying to make sense of reloading

[steep slope]

I have reloading manuals and did reasearch on reloading as per rifle and caliper. I get the part about starting at min. and working up until you find the right mix to make your shots at small groups at a given distance. Every thing I have read says to check the bullet for max pressure. My question is, by building a round at max for your rifle a good thing? Doesnt that wear out the rifle faster? And if you are a once a year hunter do you need to do this? The reason I ask is cant afford to buy a rifle or rebuild it every few years. I want my rifle to last me a long time.

 

[Korhil78]

Most people on here don't build a load around how fast they can get the bullet to go. We reload for the best accuracy in the rifle. I will take a load that goes 2900 fps and is super accurate over a load that goes 3000-3100 fps and is just mediocre for accuracy any day.

With that being said, it goes both ways. If the 3000 fps is more accurate then I will use it even though the load may be at or near max for the rifle.

 

[Jud96]

A once in awhile hunter will never wear his barrel out in a lifetime with standard cartridges and even shooting max loads. Most hunting calibers will get 2500-3000 rounds out of them before the barrel is smoked. If you only hunt in deer season you shoot 1-5 shots depending on how many deer you take and if you miss any.

 

[Sully2]

If you are a once or twice a year hunter......and unless your rifle cant group 5 in a 10 qt bucket at 100yards.....why even bother to reload. If your rifle is a total bummer...well of course thats a different story and if it is probably what it needs is a new barrel.

Lots of good quality factory made ammo on the market and Is sure try a lot of them before I started reloading

 

[MagnumManiac]

There is absolutely no reason not to shoot factory ammo for the life of your rifle if you only own the one.
Most people that handload own dozens of rifles and handload so they can shoot more, not necessarily to save money.
If you're like me, you see your spent brass as something not to waste, so you hang onto it rather than leaving it behind at the range or when hunting. This may get you into handloading just because you don't like waste or because you want precision ammunition.

To your question, rifles are designed to run at or near maxx pressure, the velocity of which has very little effect on barrel wear, it's the powder that causes the damage mostly.
You will never burn out a barrel if you only shoot a few dozen rounds a year, so it's something you don't need to worry yourself with, whether it's factory fodder or handloads.

There is a way to see if handloading is for you, ask around at the range if anybody does it and befriend them to show you the ropes, this is how I did it and haven't looked back since.

Cheers.
gun)

 

[Garycrow]

Max loads are not a problem, they basically duplicate factory loads. Load manuals by nature are conservative in these lawyer driven times of ours, what they list as max are taken in worst case scenarios. Your rifle won't usually achieve the pressures or velocities that the manuals show.

You're not going to wear out a rifle quicker by using max loads.

 

[westcliffe01]

The reason anyone investigates what constitutes a max load in that rifle, is to know where the line is drawn. Seldom does the best accuracy node correspond to a maximum allowable pressure condition, but the idea is to clearly identify where the limit is, so that one can then avoid it in the future and also know how much caution to use when working below max pressure when one varies details like seating depth or the type of primer.

If one is close to max pressure and one needed to seat a bullet deeper, or jam it into the lands, then it would be advisable to back off the charge a bit and re-check where maximum is with the new seating depth. If one changed from a regular to a magnum primer, one may need to lower the charge by as much as a full grain before re-testing.

Bottom line, you do not know what you have not tested. Work up gradually. If a particular charge is too hot, stop after the first shot. No need to "group" a too hot charge. If you loaded more at a higher charge, pull the bullets and start over with them.

 

[steep slope]

thanks you all for the great advise. I was trying to compare reloaded ammo to lets say a hipo engine by raising the compression they usually dont last as long. thats good it doesnt work the same

 

[MagnumManiac]

thanks you all for the great advise. I was trying to compare reloaded ammo to lets say a hipo engine by raising the compression they usually dont last as long. thats good it doesnt work the same

As a builder of high performance drag engines, if the correct maintenance is performed, a hipo engine will probably last longer than a stock engine because it has better tolerances and everything is matched, just like a blueprinted rifle action, it performes better for longer. I still buildvmy street engines with 12:1 comp, never had a problem due to the large overlap in the camshaft.
Handloading is quite a simple process, and a little guidance goes a long way in simplifying things further, it's nothing to fear.

Cheers.
gun)

 

[mrbofus]

The reason anyone investigates what constitutes a max load in that rifle, is to know where the line is drawn. Seldom does the best accuracy node correspond to a maximum allowable pressure condition, but the idea is to clearly identify where the limit is, so that one can then avoid it in the future and also know how much caution to use when working below max pressure when one varies details like seating depth or the type of primer.

If one is close to max pressure and one needed to seat a bullet deeper, or jam it into the lands, then it would be advisable to back off the charge a bit and re-check where maximum is with the new seating depth. If one changed from a regular to a magnum primer, one may need to lower the charge by as much as a full grain before re-testing.

Bottom line, you do not know what you have not tested. Work up gradually. If a particular charge is too hot, stop after the first shot. No need to "group" a too hot charge. If you loaded more at a higher charge, pull the bullets and start over with them.

Exactly what my thought are.
Great advise