RHC
Well-Known Member
Mine:
I start out with finding three powders that fill up the case the most and work up a max load for the gun with the hottest primer available for each of the three powders. Then I find which powder has the lowest ES.
Next, I go 10% below the established maximum with the powder that had the lowest ES. I start with one grain increments. Something like this:
44-45-46-47-48
I come home and clean the barrel good. Then load up 5 for each one grain increment. Go to the range and see which one shoots the best. Let's say 45 shot the best. Now I do a 1/2 a grain above and below. Like this loading 5 for each half grain increments:
44.5-45-45.5
So lets say that the 45.5 did the best out of those 3. Now I look back to the one grain increment results. It tells me that 45 and 46 grains shot the best out of the one grain increment. 45 was smaller than 46, so what I will do is go in 1/10th increments above and below 45.5; something like this:
45.3-45.3-45.5-45.6-45.7
Now I will come back and clean the barrel good. Next I start messing with primers. At least 4-5 bare minimum. So lets say 45.6 did the best for powder charge, now time to try different primers:
CCI 200
CCI BR-2
CCI No. 34
CCI 250
Fed. 210
Fed. 210M
Fed 215
Fed 215M
Remington 9.5
Remington 9.5 Magnum
Winchester WLR
Winchester WLRM
Clean the barrel really well and find that Fed 215M shot the best. Now I mess with seating depth:
0.000" Jump
0.005" Jump
0.010" Jump
0.015" Jump
0.020" Jump
0.025" Jump
0.030"Jump
Let's say 0.015" did the best. Now mess with neck tension.
0.002"
0.004"
0.006"
0.008"
0.010"
0.006" did the best. That's how I establish me load. Would look something like this.
.260 Remington
R-P Brass
Berger 140 Hunting VLD
45.6 grains Varget
Fed. 215M
3.125"-0.015" Jump
0.006" NT
What is your process in load development?
I start out with finding three powders that fill up the case the most and work up a max load for the gun with the hottest primer available for each of the three powders. Then I find which powder has the lowest ES.
Next, I go 10% below the established maximum with the powder that had the lowest ES. I start with one grain increments. Something like this:
44-45-46-47-48
I come home and clean the barrel good. Then load up 5 for each one grain increment. Go to the range and see which one shoots the best. Let's say 45 shot the best. Now I do a 1/2 a grain above and below. Like this loading 5 for each half grain increments:
44.5-45-45.5
So lets say that the 45.5 did the best out of those 3. Now I look back to the one grain increment results. It tells me that 45 and 46 grains shot the best out of the one grain increment. 45 was smaller than 46, so what I will do is go in 1/10th increments above and below 45.5; something like this:
45.3-45.3-45.5-45.6-45.7
Now I will come back and clean the barrel good. Next I start messing with primers. At least 4-5 bare minimum. So lets say 45.6 did the best for powder charge, now time to try different primers:
CCI 200
CCI BR-2
CCI No. 34
CCI 250
Fed. 210
Fed. 210M
Fed 215
Fed 215M
Remington 9.5
Remington 9.5 Magnum
Winchester WLR
Winchester WLRM
Clean the barrel really well and find that Fed 215M shot the best. Now I mess with seating depth:
0.000" Jump
0.005" Jump
0.010" Jump
0.015" Jump
0.020" Jump
0.025" Jump
0.030"Jump
Let's say 0.015" did the best. Now mess with neck tension.
0.002"
0.004"
0.006"
0.008"
0.010"
0.006" did the best. That's how I establish me load. Would look something like this.
.260 Remington
R-P Brass
Berger 140 Hunting VLD
45.6 grains Varget
Fed. 215M
3.125"-0.015" Jump
0.006" NT
What is your process in load development?