What is the safety margin on powder charge?

[The Oregonian]

New to reloading and have equipment on order so I haven't even done cartridge #1 yet.

My question is about safety margin with powder charge. In no way am I saying that being sloppy and careless is the way to proceed. I am only doing my 270 win for now and plan to lean significantly more towards OCD than sloppiness.

Hypothetically speaking, if a max load is 57gr and a developed load is 55gr, at roughly what point will things get truly dangerous? Not talking about flattened primers - but at what point will the action blow (or something to that effect)?

Not looking for an exact number, but is it around 60gr? 65gr? etc?

Again, I will be extremely careful and thorough - just looking for a ballpark guess as to what the allowable error is before either the gun or shooter is in bad shape.

 

[gohring3006]

it has alot of variables gun,powder,brass,and primers all have there own limits and the funny thing is that you can have two identical guns and they will have different a pressure tolerance temperature can affect the pressure also. I will say this that I haven't went to far over max charges without noticing it was getting dangerous so being new to reloading I would stick to the books and don't press your luck. I forgot to mention seeting dept can affect pressures. Be safe and you and your rifle will live longer....

 

[Barrelnut]

Depents....

Usually having significantly less powder in the cartridge is most dangerous. This can cause a secondary ignition effect and split that beautiful wood stock or something. Oddly enough, you can never overload some rounds with some powder types. You run out of space in the cartridge before you reach a point where too much powder can cause a problem.

You should always strive for +/- .1 grain. I ALWAYS load all my cartridges with powder before I seat bullets. Then after loading all of the cartridges with powder, I physically touch each one with my finger and look at the powder lever in it. If one looks over/under I address that before I start to load any bullets. One of the screwiest things you can do it is forget to put any powder in a cartridge and just have a primer and bullet. The primer has just enough power to force the bullet out of the cartridge and into the rifling. it is F*%#@D up after that!

 

[mtwarych]

I suggest the OP search for instructions on how to work a ladder to find what load the rifle likes and where the overpressure starts.
All rifles are different so the loads I make for the 3 270wins in the house are all different.
The OP will need to work up his own ladder using load information for the components being used.
Have fun working up a perfect load for your rifle.

 

[The Oregonian]

I understand the ladder test - what I am looking for is something different. In short, how much do you have to overload a case to get it to go kaboom.

 

[RT2506]

With powders in the slow burn rate like H4831 you can't get enough powder in a 270 win. case to cause a blow up of an action. Before an action will blow up from pressure the bolt will lock up until you can't get it open. Before that happens you will blow primers out of the case if you are working up loads with some of the faster powders. Don't worry about a blow up if you use load data from the powder or bullet manufacturer and start at starting load and work up slowly. If you go off on your own and do something like fill a rifle case up with Bullseye pistol powder like I once witnessed a fellow do YOU WILL BLOW UP A RIFLE.

 

[mtwarych]

I have a friend that threw 10 grain overloads by setting the beam scale wrong with H4831. That caused a stiff bolt but did no damage to his savage 7mmRM. I don't remember what PSI is used for proof loads but I think it is around 75,000 psi.
I also saw a man at the rifle range break his bolt lever off his 22-250 using his "special" loads.
The "blow ups" I have seen were pistols where it is easily possible to double charge a round.
If you use a powder that is meant for your size case, I think you would have to try to get enough powder into it to blow up. Anything is possible though.

 

[paul105]

Just curious -- how do you get a 10 grain overload of H4831 in a 7mm RM case?


Paul

 

[FEENIX]

I understand the ladder test - what I am looking for is something different. In short, how much do you have to overload a case to get it to go kaboom.

The safety margin has already been established in most reloading manuals.

There is NO substitute for safety and Murphy does not discriminate, new or seasoned reloader.

lightbulbSAFETY! SAFETY! SAFETY!lightbulb

BTW, I don't want to assume anything so make sure your rifle has an "IDIOT" hole. Somebody posted before of what I think was the best description but can't seem to find it. Perhaps others will.

lightbulbGood luck and happy safe reloading and shooting!lightbulb

 

[Screwey1]

The safety margin has already been established in most reloading manuals.

There is NO substitute for safety and Murphy does not discriminate, new or seasoned reloader.

lightbulbSAFETY! SAFETY! SAFETY!lightbulb

BTW, I don't want to assume anything so make sure your rifle has an "IDIOT" hole. Somebody posted before of what I think was the best description but can't seem to find it. Perhaps others will.

lightbulbGood luck and happy safe reloading and shooting!lightbulb

Agreed , and would also like to point out that different manufacture bullets have different max loads, so be careful with that. If you want to go faster change caliber. It is unwise to try and push a 30-06 to 300RUM speeds when 300 RUM's are made everyday.

 

[mtwarych]

Tom, the man who threw the overload set the beam to 70 then dialed up 4.3 grains on the cylinder.
He meant to throw 64.3 grains. He figured out something was wrong on the first round. The bolt was heavy and the headstamp was almost nonexistent. He was using CCI LRM, Fed brass and 160 gr Barnes of some kind.
He was a beginner.

 

[Demon061]

Depents....

Usually having significantly less powder in the cartridge is most dangerous. This can cause a secondary ignition effect and split that beautiful wood stock or something. Oddly enough, you can never overload some rounds with some powder types. You run out of space in the cartridge before you reach a point where too much powder can cause a problem.

You should always strive for +/- .1 grain. I ALWAYS load all my cartridges with powder before I seat bullets. Then after loading all of the cartridges with powder, I physically touch each one with my finger and look at the powder lever in it. If one looks over/under I address that before I start to load any bullets. One of the screwiest things you can do it is forget to put any powder in a cartridge and just have a primer and bullet. The primer has just enough power to force the bullet out of the cartridge and into the rifling. it is F*%#@D up after that!

Truth

 

[Screwey1]

Truth

In reference to the statement that you can never overload some cartridges with some powders, hopefully none of the inexperienced loaders take this to mean "pack it full, scrape off the top and stuff a bullet in it" because while the above statement is true , it is also true that you can overload some cartridges with some powders.

Probably the best answer to the OP is ,if you need to ask, get a manual and follow it. Follow standard loading procedures, starting close to minimum load data and work your way up. These manuals give minimum and maximum loads for a reason.
Some may argue that the maximum loads are lighter than need to be for legal reasons and I won't dispute that here.
In my experience generally speaking, pushing loads too far results in an accuracy loss, so I've always looked for accuracy first. I see no sense pushing putting undue stress on the rifle for speed that reduces accuracy.
I know there will be some that say that they've gone above max load and gained accuracy........I am speaking only of my experience, I don't suggest that this is a blanket fact that holds true no matter what caliber or rifle. Anyone that has done much of this knows 2 of the exact same guns, chambered in the exact same round , won't necessarily like the exact same load.

 

[The Oregonian]

In reference to the statement that you can never overload some cartridges with some powders, hopefully none of the inexperienced loaders take this to mean "pack it full, scrape off the top and stuff a bullet in it" because while the above statement is true , it is also true that you can overload some cartridges with some powders.

Probably the best answer to the OP is ,if you need to ask, get a manual and follow it. Follow standard loading procedures, starting close to minimum load data and work your way up. These manuals give minimum and maximum loads for a reason.
Some may argue that the maximum loads are lighter than need to be for legal reasons and I won't dispute that here.
In my experience generally speaking, pushing loads too far results in an accuracy loss, so I've always looked for accuracy first. I see no sense pushing putting undue stress on the rifle for speed that reduces accuracy.
I know there will be some that say that they've gone above max load and gained accuracy........I am speaking only of my experience, I don't suggest that this is a blanket fact that holds true no matter what caliber or rifle. Anyone that has done much of this knows 2 of the exact same guns, chambered in the exact same round , won't necessarily like the exact same load.

This makes sense. I have no plans to deviate from the book as starting loads, and work up on powder very carefully, with accuracy as the goal. As they say in golf, the woods are full on long hitters.

I am using only the most accurate powders as defined by the nosler manual, and will be extremely careful. Limiting myself to one lower in 270 and one in '06 for now. Will branch out as needed when I get more experience.