Your Load Development Method ⚖️

[Jud96]

Hey everybody, I wanted to start this thread to see everyone's load development method(s) and what works for them. I've tried many methods including OCW, modified versions of OCW, the "Satterlee" method, my own version of both combined, and I've witnessed shooting buddies performing long range ladder testing. It also seems that everyone has their own way of doing things and some swear by their way, while others do equally well with a completely different strategy and method within the same discipline. I've tried many methods and have not been able to replicate the test results on separate days of testing with some of these methods.

Having said all of that, what do you guys do? I want to keep this thread on track and not have too much discussion or debates. I just want the down and dirty description of how you develop loads for your long range rifles. Whether it's for hunting or competition or both. How many shots per charge? What charge increments for each load? Do you pay attention to ES/SD? What range do you do the testing? Do you repeat the test on separate days? Etc Etc. Thank you!

 

[nksmfamjp]

My method:
Find max oal, into lands, mag length, into lands minus something….then load with it to start.
1) a ladder to find bolt lift shot 1 round per charge into separate bullseyes….find groupings and flat spots in velocity curves. At bolt lift or click, that Is over max and I back off 0.5 - 1gr.

2) 5 shot groups at different charge weights….look for best groups and best sd. Fine tune until decent sd is found. Group is #2 priority.

3) 3 shot groups at max oal back in 0.005" increments…go back to 0.150" if you have to in order to see groups open and tighten. Select tightest group.

If this isn't pretty darn good, it is likely time to start over with a new bullet.

4) Starting at your current charge weight, shoot 2-3 weights above and below it looking for a combination of best accuracy and sd….5 shot groups….

Fine tune as needed…this is the time to try more and less neck tension, look for bad cases, look at runout, consider a short development skipping #3(because you know the right oal) trying an alternate powder or primer, etc.

 

[megastink]

I'm new to reloading, and here's what I've decided on, whether right or wrong:
1) Ladder test from minimum charge weight to max, one round at each charge weight; .3gr increments in short actions, .5 in long actions; bullets loaded twenty thou off the lands.
2) Shoot all rounds and look for velocity node (I dont care where they hit)- if its a shorter range rifle build, I'll just load in the middle of the node. If its a long range rig, I'll do a test from the beginning of the node to the end of the node in .2 or .3gr increments to find the best group.
3) After OCW is established, I MIGHT fiddle with seating depth. I'd do that if the best group I had was on the higher side of 1 MOA.

Most of my shots are sub 400 yards, so my needs for group sizes may be different than someone else's. But I find this method efficient and uses the fewest components.

 

[Beluebow]

I ladder test everything either at 600yrds or 1k...I'm very picky about the days/times I do load dev.....three shots per charge weight in a round robin fashion. ES/SD will take care of itself. I take my loading equipment to the range...including my scale. I can have a verified load before I leave the range.

 

[Doom2]

Pretty much standard Dan Newberry OCW. Never use a chronograph when testing.

 

[Koda_]

Im fairly new to handloading and had the same question at the very beginning. My very first test was a ladder method at 300yds and it was a big waste of time and money, I needed to learn to handload consistently first. Once your handloads are consistent -then- an initial ladder test to find max pressure and velocity nodes can be an efficient way to find where to start an OCW test to fine tune the load.

Ideally the simplest way for me is the OCW method, shot "round robin" at 100yds from a benchrest over a chrono in 0.5g increments. I load 4rds in case one is a flier or chrono error, but most people load 3 rds of each powder charge. Take notes on velocities and match to their targets, look for the best group with the lowest ES and thats your load, then run another OCW test in 0.1 or 0.2g increments around the first result to fine tune your best group size and ES and thats your load, if needed play with seating depth last to fine tune its group size smaller.

 

[Bob Wright]

For hunting loads:
300 yard 10 shot ladder looking for pressure .5 gr increments.
Look for nodes visually, compare to velocity recordings to confirm what's being seen on paper.
Seating depth check in a node.
Load 3 shot groups in .2-.3 gr. increments from low to high in those nodes you want to work in.
Try some different primers or powder if above isnt working.
Bullet change last.

 

[Tyler25246]

I think this will be a cool thread!

Im still trying to perfect my method but what it's producing now makes me happy(most the time)
I have a combined ladder test with the "Satterlee" method.
I find the lands start the load about .020 off depending on the bullet, shoot the velocity test find the "node" might try to find tune if the es isn't what I'm looking for when I start my 5 a piece seating depth test. That range trip is basically Berger's or Barnes method of finding seating depths. After I find what I think I'm looking for I load about 20 of that depth and find a nice day to confirm at distance, then true up my ballistic solvers.
Seems to work for the few rifles so far sun Moa, if it's not 1/2moa I'm kinda upset with the load.
Only one rifle so far hasn't worked but I'm not giving up yet. Moving to a different bullet to see how that goes.

 

[LongBomber]

I have changed a bit in the last 2 years. Now I pick a bullet/powder combo I would expect to work in the cartridge, grab lapua alpha or adg brass and:
1. Find the lands with the Alex Wheeler method, and run a seating depth test with 3 shot groups at 100y. I used to start close to the lands but now I start at 40thou off and go further in 3 thou steps out to 61 or 64thou off. Taking the widest node in seating depth to the next steps. If the bullet won't give 1/2moa accuracy with just seating depth tuning I swap to a different bullet. I found if it wont shoot well at 100y with just seating depth tuning its likely going to be a pain to get the load in tune and keep it in tune.
2. Size the brass from #1 to bump shoulders 2 thou max, the brass is now formed to this chamber.
3. Run powder charge ladder in .2gr steps at the seating depth from step 1. Usually I start with a mid book load and go up till I hit pressure. Shot on paper at 600 and past the labradar. Pick the widest node thats close to the speed I would expect from the cartridge.
4. Load 5 at .2 gr steps inside the node to see what 300 or 600y groups look like. Pick the best from there.
5. Then just because I enjoy shooting I will load up a bunch and do a few 10 shot groups at 1000y.

Normally that takes me 21-24 shots for step 1, 12-15 shots for step 3 and 15 for step 4. At that point usually I get a load that shoots consistent small groups.

 

[Hawk in WY]

I spend time with manuals, measuring case capacity, and measuring distance to the lands (minus .02) before I load a round.

With a new barrel I shoot 50 rounds of any load that uses whatever low cost bullets I might have loaded well below max. Load development with a new barrel and virgin brass has not worked for me.

I then run that raw data through QuickLOAD and compare results to several manuals. If QuickLOAD calls for 50 grains for Optimal Barrel Time and published data shows max load above 50, I load three rounds; one at 50 grains and three more each at 0.3 grains and .06 grains above and below 50. I run those over a chronograph, take a brief look to see what groups look like and use that velocity data to fine tune QuickLOAD. Several times I have been able to stop here.

I then calibrate QuickLOAD with the new velocity and recalculate the OBT load and load five rounds at that load plus another five 0.3 and 0,6 above and below the recalculated OBT load.

Those 40 rounds almost always produce my optimal load which I then verify out to 500.

I have occasionally tested varying jump or crimp or carefully worked up to the next higher OBT load but it has rarely been necessary.

I know enough about statistical process control to not believe in velocity flat spots determined from data from one round at each charge weight.

I have observed that my optimal load is very often a load with very low standard deviation.

 

[Sending156s]

1. Clean new barrel & find CBTO before screwing barrel on.
2. Shoot a few rounds going through my cleaning routine.
3. Shoot at a lower charge until about 100-150 rounds have been fired with a lot of cleaning.
4. Shoot a ladder finding pressure.
5. Back charge off to safe pressure, seat bullet .010 to .020 off lands (usually 10)
6. Process finished & just enjoy rifle. Success was at a high percentage before starting the build as I picked quality components known to work together. With a total wildcat I pick components that I've studied & should work together. Success started before the build started.

 

[Mikecr]

#1 Prerequisites. During fire forming of new cases, I test for best primer and best coarse seating.
#2 Barrel node. I run ladder testing at 300yds, then incremental load develop and fine seating tweaking for best precision.
#3 Cold bore load development. This is reaching (to begin) my hot precision MV -but from cold bore -and for accuracy as priority.

That's the best I can do without a barrel tuner.
With a barrel tuner, I swap #2 ladder testing for OCW (powder node) testing, and use the tuner to place a barrel node on top of the powder node. I've only done this with one gun, a Browning with BOSS, and I'm sold on that. It worked really well.

 

[Dot_3]

i pick a velocity I want and then adjust seating depth. As Scott saterlee has pointed out recently, you'll see bigger deltas in group size when altering seating depth. He also points out that a little more neck tension, or interference fit can be the ticket for lowering SD if you're jumping a mile. Reasoning is that it helps with a more uniform ignition. I then confirm at distance. It usually takes about 18-20 rounds before I have something useable at distance.