Loading for a match

[grovey]

When do you load your rounds for a upcoming match, and why?

 

[LHSmith]

I preload at home the day before the match. I can take my time, am not bothered by distractions, run every round though the action (Firing pin spring removed) to verify 100% function, and I want to dispense the powder at a constant temp and humidity to eliminate those variables which are found loading outside at different times of day on match day. It also minimizes the adjustment required by the tuner, sometimes not requiring any adjustment once tune is found/verified during match warm-up.

 

[retired]

what kind of match ?

 

[50bmg1979]

When do you load your rounds for a upcoming match, and why?

What discipline are you shooting? I think that will depend a lot on your answers. I shoot
F class and I load anywhere from the day before to the week before. If its longer then a couple of days then I will load long and final size the night before the match. This is just how I do it and might not work for your type of shooting.

 

[dcali]

At 2:00AM the night before the match because I couldn't be bothered to do it at a sane time.

 

[HomeSlice]

At 2:00AM the night before the match because I couldn't be bothered to do it at a sane time.

+1

I never seem to learn...

 

[DirtySteve]

As soon as possible so I don't have to be in a hurry to load and screw some chit up..

 

[grovey]

Nothing serious. I've been playing a bit at the local Ghog matches in the factory class. The reason I asked is I tend to load the evening before rather than 3 or 4 days or even a week before. I feel I get better results with freshly loaded rds. Maybe I just have more confidence, but......

 

[dcali]

I know more than one very good shooter who swears they get better results from ammo that’s been sitting a few weeks. Maybe it has something to do with stress relaxation or maybe it’s all in our heads. Either way, I can’t see it being a big deal.

 

[WillyTP]

Discipline would make a difference because of cartridge choices. The last couple years I been loading at the range. This has been IBS Score shooting, so mostly 30BR or 30 improves. These cases require very little once initially prepped. Hardly ever have to trim them, they shoot well after several firings without annealing. Some guys never anneal they’re cases. So this is an easy one to do at the range and it gives me something to do while the other relay is going.

 

[Jacob.A]

Once I settle on a load and buy components in bulk I'd like to get in the habit of loading in large batches weeks or months in advance. Realistically, 2 am (or later) the night before is usually how it plays out.

 

[Just Dave]

I have a match in 2 weeks, and I'll probably spend tomorrow night, or part of Saturday loading, then take a few of those rounds out on Sunday and run them across the radar to verify.
I don't like to load up too far ahead

 

[riflewoman]

Depends. When I shot highpower service rifle, I loaded during the off season . I loaded 1500-2000 rounds. Then I shot that up during the season. For match rifle, I did the same but the batches were smaller 700 rounds of short range ammo and 500 long range. Loading for 1000 yards was done on an as needed basis. This was in the days of 308 and 300 Mags. I load Benchrest at the range.

Now that pistol is my main focus, the batches are much bigger as the ammo requirements are larger.

 

[Liven The Dream]

I am not a last minute Charley ..

I have Boxes of Brass all prepped and primed.( 800)
I have anywhere for 400 to 900 + Rounds loaded with Bullets seated long .

I have 300 to 500 + ready to shoot a Match .
I shoot Palma .308 a weekend could be 200 +

 

[savageshooter86]

It’s usually last minute at. 1 or 2 am. Then get up at 5:30 to drive. I like mine as fresh as possible. I shoot Fclass

At the BSWN I loaded long. And seated each day for the number of rounds that day. Tweaked load slightly each day. Seemed to do well

 

[Down South]

I normally load ammo with bullets seated long several weeks/month ahead for big matches I'm traveling to out of state then seat down the night before in the hotel to final seating depth. Well, I shot the Texas and Mississippi championships the last couple weekends and decided to seat them down to final depth when I loaded the ammo weeks before the matches, didn't see any difference at all in the load as opposed to seating the night before the match.

 

[Terry]

This late winter/early spring in Wisconsin did not permit proper load testing. I loaded vials with powder in the range (grains) I thought I would need and loaded ammo at the range on several occasions. With perfect tunes needed to win I expect to do this more often.

 

[JimSC]

the week before. I load a few the weekend before and do a practice session on Monday or Tuesday then load on Wednesday or Thursday. I don't feeling like I have to rush

 

[grovey]

Most times I load for development I shoot the rds the following day, and alot of times the same day. While I haven't tested fresh rds against rds that have been loaded a week or longer, I've used a few leftovers the following week for sighters and a time or two to have enough for a match. They never seem to shoot the same/as well.

 

[MagnumManiac]

What discipline are you shooting? I think that will depend a lot on your answers. I shoot
F class and I load anywhere from the day before to the week before. If its longer then a couple of days then I will load long and final size the night before the match. This is just how I do it and might not work for your type of shooting.

This is how I do it too. I might leave it a week or 2 before I fully seat the night before a match.
I often load 2 weeks before a match and have never had an issue...Except.

I once had a great load worked up at home, loaded 40 and tested off the porch to verify drop etc. Loaded a complete set and headed to a match a week later...well was I surprised when the very first sighter locked my action up and sent me home. I was bewildered as to what had happened...
Long story short, after finding the cause, it was the last time I ever charged cases straight from the measure and allowed them to ‘settle’ on the way to the range. I swirl my powder into my cases now, no more settling and I KNOW how much compression I’m getting.

Cheers.