What's everyone use to log their load data? I've been using a few small spiral bound notebooks, and I'm wanting something better. Does anyone use index cards -n- holders? It seems to me this may be a better way to go. There would be room in each for several rifles and several loads for each rifle. Tabs would make it easy to navigate, and you could set and reset how many cards in each section. I believe they even have thing a ma jigs to slip over and protect the card once it's full.
Log book
- Thread starter grovey
- Start date
MikeMcCasland
Team Texas F-T/R
I keep a master spreadsheet on my system that I save to cloud storage. I keep a separate tab for each rifle, or when I rebarrel a rifle. The master sheet tracks exactly how much powder has been down that barrel, round count, average MOA during load dev, bullet/lands measurements etc. All of it conditionally formatted too, so you can quickly see which load had great velocity/SD/groups.
I have a print out of load data that I put in my ammo boxes each range session (i.e. what load is in what row of my box); I keep all my targets (also printed from a computer). Once I'm done with a range session, I 3 hole punch the targets I shot, and annotate which line from the load data print out shot what target. That way I have a soft copy of the data saved to a computer/cloud, and a hard copy of the data and target in a binder.
Keeping a hard copy of data/targets has been one of the best things I've done in shooting. No more trying to rely on a crappy memory as to what shot really well; you know exactly, because you have the data sheet you shot that day, along with the target.
Edit: Also a good idea to invest in a laminator; those amazon basics ones are only like ~$15. One of the minor benefits I didn't consider until I had one was having waterproof targets for rainy days.
Excel is outstanding for this kind of activity; it's all structured data, so it should absolutely be in a spreadsheet. If you're good at excel, you can do amazing things with the data.
I have a print out of load data that I put in my ammo boxes each range session (i.e. what load is in what row of my box); I keep all my targets (also printed from a computer). Once I'm done with a range session, I 3 hole punch the targets I shot, and annotate which line from the load data print out shot what target. That way I have a soft copy of the data saved to a computer/cloud, and a hard copy of the data and target in a binder.
Keeping a hard copy of data/targets has been one of the best things I've done in shooting. No more trying to rely on a crappy memory as to what shot really well; you know exactly, because you have the data sheet you shot that day, along with the target.
Edit: Also a good idea to invest in a laminator; those amazon basics ones are only like ~$15. One of the minor benefits I didn't consider until I had one was having waterproof targets for rainy days.
Excel is outstanding for this kind of activity; it's all structured data, so it should absolutely be in a spreadsheet. If you're good at excel, you can do amazing things with the data.
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Just use the notes app on my iPhone with a different page for each gun. Can be date stamped and you can input pictures
Chris Butler
Gold $$ Contributor
Composition notebooks and 3 ring binders
Nice!
I recently ran into my printed target suffering during group testing in the rain. I jumped on Amazon and bought 200 sheets of waterproof paper. Unlike a laminated sheet, which will be affected by moisture once penetrated, this does not take on moisture if cut, torn or penetrated. I keep a couple of these targets printed in my range folder, ready when necessary.
Jimmy James
Silver $$ Contributor
Lotta page templates out there in the public domain. I just download and print them. 3 hole punch set up for the half size 3 ring note books you can get at the office suppy stores. Weapon system page, load development page, round log page and dope page.
I agree. Excel, or some other spreadsheet beats a tattered notebook all to Hell. I scan and process all my test targets using On Target Software. It lets me measure the bullet holes very accurately and quickly calculates all sorts of valuable data including Mean Radius which is a real PITA to do by hand, but is done automatically with On Target. Some people, including me, think it is more meaningful than MOA when it comes to measuring the performance of typical test groups.
I assign every loading session a number specific to a particular caliber and gun. You can see it as the 4 digit number in the image below in the Ammunition column. That particular recipe is detailed in a M.S. Word document which contains every important detail like neck tension, seating depth, charge weight, etc. etc. It also has a narrative about the loading session including comments about seating force, how I sorted bullets, and so-on. After I get back from the test range or match, I add a narrative about the results, add in scores or group size, weather conditions, etc. and I print a hard copy. After I scan my targets, I export the On Target data to an Excel worksheet and then add supplementary information like chronograph data, charge weight, powder type, etc. I also calculate a corrected MOA and a corrected ATC (average-to-center, same as Mean Radius) biased for range other than 100 yards and number of shots other than five.
Here is an example. It shows the first 15 lines of my 6.5mm Creedmoor worksheet.
I can sort this data eight ways from Sunday. For example, if you ask me to compare the average MOA of the best ten 5 shot groups made by my .223 using Berger 80gr VLDs with Varget against the best ten 5 shot groups using Sierra MK 80grain bullets with Vihtavouri N-130 at 100 yards and again at 600 yards, it would take me only a few minutes using Excel. Using a typical notebook, that job would be so difficult that no sane person would try it.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Making charts in Excel is quick and easy, so when I do a seating test I always make a chart like this one. It's a snap to pick out the best seating depth from visual data like this..
I have the option of saving my original targets or simply the scanned version saved in digital format on my hard drive. Later I can study the extracted data, the charted performance results, or I can dig up the scanned image and see the actual bullet holes if I want.
So when I get ready for a match, I can consult my Excel worksheet to decide on a suitable recipe and then dig out the M.S. Word document giving details on how I made that particular ammo. Then I can use Quick Load to tweak that recipe, if necessary, based on the forecast weather for the upcoming match.
This routine doesn't really take much more time than using a notebook, but it's so much more versatile that there is no comparison as far as I'm concerned. It doesn't take a serious shooter very long to accumulate a HUGE amount of data. If you want to study your past performance with the idea of predicting what will work best for an upcoming match, then you need to study and sort that data. I'm convinced that a spread sheet is the best way to do that. You may see me taking notes by hand during a test session, but you won't catch me storing any hand written data, that's for sure.
Typing paper folded in half. Each rig gets a "pamphlet".. add pages as necessary. Written in chronological order.Then,down the rd it's easy to read/decipher the logic or methodology and pick it up or go back and dig a little deeper at any one stage.
There's a dz or so of these living in the top drawer of my Kennedy cabinet in loading room.Title page gives the rig nomenclature, very easy to find what your looking for.
There's a dz or so of these living in the top drawer of my Kennedy cabinet in loading room.Title page gives the rig nomenclature, very easy to find what your looking for.
jepp2
Gold $$ Contributor
Another Excel user here. Works really well. And I scan in my targets and chrony sheets for future reference.
If you're using Excel and scanning your targets already, you absolutely MUST give the OnTarget Precision Calculator software a try. You really owe it to yourself. Once you have a scan, it takes one mouse click to designate the aim point, and one click per bullet hole to measure your target to very high precision.
It's free for 15 days and only costs 12 bucks, well worth the cost. It outputs jpgs of your targets and other forms of data, but best of all it will make a file which you can cut and past into your existing Excel worksheet. Use as much or little data as you wish, but at least you should grab the MOA and ATC data, plus perhaps the group height. ATC is what they call Average to Center, the same thing as Mean Radius.
It would plump out your already nice Excel worksheet and let you sort your data to determine, for example, which recipe produces the least vertical dispersion at 600 yards....... and other stuff like that.
Try it, you won't be sorry.
Well, that depends on what you looking for.
For example, lets say you shoot with Varget, but suddenly it becomes impossible to get and you have a match coming up. What you're looking for in this case is the best alternative powder.
Say you have logged good data with Vihtavuori N-140, IMR 4895, and IMR 8208 XBR and you have all three on hand. No problem, all you have to do is decide which is best for the upcoming 600 yard F-Class match using your favorite low drag bullet. Take the average MOA, Mean Radius, and Group Height data for the ten best 5 shot groups of each powder type and draw a bar graph of the results. Then draw a graph of the average ES and SD for the three powders. And finally draw a graph of the muzzle velocities. Now it's easy to see which shoots the smallest groups and which produces the best chronograph results (they aren't necessarily the same thing). So now all you have to do is decide how much to emphasize accuracy vs velocity vs ES/SD, and that decision could very well depend on the predicted weather. Pick your powder, reload, and go to the match with confidence that you have the best recipe with your alternate powder.
This search would take me a few minutes using Excel. How long would it take someone who logs data on paper?
Said another way, a person using paper can probably quickly tell me what they did on any particular day. Comparing what they did on one day to what they did on another day isn't much harder. But as soon as you want to study particulars and compare one thing to several other things, for example how your average MV has changed with three different bullet weights since you switched to moly coated bullets last June, then the Excel worksheet is king.
OK, I'm not letting up. Does that make me a fanatic?
Got a smart phone? If it's an Android, try the Range Buddy App. It lets you measure groups using your phone camera . It's not as convenient for me as On Target, but I have tried it and it does work. I think it's free.
muleystalker
Silver $$ Contributor
I use the Rite In Rain tablets, they have some with grid lines and works well. The paper is tougher than index cards and water proof. The books stay together or they have it for full or mid size 3 ring binders, I use tabs or dividers between loads for different guns. I was using a regular midsize binder but the paper would tear from repeated use. Its tough enough to take to the field or range and not worry bought weather messing up your book while doing load development at the range.
I am going to convert to using technology in this department. I’m not happy about it as I hate electronics but can’t argue with the useability of graphs and stuff like above. However at this point I just keep a small binder per gun. Started with air guns which is basically all I own except my 270 (for now). I keep track of groups at various distances. I tried using a spiral notebook with little colored tabs to separate load info by bullet but I now think powder would be best. Then I track general data like brass weights and size new by the manufacturer then after use. Basically way too many intermingled data which I am giving up trying to organize on paper which is why I’m switching to computer. Good question op
Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
A few years ago, someone asked a related question, mostly wanting to know what kind of data people recorded in their data books, and of what use it would be. I'll never forget his wording, wondering whether he would end up with anything more than a "vaguely threatening scrapbook" 
.
Personally, I'm the hardcopy type; I'm not a particular fan of using pdf files or help files instead of software instruction manuals or reading books on a Kindle (this personality type is also occasionally referred to as a "dinosaur" LOL). I use the black lab notebooks available for about $1.00 at most supermarkets or office supply stores. Every possible piece of data is recorded, just as though I were carrying out a laboratory experiment. Target/group images and OnTarget files are printed out, and taped to the appropriate pages. If you're the type that prefers to do most of your work on the computer, Excel is probably your best bet.
.Personally, I'm the hardcopy type; I'm not a particular fan of using pdf files or help files instead of software instruction manuals or reading books on a Kindle (this personality type is also occasionally referred to as a "dinosaur" LOL). I use the black lab notebooks available for about $1.00 at most supermarkets or office supply stores. Every possible piece of data is recorded, just as though I were carrying out a laboratory experiment. Target/group images and OnTarget files are printed out, and taped to the appropriate pages. If you're the type that prefers to do most of your work on the computer, Excel is probably your best bet.
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Now you're being silly. Of course we (well most of us anyway) don't win every match. And it's absurd to imply that not winning every time somehow makes careful data gathering not worth the effort.
Do notebook users win? Of course they do; however, I can guarantee you one thing. When I go to a match using a recipe I developed with the help of data gathered, sorted, and sifted using M.S. Excel, it's a better recipe than it would have been had I used only a hand written notebook. Furthermore, with my crappy wind reading skills I need all the help I can get.
Data gathering and recording is not magic and I don't believe anyone says that it is. But it's definitely one more thing to help improve match scores, mine anyway.
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