Do you ever think about starting over on a good load?

[pertnear]

Do you ever think about throwing out your old trusted load & starting over? I have several hunting rifles with custom loads that shoot very well. These loads were developed long ago by trial & error tweaking powder charges, primers & seating depth. Many different bullets & powders were tried & experimented with. The only “ladder” I knew about back then was the one in my garage!

Now as my powder supplies are dwindling I’m wondering about all the new powders. I guess I’m just lazy, but I find myself shying away from any powder that’s not “measure-friendly” when starting with a new cartridge. It’s not like I need to load 500 .270 Win’s for next season, but would trying some newer powders & using some new techniques be an eye-opener? Or just keep crunching the tried & true 4831 through my measure….

 

[Mark M.]

Just my humble opinion, if your satisfied with your rifles performance, then spend the time enjoying your rifle, but if you like the (some times insanely ) pursuit of maybe finding that better load, well then there you go, its almost splitting hairs

 

[ZenArchery]

No... I just shoot another system until powder is available again.

 

[jelenko]

Adding to what has already been said.
I think the newer powders are designed to reduce temp sensitivity and add 'copper fouling reducers'.
If the load works for what you need, I don't think you'd find the loads would be significantly more accurate or faster.
That said, MR2000 seems to be able to achieve 100+ fps more mv without showing pressure signs - at least for 223.

 

[dcali]

Not unless it stops shooting for some reason. A good load is what we're after. Why start over once you've found it?

 

[watercam]

Not that experimentation is not a good thing but for me I am in it for competitive shooting, not endless reloading. Once I have loads that work at 800-1000 yds. I stop and lay in as much of that powder as I can.
Again, just me.

 

[jelenko]

Same here
I compete in 'XTC' and then only on courses out to 300 yards => the demands on our loads are less than long range. I try to keep three year's supply on hand.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Bwaaa. I do that all the time.. Sometimes just to see if I can get a better load. Downside is I end up with boxes of different loads for the same rifle...

 

[Zero333]

H-4831 might be a older powder, but it's just as good as any new powder.

You'll probably be able to get a little more velocity with RL-26, but if it ain't broke...

Edit; I should add, if you need something to do that you enjoy, that's a good reason to try a different load.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

If your running low on powder you wont have a choice. Many times, a new lot of powder might as well be a different powder.

 

[rsbhunter]

Every time there's more than one hole in the target...(which is frequently)....then I get a ragged hole, and remind myself how smart I am....hahaha. Seriously, maybe 5% KNOW their load is at 100% accuracy potential, the rest of us have facial ticks worrying about ours...rsbhunter

 

[K22]

No - If a load is performing to meet my standards then I see no reason to change it. I'd rather spend my money, time, and barrel life on hunting and practical range practice shooting off my shooting sticks in an effort to become a better field shooter.

I had a close friend (he passed) who enjoyed load development, experimenting with different combos of powder / bullets / primers, etc. He never moved off the bench and didn't hunt but shot a lot of tiny groups some approaching one hole - truly impressive. If that's your thing then do it but it's not mine.

 

[D-4297]

I learned a few years ago ; during the Obozo powder shortage , that I needed to have more than one load , and one powder . So I took the time to develop loads with four different powders , for several popular , standard Berger's used in F class . Cost some bullets , and finding out what powders worked for my rifle in TR , along with all the time spent . But I have enough data now to shift gears in a heart-beat . And then it's just adjust the load a bit to be back on .

 

[Intheshop]

For me and cast rifles;

There's "good" loads and then there's Great loads. The great ones get very minor adjustments based on powder lots. "Good" loads need more definition,both literally and figuratively.

If I feel that the system is never going to produce bugholes due to something I'm not willing to pursue then..... "good" is gonna stay good enough. But if there's room for improvement without starting from scratch? Yeah,I'll keep digging. It's a process,and without going too deep into it,sometimes process change,or certain improvements in tooling can help. The benefits may,or may not translate or apply to that specific load but can show up on other loads. Good luck with your project.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Do you ever think about throwing out your old trusted load & starting over? I have several hunting rifles with custom loads that shoot very well. These loads were developed long ago by trial & error tweaking powder charges, primers & seating depth. Many different bullets & powders were tried & experimented with. The only “ladder” I knew about back then was the one in my garage!

Now as my powder supplies are dwindling I’m wondering about all the new powders. I guess I’m just lazy, but I find myself shying away from any powder that’s not “measure-friendly” when starting with a new cartridge. It’s not like I need to load 500 .270 Win’s for next season, but would trying some newer powders & using some new techniques be an eye-opener? Or just keep crunching the tried & true 4831 through my measure….

Second guessing in my experience is not often very rewarding. If it ain't broke, don't try and fix it.

 

[dgeesaman]

Not unless it stops shooting for some reason. A good load is what we're after. Why start over once you've found it?

Especially because load development eats up barrel life. If you develop a new load, then test it against your original, the original load might lose some tune.

I guess this all depends on the load development method and how many shots it will require.

 

[jackson1]

Throw out a good load and start over, probably not, but I am constantly trying new things. Always looking for a unicorn load. Hunting (big game) season is about month a month long around here. Never worry about barrel life, they make them everyday. With that said, I am a handloader and take pride and enjoy my stuff, always trying for improvement. We all approach the hobby from unique perspectives, so what works for me, may not work for you. Have tried a lot of powders, but in my 06 based cartridges you can never go wrong with H4831.

Call me crazy, I have a number of fine shooting rifles, but always come back to the problem children, hoping to improve them. My trips to the range are a high light of my week, changing loads just adds to the fun.

 

[Rsadams]

The old saying of , if it ain't broke don't fix it , is a hard lesson to learn... But one worth learning that will save a bunch of heart ache in the long run...

 

[243Lapua]

I leave it as is. Don't mess around with it.

 

[Nature Boy]

Before every deer season I’ll usually work up a new load with a different bullet for no other reason than just because.

One of the benefits for me doing it is I spend more time with the rifles that I don’t shoot as often as my target rifles. That makes me more proficient with them, which adds to my confidence at the “moment of truth”

Plus, it’s fun

I’ve take 7 bucks over the last 5 years, all with a different load