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how much load development?

salty dog

Full Member
Minuteman
May 28, 2010
9
2
45
the bluegrass
this may have been covered already I tried the google search didnt find what i was looking for. I've been handloading for a few years now and up until this point my load development, at least the starting point has been what I found to be most common when i was searching i.e. when i started loading .243 win imr4064 to have a lot of support so thats what powder I started with and worked from there with good results.I get a lot of good info right from these pages and I appreciate your guys time and effort to help guys like me along. My question is how do you guys decide where to start when loading for a new caliber and with all the powders,primers,bullets,brass,o.a.l,twist rates,neck tension,powder weights and what all theres probably tens of thousands of combinations not only would this be very time comsuming it would be very expensive. I guess you could chase "the perfect load" for ever. just wondering what your process is?
 
Re: how much load development?

I definitely prefer shooting than load development, so I develop a load until it shoots about a MOA or so and then just shoot. I've had excellent luck with IMR4064 in a variety of different .30 caliber cartridges. I seat about .020" of the lands, then work up the charge to usually within 1 grain of book max. That usually gives me very good velocity and accuracy.