OK, so it is pretty easy to work up a load if the bullet/powder combination is published somewhere, but what are you guys doing if it is not? How do you know when the the loads are too hot other than looking for pressure signs on the case.
What I have been doing is to find something similar to what I am looking for, and decide how I am going to modify the COAL based on what my gun likes to feed, and then massage the load ladder based on whether I am loading shorter or longer.
But I have a situation. for example, where I am loading some .380 100gr. bullets into a 9mm shell to make some "mouse fart" loads, and there is really no data out there as to where to even begin.
I was pretty lucky with this particular load in that I had someone else I trusted that had been making them, and he sent me his chronograph data which I compared to my chronograph data. I was able to make some pretty sweet light loads. He determined the COAL by looking at the bullet and deciding how much of the bullet he felt needed to seat into the case ("educated guessing" I suppose), and then went from there.
But what about next time?
What steps are your guys using to work up loads when there is no published data? How does the chronograph data help you, and how do you use it to develop your loads?
Some things are pretty well discussed, for example with plated bullets, dial them back a bit from jacketed, and with cast lead bullets, dial those back a little more, etc.
Some bullet manufacturers publish maximum recommended velocities, such as Berry's with their plated bullets which is helpful.
With variables like COAL and powder charge, there are many, many combinations and permutations, and there are probably multiple combinations of seating depth and powder weight that would make good loads.
If I have no data to work with, I try to start with a COAL that works with my firearm, and then I massage the data from there. Is that what others are doing as well? How can I use my chrony to tell me when I have gone far enough? I usually shoot for Power Factor information, so with 9mm, I want to make minor PF, and then just a bit more as a safety margin (maybe even up to a PF of 130 to be safe). I can pretty much rest assured that in most situations, if I can meet minor PF, I am probably safe.
Sorry for the long, rambling post...
What I have been doing is to find something similar to what I am looking for, and decide how I am going to modify the COAL based on what my gun likes to feed, and then massage the load ladder based on whether I am loading shorter or longer.
But I have a situation. for example, where I am loading some .380 100gr. bullets into a 9mm shell to make some "mouse fart" loads, and there is really no data out there as to where to even begin.
I was pretty lucky with this particular load in that I had someone else I trusted that had been making them, and he sent me his chronograph data which I compared to my chronograph data. I was able to make some pretty sweet light loads. He determined the COAL by looking at the bullet and deciding how much of the bullet he felt needed to seat into the case ("educated guessing" I suppose), and then went from there.
But what about next time?
What steps are your guys using to work up loads when there is no published data? How does the chronograph data help you, and how do you use it to develop your loads?
Some things are pretty well discussed, for example with plated bullets, dial them back a bit from jacketed, and with cast lead bullets, dial those back a little more, etc.
Some bullet manufacturers publish maximum recommended velocities, such as Berry's with their plated bullets which is helpful.
With variables like COAL and powder charge, there are many, many combinations and permutations, and there are probably multiple combinations of seating depth and powder weight that would make good loads.
If I have no data to work with, I try to start with a COAL that works with my firearm, and then I massage the data from there. Is that what others are doing as well? How can I use my chrony to tell me when I have gone far enough? I usually shoot for Power Factor information, so with 9mm, I want to make minor PF, and then just a bit more as a safety margin (maybe even up to a PF of 130 to be safe). I can pretty much rest assured that in most situations, if I can meet minor PF, I am probably safe.
Sorry for the long, rambling post...
