How many?

[ddd482]

I am just starting to reload for rifles- been doing handgun for a year now-
My question is this- how many rounds do you load when working up a load for a particular rifle? 5,10,20-or more?

 

[Ruber]

Working up a new load or working up an old load with new components?

A completely new load, a minimum of 100. I've pulled a bunch of bullets, but I don't have a range in my garage, so I start low and build up in small increments until I'm above where I think I want to be.

Then, when I've narrowed in, I'll fine tune.

But with 5-10 rounds, you might know if you are way over max, or way under, but not much else.

 

[ddd482]

just trying to find loads that group in each rifle

 

[cbass]

I make 10 rounds for each powder weight I want to try. I shoot 5 @ 50 yards and 5 @ 100 yards. (50 yards is to make sure my scope is on with these loads).

I start at the recommended start weight and work up loads in .5gr increments to see what groups best then work in smaller amounts around it.

For instance: if the start weight were 26gr and top load is 30gr I would load 10 each at 26, 26.5, 27, 27.5, 28, 28.5, 29, 29.5, & 30. If 28.5 and 29 look similarly promising I would then load 10 each working away in both directions in .2 or .3gr increments until I found what I liked. So, I may load 28.3, 28.7, 29.2.

This is part of the fun of reloading--you get to keep trying combinations until you find what you like!

Hope this helps.

 

[Ruber]

just trying to find loads that group in each rifle

Ohhhhh... Even tougher. As mentioned, that can be the fun part. Dialing in the right load for a particular rifle? Figure a half dozen 5-10 shot groups depending on whether it's a target rifle or sporter. That's why powder is sold in units greater than 1lb and bullets are sold by the 500.

Sometimes you hit a magic load. My Hi Powers love loads published by Stephen Camp and I got lucky. My Garand likes what other M1's like. But the sweet spot on my SBH, well that took a while.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I usually do 10 rounds and shoot two 5-shot groups.

 

[Ruber]

I usually do 10 rounds and shoot two 5-shot groups.

Really? I seem to remember someone working up some 44 mag loads for a Deerfield... Was that just ten rounds then done?

Now, if the OP is talking about rounds per charge, ya, maybe 10 per charge. But still, when I think I've got a good range of charges, I'll bump up the round count a bit more.

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I usually do 10 rounds and shoot two 5-shot groups.

Really? I seem to remember someone working up some 44 mag loads for a Deerfield... Was that just ten rounds then done?

Now, if the OP is talking about rounds per charge, ya, maybe 10 per charge. But still, when I think I've got a good range of charges, I'll bump up the round count a bit more.

I used to do 5 rounds (one group) and then go to the next higher charge weight when working-up a load but I found I really needed at least two 5-shot groups for each charge weight I tried in order to get a fair evaluation. I may do as many as five or six consecutive charge weights with one powder to find the optimal charge range.

Working-up loads for my Deerfield was easy once I found a load that would work the action. I got one that was reliable with Accurate #9 and one with H-110 and that was that.

 

[Cholo]

The 1st thing I do is determine the OAL (overall cartridge length) suitable for the particular rifle I'm reloading for as it can vary considerably. I seat the bullet about 1/16" off the rifling. Only then do I begin to determine a suitable load.

 

[Mobuck]

Usually 3 rounds per powder charge over the Chrony for centerfire rifle. When I reach the velocity I'm looking for, I load 3-5 more and check accuracy more carefully. I seldom tinker with OAL unless I'm totally stuck on using a specific bullet. Since I normally load for multiple rifles, I accept a compromise OAL.

 

[mikld]

For rifles, I'll load five or six to make sure they function/fire well in my gun then I'll do 10 rounds at each different load to dial in a load.