Thread: The Importance of Records for Older Handloaders

Greetings All,
Just had a somewhat humbling experience. It is hay fever time again in HB and I have been feeling a bit jaded with it. I was thinking that I really should get some loads done for my T3 6.5 x 55mm. I had sorted out a load with the 129 grain SST and AR2209 some time back and shot of most of the old loads in a target shoot so now was a good time. Out to the shed and fished out the appropriate load record folder and cartridge box. Open the box and noted that the new cases I wanted to load were primed. Fished one out and it was loaded! All 20 were!! Looked in the data folder and found my record telling me that I loaded them 6 weeks ago. I remember that I loaded some test cartridges for my M38 6.5x55mm(and yes they were there) so must have done the others at the same time.
Without decent records I may have wondered about the load. Records for older handloaders are important as they fill in the blanks from a less than perfect memory.
Regards Grandpamac.

well they are also important for other reasons.
At good friends a few months back. He has taken up the long-range/dialling thing a little.
He has a Remington 700 300 win mag with a PITA 1-13 twist that he is hitting fridge size targets out past 1000m and a Sako 308 that he has dual loads for and uses on hares etc but won't do that under 250m as its too easy lol.
Anyhoo, the weekend i was there he had a shot at a hare at something like 275. Prone on a bipod with the camera rolling. Got the rangefinder out and dialed it up.
Hit the hare lying in the grass through its front legs and grazed the chest.
He was a little perplexed where it shot but still got it.
We also had a crack with his 300. All set up from the benge, got the rangefinder out and it was out past 600.
got his app cranking to work out the dialling and set her up.
It was quite low. we got it all done and i did a couple of good shots and happy campers.
well the low shot, mainly on the 300 was niggling him big time.
Went through everything and finally after going through his notes, he found it. The loads in the 308 and the 300 was with a different batch of powder which his notes suggested was a tiny bit slower. Would make no difference to a deer out to 400, but on a hare close to 300 and targets at 600+ makes a big difference.
No safety issues at all, but never would've had found it without the bookwork.

Originally Posted by csmiffy

well they are also important for other reasons.
At good friends a few months back. He has taken up the long-range/dialling thing a little.
He has a Remington 700 300 win mag with a PITA 1-13 twist that he is hitting fridge size targets out past 1000m and a Sako 308 that he has dual loads for and uses on hares etc but won't do that under 250m as its too easy lol.
Anyhoo, the weekend i was there he had a shot at a hare at something like 275. Prone on a bipod with the camera rolling. Got the rangefinder out and dialed it up.
Hit the hare lying in the grass through its front legs and grazed the chest.
He was a little perplexed where it shot but still got it.
We also had a crack with his 300. All set up from the benge, got the rangefinder out and it was out past 600.
got his app cranking to work out the dialling and set her up.
It was quite low. we got it all done and i did a couple of good shots and happy campers.
well the low shot, mainly on the 300 was niggling him big time.
Went through everything and finally after going through his notes, he found it. The loads in the 308 and the 300 was with a different batch of powder which his notes suggested was a tiny bit slower. Would make no difference to a deer out to 400, but on a hare close to 300 and targets at 600+ makes a big difference.
No safety issues at all, but never would've had found it without the bookwork.

Greetings @csmiffy,
This is the reason that I note the powder batch in my load notes and chronograph comparison loads for each new batch. Mostly the difference is minor but with the 6.5 x 55mm load mentioned earlier velocity for a later batch of AR2209 was 85 fps faster than older batches, equivalent to adding 1.5 to 2 grains of powder. Same loads, same cases, same day but much higher velocity and pressure.
Regards Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
Just had a somewhat humbling experience. It is hay fever time again in HB and I have been feeling a bit jaded with it. I was thinking that I really should get some loads done for my T3 6.5 x 55mm. I had sorted out a load with the 129 grain SST and AR2209 some time back and shot of most of the old loads in a target shoot so now was a good time. Out to the shed and fished out the appropriate load record folder and cartridge box. Open the box and noted that the new cases I wanted to load were primed. Fished one out and it was loaded! All 20 were!! Looked in the data folder and found my record telling me that I loaded them 6 weeks ago. I remember that I loaded some test cartridges for my M38 6.5x55mm(and yes they were there) so must have done the others at the same time.
Without decent records I may have wondered about the load. Records for older handloaders are important as they fill in the blanks from a less than perfect memory.
Regards Grandpamac.

I think you have elves, Die Wichtelmanner The Elves and the Shoemaker if you remember the Brother Grimm

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
Just had a somewhat humbling experience. It is hay fever time again in HB and I have been feeling a bit jaded with it. I was thinking that I really should get some loads done for my T3 6.5 x 55mm. I had sorted out a load with the 129 grain SST and AR2209 some time back and shot of most of the old loads in a target shoot so now was a good time. Out to the shed and fished out the appropriate load record folder and cartridge box. Open the box and noted that the new cases I wanted to load were primed. Fished one out and it was loaded! All 20 were!! Looked in the data folder and found my record telling me that I loaded them 6 weeks ago. I remember that I loaded some test cartridges for my M38 6.5x55mm(and yes they were there) so must have done the others at the same time.
Without decent records I may have wondered about the load. Records for older handloaders are important as they fill in the blanks from a less than perfect memory.
Regards Grandpamac.

you are not wrong their Grandpamac records save the day and keep you on an even keel

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
Just had a somewhat humbling experience. It is hay fever time again in HB and I have been feeling a bit jaded with it. I was thinking that I really should get some loads done for my T3 6.5 x 55mm. I had sorted out a load with the 129 grain SST and AR2209 some time back and shot of most of the old loads in a target shoot so now was a good time. Out to the shed and fished out the appropriate load record folder and cartridge box. Open the box and noted that the new cases I wanted to load were primed. Fished one out and it was loaded! All 20 were!! Looked in the data folder and found my record telling me that I loaded them 6 weeks ago. I remember that I loaded some test cartridges for my M38 6.5x55mm(and yes they were there) so must have done the others at the same time.
Without decent records I may have wondered about the load. Records for older handloaders are important as they fill in the blanks from a less than perfect memory.
Regards Grandpamac.

You are not wrong their Grandpamac records save the day and keep you on an even keel

Not just older reloaders, I did something similar a while back and promptly put everything away when finished. Subsequently found two cartridge box labels sitting on the bench indicating which batch was made for what rifle (two .308win's). Would have been handy to put them in/on the box with the correct loads... Had to pull one down from each box just to confirm what was going on and reassemble, luckily it was fairly obvious once I'd checked everything what was going on and subsequently found that the dies set up for one rifle won't chamber in the other so another check.

If you are not loading hot loads it will jog your memory. Otherwise look at your first edition of Nick Harvey reloading book . Once again it will jog your memory because you will be 1 grain under his maxi load.The issue is when you load so many different projectiles you are running about 6 brews to get the sweet spot then you need to commit to paper.

Originally Posted by No.3

Not just older reloaders, I did something similar a while back and promptly put everything away when finished. Subsequently found two cartridge box labels sitting on the bench indicating which batch was made for what rifle (two .308win's). Would have been handy to put them in/on the box with the correct loads... Had to pull one down from each box just to confirm what was going on and reassemble, luckily it was fairly obvious once I'd checked everything what was going on and subsequently found that the dies set up for one rifle won't chamber in the other so another check.

I confine loads like that to one or a group of case makes for each rifle each so they don't get mixed up. I do put a label inside each box but the main records are the loading notes. These are filled out while loading. I think that just labels on the box is inadequate as there is no permanent record. My notes go back to 1979.
GPM.

When doing a new run, of any change, whether it's primers powder or projectiles I will write it on a case in vivid (one case in each row) and on the outside like this. I have also gone to 100 rd mtm cases so you can separate and identify loads.




Each rifle has its own folder with GRT data and relevant details targets, costs etc






I also use a drawn up data sheet like this for load development that can be tapped inside the lid




My memory is shit so I cover my bases. I will also pull rounds and verify if I think I have stuffed up.

Originally Posted by johnd

When doing a new run, of any change, whether it's primers powder or projectiles I will write it on a case in vivid (one case in each row) and on the outside like this. I have also gone to 100 rd mtm cases so you can separate and identify loads.

Attachment 209978


Each rifle has its own folder with GRT data and relevant details targets, costs etc


Attachment 209979



I also use a drawn up data sheet like this for load development that can be tapped inside the lid
Attachment 209980



My memory is shit so I cover my bases. I will also pull rounds and verify if I think I have stuffed up.

Greetings @johnd,
I find it useful to have a log of the loads for each rifle as below. Development notes including downloaded load data, chrongraphed velocities velocities and targets are in the binder as well. In some cases there is a copy of articles I wrote for NZ Guns and Hunting a few years back. This particular binder has loads for 3 rifles and is starting to get full.
Regards Grandpamac.

I wrote my load records in a little Winstones pocket dairy from the 1980's - starting with 223 then 25-06 then 7mm 08 to 7mm Rem Mag now 7mm Saum - and then we got a pup and she got hold of it and tore it to shreds.

A real-life 'Dog ate my homework"!

got a panicked TXT today..some of my .25/06 loads have .270w headstamp???? whats going on????


LOL...I knew answer to that as I put them together,the reloads came from mutual friend who had previously owned rifle,when poking loads together for him I had ran out of .25/06 brass and had heaps of older unused .270 so simple resize and away they went.

Greetings,
I load 6.5-06 with both 25-06 and .270 cases. I prefer the 25-06 as they don't need much trimming which the .270 cases do.
GPM.

Even us younger reloaders I was pulling unfired load d cases Friday morning and couldn’t remember if a certain projectile was ahead of which powder so the cases in question had the powder binned which hurts in this day and age I was 99% sure of it but didn’t want to temp fate the vivid id used on the cases had all but tuned off and couldn’t make it out