Thread: Notes for New and Newish Hand Loaders from an Old Fudd

Post 6 Working Up a Load, Seating Projectiles and Keeping out of Trouble Most of the Time.

Working Up a Load.
You will have heard the phrase start low and work up slowly. Good advice but what does that mean. Lets use the 150 grain Hornady SST and AR2206H powder in the .308 Win as an example. Hodgdon lists a start load off 43 grains of AR2206H behind the 150 grain Nosler BT for 2,742 fps and 45.5 grains for 2,870 fps as max. The Nosler 150 grain BT and the Hornady 150 grain SST are both soft skinned projectiles so we can use the same data. We should not start below the start load given as this may cause problems. My approach would be to load 2 or 3 rounds each of 43 grains and 44 grains and test fire them preferably over a chronograph. I would check for any sign of a sticky bolt lift or an ejector hole mark on the case head for signs of high pressure but would not expect to find any. The chronograph would tell me if my load combination was developing more velocity than the test barrel and components also indicating higher pressure. It is likely that velocity would be a little lower due to a shorter barrel. The chronograph gives the most reliable indication of pressure. If your velocities are the same or a little less due to a shorter barrel then the pressure will be about the same. If all is good then I would probably try 44.5 and 45 grains as before and pick the one that shot the best.
You may have noticed that I have not mentioned primer appearance as a method of judging pressures. To me at least there are too many variables that make primer appearance practically worthless. A chronograph together with pressure tested data (not the computer generated stuff) are easily the best indication of pressure. I realise that most new or newish handloaders will not have a chronograph but there will be people in your area that do. You just need to find them. A bit of asking around should turn one up. Also don't be offended if they want to do the shooting, they may just want to protect their chronograph. In time buy your own.

Measuring and Loading Powder and Seating Projectiles.
Powder needs careful measurement on scales. If you have a powder measure in your kit I suggest you leave it in its box for the moment. Most scales are easy to use but the cheaper ones can be a bit cranky especially the electronic ones. Scales need to be zeroed or calibrated before use, look in the instruction book for this. Your seating die also needs to be adjusted to ensure that it does not crimp the case and for seating length. Once again the instructions will show you how to do this. If you don't have a caliper to measure overall cartridge length the die can be set using a factory round.
I have used the Lee plastic powder measures for some time together with a powder trickler for dispensing powder into the pan. The Lee measures come in a set of 15 for less than $30.00 and I wouldn't be without them. Go carefully dispensing powder into the pan and then pour the powder into the case using the funnel. Transfer the case to the press, place the projectile in the case neck and gently seat it.

Keeping Out of Trouble Most of the Time.
The actual mechanics of loading powder and seating projectiles is pretty straight forward but this is the stage when most whoopsies occur and I have some rules and methods designed to keep me out of trouble.
Keep your loading records open on the bench next to you all the time so you can check what is being loaded. Have only one can of powder on the loading bench at any time. No exceptions. Most handloading incidents involve either the wrong powder being used or too much powder. Powder measures, if you use one, need to be emptied as soon as the last case is loaded. If you manage to mix powders then the powder is scrap. I mentioned before that the primed cases were placed neck down in the block after priming. This lets me see that the case is primed and is empty. Once the powder is measured the case is turned neck up and placed in the front of the block. Powder is then poured in and the case transferred to the press looking into the case to check the powder level. Clearly something went pear shaped here last week but to continue. Next the projectile is seated and the completed round placed in its storage box. As before this is my method etc. I know that some charge all of the cases prior to seating the projectiles and look down the necks to check for even powder level. Clearly it works for them.

Tomorrow Record keeping and Load Management.