How much is enough?

**Remington788** · April 23rd, 2013, 09:15 PM

Powder?

How do you decide how much to use?

Load data shows a minimum and a maximum.
Let's say hypothetically, it is Minimum 5.1 grains, and Maximum 5.9 grains.
I load 5 rounds of 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 up to 5.9, go to the range and try them.

So 5.1 does not cycle the slide well so I move up to 5.2, which cycles OK.
5.3 cycles well. so do all the rest. At 15 yards there is no discernible difference in accuracy.

Which load do I choose? The lightest one that works? The heaviest I can handle? The one in the middle?

For my snubby, I picked one in the middle that felt best shooting. Don't know if that works on a semi?

**BucksCountyBob** · April 23rd, 2013, 09:22 PM

Using your hypothetical, from my experience, 5.2 cycled my slide reliably, but 5.5 was dramatically more accurate at 15 yards. For me, that extra bit of accuracy was worth the extra expense and was where I stayed. When shooting action pistol or steel challenge, the occasional flyer I would get at 5.2 could cost me a top five finish and wasn't worth what I might save. I stopped at that point. Once the accuracy was within the limits of my skills and needs anything else was just more recoil.

Regards,

BCB

**tabasco_joe** · April 23rd, 2013, 09:52 PM

The minimum load that cycles the action today (April) may not cycle the slide on the coldest Jan/Feb days. The maximum may be over pressure in the heat of the summer. I'd generally go somewhere in the middle. You could work up maximum loads and monitor them through all your expected shooting environments. But in my opinion for general shooting this wears the gun a bit more and costs a little more in the long run (more powder, shorter brass life, etc.).

If I'm loading for a rifle in a hunting situation where I want every last once of velocity and power (elk etc.) I load to the max but this is done with a lot of load development to be assured that I stay within safe maximum limits in all the conditions I plan to encounter.

**Remington788** · April 23rd, 2013, 10:11 PM

Do you worry about things like muzzle velocity or power factor?

**Arrdy** · April 23rd, 2013, 10:17 PM

I go for the most consistent load ... The smallest extreme spread on the chrono and the most consist on paper.

You'd be surprised how much difference a 0.1 grain change in charge or a little change in crimp can make. All guns react a little different to the loads you work up.

Also a change in barrel temp adds in there. My G23 settles down after the 2nd shot and stays on target and velocity for the next 13 rounds, so trying to judge a load by 1 or 2 rounds is going to be hit or miss at best.

**arjohnson** · April 23rd, 2013, 10:29 PM

I normally stay closer the the max load. For example, if max load calls for 5.0 grns of Win 231 I'll go max or 4.8-4.9. If you stay closer to the minimal you may have issues with your gun cycling if it's stock, if your gun is modified with reduced power recoil springs you will want to start closer to minimum and work up until you get the desired load.

**Remington788** · April 23rd, 2013, 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by Arrdy

I go for the most consistent load ... The smallest extreme spread on the chrono and the most consist on paper..

Do you see much difference in rounds with the same load?
I can imagine you would in a lower power round.

**dkf** · April 23rd, 2013, 11:07 PM

Load that cycles the slide +.2 gr is good for me for general shooting. Assuming no power factor has to be made.

**Arrdy** · April 23rd, 2013, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by Remington788

Do you see much difference in rounds with the same load?
I can imagine you would in a lower power round.

The one .40 s&w load I worked up my extreme spread was 68 fps measured over 48 rounds. The std. deviation was 13.55 fps. I ran a box of Federal, same weight, and my ES was something like 130 fps. On paper, it was one big ragged hole with my load. With the Fed.'s I had quite a few flyers.

Right now I'm working up a load for my Ruger P95 (9mm) and +0.1 grain change in charge I went from a SD of 17.14 fps, ES of 77 fps (15 rounds) to a SD of 23.14 fps and ES of 84 fps. Add +0.1 gr and the SD and ES increased. Everything except charge was the same, but the +0.2 was more accurate. Still tweaking this load a bit.

Sometimes it's a trade off though.

**87hurricane** · April 24th, 2013, 09:32 PM

I go with whatever is the most accurate. I will load 4-5rds in a powder range, mark my targets and then zero in. I find most times that one load is noticably more accurate than the rest. If I come up with several that are close, I'll load another set of each, usually double the amount of rounds of the first set, shoot them and check my results. Whichever shoots best is my go to from then on.