Anyone found a good app for documenting reloads?

Z

zanemoseley

New member
I'm going to be honest I don't do as good of a job as I should of documenting my reloading. I typically just scribble it out on scratch paper or put it into my notepad in my phone. I know most of you probably keep a notepad but though perhaps some had taken the leap to all digital records. Any recommendations for an Android compatible app?
 
I made an excel doc too keep it all straight. I do like the idea of transferring to Google docs for safety though.
 
Only ever noted what load I found to be the most accurate for a specific bullet weight right in my manual. Never found a need for the data to be any more portable than a book.
Use the factory cardboard 20 round box to keep loads being tested separate. Sometimes a bit of masking tape on a stripper clip.
 
Libre Office Calc. Here is what my final table looks like. All in one. Then have a shots template calc sheet where I enter the chrono data to get the average velocity, ES, SD, max, min. which then is put in this final spreadsheet. Finally, export the table as a PDF (built into LibreOffice) and good to go. The chrono data is placed in a notebook to be brought back to the house and entered.
 

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God I feel old. I'm still using an old spiral wound note tablet from 1972 when I started reloading. I write them all down, I don't want to repeat poor loads from the past.
 
LE-28 said:
God I feel old. I'm still using an old spiral wound note tablet from 1972 when I started reloading. I write them all down, I don't want to repeat poor loads from the past.
Click to expand...


I have composition notebooks as backup just in case spreadsheet crashes.

Plus I have small composition notepads that I take with me to the range that easily fits inside my range bag to make notes when shooting a load with the conditions.
 
Big +1 for creating an excel spreadsheet. I have over 550 different recipies tested and documented. Excel can sort the data based upon what specific circumstances I'm looking for. The more data averages you accumulate the more consistiantly accurate your loads become plain and simple. To the OP , PM me if your interested in seeing my spreadsheet. I can email it to you.
 
I have my dad's old 3-ring binder but I use an Excel spreadsheet.

I have a tab for each caliber I load and one for printing load data labels. In the top half of the page I transcribe the published recommended load recipes from each of my manuals and the current suggestion from the powder manufacturers. I have a black row as a separator and my test data below with the different powder weights, bullets, COAL, and chrony results. I have even embedded pictures of target results. Once I settle on a specific load for a particular bullet I hide the other test data rows for that powder/bullet. I will test same weight bullets against similar powder loads to see the differences in velocity and group those results together.

It has gotten quite large and back it up on Google drive every few months. I am in the 275-300 load recipe range.
 
When I started reloading 16 years ago, my first project was to overload every 9mm bullet and powder combination.
I used excel.
4 computers later, I still have those spread sheets, but it is a terrible way for me to deal with handloading.
I write up a range report like a lab report, and the reloading is documented the report.
Those reports are a searchable database. Before I reload anything I read about what went right or wrong last time.

What does work well with Excel is 1) tracking scopes, 2) tracking reloading dies, 3) tracking chamber reamers and go gauges, 4) Raccoons shot, 5) guns purchased

I got a 3 month contract job in 1988 to calculate the stresses on 3000 components in the Tornado fighter jet radar warning power supply. They issued me a desk and 486 computer with Lotus 123. My fingers went to home row as taught in high school typing in 1969. In that spreadsheet I did a row for each part and a column for each step of stress calculation. There were algebraic formulas I burried in each cell. When I had finished I was told the requirements from Germany were for 60% overload, not 50%. In 5 minutes I fixed that. With pencil and paper, it would have been another 3 months.

This comes in handy if a spread sheet calculates how much I have spend on guns this year. I can tell the wife it is less than last year.

Why is a spread sheet NOT suitable for my reloading?
The TV series Our Miss Brooks character Margaret Davis [crazy old landlady] explained why she did not eat waffles. "It is too much trouble pouring syrup into each little square"
 
God I feel old. I'm still using an old spiral wound note tablet from 1972
Click to expand...

Paper is underrated.

I started loading in 1984 and other than jotting down a few notes, I went from memory. Not a good practice, but it worked well enough - but only because I had an excellent memory.

Long about '88 I got wise enough to start putting my loadings in a note tablet.

It was only about 4 years ago I moved to an Excel spreadsheet. Granted, life got in the way for me to do a do a lot of shooting/loading from about '90 to '12. So it wasn't that big o' deal, until I started shooting a lot again.

For backup, I transfer my load data to a flash drive from time to time (not frequently enough).
 
Excell as well. Keep all my chrono data and load data so I can go back and repeat the best loads. Also keep SD ES Ave. Powder charge Primer OAL and best group.
 
Every time I test a recipe I give it a unique serial number using a different series for each of my target rifles. I keep a load log in MS Word for each test and when I return from the range I add in some performance data and/or comments. I then log the performance data in an Excel spreadsheet which I combine into a master spreadsheet. Each 5 shot group is scanned and scored using "On Target" software and the results go into Excel.

I can sort the spreadsheet to find groups based on best MOA, best SD, or whatever. When necessary, I can use the serial number to find the load log and dig out the details so that I can duplicate any recipe. Once you have one load log, it's easy to make another one for a new recipe by just changing the date and inserting any differences.

Here are two samples of what I'm talking about. The Excel example is a small sample of my some of my F/TR data.

Load Log

Excel
 
I'm an old guy, not the most computer savvy, I use 3x5 cards stored in a metal box designed to hold them.

They hold all the info and I have them divided with tab cards by caliber, works well for me.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
 
I wrote my own Access database program and manually entered thousands if recipes. It works well for me.

It is also an inventory, log book, journal, has data about powders, burn rates, lee dipper equivalents, etc.

Handy
 
I also use excell. One sheet per caliber, My rows are headed: Gun, Bullet, Weight, Case, Primer, Powder, Charge, COL. Then for Velocity Date: Rated, Ave, High, Low, ES, SD and PF and Energy. Then for Environmental, Altitude, Temp, Rh, Wind. Then for groups: Rounds, wind, range and MOA. The cells for things like PF and Energy contained formulas.

For the firearms I want to keep round counts on, I make one of 2 entries: Date with actual number of rounds, or annual with rounds in thousands. Firearm make, model, weight, optics is also listed within.

With all this data in excell, I then highlight the loads that I stick with for specific purposes. Those are the loads that are then entered into Shooter (Ballistic Calculator on web synced with phone app.) For instance, I have about 60 .308 loads through 4 different rifles. Some for competition, some for hunting. If I need to, or want to change a component or variable, all the trends are right there. I keep a "middle" of the road load in each caliber loaded in a small batch as a control for new barrels, loads, making sure the chrono is not acting up, etc. When I have a chance to shoot a rifle for an article, demo, etc., I have a known load I can shoot through it to easily compare accuracy, velocity, etc.

It is also easy to set a print area and then have empty cells to put in the chrono data when I go to the range.

While it is on my PC, it is also on a NAS with mirrored drives. My oldest entries were copied over from a notebook in 1992 that had 6 years of notes, so I have about 30 years of data from when I made my very first reload.
 
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