When you buy a rifle and starting a load from scratch where do you begin. What bullet, bullet weight, powder. Only loading to saami specs. I know there's a bunch a variables to look at but I'm just trying to get an idea when loading for an accurate hunting load. How do you choose your bullet weight and type of powder ect.
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Where do you even start
- Thread starter bungiex88
- Start date
DAVID NANCARROW
New member
It depends on the caliber, the game being hunted and at what distance.
For example, my primary hunting rifle for medium game is a 308 Winchester.
Decent hunting bullets are 150 to 165 grain weight, without going to exotic bullets, but the standard cup and lead core.
Reloading manuals will let you know what is recommended, and for the 308, its generally medium speed powder.
What I look in the manual is the highest velocity starting charge and work up my loads from there.
Generally speaking, the best accuracy will come from charges which nearly fill the case.
For example, my primary hunting rifle for medium game is a 308 Winchester.
Decent hunting bullets are 150 to 165 grain weight, without going to exotic bullets, but the standard cup and lead core.
Reloading manuals will let you know what is recommended, and for the 308, its generally medium speed powder.
What I look in the manual is the highest velocity starting charge and work up my loads from there.
Generally speaking, the best accuracy will come from charges which nearly fill the case.
DAVID NANCARROW
New member
I would recommend you get a couple of good reloading manuals first. Nosler and a few others give a lot of good recommendations.
The latest Lyman manual is a good one, with a lot of basic reloading principles in front of the load recipes. It also gives recommendations for best potential accuracy with the various loads they list.
The latest Lyman manual is a good one, with a lot of basic reloading principles in front of the load recipes. It also gives recommendations for best potential accuracy with the various loads they list.
I still consider myself an amateur at bottle neck rifle handloading... Most of my piles of ammo have been handgun rounds, so I am no expert at where YOU should start. But here is where I would start if I were you.
You have the caliber picked out, right? Start asking other hunters what bullet weight, style and brand works for them. And/or, if you have had success with a particular factory load, perhaps handload to mimic that.
I would look at your sources for the purchase of component bullets. Make sure you are on board with the cost -- know going in that 20 rounds of ammo may be plenty for a hunting season, but real load development means you'll need a LOT more than that.
You will need TIME also.
But this is where I would start.
You have the caliber picked out, right? Start asking other hunters what bullet weight, style and brand works for them. And/or, if you have had success with a particular factory load, perhaps handload to mimic that.
I would look at your sources for the purchase of component bullets. Make sure you are on board with the cost -- know going in that 20 rounds of ammo may be plenty for a hunting season, but real load development means you'll need a LOT more than that.
You will need TIME also.
But this is where I would start.
The plan is the same basically no matter which purpose you choose. Choose a bullet for what you want, a powder that delivers the speed you want, at a reasonable pressure, PROPERLY assemble the ammo, and test fire.
Each gun and ammo combination is an individual and can give better or worse, or the same performance in your gun as anything else.
Meaning, that while a given load might be touted for its accuracy, it means little until you see if it is accurate in YOUR gun.
Most of us begin by trying to approximate our preferred factory load, and adjust the variables (one at a time) to see if we can get the desired result from our rifle.
There is no "cookbook" formula for what will be most accurate in YOUR gun. ONLY trial and error experimentation will show that. There are some combinations that are better starting points than others, read as much as you can and come back with specific questions we can help with.
Each gun and ammo combination is an individual and can give better or worse, or the same performance in your gun as anything else.
Meaning, that while a given load might be touted for its accuracy, it means little until you see if it is accurate in YOUR gun.
Most of us begin by trying to approximate our preferred factory load, and adjust the variables (one at a time) to see if we can get the desired result from our rifle.
There is no "cookbook" formula for what will be most accurate in YOUR gun. ONLY trial and error experimentation will show that. There are some combinations that are better starting points than others, read as much as you can and come back with specific questions we can help with.
I don't care if your plan was for a target rifle a varmint rifle a deer rifle a bear rifle it doesn't matter
It does matter, pick your application. You tailor you load to what you want to use it for. You begin with "what am I going to use this load for?"
THEN, I pick a design, then a weight, then a make. Then pick a powder; find load data for the bullet you want to shoot, and these days go with one or more that are available. Usually I will pick one that gives me good speed. Test it out and see if you can find a load that is accurate to your standards. If you can't, change powder or bullet.
Maybe I'm reading Bungie's OP different, but...
With a new rifle and a reloading bench staring at me, I first consider the barrel twist and optimum bullet weight for that twist. Then, I crank up my google-fu to see what others have had luck with.
Lyman 48th and 49th reloading manual has highlighted (actually bold lettered) "most accurate load" for that chosen bullet weight. In the loading info / explanation paragraph it will tell you which (usually 3) powders they have had the most success with.
With a new rifle and a reloading bench staring at me, I first consider the barrel twist and optimum bullet weight for that twist. Then, I crank up my google-fu to see what others have had luck with.
Lyman 48th and 49th reloading manual has highlighted (actually bold lettered) "most accurate load" for that chosen bullet weight. In the loading info / explanation paragraph it will tell you which (usually 3) powders they have had the most success with.
OkieCruffler
New member
I usually start with a bullet weight in mind. For instance my new Encore barrel in 243. I knew from past experience that the 75gr Vmax works well out of a pistol length barrel, so I bought a couple of boxes of those. The .243 is a .308 based case and in short barrels I've had good luck with BL-C(2) and Varget. Didn't hurt that I had both on hand. I loaded both powders in increments of 0.5gr up to the max with the bullet loaded right off the lands. I load 3 of each. I shoot all of those and measure groups. Any that look promising I reload but I load 10. The smallest 10 shot group I reload again and go with 0.1gr increments on each side for 0.5gr as well. I found that no Varget load was acceptable, which surprised me, but several of the BL-C(2) loads were quite good. I settled on 36.3gr which can put 10 rounds into almost exactly 1 inch at 100yrds.
I get even crazier than that with my guns I consider my accurate guns and start messing with different seating depths. It's a pain, but my 223AI has given me several 5 shot clover leaves at 100yrds once I found the sweet spot.
I get even crazier than that with my guns I consider my accurate guns and start messing with different seating depths. It's a pain, but my 223AI has given me several 5 shot clover leaves at 100yrds once I found the sweet spot.
mxsailor803
New member
I usually remember the purpose of the rifle and then select a bullet/weight. As for powders, I usually try what I have on hand and can find data for. I usually start just below the mid-range of that particular charge and adjust as needed.
In my 20's I would try every weight bullet I could for the given caliber I was loading. Same with powders. Not so anymore. When I buy a rifle or handgun, I usually know ahead of time what the given purpose is, and what weight, and/or style of bullets I will be using in it. Most of my shooting at critters is at ranges of 25yds to out past 400 with proven loads in high octane calibers. I pick the best combinations or powder and bullet weights to get the best overall results for those purposes. I don't run 140gr bullets out of my 7mm STW at 3500fps when I can run a 160gr at 3000fps which will fly better in the wind and hit harder when it arrives even at the longer ranges. Same for my .243, I use 100gr bullets most of the time because they are more accurate in my rifles, they hit harder, penetrate deeper, and I am confident in them should I shoot a coyote at 350yds or a trophy whitetail buck at 85. I'm not saying that there aren't better bullets that might do the same job in a lighter weight, but for my uses these are it.
Most times it is the medium to heavier weights in bullets and for powders it will be similar medium to slower ones for the caliber. For something like a .243 I would use a 95 - 100gr bullet, first choice on powder would be H-4350 or close to it since I know this area produces great results. Brass will be usually Winchester or Remington since I have a ton of each. Primers would be either tried as I come along with the load but the initial testing would be with Win-WLR. I have used them for decades and they just work. Second to those would be CCI-BR2's.
I usually work my loads up sitting at the farm where I can shoot a few and make adjustments as necessary. I always start with the bullets seated out so that they just fit in the magazine and feed reliably. Once I find something promising in both group and velocity, I might tweak that seating depth in increments of .005" deeper. I will go as far as around .035" - .050" depending on the bullet and caliber, but have gone as far as .130" from the initial starting point. Just depends on how much room you have to work with, what your loads are and what your looking for.
Like many have mentioned it isn't simply a cut and dry situation. Far too many variables for that. Once in a great while the planets line up and you pull a given load combination from a manual and it drives tacks. They are usually close, but still need a little tweaking. There have been times when I have worked up a load from start to finish in a few hours, other times in a month or so and after a hundred or so rounds, then I have a couple that I have worked on for more than a year off and on, and still need some work. But I feel those are the exceptions and the average time is usually around 3-6 weekends initially, then a couple of weekends here and there through the year to test in different conditions and temps. I strive for accuracy first, consistency second, and let the velocity come as it may.
With just about any cup and core bullet, hitting 2800-3000fps, your good and most will work extremely well down to 2500fps starting out. Most of my loads fall into the 2650 - 2850fps range in calibers from .243 through 30-06, and the loads will usually print 5 or more shots into less than an inch at 100 and some at 200yds. It depends on how far your shooting, what your shooting at, and what the desired result are supposed to be, when that bullet gets there. For deer up to around 300# a mid to heavy weight for caliber bullet will get you meat in the freezer every year provided you put it where it should go. Bigger critters need more than smaller ones, but your the only one who can decide where to draw that line.
Most times it is the medium to heavier weights in bullets and for powders it will be similar medium to slower ones for the caliber. For something like a .243 I would use a 95 - 100gr bullet, first choice on powder would be H-4350 or close to it since I know this area produces great results. Brass will be usually Winchester or Remington since I have a ton of each. Primers would be either tried as I come along with the load but the initial testing would be with Win-WLR. I have used them for decades and they just work. Second to those would be CCI-BR2's.
I usually work my loads up sitting at the farm where I can shoot a few and make adjustments as necessary. I always start with the bullets seated out so that they just fit in the magazine and feed reliably. Once I find something promising in both group and velocity, I might tweak that seating depth in increments of .005" deeper. I will go as far as around .035" - .050" depending on the bullet and caliber, but have gone as far as .130" from the initial starting point. Just depends on how much room you have to work with, what your loads are and what your looking for.
Like many have mentioned it isn't simply a cut and dry situation. Far too many variables for that. Once in a great while the planets line up and you pull a given load combination from a manual and it drives tacks. They are usually close, but still need a little tweaking. There have been times when I have worked up a load from start to finish in a few hours, other times in a month or so and after a hundred or so rounds, then I have a couple that I have worked on for more than a year off and on, and still need some work. But I feel those are the exceptions and the average time is usually around 3-6 weekends initially, then a couple of weekends here and there through the year to test in different conditions and temps. I strive for accuracy first, consistency second, and let the velocity come as it may.
With just about any cup and core bullet, hitting 2800-3000fps, your good and most will work extremely well down to 2500fps starting out. Most of my loads fall into the 2650 - 2850fps range in calibers from .243 through 30-06, and the loads will usually print 5 or more shots into less than an inch at 100 and some at 200yds. It depends on how far your shooting, what your shooting at, and what the desired result are supposed to be, when that bullet gets there. For deer up to around 300# a mid to heavy weight for caliber bullet will get you meat in the freezer every year provided you put it where it should go. Bigger critters need more than smaller ones, but your the only one who can decide where to draw that line.
I'll disagree with most of the previous comments and say that you should start with factory ammo. Sure, if you're an experienced hand loader, you might not shoot factory ammo. But judging from your question, you aren't all that experienced, right?
So buy a small quantity of various factory ammo in several different bullet weights and, perhaps, in several different qualities; i.e. hunting loads, plinking loads, and some more expensive target loads. Make sure to select bullet weights appropriate for your barrel twist.
Shoot up this stuff and keep very careful records. Then, when you start reloading you'll have some sort of benchmark. You could start hand loading by trying to duplicate some of the better factory ammo, always remembering to start around 10% below the maximum recommended powder charge weight and work up from there. You should be able to make better hand loaded ammo eventually, but maybe not right off the bat.
In any case, by shooting up a little bit of factory ammo you will get used to your new gun, learn what it likes, and accumulate enough range time to shoot the bull with other owners of similar rifles and ask about what they hand load and why.
So buy a small quantity of various factory ammo in several different bullet weights and, perhaps, in several different qualities; i.e. hunting loads, plinking loads, and some more expensive target loads. Make sure to select bullet weights appropriate for your barrel twist.
Shoot up this stuff and keep very careful records. Then, when you start reloading you'll have some sort of benchmark. You could start hand loading by trying to duplicate some of the better factory ammo, always remembering to start around 10% below the maximum recommended powder charge weight and work up from there. You should be able to make better hand loaded ammo eventually, but maybe not right off the bat.
In any case, by shooting up a little bit of factory ammo you will get used to your new gun, learn what it likes, and accumulate enough range time to shoot the bull with other owners of similar rifles and ask about what they hand load and why.
In my mind the bullet is the first decision to be made. You can lookup the manufacturers recommendations and they can tell you what they design there bullets for. Powder would be my next decision to make. I prefer to see what is common for the cartridge and look for lower pressure with a reasonable velocity for the cartridge. Since you are new to loading avoid thinking highest velocities since the most accurate loads are usually below max. You can't do too much research and the manuals are the best place to start. Avoid shortcuts just take your time and get it right. Think about what kind of accuracy you want. For Deer at 200 Yds you should have 5 shot groups of about 1 1/2" or less at 100Yds. For varmints 1" or less at 100 Yds. Remember if you can't hit the vitals it isn't good enough accuracy for medium size or large game. You will want the bullet to retain it's weight for Deer and larger game but for small varmints the bullet should fragment on contact. Make sure the bullet kinetic energy fits the game. You don't need a 300 Mag to shoot Deer and you don't want a 243 to shoot Moose. If you don't have a rifle yet then stay away from semi autos and consider a bolt action.
603Country
New member
My approach would be similar to the ones above, but maybe not quite the same. So, let's say that cousin Bob gave me a 243, which I don't now have. I have the dies already. I'd look in the Lyman 49th and pick a powder, and hopefully it's a powder I already have. I'd go with the 100 gr bullet probably, and I'd buy Nosler BT's or Sierra GK's. I have the primers. I'd check the Nosler book for powder charge range and compare it to the Lyman (it won't be the exact same). I'd start in about the middle range of what Lyman suggests (I never start at minimum) and work up loads from the mid range suggestion and go upward in 10% of full load increments. I'd shoot at 100 yards and do 3 shot groups until I found some load that looked promising and then go to 5 shot groups. I keep good notes as I move through the loads (If the rifle has a less than decent trigger, I go with 5 shot groups from the start). When I found a good load combo, I might go with powder charges a bit higher and a bit lower just to see if that makes a diff in getting me to a great group. Once I found what looked like a great combo, I'd likely crank out a 10 shot group. Once I'm satisfied with a load, I'll load 50 rounds and I'm good to go.
I scrounge the forums to see who and how many are having good luck with particular bullets/powders etc. that's usually where I start after figuring out what would likely be best for my rifles twist rate. then when I find a decent weight and powder combo, I start just buying random big name bullets from hornaday/sierra/nosler etc til I find my favorite.
if it's a really really commonly reloaded cartridge, I will start with a weight of bullet after finding a factory load that shoots that well, then stick with what others are using like SMK's or VMAX
if it's a really really commonly reloaded cartridge, I will start with a weight of bullet after finding a factory load that shoots that well, then stick with what others are using like SMK's or VMAX
g.willikers
New member
I vote for the method Mozella uses.
Find the best shooting factory loads and duplicate them.
When, or if, your reloads are equal, then try to improve on them, if possible.
Find the best shooting factory loads and duplicate them.
When, or if, your reloads are equal, then try to improve on them, if possible.
I'm working on a "light" 45-70 load. That means 300 gr bullets. I have three. One fmj, one hi-tek, one lead.
I graphed the powder range for cast & FMJ for 3 powders, Fast Medium, slow. At each end gr I put the book fps. Since I want light recoil I went just inside spec looking for 1600-1800 fps.
I will load 5 rounds at 9 points (45 rounds total) (JHP/Hi-Tec/C vs. 3031/4064/Varget. From there I will dial in the best in each bullet/powder. Crono it and go from there.
I graphed the powder range for cast & FMJ for 3 powders, Fast Medium, slow. At each end gr I put the book fps. Since I want light recoil I went just inside spec looking for 1600-1800 fps.
I will load 5 rounds at 9 points (45 rounds total) (JHP/Hi-Tec/C vs. 3031/4064/Varget. From there I will dial in the best in each bullet/powder. Crono it and go from there.