Load development process

How do yall do it?
I load up 3 rounds each of 5 different powder charges and shoot them and find my best powder charge. I then load 3 rounds of 4 different seating depth in .005" increments out to .020" off the lands. One question how long do you wait before each shot and also do you immediately start load development with a cold bore or do you shoot a couple to warm the barrel. Thanks

I pick the seat depth I want first.

For bottleneck cartridges, that means finding the chamber length and then seating the bullets around .005" off the lands.

For revolver cartridges, that means seating the bullet as far out as I can reliably crimp and still fit in the cylinder. Sometimes that's the bottom of the crimp groove and sometimes that is the first lube ring.

Start 1.5gr below Hodgdon Book Max and load 4-5 round each charge in .5gr increments up to book max. Looking for most accurate load. If this is the book max load, I will sometimes push past the book max if pressure seems fine to determine if greater accuracy can be had.

Once accurate load is determined, I will load 5 more and verify accuracy.

With bottleneck cartridges, I generally fire 1 fouling shot and then begin grouping. Waiting approximately 5 minutes between shots.

Revolvers, I may or may not fire a fouling round and generally still wait 3-5 minutes between shots.

I DO NOT mess with changing seating depth. I've tried. The only differences I've determined valid for me is that it changes velocity. I seat as far out as I can to reduce pressure......increase powder capacity.....and increase velocity.

Thanks zee

I agree I notice more of a difference (as far as smaller groups go) with powder charge than I do seating depth

East,

I completely agree with you and Zee with pistol cartridges that use a crimp. The cylinder, bullet design and need for a proper crimp will dictate the OAL.

But with bottle neck rounds that do not use a crimp, I always tweak my OAL as a last step to fine tune accuracy. I do not generally load these types to the red line, and always find that reducing or increasing the OAL's by 5 or 10 thou will make groups shrink or grow. I set up reload ladders, much like doing it for powder weight, and test.

Craig