Thread: Primer Shortage...to be continued???

Greetings All,
This is probably a good time to make a plug for minimalist load development. You can burn up a huge stock of components for little return. Don't get me wrong I really enjoy handloading but I balk at blowing away large volumes of components aimlessly with tiny increments and 3 shot groups delivering velocity I would not be happy with. It is a bit more complex with some rounds but the basic principals still apply.

1. Establish what you want to achieve. Collect the available book data and establish what should be possible in your rifle allowing for barrel length and your components. The data should be for the actual projectile you are using.

2. Establish a sensible start load and chronograph a couple of rounds. This will validate the components you are going to use and the likely load for your target velocity. You can use the velocity increase per grain from your book data to make adjustments.

3. Test loads around your target velocity to establish your working load.

You should be able to establish a working load for a hunting rifle with 10 rounds max. This can be refined over time as part of your zero checks.

Regards Grandpamac.