Originally Posted by
mrbb
again, this is why I said, refer to reloading manuals
I wouldn;t ever want to WAIT till my rifle tells me I went too FAR or too low
damages can be from mild to deadly!
and not bashing just saying,,
NOT following a manual and just READING a rifle, is not the best way to go, all the more so to any NEW shooter/reloader!
First, I never said I don't read a manual. Secondly, I've been at this game for a long time, reloading for about 55 years now and I have manuals from way back then. Maximum charges using the same components back then were quite a bit higher than they are now. I'm assuming for liability issues. You have to remember manuals are not written in stone. They are for reference. And I would urge beginners to always follow their respective reloading manuals until they obtain the knowledge that come with experience.
My load development process for a new rifle begins at 10% below a listed maximum or the recommended starting load. From there I move up in increments of .5 or 1.0 gr up to normally 2.0 grains above the listed maximum loading 3 to 5 rounds. I usually don't care about accuracy at this point but I shoot through a chronograph and examine all cases for signs of pressure. (sticky bolt, flattened primer, marks on case head, etc). All velocities are recorded and then plotted. Where I find a plateau close to the maximum charge I know I have found the load that is fairly stable. I then load 3 loads in that range in .3 gr increments again plotting the velocities looking where I have the least change in velocity. Now I have found my load. It likely won't be the most accurate load in the rifle but sometimes it is. What it is though is a load that will perform equally under more varied conditions.