[MDshotgunner]

If your reloads chronograph too fast or too slow do you change how much powder you drop? I especially want to know if your reloads are too slow. If you do, How do you know they're safe since you've exceeded the published load?

 

[hmb]

When your gun blows up you have gone too far. Stick with published data. HMB

 

[mg1polo]

If your reloads chronograph too fast or too slow do you change how much powder you drop? I especially want to know if your reloads are too slow. If you do, How do you know they're safe since you've exceeded the published load?

NEVER, EVER, EXCEED PUBLISHED DATA!

 

[MDshotgunner]

When your gun blows up you have gone too far. Stick with published data. HMB

You get an A+ for jumping to conclusions! Maybe I should have said for those that own a chronograph, which I don't. My friend that does chronograph his loads usually finds the loads are going faster than published so he drops down a bushing. That's why I posted the question.

 

[flashmax]

Chronograph misuse has screwed up more trapshooters heads than any other single piece of optional equipment sold. Hobby chronographs almost always give high readings. Tighter the choke, higher the reading.

 

[poacherjoe]

Flashmax answered the question!! I have seen guy's start the chronograph stuff and get really confused at the findings. Like the loads vary so much and consistency. Just load it with the published data and forget about making everything perfect. The powder drops are never exactly alike unless you want to use a powder trickle device and a scale. No reason to get this anal about it. A few feet per second difference won't change anything for the trapshooter. Now if you were reloading for a rifle I would see a need for the chronograph!!

 

[likes-to-shoot]

My friend that does chronograph his loads usually finds the loads are going faster than published so he drops down a bushing. That's why I posted the question.

As long as the bushing drop is still within the manufactures published data he will be just fine.

All the powder manufactures are more than willing to answer any question when asked. They are only a phone call away.

 

[HSLDS]

We tend to use 'Binford Reloading Data' in the USA (a tip of the hat to Tim Allen).

In most of the rest of the world shot shells are loaded with a much lighter pay load to a much slower speed. In the UK it is typically 24 ~ 26 gram loads running around 1,000 fps. This is a GAME load in the UK.

If that is good enough for driven pheasant why isn't it good enough for a clay target??

I re-load 7/8 ounce shells with enough Promo (Yes, I am cheap, and an admitted recoil pansy) to be certain the wad clears the muzzle. I have never felt 'under shelled' back to the 23 ~ 25 yard line. Even with 'games' where we shoot trap targets from the skeet stations I can still crush targets.

Why do we need more than that?

 

[MDshotgunner]

We tend to use 'Binford Reloading Data' in the USA (a tip of the hat to Tim Allen).

In most of the rest of the world shot shells are loaded with a much lighter pay load to a much slower speed. In the UK it is typically 24 ~ 26 gram loads running around 1,000 fps. This is a GAME load in the UK.

If that is good enough for driven pheasant why isn't it good enough for a clay target??

I re-load 7/8 ounce shells with enough Promo (Yes, I am cheap, and an admitted recoil pansy) to be certain the wad clears the muzzle. I have never felt 'under shelled' back to the 23 ~ 25 yard line. Even with 'games' where we shoot trap targets from the skeet stations I can still crush targets.

Why do we need more than that?

I too am recoil sensitive. I shoot light 7/8 oz. loads. And 3/4 oz. loads at skeet. I don't shoot games except for an occasional round of Chinese trap. I'll usually just buy a box of shells to shoot it.

 

[pheasantmaster]

You get an A+ for jumping to conclusions! Maybe I should have said for those that own a chronograph, which I don't. My friend that does chronograph his loads usually finds the loads are going faster than published so he drops down a bushing. That's why I posted the question.

Like Unknown1 States above, your friend is effectively screwing himself from the results he desires. There is no formula to use to obtain a comparable reading between his backyard unit and the type the industry/labs/powder companies use for developed formulas/listings. The best avenue for him would be to buy a box of target loads, send five in for test results and then use 2-3 over his just prior to batch test for comparative results.

 

[lexusclays]

When you read the directions, it will tell you how far away from the machine your are supposed to be to get accurate readings. I had a friend that crono' some of my loads, said my 28 ga were running over 1350, lol. He was around a foot too close to the unit, after he backed away a little, 1240-1260. Amazing how much this changed with such little variance. I can see why it would play fits with otherwise competitive shooters, all that doubt seeping in. When all that really matters, is 25-40 yards down range.

 

[perazzidave]

Here is the answer boys and girls, use a RCBS Chargemaster Combo. This ends all your problems. Set the powder to how many grains you want to drop and let the Chargemaster do the work. I find it especially useful for 28 gauge where the pressures are so damn high. I want to know how much powder I'm dropping according to the published recipe. RCBS is offering a $75.00 rebate on $300.00 I believe. You can purchase a Chargemaster Combo for around $289.00. It's slower to load dropping your powder this way but it's so accurate and you'll love your hand loads. That's all I have to say about that,

PD

 

[mg1polo]

Here is the answer boys and girls, use a RCBS Chargemaster Combo. This ends all your problems. Set the powder to how many grains you want to drop and let the Chargemaster do the work. I find it especially useful for 28 gauge where the pressures are so damn high. I want to know how much powder I'm dropping according to the published recipe. RCBS is offering a $75.00 rebate on $300.00 I believe. You can purchase a Chargemaster Combo for around $289.00. It's slower to load dropping your powder this way but it's so accurate and you'll love your hand loads. That's all I have to say about that,

PD

Your kidding right? You want me to weigh 500 rounds a week by hand?
I have ZERO issues loading on my machines for 40 years and you figure
we need to weigh each shot charge.
I say, "GO HAVE AT IT" as far as the rest of us, we're all good doing it the
way our machines were designed for.
MG

 

[zzt]

MD, my answer is yes. However, you have to understand what your chrono data means. The light operated chronos available to us read the first pellet across the screens. The specialized chronos used by manufacturers read center of mass. The result is two completely different readings from identical shells. The physical constriction of the shotgun choke also affects the readings.

The result is that readings from a consumer chrono are always going to report higher velocity than the factory does, and higher yet if you use a full choke. So here is how I handled it.

I wanted my reloads to duplicate the performance of factory loads I liked. I was in love with the STS 1oz loads and the Light Target (9/8oz @ 1145fps). So I shot some factory rounds over my chrono and averaged the speed. They were uniformly higher than what was printed on the box. I didn't care. If I had used another chrono from the same manufacturer, I would have received slightly different readings. The important thing was I had a basis for comparison. I shot my reloads over the same chrono with the same setup and averaged the results for each.

It turns out the data in the manuals is pretty good. My 1oz reloads using the data from the Alliant manual were exactly the same as the factory average. So even thought the chrono gave readings that averaged 1234fps (I was using a fixed full choke at the time), I new they matched the factory shells marked 1180fps. The same thing held true for most of my handicap loads. One notable difference was using American Select powder. The data from the Alliant manual produced velocities in excess of the factory shell I was trying to duplicate, so I had to reduce the charge by .5gr to match the "1145fps" factory load. That could just have been a result of the lot of powder I bought. The only other time I had to make that large of an adjustment was with one lot of Red Dot. I chrono each new lot of powder, and this one was low. I don't have that data in front of me at the moment, but if memory serves, I had to increase the charge by .5gr or slightly more to get back up to the expected velocity.

 

[Zoom.Golly]

I don't make any changes to tested loads unless they've been tested for both velocity AND pressure (one is meaningless without the other)

Pressure numbers in the book are worthless info.

 

[Zoom.Golly]

Chronograph misuse has screwed up more trapshooters heads than any other single piece of optional equipment sold.

+1

Hobby level chonographing is worse than useless.

 

[mg1polo]

Pressure numbers in the book are worthless info.

Pressure numbers in the book are completely accurate as long as you follow the data!
Zoom, you really need to stop making theses asinine comments!
MG

 

[mg1polo]

+1

Hobby level chonographing is worse than useless.

ZOOM,
Please STOP IT! You do not reload! Go and shoot your cheap promotional shells
and enjoy. By your comments here, everyone knows your full of beans.
MG

 

[timb99]

If you really want the straight answer send your loads off to have them tested by someone who has the proper testing equipment.

And if you MUST use a back yard chrono, do yourself a favor and put a cylinder choke in it. Using a full choke (or any choke at all) changes the readings.

Downrange Wads and Precision Reloading will test your reloads.

 

[perazzidave]

Your kidding right? You want me to weigh 500 rounds a week by hand?
I have ZERO issues loading on my machines for 40 years and you figure
we need to weigh each shot charge.
I say, "GO HAVE AT IT" as far as the rest of us, we're all good doing it the
way our machines were designed for.
MG

Oh I see where you're confused MG. It's not the shot charge you weigh, it's the powder charge. Sorry for your confusion.

PD