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RayH
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Powder Adjustment question
Oct 16th, 2022 at 12:29pm
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Presume "perfect load" at "home" altitude & temperature.
Is change of either (up or down) likely to benefit from a reduction or increase of powder charge?
  

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #1 - Oct 16th, 2022 at 5:17pm
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Fixed 38/55 I don’t change my load for temperature, I do adjust the sight as much as 2 MOA very hot day to freezing. Breech seating 32/40 for 200 yard targets will bump the powder measure up a bit if I see holes in the paper out of round indicating dropping sub sonic at impact.

Should also add point of impact & sight settings change with attitude and due to Inconsistent measurement firing line to target. Few ranges are measured precisely.

When I shot a lot of silhouette always carried a sight book with zeros that particular range. Frequent topic of conversation between shooters was zeros compared to other ranges. 

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #2 - Oct 16th, 2022 at 7:38pm
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Chucks Ruger 32/40 shot like a house afire at Tacoma. At Golden CO it leaded something terrible with the same bullets and load. Had to reduce the powder charge for Golden. A reduction in bullet diameter would have helped to because Chucks bullets were about .002 over groove diameter.
  

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #3 - Oct 16th, 2022 at 8:33pm
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For Breech Seating 200 yd. Cast bullet competition i do go up or down a few tenths for every ten degrees based on the outside temperature changes during a match.
  

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RayH
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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #4 - Oct 17th, 2022 at 6:48am
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Lower temp gets more powder?

Higher temp gets less?

What about altitude?

This is the very basis for my post. Thanks for considering.
  

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #5 - Oct 17th, 2022 at 8:17am
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Pure speculation on my part altitude affects the bullets flight not powder burn.

Main take away is every day is different every range too only sure indicator is performance on target 

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RayH
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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #6 - Oct 17th, 2022 at 11:49am
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So true. Thanks and Amen!
  

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #7 - Oct 17th, 2022 at 12:54pm
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A chronograph will help over the long run. Knowing the speed for the sweet stop in your load and adjusting the powder for the various range and conditions goes a long ways in maintaining accuracy.
  
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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #8 - Oct 17th, 2022 at 7:33pm
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Ray it is actually just the opposite of what you had stated. 
Once you find a load that works it is never any longer about maintaining the same exact weight. 
It now becomes all about maintaining the same volume. 
Power is typically hydroscopic so it can take on moisture and or it can also loose it. 
Most folks tend to think that the hotter in the day that it gets that they need to back off of the powder charge abit. 
When it is actually just the opposite of and they actually need to increase it abit to be able to maintain the same amount of volume.  
  

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #9 - Oct 18th, 2022 at 4:51am
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True words on volume vs weight. Not often noticed but, I load 12 G shotgun shells using a fixed volume measure machine. Powder is in a hopper filled from 8 lb jug. Empty it each session then top it up next time.

Always throw 10 in a cup check weighing new session & before stating a run. 16.5 desired charge Red dot. It will vary weight .2 -.3 grains depending on humidity my basement shop. See lesser variation same Harrell’s click adjustable measure setting 17 grs 4227 for my 38/55 loads.  Probably .1 grain 

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #10 - Oct 18th, 2022 at 8:06am
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John & Bill,
You both have been my guiding lights since I started with s.s. Thank you so much for your help over the years and today as well.
  

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #11 - Oct 18th, 2022 at 11:44am
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Ray
When I shoot at home (East Tennessee) I have a load but when I come to Etna Green a much lower altitude I need to add 2 clicks of powder for best results.

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #12 - Oct 18th, 2022 at 12:41pm
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John M., Now we're really getting to the crux of my inquiry. My home (where I do most of my testing and loading) is St Augustine, FL (sea level). More testing at Asheville, NC (2,500 ft. above). My shooting temperatures range from 30 - 100+-.
Always time for more testing!
Thanks.
  

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #13 - Oct 18th, 2022 at 6:31pm
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It’s entirely possible altitude’s a significant factor burn rate. Most dramatic example I have seen is Raton NM High Power Silhouette nationals zeros vs home club Eastern Virginia.

Zeros are different, is it the altitude, humidity, or exact distance firing line to target. Shooting offhand observing impact on falling steel through a spotting scope probably not possible to segregate the variables. 

All I know sure is we agreed on the correction cranked it on the scope then putting it out of mind totally focused on hitting targets

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Re: Powder Adjustment question
Reply #14 - Oct 18th, 2022 at 8:03pm
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Ray the bottom line is that no matter where one might be at. 
It is always all about the amount of Vertical Dispersion and once you have that amount down to it's very least amount. If it starts increasing during a match it is then time to make a slight powder charge change to get it back into or to maintain the same tune. 
This typically happens when there is a change in the outside temperature.
  

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