Home Forums Reloading Reloading Software Quickload

I got myself Quickload as a Christmas present and am impressed with this great program. The tool seems to be impressivly close to actual results as well as published load data. I have noticed a couple of "strange" things like the tool predicts same or higher velocity possible with .270 WSM compared to .270 Weatherby (and even 7mm STW). The .270 WSM velocity seems reasonable, the WBY/STW velocity looks a little low. Has anybody noticed QL being off for "overbore" cases? There is a weighting factor that says use ".33" for overbore, but .270 WBY is .5, 7mm STW is .6. Changing to .33 certainly bumps velocity potential up for these rounds, but wondering why they are not defaulted to .33 or what criteria "overbore" is.

Lou

the "weighting factor" seems like the big variable in QL. i'm fighting it too, only in .375 RUM, where QL uses .65 for a weighting factor. but the .375 H&H and .378 WBY get a default value of .5 for weighting factor. changing the weighting factor to .5 in the .375 RUM brings predictions closer to published data, but i really don't feel comfy straying too far from the default value.

in the end, i stop when the rifles say stop, but the default weighting factor doesn't always seem to provide the best model in some cartridges.

I have also noticed some discrepancies in the weighting factor settings. IIRC, .243 Win was off.

I use QL's weighting factor (WF) as a tweaker feature to fit the software to my loads. The default WF is an onager guess. I ignore it and move on �

� I tweak it until the QL prognostications match my results with one load in the specified rifle.

� Then, I assume, it's going to predict the results of other loads in that rifle more accurately.

Providing, of course, that all my cartridges are loaded as I've specified in the upper left QL frame.

(The water capacity of the case and the length of the barrel may need to be adjusted, too.)

Changing the specs changes the cartridge and renders the prognostications meaningless.

Ken,

I've never played around with WF before, but, after seeing this thread, I went back to my notes from this past summer when three chronographed 30-06 loads were signficantly lower than QL predicted (actual mean results were 61, 85 and 89 fps slower for three different bullets with the same charge of 57.0 grains H4350). QL predicted in the high 2700's, but results were low 2700's.

To bring my actual results in line with what QL predicts, the WF would have to go way silly high.

I handload 19 Badger,.222, .223, 22-250, 6mmBR, .243, 25acp, 25/35, 250/3000, 257 Robert Ackley Improved, 260Rem, 6.5x55, 270, 7x57mm, 7mm Rem mag, 32acp, 32sw, 32S&WLong, 32-20, 7.62x25mm, 30-30, 303Sav, 300Sav, 7.62x39mm, 308, 7.5Swiss, 30-06, 300WM, 303Brit,7.62x54R, 8x57mm, 338WM, .380, 9x19mm, 9x23mm, 357 Sig, 38 sp, 357 mag, 38sw, 40sw 10mm, 10.4mm, 401 power mag, 44mag, 45acp, 45Colt, .410, 45/70, and 12 ga.

For straight wall handguns loads way in excess of SAAMI registered pressures, Quickload is not worth a toot, and I ignore it.

But for bottle necked rifle cartridges, the limit of brass pressure can be right on the money, and the QL predicted velocity can be right in the center of the chronograph measured string.


I don't mess with the weighing factor.
I do put in:
Powder
powder charge
bullet
cartridge length
barrel length
starting pressure ~ 2kpsi off the lands, ~ 5kpsi jammed into the lands

For the same 1889 7.65x53mm Mauser case heads built with large Boxer primer pocket, I get the threshold of loose primer pockets in one firing at ~ 74kpsi.
This would include 22-250, 243, 6mm Rem, 250 Savage, 257 Roberts, 25-06, 260 Rem, 6.5x55 [US brass], 270, 7mm-08, 7x57mm, 280, 300Sav, 308, 7.62x51mm, 30-06, 8x57mm, 338F, 358, and 35W.

The 300 H&H magnum case heads are at a higher pressure.

The .222 case heads are at an even higher pressure.

The 6mmBR case heads are not the weak link, the primer is, and that pressure will be dependent on the firing pin to firing pin hole fit, and the primer used.

In order to get the threshold of primer pocket looseness and the chronograph measurements to be perfect, I need to fool with the powder charge.

Some of my jugs of powder and right on the money, but with H4350, I must put 4% more powder in the case than I put in Quickload for the two to match.

So for the first few cartridges with a powder, there is some fine tuning to know how to adjust the powder entry in Quickload, but after that, with other cartridges, Quickload can save lots of time.

I have hundreds of guns to test, and QL does more than a couple full time employees would.