Benefits of Using Quick Load

  • 438 Views
  • Last Post 21 January 2023
Wm Cook posted this 26 December 2022

In a recent thread lotech then Aaron mentioned the value of using Quick Load.  I was hoping someone could give a rough description of the benefits.  

I looked it up on line and there wasn’t a lot of detail explaining its virtues.  Maybe I just didn’t look hard enough.

  • Is it something you use so you can focus on a few powders for a new cartridge you’re using?
  • Does it have any cast bullets listed?
  • How common is it amongst cast shooters?

Or is it just something you have to jump into and sort out the benefits as you go.  Price looks to be about 160 from what I see.

Back in the 90’s I used software called Load Data.  That was back in the floppy disc days.  Thanks for the help, Bill.

Patience isn’t a virtue, it’s a delay tactic.

Attached Files

Order By: Standard | Newest | Votes
jeffhouck posted this 21 January 2023

For me it's indispensable for giving a close estimate of pressure. It allows me to make loads that replicate Black Powder pressures for the old cartridges. I keep all my loads BELOW this pressure level. You'll also see just how fast pressure builds with increased seating depth. Decrease volume and pressure is exponential. This program lets you see all of these internal happenings.

It's a fascinating program!

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Bud Hyett
2frogs posted this 19 January 2023

Is this a safe to use site? Looks pretty expensive to me. In your honest opinion is it really worth it. I mean,like how often would you use it. Is it better than having a shelf full of books??

Attached Files

Aaron posted this 27 December 2022

There is no secret to cast bullet shooting. It is an art form of dealing with a malleable bullet under pressure. If it was easy, every one would be shooting cast bullets. 

I sincerely believe this is actually some art form. Bullet casting and shooting the resultant product takes years of practice and study. It doesn't happen overnight. Pushing through failure after failure both at the casting pot and on the range is a glimpse of the personality involved. Persistence, perseverance, and patience are hallmarks of this art form.

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • RicinYakima
  • Bud Hyett
RicinYakima posted this 27 December 2022

Understanding cast accuracy requires you to wade in to the unknown and sort it out as you go.  Trial and error.  Keep track of the results.  Only change one variable at a time. Keep tweaking.  Don't be afraid of peeking under the covers.  It sounds trite but its true; no pain, no gain.  

There is no secret to cast bullet shooting. It is an art form of dealing with a malleable bullet under pressure. If it was easy, every one would be shooting cast bullets. 

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Bud Hyett
Bud Hyett posted this 27 December 2022

Bud spoke of optimizing a load that stops short of smoking from the muzzle.  That side is a black box for me. 

This reference is for jacketed bullets and deals with P O Ackley's writings on bore efficiency. I believe there is science behind his theory. QuickLoad will give the percentage of combustion for a given load and supports this theory.

I have several times almost worn out a barrel trying to get a better load and sought some method of determining when a load shoots best and to quit wasting powder and bullets in further fruitless search. Over the years I've observed that a jacketed load shoots best when it starts smoking or just before. I relate the smoke to partially consumed, or totally unburned powder, particles burning at the muzzle and producing smoke. Once this point is reached, I've never been able to gain better accuracy by adding more powder. 

I've never been able to gain a similar result for cast. The factor of the lubricant producing smoke nullifies the powder smoke. Observing the powder smoke in a cast bullet load is an inexact science at best. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • RicinYakima
Wm Cook posted this 27 December 2022

Aaron, Bud thanks.  That pretty much nails it down.  Even though Excel is not needed for Quick Load the analogy Aaron made between Quick Load, Excel and computer navigation puts things into perspective.  No concerns about handling that.  And having the ability to export from NOE is a big plus. 

I left wildcatting back in the 90's and the prairie dog towns in Montana.  No regrets to that venture but today I have a much narrower perspective.  

My biggest weakness is understanding ballistics.  The time is right to massage that part of my brain.  Bud spoke of optomizing a load that stops short of smoking from the muzzle.  That side is a black box for me. 

Understanding cast accuracy requires you to wade in to the unknown and sort it out as you go.  Trial and error.  Keep track of the results.  Only change one variable at a time. Keep tweaking.  Don't be afraid of peeking under the covers.  It sounds trite but its true; no pain, no gain.  Thanks, Bill.

 

Patience isn’t a virtue, it’s a delay tactic.

Attached Files

Bud Hyett posted this 26 December 2022

In a recent thread lotech then Aaron mentioned the value of using Quick Load.  I was hoping someone could give a rough description of the benefits.

  • Is it something you use so you can focus on a few powders for a new cartridge you’re using? - Yes, the dropdown menus have this ability plus you can tailor the pressure velocity graphs using these dropdowns. 
  • Does it have any cast bullets listed? - Yes, plus you can get NOE's data for Quickload from the NOE website. 
  • How common is it amongst cast shooters? - No idea, but I use it. 

Or is it just something you have to jump into and sort out the benefits as you go. - That was my starting point. I read the instructions (lengthy) and then worked on what I wanted.

There is an option to download to an EXCEL spreadsheet. Doing this, you can sort data and compare based on pressure, velocity, etc. . 

You can even give a negative value for seating depth to simulate breech-seating.  

https://noebulletmolds.com/site/quickload-data/

As with all reloading data, check against several sources to assure the load is the proper amount. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • RicinYakima
admiral posted this 26 December 2022

Aaron's post is right on. I have QuickLoad and love it. It has Lyman and RCBS bullet designs in the bullet selection section. Besides all the obsolete cartridges I shoot it can come in handy for your individual rifle's chamber. If you ever have had published load data either fall excessively short or exceed the results in your rifle it can help you find out why.

Attached Files

lotech posted this 26 December 2022

Quick Load may be the best of it's kind. I've never used it, only stopped by their booth at the SHOT Show some years ago, so know virtually nothing about the details. At one time I used a now long-discontinued program (due to the originator's death) called "Load From A Disk", certainly a much less sophisticated program than Quick Load. However, it pre-dated Quick Load by many years. 

I was interested in developing loads for the 7X61 Sharpe & Hart Magnum, a commercial cartridge for which there was no current load data. Using "Load From A Disk" combined with some old data (much of it very hot), I was able to come up with a lot of loads for many jacketed bullets and around six powders. Though not pressure tested, loads appeared to be safe and brass life was very good. With many of the loads, powder charges and predicted velocities from the program corresponded very closely to my results, something that really surprised me. I'm pretty sure Quick Load would likely do all this at least a little better than Load From A Disk.   

Attached Files

Aaron posted this 26 December 2022

Benefits of QuickLoad software:

When some of us load for "obsolete" calibers or ones with no SAAMI specs like the 45-90 Winchester, we find very little to no load information about it in manuals or other vetted and reliable sources. Sometimes there is a single load, or perhaps two loads listed with powders that may no longer be available.

Knowing that powder xxx may work, but with nothing to compare it with, one is extremely hesitant to test it in a $2000 rifle. I think I am pretty smart (other folks may hold differing opinions) and can make an assumptive prediction on deduced load data. Of course if I am wrong, things can get pretty ugly. This is where QuickLoad comes into play.

It can give a pretty fair guess as to what will happen if you pull the trigger on your load. It incorporates a cornucopia of data relative to the cartridge case, case volume with differing projectiles, burn time of propellant, burn properties of propellant, barrel time, frictional coefficients of bullet to barrel over time, shot start pressures, closed bomb analysis of propellants, and the list goes on and on and on. It's a lot more scientific than my "educated" swag based on compiled data and what I think "should" happen.

I am however smart enough to know that interior ballistics is 90% science and 10% black magic. It's that 10% that will get you.

QuickLoad will greatly assist me in load development for calibers like: 226-JDJ, 375-JDJ, 411-JDJ, 45-90 Win, 32-20 Win w/heavy bullets, 38-55 Win for T/C Contender 14" bbl., 38-55 Win M94 26" bbl., and a few more oddball calibers or oddball bullet weights (length).

That is its true value. If all you need is a loading manual for modern established cartridges, I would suggest actually purchasing a loading manual or two. QuickLoad is an extremely complex program whereby an errant keystroke can spell disaster. Think of it like MS-Excel. Very few people know the horsepower of the program at their fingertips and instead buy dumbded down applications for children to track their expenses. I have yet to meet a single person who can generate a pivot table in Excel or even explain what it is/does. Those days are long gone.

QuickLoad has a LOT of horsepower for load development. It's use is rather pointless for verification of existing data. It's not a plug & play application either. You really need to know the scientific terms used in the program to get the full value from it. Like you mentioned, it is rather on the expensive side unless you have a real load development use for it.

Having said all that above, handloaders and casters are a curious lot. If you don't mind the cost, it is a fantastic program to play with. It shows just how fast a load can go south on you or how fast a bullet difference can improve the burn efficiency of a load.

It only comes on a CD so if you have one of the new wonder PC's with no CD drive, you will need an external CD drive attached to load it up on the PC.

Aaron

 

With rifle in hand, I confidently go forth into the darkness.

Attached Files

lotech posted this 26 December 2022

You didn't offend and no apology needed. Maybe I phrased things poorly. 

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Ross Smith
Wm Cook posted this 26 December 2022

Sorry Lotech, didn't mean to offend. 

When I go to the individual threads on my I phone it shows the message somewhat convoluted.  It started a few days back. 

Again, I apologize. Bill.

 

Patience isn’t a virtue, it’s a delay tactic.

Attached Files

lotech posted this 26 December 2022

I didn't mention anything about Quick Load, but within it's limits, I suppose it can be a useful tool in providing a shortcut to powder selection. I always look at accuracy as the final proof of a good load. The most efficient powder may provide best accuracy, but I certainly wouldn't count on it. Sort of like low SD and ES numbers; they are an indication of consistency only and not accuracy and they're often not a determining factor for developing an accurate load, but they can be. I look at powder efficiency and ES and SD numbers only if a load isn't accurate. 

Attached Files

  • Liked by
  • Bud Hyett
Close