Precision Rifle Load Development/ Part VI: Pressure Signs & 140-grain Velocity Testing 

My grandpa used to reload before he died. I never learned from him as he died before I knew what was going on. In a weird way I feel like I'm learning from him through you. Thanks for keeping the tradition alive.

ive learned more from him than anyone else online.

Great video, I agree with your pressure sign method. FYI -- In Quickload, if you click on the Shot Start (Initiation) Pressure number an info box will drop down. Near the bottom of the info box it says, "WARNING: With bullet seated to touch rifling add 7200 psi to Start Pressure".

I load to the lands myself . I shoot a 260 and run 43.2 4350 . These videos have helped me tremendously thank you .

Aside from having my chamber polished and lugs lapped I see that I may be leaving too much lubricant in my chamber-I hope this resolves the hard to open bolt for extraction. Sam certainly has a talent for making educational videos. I've learned so much from this series.

Back to review this series again! Working up loads for new 6.5 PRC. Once again, thank you for this outstanding information!!!

I have been watching a ton of reloading video’s trying to learn as much as I can. I recently found your channel and in 1 day have learned as much as all the others combined. You make everything so simple to understand l, thank you for putting the time in to teach others

Thank you for all your help. It is much appreciated

In regard to a sudden pressure spike with a tested load, several reasons might be in play. A different lot of the same powder may be the cause, a change of primer , a seating stem which came loose and backed off, a die that became loose and backed off. I know you buy in bulk and these would probably not happen to you, but a person who asked the question might not realize how much difference it can make. By the way, dies loosening up on me has happened. I know it shouldn't happen, but it does. I have been reloading since the early 70s and have made most of the mistakes a person can make. I am 78 and I learn something new almost every time I shoot. Thanks for your common sende approach to your videos. I think I know a lot about reloading, but I have tried to learn different ways to do things, that way I have a different way to do something if one way doesn't work.

At least I know I am not the only one who shoots out of my living room window. Great info!

Sam, been watching your content for a couple years now. You’ve got great content! Even so was extremely fascinated in watching your son bang out shots long time ago. You’re a loading and marksman icon 👍 Also, a very professional presented web site you have..

Congratulations on a PERFECT series of videos on a subject, and thank you so much!!!

This was so helpful, I can't thank you enough. I was getting great results with my 7mm-08, 145g Speer loads up near book max, but seeing flat primers. Velocity and groups were great, but my CCI primers were flatter than I was used to. Only had slightly heavy bolt lift at 40.7 grains of IMR 4895 with a 41.0 grain book max, but primers flat all the way back to 39.5 grains. There was almost no ejector marks or other primer marks that would indicate excessive pressures. This makes me more comfortable with determining reasonable pressure signs and reading multiple signs rather than just how flat the primers are. Thanks for continuing to put out these great videos, you have helped me to improve my shooting, reloading and be much more safe as I continue to learn. I am not a competitive shooter except that I have become competitive with shooting better every time I go to the range. Thank you!!!

Freedom: being able to test rounds from your living room window.

I think it's worth mentioning that bullet intrusion on case capacity also affects pressure. i recently set the barrel back on a rifle to achieve best accuracy at mag length OAL. All else being the same, i had to drop 1.5 grains of powder to get back to safe pressure. This was with a 338 RUM, 285 ELDM.

I was your 1000th like on this video! Good work! Wow I bing-watched your videos! Thanks for the great info. Your videos are excellent and not annoying haha. Thumbs up!

Love the channel. Took your advice about the cci 250 primers over the br2s and i watched my ES almost disappear 2 range trips in a row! Thats with h4350 of course with no other change except a primer swap. Loaded up 2 exact same loads, 1 with h4350 and 1 with h4831sc.. once again only a primer swap and boom. Cci 250 grouped better with 2 powders. Definitely also agree on cup hardness too.. some primers “crater” and flow around the firing pin at the same time u get sticky bolt.. some dont. Never can just judge by how flat a primer is.. love this channel, thanks for the info, and keep up the good work!

I like the Erik Cortina method of starting seat depth at 0.020" clear of "jam". I take a sized case and seat a bullet then pull the bullet to make a seat depth test case that you can then push bullets into by chambering to determine jam point. It's a simple and reliable method that doesn't require wonky tools. Then I use the same loose neck test case to set up my bullet seat die. I can literally push the bullet into this case by dialing the micrometer on the die which gets me to within .001" of my target seat depth.

Thanks for these very thorough videos.

Great Information Sam, have you done or could you do a video on rifle build and component selection for hunting rifle and competition rifle. looking forward to more, Thanks.

Thanks for sacrificing your brass! Great vid it makes much more sense I see flat primers before max powder charges.

Ive been working up a 6xc.. i hit a major snag you didn’t really cover.. at 39 grains of 4350 and a 6mm 108 graing hornady sst i started getting a nasty primer extrustion. 20-25 thou sticking out like a button? the rest of the primer looked ok.. bolt lift was perfect no marks from the extractor? Did i hit my end? Was using a standard 250 cci primer. I switched primers to a winchester it went away but didnt take the load any further(was fearful i was at the end of my preasure curve) any thoughts??

Thanks for the videos sir. And the website is great. The articles are very well written. 👍

Sam I love your reloading methods and equipment explanations! I am a different marksman than you, I was into U.S. Military Service Rifle (NRA) target shooting from 1987 to 1995 using iron sights. I used my M1 Garand (March 1944 initial manufacture date, refurbished in 1952 by Springfield Armory) and an M1A Springfield (1987) Nation Match rifle. I used “Federal bench rest primers” for my M1A during my competitions. They were normally at 200 yards, but I loved shooting prone at the Appleton, WI 600 yard slow fire competition. I agree with you on evaluating high chamber pressures. I used Federal brass (.308 Win), Sierra 168 grain HPBT Match King (2200) bullets, IMR 4895 (40.5 grains), and the Federal Bench Rest primers. My post fired primers were flat as a pancake. Primer flatness, after firing, depends on the cup metal thickness! So relying on primer condition, after firing, is not the total story! Your explanation, concerning extractor marking on the brass head, makes sense to me. I think both are important but you have to have the experience to evaluate both conditions. Hard to teach in a video. I wish you were into service rifle reloading and firing! Reloading for a bolt gun and a gas semi-automatic rifle are very different from a safety stand point. Especially service rifles that have a floating firing pin and a gas system for semi-automatic firing that requires medium burning powder rates to prevent operating rod damage.

Subscribed cuz you shot from your living room lol

You can use a 0.0001” veneer caliper on the case web just in front of the rim looking for an increase of 0.00005” which in spoken language one half ten thousands.

Thanks for all the great content you put out Sam! I've been frustrated in the past when people start a load series and don't fallow through with what they say they will do. You do don't disappoint and are clear with what you're going to do next. One of the most important things I have got out of you're series is the importance of taking detailed notes for future reference. Also I've been reading a lot of Shawn Carlock's article's some good stuff there. His 7mm terminator coming soon is interesting to me. Do you have any intention of shooting it some day?

Well, you just answered my question on what case I should modify to check seating depth. I'll drill and tap a fired case that has been shoulder bumped .002 in my .257 Roberts. Thanks for all the information Sam. Your excellent videos are very much enjoyed and appreciated. Stay well and good shooting.

Hey Sam thank you for all your time spent on your videos quick question when doing load development if you’re single loading a cartridge not putting it in your box Mag will you get injector marks sooner when you’re below where you expect to see them at high pressure. Hopefully that makes sense

Very informative video series, thank you. I have a number of 147 ELDMs and I see they have a variance in bullet base to ogive length. Which means that if I seat them to the same CBTO, some of them will be seated further into the case, resulting in a slightly smaller case volume. Do you think these could result in any noticeable differences?

Hey Sam, great info thanks. I'm a newbie and currently loading for Savage VLP in 204. My loads are looking deadly at 0.4gr and more higher than the powder recommended top (Benchmark 8208). No pressure signs at all. Do you have an opinion on when you stop going higher? Or, can I do damage going higher even if there are no signs of pressure? Any answers from anyone welcome please!

Thank you Sam, top notch information and a quality production as always. I thoroughly enjoy your current series on precision load development, from cradle to grave, so to speak. Looking forward to the fired brass preparation episode up next.

Gives me pain to see you continue to shoot that hot load and wrecking up precious quality brass just for demonstration purposes...

Sam have you ever experienced an increase in pressure from hot to cold weather? In two hunting rifles 270win using RL22 and 300WSM using RL19 I experienced hi pressure after moving to Idaho and shooting while cold. I assumed I messed something up and unloaded everything and reloaded the 270win with 66g of RL22 (max). Again experiencing hi pressure in cold weather...sub 30 degrees. I was looking at switching to an hodgdon extreme powder. I did the “extreme tour” on their website. There is data there that suggests a 30-06 had an increase in pressure at low temps and a decrease in velocity. News to me. I will try and add a link soon.

Thank You much Sam.... for your complete detail of ut-most accuracy information videos you do. Been following you for some time but now I'm really pinpointing the accuracy issue. Been reloading a while now.... my rifle rounds have .000" to .001" runout. (Must to doing SOMETHING right...lol) now I've really gotten into it. Bullet off the lands etc. My rounds that I've been doing have been absolutely perfect in the general sense... nailing the gong at 540 yards out but, now watching your vids I've learned a hole lot more !! Thank you for your time doing YOUR vids !! Just want to get even more accurate. Thanks again... Scott

I really enjoy learning from your videos! They are to the point and very spot on. Keep on keeping on Sam! Thank you sir!

By just moving further back off the lans you increasing the pressure in the cartridge, when you seat the bullet deeper into the case you decreasing the cartridge chamber space which pushes up the pressure. This is why you can get different results with different makes of brass with the same load because not all of them are the same thickness so the inside chamber size varies.

Great stuff. You explained pressure signs and what to do with it better than I've heard anyplace else.

I’ve been going about this the wrong way. Thanks for the info. I’m gonna step it up. I just got around to loading some 300 win mag and only managed around 2700 FPS with retumbo and 225 gr eld match on a 26” barrel with 1-9 twist. I’m thinking I can get more out of it.

Sam, thanks for another informative video. Keep em coming.

Given the same load, you noticed an increase in pressure when the bullet was seated into the lands. With this increase in pressure, did you see an increase in velocity?

It would be interesting to have you measure / compare the cartridges you shot over pressure with a cartridge comparator - base to shoulder. I found my 250 Ack would leave the cases just a couple thousands longer on the rounds when pressure started to be an issue. But I have not duplicated those results yet.

Excellent info and video again Sam, thanks for the follow up about the last video as well.

Thanks so much for the awesome videos, can't say that enough.. In your video you said you loaded all the different bullets to the same CBTO, and they are all the same distance off the lands... But I'm confused, I thought each bullet has a different CBTO touching the lands measurement? Due to different shapes on each bullet

Evening buddy from England. I'll like to say thanks for sharing mate an ya time. You have a good looking rifle my I say. I have a savage axis ll in 308. Just getting started. I'm looking into reloading in time but I'm like a lot of others a family too look after first then my hobby. Thanks for sharing mate. ATVB too you an yours. God bless Andy

Thanks Sam very interesting vid learned a bit on pressure cheers from uk

You've got really good info on your videos I've been loading for over 60 years and you've taught me a thing or 2

i've been trimming cases after every firing,do you do that also?

Good evening, I have enjoyed your videos very much.i am new at reloading you have help me quite a lot at deciding how far a Person wants to go reloading ammo. I have watched your videos probably half dozen times. Each time i have watched your Videos i pick up something i missed in the time before. Thank You George Mills

Thanks for these. I have recently learned i have forgotten more than i thought LOL. Keep em going.

Thanks for all the great videos in this series, I'm still a newbie and realise that I've been obsessing over unnecessary practices. Is that a different scope on your rifle at the end of the video? What happened to the NF?

Thanks for sharing a lot of useful information, kind of a refresher course for me, getting back into shooting after quite a few years of being to busy, glad thats over, this is the first video I have watched, looking forward to the rest ,

From Italy: thanks a lot for your very interesting videos. I am not so able to follow you because of my not so good English but you are so crystal in speech that I think I am quite able to understand very well any idea. Thank a lot

This is the best content on reloading on the internet. Crazy good videos. Thank you for making these. They're great

You are switched on! Been watching your videos for some time now and really enjoy the content. I have modeled a lot of my reloading practices based on your development and it has really helped on improving mine. I have also been running the RDF bullets in the 140 grn class and found that I needed a huge amount of jump to bring my groups in. Thank you again for all the great information. Dave

This have given me the confidence to work up to my max load in my Tikka T3x 6.5CM. Thanks!

Hi Sam @Panhandle Precision I've just picked up on your comment about Quickload assuming 'Touching the lands'. There's a clue in there that would suggest it assumes jump. When you mouse over the shot start pressure it advises that you add 7200 psi when touching the lands. ( A bit late to the party I know 😉)

This is the best video I’ve found on pressure signs. Thank you 🙏

Thanks again mate. Good examples on the pressure, and advise on the projectile availability, getting one close enough, that you can get in bulk, or all the time! It'll be interesting to see which of your few you might lean towards, comes up with the goods!

This is an excellent series!! Thanks for taking the time.

Sam, I understand less pressure when your further from the Lans . I’m a little confused on this though: if you have a powder charge @ a certain OGIVE measurement say at 2.240 and you then back off the Lans 0.020 (pushing the bullet more into the brass) , giving you 2.020, doesn’t this increase your pressures because of limiting the case volume? Thanks

Great job on the videos. Very informative and glad I came across the channel. Sam which ammo boxes do you use for your reloads? I like that style with a nice handle and a actual latch. Where could I find some?

Question for you I’m fairly new to precision shooing . How important is the flash hole ?

HELLO SIR i have a260 29 inch and twist for 8 and i shoot 140gr barnes with 4831sc but i don't have good groupings can you give me some advice please my speed is 2753ft/s can you tell me if this correct thanks.

I shoot 147 eldm in my 24“ barrel 6.5creedmore and only get 2500fps with 42gr H4350 I’m gonna double check my brass but It felt to me I’m about wher I hit to high pressure I may back off to 41.5gr both load have around 10es wich im very happy with but velocity is not great. I wonder if it’s just be cause it’s a Remingotn hb not s custom barrel not yet

Where do you find the information on powders like if there sensitive to heat or cold

I know you love H4350 in the 260 Remington. However, with the current powder shortage, what are the other powders you suggest trying with 130 and 140 grain bullets? How about RL-16, Win StaBall 6.5, IMR-4451 or maybe Accurate or IMR 4350s?

Thanks for you efforts to make the videos as you go!

This is awesome, thank you for posting. Subscribed.

Dude, Are you shooting outside your wife's window? Holy shit, I did that on my own acreage and (it may have been the muzzle brake) she had an epic moment over it all. Anyway I enjoy your knowledge sharing brother...

couldn’t agree more with your point of view on primer pressure signs.

Why no talk about velocity ES vs powder charge amount? Is this irrelevant, all the same, not correlated? What is the reason for choosing the hottest load you can, without pressure signs? Why not say just choosing something 1 grain below max pressure load, if it gives you low velocity ES? Would that not be good enough? Really appreciate your time

I am a greenhorn on scopes so this may be a dumb question. In a prior video, Sighting ins a scope you mentioned moving the retinal left to get on the orange circle. I have a Vortex Diamondback and I don't believe the reticle moves? It's a 1" 0.25 MOA and I'm told I need to move so many MOA/s to get the scope on the impact point. It is a special type of scope that the reticle moves?

Hey Sam. I just watched video #6 in the series. 11/6/23. How do I bump the shoulder of a fired modified case? Jeff

I am curious,,Sam do you ever shoot normal hunting weight rifles like a savage ultra light 110 with 22 inch barrels ,, and if you do how disgusting is that to you ?

The old guys use to say, "if you aren't flowing brass you cant hurt steel" In this litigious society we live in now no one wants to say that any longer. You didnt come right out and say it but........I agree with primers not being a good indicator. I have had one peirced primer from factory loaded ammo. I have had many flattened primers in factory ammo that when compared to some experts pictures in reloading manuals should have been way over pressure. Everybody these days errs way on the side of safety because they done want to get drug into court.

Are you teaching a class some where? I will travel and pay to learn from you. I have a Tikka 6.5 and a 6.5 grendel. My goal this year is to take classes to reach my 1 mile goal. Can you recommend good courses to take?

Great video on pressure!

Please explain how a full length sized modified case that is bumped 0.002 can accept the bullet so that it sits loose in the case mouth? And was under the impression that the case should be fire formed and then modified. Sorry am just confused.

I must be missing something. If you come off the lands to reduce pressure, which makes sense. If you keep coming away from the lands, you'd have to be putting the bullet deeper into the case. At what point will pressure rise as you put the bullet in deeper? As to deep of seating depth.

The best brass in the world is made by RWS. Get a caliber made by RWS. Lapua brass is heavy for the caliber. Norma is better.

I inherited my buddies 7mm STW after he passed and his bolt face had brass flakes. Is that a sign of shooting high pressure loads? He reloaded and was a speed junkie.

question, does seating further in really make a difference if the case is not really crimped more around the bullet, aka, tight, if the bullet just deeper, but still very easy to push out then guessing it has little impact on internal pressure curve.

How do you find large quantity of components with the same lot number? is there a way to buy online and request same lot,? or do you just need to buy locally and hope you find the same lot?

It is interesting that pressure goes down when you increase bullet seat depth in rifles... but in pistols pressure goes up when you increase bullet seat depth. I suppose at some point in rifle hypothetically pressure should start to increase as you seat deeper especially if the charge is compressed?

Can't wait to watch this later but gave it a thumbs up for now!

You ever have a head separation. Scary. How many reloads are you getting with lapua before annealing?

I have a load that was shooting sub 1/2 moa last year. Now I am seeing the same load open up quite a bit "roughly 3 inches". Is there any other indication when the brass is done for? They are 8x fired brass and have been annealed. No crack necks and none of the primer pockets seem loose when tapping the brass on a counter. The barrel has only 1k rounds down the tube. All scope mounts/rings are torqued with a Wheeler fat wrench. The last time I cleaned the barrel was no more than 200 rounds ago. My other question is when I found the node using a Lee FL sizing die. I had then switched to a RCBS FL sizing die. Will that make a difference even though the shoulders are bumped to the same?

Your wife is a saint! No way I'm firing out the living room window. Good thing I have a 400 yard range less than 10 minutes away.

Thanks! Great video - much appreciated. Now, to part Vll

Very nice. I head is swimming with all the great information, thanks

I really like your videos your very informative

try Gordons reloading tool in stead of quickload, its free

Another masterpiece video has just been added to the Panhandle Precision Encyclopedia of Shooting and Reloading! I they gave awards for the best RU-vid video, yours would win it hands down! It's true that the "devil is in the details", but that truism can be interpreted in more than one way. Sometimes the devil is found not on too few details, but too many. That observation leads me to my question: How should differences in measured CBTO be interpreted? I mean, is a difference of say 0.10 in. between the longest and shortest round on a batch of 10 be of concern? How one uses a caliper can also cause measurable differences. How should these findings be interpreted? What is the correct way of using a caliper, many folks have never used one in their life. Again, thanks a whole bunch for your efforts in producing top quality vids. You've succeeded in developing quite a following, 10 K subscribers...wow!

Recently found pressure signs using vit n150 in my 22/250, only in the first few shots as I was only after cleaning could of been excess oil in the chamber. How much could neck tension affect this

Can you comment on similar excess pressure indications on semi-auto bolt-face to cartridge head as in AR10 6.5 Creedmoor?

If the bullet is seated deeper into the case (less space inside the case), can that cause pressure to rise as well or do you see the most dramatic spike in pressure simply beeing how close you load a round to the lands?

Hi Sam. When you say you are chasing the max pressure, are you saying you keep increasing the load of powder until you see pressure signs then back off. Does this mean you go over the max load of powder that the manufacturer recommends for that bullet weight,?

Excellent reloading demonstration to educate

Thank you for this video, Sam. I've been looking forward to getting your thoughts on pressure signs. I'm very curious though; were your shots fired from your living room, kitchen, or breakfast nook? LOL! The Mrs. must not of been home :)