ARS

[Blkram]

Was reading the new Shooting Times magazine this morning and found in Lane Pearce's article on 6mm ARC Handloads, the reference to ARS (Aggressive Reloading Syndrome). This is a new term for me.
This is the condition exhibited by those who purposefully load "hot" to achieve greater velocities.
Therefore, the existence of this practice is not new to me. It just now has a label.

I have known many people that practice this, and hear from, and read about many more, that perform this potentially unsafe reloading practice. Knowing that all experienced, responsible reloaders, and technicians from the various manufacturers that produce and supply reloading components and manuals, advise against this practice for obvious reasons. It is still surprising how many do this anyways. And it is generally recognized and communicated, that when you start seeing signs of over pressure (sticky bolt lift, extraction issues, flattened primers, ejector marks on your brass, etc.) in your handloads, you are WAY PAST safe pressures!

As with all items engineered and produced, such as firearms, actions, and barrels, there is a factor of safety built into these items, in order to protect users from unsafe equipment. And SAAMI, as a regulating body, ensures that this practice is adhered to from a manufacturing standpoint.

Unfortunately, there is no such regulating body ensuring the end user complies with reloading practices and maintaining cartridges are kept within pressure limits. And there are few, if any, available products that the handloader can acquire, at a reasonable price, or ease of use, to ensure that pressures are not exceeded in the various firearms, that the handloads are being used in.

This all lead me down the thought path to the following (and my sense of humour and liking plays on words):

The other consideration is the handloader themselves, and their desire to achieve greater velocities. One factor here is not a "need" for more velocity, (as there is always another cartridge of sufficient design and capacity as to realize more velocity, than that of the one they are currently loading for)...so would lead one to think that this is driven by "want", or "ego", so they can brag about how fast their chosen bullet is shooting out of their firearm.

Now add the "E" (from ego) to the ARS...and you end up w/ ARSE!
Don't be a reloading ARSE!

 

[RL338]

For the most part I tend to use slow powders per given caliber. This helps keeping you honest with full case loads that can’t reach over pressured loads.

 

[Blkram]

I try to pick either from the "most accurate" powder listed, or from those that provide good case fill percentages when choosing from powders I have on hand, or can easily acquire, to develop loads with my chosen projectile. The bullet of choice is quite often chosen from proven performers in my rifles used in the rifle's preferred factory ammunition, or research on new bullets that I want to try.

In choosing bullet weights for the cartridge being loaded at the moment, I like to try to find a balance between light and fast vs heavy and momentum (energy).
For example, in the 270 Win, the 130 gr has better velocity for flat trajectories, whereas the 150 gr provides better energy for larger game such as elk. I chose the 140 gr for a balance of both characteristics.

The other consideration is the bullets balance of BC and SD, for both downrange retained velocity and energy, and the capacity for more reliable penetration (SD min. of 0.250 for big game...with .300 or better for large, heavy and potentially dangerous game in larger calibers).
While I like the 270 Win for deer, mtn sheep and goat, and even caribou, I will move up to the 270 WSM for the extra velocity and energy for elk. (Moose aren't overly tenacious of life, and with our local bulls averaging in the 700-800 lb class, the 270 Win w/ 140 gr bullets has proven effective.)
I will say that I do prefer to carry my 7mm's for elk over the 270s as I have experienced better on-game performance with the heavier bullets (160 vs 140). And moving up to 180 gr in 30 call or 210 gr in 338 cal just provides another level of performance on big, adrenaline filled bulls in the rut. This is based on my experience on over 2 dozen bulls I have taken, or helped friends take, over the past 28 years since I took my first elk (w/ a 130 gr Partition in a 270 Wby). (But, I have several rifles and cartridge combinations to choose from, as may be compared to the shooter/hunter that may have just a one or a couple of rifles to choose from.)

I have a friend that has an old 270 that will print 130 and 150 gr bullets to the same point of impact, and he switches bullet weights from heavier for moose and elk in the earlier part of hunting season, to lighter for deer hunting in the latter part of the fall. And this works for him. (he doesn't push his loads.) And you cannot argue with that!

While I like velocity in my loads, I will sacrifice velocity for accuracy every time. This provides that extra level of confidence in my ammunition being used when hunting, and being able to place it accurately in the target animal's vital for quick, clean kills.
Of course, if I can obtain both velocity and accuracy, I am even happier!