Reloading Documentation

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Wkillette

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I have an Access database I use to document my reloading activities. It is not the best. Does anyone have any advice on a software program to use or a database they are willing to share. I am open to share mine individually it there is a software geek out there that can improve on it, (it won't take much to improve it).
 
I just write down known good loads in my most used reloading manual. Also notes on my phone as back up but I always use the hand written notes.
 
I take notes in an old-school spiral bound college ruled notebook. I really don't think software is the best tool for that job.
 
My dad started out reloading years ago, re-using the factory ammo box for storage. He'd slip a note in the box with the load data.


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Later on he got a job that provided him with business cards. So he'd write the load on the back of the business card since it was a little more durable and the right size.

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I'm following my dad's ideas.

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I too prefer pen and paper. Something about hand written notes. I have 3 ring binders where I and include articles and sometimes load tables for reference. And I'll make comments on the loads, mild recoil, accurate but 1" high, consistent velocity, smokey, etc. For precision loads I've worked up, I'll include a copy of the ballistics (hold over) table for that load.
 
I started keeping data on Spreadsheets as far back as 2003. Or at least that is the earliest data I can find. I keep a separate SpreadSheet for every Cartridge, within that organized by individual firearm.

Under each individual firearm, rifle or handgun, it is organized by the bullet fired and or tested...........Example below is from 458 B&M EX...........

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Since in this case I only have data on one rifle in 600 OK, it is not listed as separate rifle...............



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Special Test data is kept separate on its own such as this blending data........

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And this special brass test for RUM brass...

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I have collected a tremendous amount of data over the years on many things. On average every week I will back the entire folder up to an external hard drive, and also on thumb sticks.

The spread sheets can be converted to pdf documents, and or jpg as well, as you see above.......I use Apple, but they can be converted to other formats as well.....

I have had other programs over the years, but I have not found anything that is more customizable than a simple spread sheet.........

But, in the beginning this data has to be recorded on the range by my chicken scratching, and then transferred to the spread sheets when I return to the office..........

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Now you see why it HAS to be transferred, or I could not keep up and even read it a year from now.................Chicken scratching.................
 
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I keep an Excel workbook with all the loads I have ever developed. Sometimes a single line will be just 1-5 rounds of a load workup, sometimes it is a production run of 500 rounds. I keep a hardcopy in a three ring binder, and when I load more I hand write the data onto blank lines of the hardcopy. Every few days, I will take the handwritten info and add it to the electronic spreadsheet, and every so often I will print the new information and add it to the binder. The master spreadsheet has ALL of my load data for every caliber, but I have other sheets inside the workbook that have the data separated by caliber and by powder. I use lookup formulas, so I only have to enter the information in one place.

I have also written some VBA routines that will parse the output of my chrono files and add the velocities to the load data.

I have also created spreadsheets for inventory purposes, tracking projectiles, primers, and powder. I did that mainly so I could prove to @Bullseye Baldee that I have more components than he does. :D
 
I kept data on my computer years ago but kept having troubles due to changing programs and fried computers so I went back to paper. My computer skills are horrible at best. I keep records on cards in a card file box and also record the data on all the containers into which I put my loads. My Dillon tool heads all have a card inside the powder hopper with data for the last load assembled.PXL_20210307_131659418.jpgPXL_20210307_131811015.jpgPXL_20210307_131846738.jpg
 
Any typical spreadsheet or database should be fine.

I use an Excel sheet for an individual firearm. The name of the firearm is the tab or individual sheet. Create columns for brass, primer, powder, charge, temperature, Standard deviation, Extreme spread, bullet, COAL measurement of some sort, Velocity, etc, etc. You can make tabs for any special notes such as "this load was too weak to cycle the action" , "Use magnum primer in cold weather" or "Definitely MAX load". For any load that has something I really like about it, I give the row a green fill color. For a load you don't like, use a red fill color for that row. Check the sheet before your next loading session to make a decision on your load.

I have one tab that is a maintenance log.... round count on a barrel, spring replacement, etc.

Rifle brass...... I keep batches of them together, typically a batch of 100. There will be 2 index cards in the case... one for load data and one for brass data.
The load data will contain some of the same info on the spreadsheet, such as charge, length, bullet, brass, etc. The index cards are great for the load development stage since every row in the ammo box might have a different charge or length. Just match the info for that specific row in the ammo box to a row on the index card.

The other index card will have info on the brass, such as how many firings, trim length, how many firings between annealing, etc.
 
I use a journal to document loads as I'm working them up and to document my experiences with the load in the field. Then I transfer them to a sheet in Google Drive so I can access them from a computer or phone if need be.

I don't have extensive load data though. I tend to use KISS loads, find what works for me and stick to it.
 
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Toprudder said:
Keeping records is not my forte'. But reloading forces me to do it. My memory is not what it used to be, it is about as long as my..... my..... I forget. :(
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The most record keeping I've done is to highlight a load in my manual that I like to use and write the load on a scrap of paper in the box of ammunition.

Back when I was reloading 45 acp I didn't need any records. I could tell you the load on all of my rounds because they were all the same: 5 grains of Unique and a 230 grain bullet.
I like that powder charge so much it's what I use for 40 S&W and 38 spl too. Saves a lot of messing with the powder thrower, I'll tell you.


I quit reloading because I really don't enjoy the process that much. I keep all the equipment, in fact my press has been set up for 44 magnum for the last 6 years (untouched). But the process isn't engaging to me, it's just something I have to do if I want to shoot 45 colt or 44 magnum. The more calibers you try to load and the more you try to tailor loads to your guns and uses the more notes you have to keep; that just doesn't speak to me the way it does to some people.
 
I have load data on 84 different cartridges, literally hundreds of firearms, pressure data on many, terminal ballistics, special tests, and more, total of 1.8 gigabytes of data. I have some cartridges that when printed out is over 30 pages of data, such as samples posted above. Yes, computers crash, but also paper gets lost, can be lost in fire, flood or hurricane or tornado as well......... As stated, backed up on various external drives, and today thumb sticks can hold this as well, and easy to use, drag and drop, end of story. I have changed and updated computers many times since 2003, the earliest data I can find............

Also of note, even my own data dating back a few years cannot be counted on 100% as fact, for sure different components make a difference, so even if you have data on something, it may not be 100% viable. At some point even your own hard earned data becomes obsolete, or at the very minimum will require retest and update. I have to do this every single time I change blends of powders...............Just yesterday I was looking at a bag of 308 rounds loaded with 100 Raptors, BIG BOLD LETTERS, OVER MAX PRESSURES 60000 PSI. Why? Because I followed OLD DATA (meaning I changed powder blends RL7) and went with the old load of 42/RL 7 with 100 Raptors. Well, the new blend required 40.5/RL 7 to keep same pressure levels. I loaded 100 rounds of this before I thought it might be a good idea to TEST........ Now too lazy to pull bullets, maybe I try it in some of the Winchester Bolt guns......... Change components, your data changes. And so will your documentation of such...............
 
Michael458 said:
I have load data on 84 different cartridges, literally hundreds of firearms, pressure data on many, terminal ballistics, special tests, and more, total of 1.8 gigabytes of data. I have some cartridges that when printed out is over 30 pages of data, such as samples posted above.
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I'm only up to about 20 calibers so far, but I have also tested over 30 different powders in just 45acp. If I didn't keep records, there is no way I would remember.
 
Toprudder said:
but I have also tested over 30 different powders in just 45acp.
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That is a lot of different powders in 45 ACP..............Someday I might get you to email me a pdf copy of that.....
Toprudder said:
If I didn't keep records, there is no way I would remember.
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I am seriously OCD when it comes to keeping records, and recording every event, almost anyway......... Many of the various cartridges are Wildcats as well. Many developed here, and there is no other data to get ideas from. None of the B&Ms ever existed, or anything close. Everything started from Zero. Even many of the wildcats, the data was wrong and had to be corrected............. even with some data listed, it was wrong and over reaching. These are things that have to be documented and kept up with. And as for forgetting........ hmmm, I forgot what I was supposed to remember...........
 
GoWolfpack,, you are FULLY entitled to your opinions & ideas. And your methods work for you. Good.

However,, like Michael458,, I have loaded for many different calibers over the decades. And I have my records, (and a back-up) all the way back to the late 1970's. Plus,, I teach handloading, firearm instruction, Hunter Safety, & have been an instructor in other areas over my lifetime. In SCUBA,, as a Master Instructor Trainer, (which I used to be, now retired,) your LIFE depends upon diving safely. And you keep a dive log of every dive & record details for your safety, as well as a record of abilities.
How about flying & pilots. Ever hear of a logbook for pilots? (I was a Huey crewchief/doorgunner in the Army & had a private pilot's license several years ago.) Logbooks are a requirement for the FAA.
But my wife also used to be a paralegal.
Ever hear the word "liability?" How about things like; "Negligence," "Deliberate Indifference," Wanton Disregard for safety" or the many other terms lawyers use when suing someone,,,or a prosecutor is trying someone for a crime?

Handloading has the potential to be dangerous. As such,, record keeping is a must. Not just for your own safety,, but for others around you. A mind can forget little things,, or as mentioned above,, get something wrong. That's why we use current manuals,, and keep records.
And you may think; "I'm the only one shooting this ammo, and it's safe." Well, if you have something change,, and you do not know it,, (think of how a powder may have changed by the factory,) and you are on a range, and a gun blows up, and injures the person next to you, who may be a family member,, will you be able to answer the grilling questions by your family? Or worse,, you injure or kill a stranger,, and the other family sues you. Can you handle that?

In handloading,, I teach & preach; "Safety First" just like I do when teaching someone to shoot.

And most guns can be a bit "different" in the accuracy dept with different loads. Quite often, a firearm can only be accurate with a specific load. And accuracy testing for handguns to serious handgunners,, (the folks who hunt, or shoot silhouette, long range target shooters,) starts at 25 yds for beginning testing,, with 100 yds being the place many want their handguns to be accurate.
Accuracy is what most desire when assembling a load,, and that is usually followed by building a load for that one gun.

But,, if casual plinking at 3-7 yds is all a person does,, and finds a simple load that the powder measure throws the same for a couple of calibers, and they never need to do anything different,, then it can work. Usually.

I guess it all comes down to safety and the personal attitude a handloader has.

I also assume you have a job that never requires any form of records?
 
Back to the OP, and another thought I had.

A computer spreadsheet can work. But a paper copy can be admissible in a Court of Law. Good detailed records,, on paper are what can save you in court. Courts do not accept computer records,, as they can be altered.
 
Gator said:
My dad started out reloading years ago, re-using the factory ammo box for storage. He'd slip a note in the box with the load data.


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Later on he got a job that provided him with business cards. So he'd write the load on the back of the business card since it was a little more durable and the right size.

View attachment 312244

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I'm following my dad's ideas.

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I do the same with my old business cards, I use them to record the reload data for each container of ammunition.
 
rufrdr said:
I do the same with my old business cards, I use them to record the reload data for each container of ammunition.
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My dad liked to take one of his business cards, cut it down so it was square which comes to about 2" and tape it to the center of a 50 yard pistol target. When he went to the range before deer season if he could put his first three shots in the business card at 100 yards he called it good.

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Toprudder said:
I'm only up to about 20 calibers so far, but I have also tested over 30 different powders in just 45acp. If I didn't keep records, there is no way I would remember.
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Just curious. Did you test IMR SR 7625? If so what is your opinion of it? I use 7625 in all my 45 acp loads with good results. Have been for years. I might run out one day.
 
Ruger Dude said:
Just curious. Did you test IMR SR 7625? If so what is your opinion of it? I use 7625 in all my 45 acp loads with good results. Have been for years. I might run out one day.
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Yes, I did, but it has been 6 years ago. I don't remember much about it, but I did highlight several good loads. I did not spend as much time testing it as I normally do, since it was discontinued.

The data that I have indicates it was good for low recoil loads, around 700fps for 230gn bullets, and 750fps for 200gn. One load with plated 200 SWC and 6.7gn powder was very accurate out of my steel-frame Witness.
 
I get on average of about 785 fps. with 6.1 grn. under a 230 grn. LFN through a 4 inch barrel. I was trying to get around 800 fps. I could push it up another 10th of a grain or so but it works well as is. I also use the 7625 in 12ga. Shotshell loads. I have some 4756 also but not near as much.
 
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I wrote my own Access database when I started reloading. It is quite primitive, and is still under constant revision as my needs and experience expand. It has several tables that I included, but have not yet incorporated. I would like to expand it to keep track of my inventory, but I haven't even begun to implement that yet.

The main input form is where I enter data about each "set." All of my reloads are in 100-round sets. All of my 9mm sets are set "901 - 913" are for 9 mm Luger, 115 gr loads, and sets "920 - 933" are 9 mm Luger 124 gr. Sets "380.1 - 380.13" are .380 acp. "40.1 - 40.13" are my 40 S&W, etc. The database keeps track of each set, how many times it was fired, when it was deprimed, tumbled, & reloaded. In what gun was it fired, where, and any notes about the load or set.

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I then print a "set card" to include with the set, with all of the details for that particular set.
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This card stays with the reloaded set until it gets replaced after it is reloaded. I jot the details of when & where the set was fired, when it was deprimed, tumbled and reloaded, so that info can be entered in the database, at which time a new set card will be printed, with the "times fired" increased by 1. I give each of my reload sets a unique mark of colored rings, so they can be identified & recovered at the range. Naturally, there will usually be a few cases lost. I always keep each set the same manufacturer. I always have spares of each manufacturer, so if I need to replace 2 or 3 Speer cases, or a few Winchester cases, I go to the spares, and replace what I need to bring the total count back up to 100. I know, it throws off the "purity" of the set, but the majority of the set will still be with the number of times fired, and those that were replaced, well, it's better to have a few "newer" ones than older.

I can generate a "history" report of any set,,,
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This report is for set 904. It tells me everything I know about it. The red-outlined header describes what each field is, and the following block represent details for each time that set was reloaded and fired.

It's something I put together for my own use. It works for me. It's by no means, "complete." It's always under constant revision, and I'm always tinkering with it. It will probably never be "finished." I love computer programming, so this is just another facet of my reloading hobby. The only thing I need to be careful of, is not becoming a slave to the database. I don't want it to take up more time than my "RE" and "DE"-loading of my ammo...
 
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