Clarification, Please!!

[hubcap52]

A desperate plea from a newbie to smokeless MLing. When giving loads, PLEASE give caliber of the rifle, caliber of the bullet, whether sabot or not, brand of sabot, powder charge and any other details that will help someone else SAFELY duplicate or not duplicate your results. As threads get longer, more branched and convoluted, this becomes increasingly important. Poor accuracy, damaged guns or bodies are NOT fun. Please be complete when giving out data. Some of us don't like to assume we know what you're talking about. We all know what eventually happens when we ass_u_me....

[ozark]

By reading many threads one becomes familiar with the various applications and differences in what it is all about. Basically, we have the Savage ML original which is a .50 Cal. designed to shoot bullets measuring .452 in diameter with a sabot increasing that size to bore size of .50 Cal. By using a thicker sabot one can decrease bullet diameter. Several have replaced the .50 Cal. Barrel with either a .40 or.45 Caliber barrel. Many of these replacement barrels are being shot without the sabots (Sabotless). Naturally, the amount of powder, type of powder or duplex loads differ when you change calibers. But here is the responsibility of the individual: Any bullet, powder type, amount of powder and other items not book loads are used at the risk of the shooter and this board has several warnings to that effect. If you are not absolutely sure of what someone is using, recommending or discussing don't get into it.
Stick to book loads until you personally understand the safety aspects of what you try. If someone gets hurt blindly following what someone has posted as a good load then it is their own fault. Example: 10 grains of a fast powder in front of 65 grains of a slower powder may well be a good duplex load. But put the full 75 grains of the fast powder and you are in a world of hurt. My advice to all newbies is to use book recommended powders, bullets and sabots until you understand fully what other loads are safe. We have many very knowledgable people with equipment necessary to measure the pressures, velocity and other factors using this board. Don't let the clutch out on any experiment until your are positive that the brain is in the correct gear to insure safety. I hapen to love sabotless shooting, duplex loads and the new calibers. But I like haveing all my fingers, two eyes, and life far to much to jump on something I am not fully educated in. Ozark

[KerryB]

I am currently working on an attempt at a (hopefully) complete data base of loads for both .45 and .50 caliber smokeless rifles with single powders and duplex loads and including saboted and sabotless loads for all of the above. This is a project that is currently under way and it will be up to Edge whether or not we post this information here on the web or whether it might need to be provided outside the forum to members who wish to aquire the data that we build. I have already talked to Edge about the project as well as CraigF who is currently putting all of the data into a useable format (Excel or PDF). I couldn't pursue this endeavor without the help of both of these gentlemen and would like the input of several other members. I still intend to contact these other members (friends) whom i hope will contribute to the data base as well as help edit load data that i have already compiled. I will initiate a separate post with this same information for those who might not happen to read this particular post. Thanks to everyone for your assistance and patience while we work on this project. KerryB

[rexxer]

Great project Kerry!!!

[hubcap52]

Ozark
Thanx for the info. I've gathered what you've said in your 1st paragraph by browsing the posts. I've been into shotshell and cartridge reloading 30+ years and understand the dangers of carelessness. That is precisely why I asked for clarity in load recipe posts. Since this is a public forum where experts AND newbies are apparently welcome, it seems sensible and considerate to be as precise and complete as possible. I believe each of us has a privilege and responsibililty to help others not as far down the trail as we've come. This is best accomplished with friendliness and comradery, which I hope comes across in this post as well.



KerryB

Sounds great!!! I'd be willing to do whatever I can to help. I'd appreciate whatever info you come up with. TIA

[Harley]

Hubcap52, your request for load clarity is just good common sense and we should all abide by it. Not too long ago, someone, maybe Edge, posted a plea to do just that. Not everybody does, yet, so keep asking for clarity.

Harley

[richard]

I had also run into the same situation over the past year while perusing the posts. Fortunately as my learning curve improved, I was able to decipher what caliber posters were talking about. Another point that "bugged" me to no end was the use of abbreviations when referring to various bullets..........BE's, TMZ's, BO's etc. Granted, once you have dealt with these bullets, you get to know the abbreviations but to the new shooter, they can be GREEK!
Since more and more shooters are switching to the .40 and .45 cal.'s, I had suggested adding another category to Doug's Message boards. Some felt it would split up the smokeless shooters? It would definitely keep the basic Savage .50 information separate from the custom stuff.

Kerry B..........You know I have amassed lots of data this past year. If I can be of any assistance to your project (which I commend you on), feel free to contact me.
Richard

[SW]

Kerry, your project should be very helpful to nearly everyone.

[petev]

I have nothing to add to what has been said, but I will mention, hub that if you want some ideas for a load, there was a post a couple of months ago asking what people's favorite load for hunting was going to be, and there were many replies. I found it interesting, maybe you and others new to the board may also. Welcome to the board. Pete

[edge]

hubcap52, if you have any specific posts please let us know. I know that I am sometimes guilty of not giving enough detail "assuming" that everyone knows what I shoot and I should be more careful

If you look at the STICKY posts at the top there is one "Load Data--FAQ PLEASE READ"

that reminds folks to do just that

If you are not sure of the load then others may not either, so reply in the thread and ASK what the author is describing, and if it is not clarified then PM an Admin or Moderator and we will get an answer or delete the thread.

edge.

[RBinAR]

8-)This board has been here a long time. I was not an original member but came along about a year later, I think the year was 2001. With many years of posts (but unless you go to archives you can only go back to 2004) one has to expect that several things will change over time and be prepared to deal with the change(s).

The message board depends on your post(s). I suggest if you have any confusion about any load or whatever make a post (like this one you made) and ask for clarification.

I've had to do it myself. I didn't know what a BO bullet was until someone told me. Asking helps the board by giving new topics (even if they were mentioned before) and the poster as well.

I too would like a system of standards as well. However all the information presented in the past and new items coming to interest regularly makes it unlikely complete cataloging came be done.

I admire your attempt to read up on the subject(s) by reading past post but the site is not like a book. The information presented here is too random. So posting and interacting with others (questions or otherwise) is the best way to use the material.

[hubcap52]

Thanx to you all for your replies. I've been AMAZED at the wealth of info and cheerful helpfulness on this site. I'll try to do my part in asking for clarification when I need it (often). I was referring mostly to some older posts that I assumed wouldn't likely be responded to because of their age. Kind of like some of us geezers too ;D

[hubcap52]

Petev Do you have a link to the post you mentioned?? TIA