Working up a load (beginner)?

[quadrafire]

I have recently started reloading. Read alot and follow the reloading threads. Several months ago I read a post that said that beginners should start with less expensive components and work up from there. I agree with this to a point, but my situation is this.
If I work up a load with say: hornaday interlock at 25$/100, get fairly decent groups by fine tuning power charge etc will I be able to make a lateral move to the same bullet wt in a "premium" bullet 35$/50 and be close in powder charge, or will I need to start all over for each bullet.
I know what some of the comments will be. Interlock is just fine and will kill and animal just as dead, but I was thinking more along the lines of "fine tuning".

In the long run I see how reloading will save money, but It takes quite a bit to get started as I am finding out. (kinda like tying your own flies). The first one is expensive, all the rest are cheap.

[whacker1]

Let me know if you need help - I am just down the street and can give pointers and answer questions along the way. 

And your fly tying analogy was spot on.

[quadrafire]

Thanks I may give you a Jingle

[BlackRidge]

Not to detract from anything whacker may say, but from my experience, the load data should be about the same, but as always, fine tuning will always be needed.

IMO you have the right idea heading into it using less expensive components and similar bullets down the road, as long as the powder/bullet weights remain the same, so should the data/results 

[dirty24d]

LOL  YOU SAID WORKING UP A LOAD     

[BallisticsNut]

Not that I am an expert actually far from it.  I am working on the same analogy.  From a ballistics view, you should see very little difference in flight unless the bullet coefficient changes dramatically.  Not all bullets are made the same, I am sure of that. 

I would be curious though how others will answer.. Thus my post... to follow intently on others opinions. 

I do know that the Hornady AMax and the Nosler ETip are pretty close in design and I have pretty much the same groupings with the same charges. 

[JackOfAllTrades]

Yes, you can save money reloading. You can buy much cheaper bullets when learning to reload. Kesselrings used to sell Nosler seconds in bulk. Yeah, Partitions for cheap. Remington bulk packages Corlokts in a bag. There've been a whole lot of critters killed with that design.

I don't knock the premium bullets, but I don't spend money on them either.

As for bullets of near same BC, for instance..  I've got a load for a Speer 180gn BTSP that I can push to 3100fps with moa accuracy. Yet, near the same bullet in a Sierra 180gn BTSP I lose accuracy above 2850fps in the same gun. The Sierra is a tack driver at 2700fps though. All in the same rifle. The heal design/angle and Ogive location is different between them.

That said, the Nosler Partition (a boat tail) is the same shape/measurement as a Nosler Ballistic Tip (also a boat tail) per given weight. They are interchangable bullets to me. But a Winchester Silver Tip would need load dev by comparison.

-Steve

[quadrafire]

LOL  YOU SAID WORKING UP A LOAD     

There is always one or two in the gutter :chuckle:Guess i could have chosen my words better, but since it was under guns and ammo I thought I would be safe

[sakoshooter]

Good info already given.
I'll add some of what I've done over the years. Not saying it's right or will be safe in your gun but it's what I've done many times.
Situation: I wanna work up a load for a .270, 140gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw. Only 25 in a box and expensive. I buy a similar shaped cup/core bullet of same weight and work up my load looking for accuracy but mainly pressure signs. Once established, I back down just slightly(not all the way back down to the recommended starting load)and test the TBBC bullets. Now I'm looking for mainly accuracy with also pressure.
Starting with the recommended starting load in any reloading manual is the correct way to go every time you change any components.
That being said, I've never run across any signs of pressure at or near a published 'starting load'. Accuracy usually improves with increased pressure also.
Pancaked primers - I usually back down .5gr for rifles. Sticky cases - not good - back down a full grain.
Little things can make big differences at or near the top end of your load developement. Brass that has been shot and sized a few times gets a thick neck as the brass 'flows' forward. Upon sizing brass that's been shot/sized, let's say 4 times, has a thicker walled neck than once fired. This creates a much tighter hold on the bullet and equates into higher chamber pressures.
I only load light to medium loads for fun shooting in my older brass. I try to sty within new/unprimed - 2x fired/sized brass for load developement. And after 5 firings/sizings, I throw them in the brass bucket for recycling.
I'll add my name to the list to call also even if it's just to BS.

[dirty24d]

LOL. I'm sorry quadrafire , i came across this post and it just cracked me up because i never heard of what you were mentioning.