price of "Quickload" program?

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I have it and love it. Paid $150

I have not found any missing powders yet, bullets and bullet info yes, but you can add any bullet or powder you want. You just have to enter its info and save it as the bullet or powder name.

It really helps me when I have a unpublished bullet to determine starting loads and when I should start getting near max pressure.

Once you have the measurements correct, I have found quickloads to give me velocity readings within 50fps of actual.

I highly recommend it for taking your handloading to the next level.

What is the neatest is that you can play with seating depths or brass lengths to see what effect the change has on pressure. It is amazing how much the pressure changes with tiny little changes.

Its one flaw is that it does not factor in primers, I am hoping they add that one day.
 
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there's at least one member here who uses it frequently--

Ridgeway_CO. I've conferred with him from time to time on the program. Maybe he can check in with a mini-review.

I think the program database is updated by the manufacturer--and that might be where an increased cost comes in--i..e. purchasing the updates.

Is this true, or no longer true, or whatever?

Jim
 
I've been accused on more than one occasion of being a QuickLOAD shill, but it really is a terrific program that provides information available nowhere else.

Is QuickLOAD perfect? Well... no. But I've not found much perfection in my 54 years on this lovely orb, so that criticism doesn't bother me much. Is it useful? Most definitely. It saves me a lot of time when working up a new or unusual load.

QuickLOAD is missing a few commonly-used powders (Trail Boss, all of the IMR handgun powders, and HS-7), but it does cover the Accurate, Ramshot, and my beloved VihtaVuori powders completely (as well as almost all of the Hodgdon powders). Updates come out about every year or so for a very nominal fee (about $15 if I remember correctly). But I've only purchased updates when there was some burning need for a specific powder in the update.

Some of the data in QuickLOAD also seems a little off for Power Pistol and AA #2, at least in my experience (it may just be a lot-to-lot variation thing). What I've found is that, for every cartridge I load, if I very carefully measure the actual water capacity a case will hold and then average this weight over ten cases, the numbers the program computes are much more accurate. Consequently, the only "mixed-brass" I now use is in .380 Auto, and I'm getting ready to retire that group of cases.

Where QuickLOAD really shines is in helping to solve problems for which there is no readily available information. Here are two examples...

First, I want to load a heavyweight lead bullet in .44 Special without exceeding the SAAMI maximum average pressure. QuickLOAD was essential in telling me that I could do it safely and efficiently, and that the best powder for this task might well be VihtaVuori's N105, a powder I'd never considered previously. Initial testing is very promising.

Second, I want to load an efficient .357 Magnum round with 158gr bullets at "tweener" velocities (between .38 Special +P and full-bore .357 Magnum pressures). QuickLOAD has made that task a piece of cake. It's also fun to run "what-if" problems using bullets of 140gr and 180gr under the same scenario.

I could go on and on about QuickLOAD (and you may think this comment has done that...), but is it worth $150? I don't know about you, but it sure has been for me. YMMV.
 
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Even if the Quickload program cost $500. it would still be a bargan. It'a basic tool for the serious handloader.
 
RidgwayCO, as noted in the Feb 2010 Handloader magazine, AA#2 has had different production facilities in its life and, as a result, load/velocity variation is to be expected.

Is there a version of Quickload that works in Linux? I have never gotten a response from them if it exists or if there are plans for it.
 
Hey folks,

I have read the posts thus far in this thread, and Offfhand stated, "Even if the Quickload program cost $500. it would still be a bargan. It'a basic tool for the serious handloader." That to me is a pretty powerful statement, and it really got my attention.

I am one of the older folks on this forum, and I admit that I have some issues with the old dog and new tricks thing. So, I would like to respectfully ask some questions about the need for this software program. I read about how Myke and Ridgeway use the program, but as I read their posts, I could not help wonder what it would do for me that I could not do with the various manuals I have? I have always recommended the Lyman manual as a first manual to start with for any new reloader, and here Offfhand says it is a basic tool for the serious handloader.

I never considered myself a "serious" handloader. After all these years, I considered myself a fairly knowledgeable handloader, but I always considered serious handloaders the ones who measured their finished rounds for concentricity, and I never felt the need to do that. Heck, I already made ammunition that could shoot more accurately than I was able to shoot.

So, could I ask in a respectful way a bit more about why folks consider the subject software program so necessary?

Best wishes,
Dave Wile
 
The main cases where Quickload really proves its worth would be when you go "hm, I've got powder X, and bullet Y, and want to use them together. Oh, no, none of the load manuals have data even remotely similar to that combination!"

It would also be very useful if you shoot a lot of wildcat calibers that don't have any reloading data, or at best have some loads from some guy who is basically saying "yeah, they didn't blow up my rifle, so they're probably fine in yours."

It also tells you the pressure when the bullet is in a certain part of the barrel. That can help you work up loads that will cycle a particular gas-op, if you know what pressure it likes at the gas port.
 
I agree with the above. I use my quickload to test ideas and try out non-standard combinations. I was curious yesterday how a 357 maximum would do from a 26" barrel and I played around with different combinations of powder and bullets. End result, probably not a good idea. 38/55 would be a better choice.

I play a lot testing reload data after I calibrate the factors to my gun. For example I have a bunch of 125 grn lead rn bullets in .356 and am l loading for 38 super. I know that my 13 gr ns of Lil gun does about 1100 fps and quickload predicts 1118 fps. But I am hitting only 19339 max chamber pressure. Playing with the powder says I can work up to 14.2 before I get into problems and that will get me to 1285 fps. So I will work up a set of tests and see if I can match the powder curve. My goal is 1300 fps which should be doable but I may get into pressure right at 14.3 grns.

This the type of games I play. It lets me test the ideas before I load them and save powder and bullets.
 
It gives you far more info than any manual. For instance, muzzle pressure. If you want to find the quietest load you can pick the one with the lowest muzzle pressure.

You can set fast and slow powder limits and max pressure and it will give you a chart with all loads that meet your criteria.

For me, the only limitation is that it is missing a couple pistol powders (one is longshot) that I really like. I'm going to see if they are in 3.6 and will update for them.
 
For me the greatest utility and value has been in being able to factor in case capacity.

Turns out that I CANNOT load the new batch of FC cases the same as my old batch. New stuff is within 0.12% of my twin military cases, and 3.3% less capacity than the old batch. To keep it safe, the loads for "old" FC need to be downloaded almost exactly a full grain of powder.

Without QuickLOAD, there would be 2-3 times as much load testing when making component changes like this.

It also confirmed for me that Hornady A-Max Bullets really do run a slight bit higher pressure than equal-weight SMKs and Nosler clones.

QuickLOAD takes you from educated guesses to quantified, educated, and calculated estimates. You might have to fudge powder burn rates because of lot variations, but once you have that, I've found the one measurable variable, velocity, to be quite reliably predictable.
 
Don't think of quickload as a manual or a substitute for a manual. It is not!

Think of it as a ballistics lab. A virtual test lab to test pressure curve and velocities of any powder/bullet combination you can come up with.

Your manual might have your load listed but shot with a shorter or longer barrel.

Great for trying new powders before buying, or trying new bullets before buying.

Play with seating depths, bullet wieghts, barrel length and powder charges. Without taking a single shot.

As for missing powders and bullets, you can add them by creating a new file or load them from a powder or bullet profile.

Wow, I'm starting to sound like Billy Mays here. RIP
 
QuickQuestion for QuickLoad users.

And this is a serious question in the best of spirit. :) Myke Hart's comment above made me stop and think.

In a true ballistics lab preparing load data to be published, one of the factors determining max load is the standard deviation. The max load is the one which falls two standard deviations below the SAAMI standard for maximum chamber pressure. This is an industry standard for published manuals, according to the techs I meet at the SHOT show. Standard deviation is calculated from the data collected in the lab, and cannot be modeled mathematically.

My understanding of QuickLoad is that it is a mathematical model. The lab techs tell me that mathematical modeling is completely feasible in modern ballistics. In fact, it is a very important primary tool during the design phases of new cartridges and components. But they also warn that models are not a substitute for lab tests, the data from which is gleaned such things as real-world variance (as measured by standard deviation) even when as many factors as possible are held constant in the lab. Why factor a two standard deviation variance into the published data? Because the real world is not a lab with controlled conditions. Two standard deviations below max explains 97.5% of sample data, which is enough to keep us safe as reloaders.

So here's the QuickQuestion: Do you really use QuickLoad to tell you how much powder to use in a load, or do you build the model using QuickLoad, then carefully consider how much you need to back off to account for real-world conditions?
 
QL needs to be used in conjunction with published data. I have found it to be pretty accurate with bottlenecked data, but iffy with straightwalled stuff. QL's best use is not to find maximum pressure for a given load, but to get a well rounded idea what is going on inside your chamber when the gun fires.

I use it to create combinations where nearly 100% of the powder is consumed inside the barrel, the pressure curve is nice and gradual, and I get the velocity I want within the SAAMI maximum pressure limits.

For example, when loading 357 bullets in a 9mm at an oal of .990" for about 1000 FPS one quickly discovers that 231 is an inappropriate powder. This is not due to maximum pressure, but due to the shape of the pressure curve. A simple switch to Universal Clays broadens the pressure curve and magically stops the casehead from assuming breechface imperfections. This is an extreme example. While both 231 and Universal Clays deliver 1000 FPS within the maximum pressure parameters and are both consumed completely inside the barrel, the latter is much more gentle on the gun and the brass in that particular application.

When using QL you quickly begin to understand the effect of OAL reduction on pressure, velocity, and combustion. You see why it is not a good idea to load heavy bullets on top of fast burning rate powders or why Blue Dot creates such a huge fireball or why Reloader 22 is too slow for the 308.

It is a wonderful tool.
 
I am another Quickload groupie. Manuals are good, but QL is a lot better.
Since I am always tinkering with bullets and OAL et al, it does save me a ton of time and effort to find good loads.
 
Do you really use QuickLoad to tell you how much powder to use in a load, or do you build the model using QuickLoad, then carefully consider how much you need to back off to account for real-world conditions?
Click to expand...

Sorta... On a new unpublished load, I get a theoretical MIN and MAX powder charge from quickload. Start at the MIN and work up from there.

But mostly use quickload to tweak loads, by changing seating depth, and brass length, or test component combinations to see if they will work.

Another thing I do with it is duplicate factory loads, I know the brass, bullet, powder charge in grains, primer, and velocity it produces on my equipment. All I have to do is substitute a powder type and charge.
 
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When I'm developing a new load, I enter the basic parameters into QuickLOAD (case capacity, bullet length, COL, and barrel length) and then check a variety of powders for appropriateness. I'm usually looking for a specific level of performance (velocity/energy), and I like to see most or all of the powder being burned before the bullet exits the barrel for efficiency. As a safety step, I back things off at least 10% (usually more) from the computed maximum powder charge, and chronograph that load as a "reality check". If the load checks out, then I'll continue to work up the load carefully.

My thought process with QuickLOAD is that, if real world performance from my weapon is similar to what QuickLOAD predicts, then real world pressure must also be close to QuickLOAD's prediction. I understand intellectually that this might not be so, but it's the best I can do on my own without an expensive pressure testing lab. I try to compensate for the unknown variables by not loading anything within 5% of the SAAMI max average pressure. When I flew jets for a living, I'd sometimes hear other pilots say they were adding 5 knots to their final approach speed "for mom and the kids". My arbitrary 5% reduction from max average pressure uses a similar thought process.

The critical point here is that without QuickLOAD (and a chronometer), I wouldn't even know where to start.
 
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I did find a post from 2008 were Hartmut Broemel (creator of QL) says that a trail boss powder profile is not possible.

Best bet would be to contact him to see what he says today. http://www.neconos.com/

09/14/08 07:42 AM H_Broemel - At this moment I see no way to implement TrailBoss data: First, I do not get any data from the manufacturer. Second, TrailBoss is working very smooth when using a case filling between 65 and 80 percent, above this it produces erratic pressures. I made some tests with 308 Win and 30-06 with a 165grain bullet: When I fill a case to 100% (no air gap between bullet and powder top) I get still get safe pressures about 2500 bars or 36000 psi, but a very high S.D. The pressure jumps about plus-minus 10000 psi up and down. This behaviour cannot be calculated.
I will not put propellant data on the internet for downloading, because of sensitivity to export restrictions.
If someone has special needs, feel free to send a PM. Updated data are usually available after the ShotShow and the IWA, that means each year about end of March.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/2374001/page/1
 
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