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I am passionate about extreme long range shooting as well as tactical applications, and those pursuits have necessitated the development of skills and deep learning to produce the most consistent and precise ammunition for ELR, as well as optimized loads for short and accurized bolt action and semi-automatic tactical platforms.

Every load I produce is the result of a data-driven, statistically rigorous process from start to finish. There is no guesswork. The internal ballistic event is modeled before a single round is loaded, velocity and precision are validated with large sample sizes and laboratory-grade instrumentation, and every component lot is documented. Whether you need a subsonic suppressor load for an SBR or a maximum-velocity long-range precision load for a bolt gun, the methodology is the same: measure everything, assume nothing.

Load development begins with computational modeling in Gordon's Reloading Tool (GRT), which simulates the internal ballistic event for a given cartridge, barrel length, bullet, and propellant combination. This allows me to evaluate candidate powders by case fill ratio, predicted velocity, peak pressure, and burn characteristics before any components are consumed.

A key capability of this modeling phase is the parametric powder search, which evaluates every compatible propellant in the GRT database against the specific cartridge geometry and barrel length. Each candidate is simulated at a target peak pressure and ranked by predicted muzzle velocity, case fill ratio, propellant burn percentage, and ballistic efficiency. This allows objective elimination of unsuitable propellants before any components are consumed, narrowing the field to candidates that offer complete combustion within the barrel length, a safe load ratio, and the highest predicted velocity at the target pressure.

This process draws upon a deep working knowledge of smokeless propellants and their behavior across different case volumes, bore diameters, and barrel lengths. I can model virtually any cartridge, whether it is SAAMI/CIP adopted or a wildcat, and identify the propellants best suited for the application. Factors beyond raw simulation data, such as a propellant's temperature sensitivity, barrel wear characteristics, and commercial availability, are weighed alongside the computational results to arrive at the final candidate selection.

My load development process includes pressure testing, optimizing cartridge overall length for the specific platform, and tuning the charge to achieve full propellant burn inside the barrel length being used. Whether the load is destined for an SBR or a long barrel, a bolt action or a semi-automatic, a subsonic or supersonic application, it will be optimized for its intended use case.

I use large sample sizes for evaluating both velocity statistics and group sizes. Velocity is captured with a Garmin Xero C2 doppler radar chronograph. Downrange ballistic solutions and hit probabilities are generated and evaluated with Applied Ballistics. Group analysis is performed in OnTarget TDS to extract mean radius, extreme spread, and hit probability at distance.

My own Ballistic Velocity Analyzer (BVA), available on this site, is used to produce publication-ready statistical reports including standard deviation, extreme spread, and visualized analysis across multiple loads. When comparing two or more loads, the BVA performs Welch's ANOVA (or Brown-Forsythe F* for unequal sample sizes) to determine whether observed velocity differences are statistically significant, followed by Games-Howell post-hoc analysis to identify which specific load pairings differ. This ensures that load selection decisions are grounded in statistical evidence rather than subjective interpretation of small samples.

I can load with all new components, or I can utilize your fired brass for an additional charge. Every round is produced by hand, by me, on precision equipment. Powder lots, bullet lots, primer lots, and brass lots are tracked and documented with each load produced. All brass is processed on a single stage press and loaded with micrometer-adjustable dies and precision instruments.

The following cartridges are those I have personally developed loads for. I am comfortable working with both SAAMI/CIP adopted cartridges and wildcats.

This list is not exhaustive. If you have a cartridge not listed here, reach out and I will let you know if I can help.

The following case study illustrates the systematic, data-driven methodology applied to every load development engagement. A client required a competition-grade load for an upcoming ELR match using a 6.5 PRC Sherman Improved chambering. The objective was to minimize muzzle velocity standard deviation while maximizing ballistic efficiency for extreme long range applications where shot-to-shot consistency is the dominant factor in hit probability.

Prior to loading a single round, Gordon's Reloading Tool (GRT) was used to perform a parametric powder search across the full propellant database for the 6.5 PRC Sherman Improved case geometry, 28-inch barrel, and Hornady 153gr A-Tip projectile. All candidates were simulated at a normalized peak pressure of 65,700 PSI. The search was constrained to propellants achieving 100% combustion within the barrel length and a case fill ratio of 95% or greater to ensure consistent ignition and safe load density.

Of the 25 propellants evaluated, 11 met both criteria. The top five candidates by predicted muzzle velocity were:

Although N570 produced the highest predicted velocity, it was eliminated due to its known propensity for accelerated barrel throat erosion and elevated heat generation during sustained firing strings. N565 was eliminated for its comparatively reduced thermal stability relative to N568. Both Retumbo and N568 are recognized in the precision reloading community for their low temperature sensitivity coefficients, making them well-suited for competition use across varying ambient conditions. These two propellants were carried forward into live-fire validation.

Initial load development produced two 50-round baseline strings using CCI BR-2 match primers with the two selected propellants. Despite using premium, lot-controlled components throughout, the baseline results were unsatisfactory for ELR application:

Standard deviations of 11.1 and 11.8 fps represent a significant source of vertical dispersion at distances beyond 1,500 yards. Given that the propellant, brass, and projectile were already premium single-lot components, the primer was identified as the remaining variable with the greatest potential to influence ignition consistency and, by extension, muzzle velocity uniformity.

A full factorial experiment was designed crossing two propellants with four primer types, producing eight unique permutations. Each permutation was fired as a 25-round string under controlled conditions across two range sessions, with mandatory cooling intervals between strings to prevent chamber temperature from influencing results and to minimize throat erosion from firecracking. The four primers tested were:

Conventional guidance suggests magnum primers are unnecessary below approximately 75 grains of propellant, which does not apply to this cartridge. Nevertheless, magnum primers were included to empirically test this assumption rather than accept it at face value. To isolate the primer variable, Gordon's Reloading Tool (GRT) was used to normalize all charges to approximately 65,700 PSI, requiring reduced powder charges for the magnum primer permutations to account for their higher initial brisance. A total of 200 rounds were chronographed across both sessions.

RESULTS

Statistical inference was performed using Welch's ANOVA, which does not assume equal variances across groups. The omnibus test returned F(7, 83.3) = 323.2, p < 0.001, confirming that statistically significant differences in mean velocity exist across the eight permutations. Games-Howell post-hoc analysis identified 25 of 28 pairwise comparisons as statistically significant at α = 0.05, confirming that primer selection produces measurable and reproducible differences in muzzle velocity performance.

Hodgdon Retumbo paired with the RUAG 5341 large rifle primer produced the lowest standard deviation of any permutation at 5.28 fps, representing a 55% reduction from the CCI BR-2 baseline (11.76 fps). This combination was further validated by internal ballistic modeling in GRT, which identified multiple advantages beyond consistency:

By applying computational propellant screening via GRT's parametric powder search, followed by a controlled full factorial primer experiment validated with statistical inference (Welch's ANOVA and Games-Howell post-hoc), the final load achieved a standard deviation of 5.28 fps with faster muzzle velocity, lower exit pressure, and complete propellant combustion. This case demonstrates that the interaction between primer and propellant can have a measurable and statistically significant effect on load performance that is not predictable from manufacturer specifications or conventional reloading wisdom alone. What began as an 11+ fps SD was reduced to 5.28 fps through systematic isolation and testing of a single variable.

The full velocity dataset, statistical analysis, and interactive report for this case study are available below.

Fill out the form below to discuss your reloading needs. Whether you are looking for consulting, load development, loading services, instruction, or training, I will get back to you.