QuickLoad allows you to decide on the BEST load from an array of powders. This saves money and time.
This post shows how QL allows you to set powders with similar burn ratios from an existing load, and then shows you everything needed to select the best powder candidate: Fill ratio (% Case filled), Propellant % burned (the higher the better), “P max psi” (Peak psi produced by load), and of course the amount of powder needed for each brand.
In reading through earlier posts once again, I gather that many potential users think that QuickLoad is quite limited in usefulness. On the contrary, there are many amazing functions of this software of which most handloaders are unaware. Once again, my proviso: I have no financial interest in this product; I just like to share its remarkable advantages with dedicated reloaders.
Here we go –
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/S7ovWR2.png)
1) This load is just a little warmer than the standard .45 Colt SAAMI limit (14k psi),
and you have to leave room for the variance in lots of powder, primers, loading depth, and so on. So this is NOT recommended for that cartridge.
Instead, it is a mild Ruger Blackhawk type load, at around 1,000fps and around 14,847 psi or a little more (per QL). It uses my favorite all around powder and weight – 8.0 gr. Unique.
It also satisfies my desire (for any handgun load) to fill the case more than 45%; in this case, it appears to fill over half the case.
QL users, note in the display that both the Penn bullet and the cartridge designation - 45 Colt Blackhawk (SAAMI) - may not be on your QuickLoad tables. I created the Penn entry, and if memory serves, I also created the higher 45 Colt Blackhawk entry, both of which are easy enough to manipulate with the software.
NOTE HERE that the barrel length of my .45 Colt load is shown as 16 inches (top left box, bottom left corner), because this is actually for a Model 92 Rossi .45 Colt carbine, which can handle the pressure. I can change the barrel length there to see what a shorter barrel in a handgun will produce, should I want a shared carbine / handgun cartridge.
2) Let’s say that I am out of Unique.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/55xld2r.png)
Or, maybe I want to verify that this is the best powder for the bullet, weight, and desired velocity, given the barrel length of my firearm. The chosen powder, Unique, has a “Ba” Burning Rate Factor of 2.3500, shown in the top right Powder box of the main screen form. Note this figure: 2.3500.
3) Now, click on the Propellant Table in the top ribbon as shown here.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/8nT6y1s.png)
4) You will get a screen overlay.
Select the Minimum BA Value and Maximum BA Value sliders (circled in this example) to a bit below and above your figure of 2.3500 to find a range of powders similar in burn speed to Unique. I chose 2.11 to 3.12, which gave me a wide choice of usable powders.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/zcQWLjn.png)
Fill in other information as needed, e.g. “1128” in the “Suggested Muzzle Velocity,” then click on the circle next to that choice to limit all loads to that muzzle velocity.
Then, click on the “Apply&Exit” button in the lower right corner of the screen overlay form.
5) Notice that the lower left box of the main screen form has changed,
displaying text concerning your cartridge, bullet, and so on. Click on the little square box icon in the upper right of that screen as shown to see the whole printout.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/tveoCaY.png)
6) Before you print the results, you should decide on how you want the data sorted.
I always use the “Sort by…” dropdown at the top of the form and select “Pressure” in Descending order for this type of search. You can run other sorts after you have found powders within safe limits – those between dangerously low or high ranges. If necessary, you can adjust the BA ranges to eliminate some extremes and run the function again.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/zJ3Zrjw.png)
7) This is the result that I obtained for my load.
Unique is a great choice for this type of load, but you can see that there are some other very good possibilities at lower pressures. Since the only powder that I have with lower pressure is Power Pistol and in limited amounts designated for 9mm loads, I have made a good choice with Unique.
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/jfAf42t.png)
If you have any questions, some other QL users can chime in. For instance, earlmck “has your Six” since he is quite knowledgeable about this software, among other things. I have some other things on my plate and won't be checking in as often, from this point forward.
Cheers, Levergunners.