Load Database

How our load data is calculated

The inner-ballistics model

Every load in this database is the result of a numerical inner-ballistics simulation rather than a copied table. The model solves the coupled equations of propellant burn rate, gas generation, chamber volume change and projectile acceleration in discrete time steps from primer ignition to muzzle exit. Inputs include the case capacity of the specific cartridge, the seating depth and resulting usable powder space, the bullet mass, bearing surface and diameter, the barrel length and the burn characteristics of the individual powder. Because the simulation is run per caliber and bullet combination, it can cover combinations that no printed manual lists, including modern monolithic and lead-free projectiles.

Reference sources and cross-checks

Simulation output is only useful when it is anchored in reality. Calculated results are cross-checked against published manufacturer load data, cartridge drawings and case-capacity measurements taken from fired brass of the relevant manufacturers. Bullet geometry and ballistic coefficients come from the manufacturers' own product data, powder characteristics from the propellant makers' technical sheets. We continuously calibrate our models using our own empirical testing and measurements. This process is ongoing and incorporates data from the German Testing and Research Institute for Hunting and Sporting Weapons (DEVA). Where a calculated charge deviates noticeably from a published reference load, the combination is flagged and reviewed before it is published. Community-submitted loads are kept strictly separate from calculated data so you always know which figures are modelled and which were shot by another reloader.

Units, pressure standards and how to read a load

Each combination page lists every suitable powder with charge weight, fill ratio (load density), calculated peak pressure and muzzle velocity. Charges are shown in grains or grams and velocities in feet per second or metres per second, following your measurement preference; visitors who are not signed in see imperial units on the English site and metric units on the German site. Peak pressure is compared against the maximum average pressure defined for the cartridge by CIP or SAAMI, depending on which standard applies to that caliber, and loads are capped so the calculated pressure stays inside that limit. Fill ratios above 100 % indicate a compressed charge, which is workable with some powders but should be approached deliberately.

Safety notice

Reloading data — whether calculated, published or shared by other reloaders — is reference information, not an instruction to fire a specific charge in your firearm. Always start at least 10 % below the listed maximum charge, work up in small increments, and watch for pressure signs such as flattened primers, heavy bolt lift or ejector marks. Your chamber, barrel, brass, primer lot and ambient temperature all change the outcome. Use of this data is at your own risk; xxlreloading.com accepts no liability for damage or injury arising from its use.