Handloading

[Lloyd]

does anyone know of some software to track handloads for your brass 

- no. Of times fired

- date loaded

- charge weight

And all the other good stuff rather than pieces of paper or notes in a book 

 

Thanks in advance 

[Popsbengo]

Excel spreadsheet or similar

 

[Lloyd]

I was hoping someone would have a template lol 😆 

[Popsbengo]

really?  If you can use Excel a template is nothing to knock up.  A note book is still easier 

[Mattnall]

I've just suggested Excel on the other post.

Works for me and if infinitely customisable, you can add just the columns you want.

[Andrew]

Why over complicate things? I use a black permanent marker to mark the number of times fired on the top of the plastic case guard box. Wipes off with Hoppes 9 bore cleaner or glass cleaner.

Makes me wonder how I ever survived reloading in the decades before computers. ~Andrew

[jcampbellsmith]

29 minutes ago, Andrew said:

Why over complicate things? I use a black permanent marker to mark the number of times fired on the top of the plastic case guard box. Wipes off with Hoppes 9 bore cleaner or glass cleaner.

Makes me wonder how I ever survived reloading in the decades before computers. ~Andrew

I agree. Although I use technology at every opportunity, my reloading consists of a number of notebooks and sticky labels on the ammunition boxes. I do use Excel for analysing Silver Mountain Target data and Magnetospeed data. 

Regards

JCS

[phoenix]

Pencil and paper - it doesn't crash or need upgrades!!

Some things just don't need a large ice cream computer!!!

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

[Mark II]

I use the small moleskine notebooks, you can normally find them on offer somewhere 

[nCognitos]

I use Google Sheets, free for personal use.  Once you have created your spreadsheet, use tabs to keep track of different things.  Then click on 'Extensions' and then 'Appsheet', this lets you create a small app, also free for personal use, that you can put on your phone or tablet.  Each tab will be a different table in the app, you can link, do calculations, all the normal spreadsheet stuff and it appears on your phone.  You can do all this with no programming knowledge at all but you do need to be able to set up a spreadsheet.

I have one to track my shooting and reloading, if you update the sheet, it automatically updates your app, if you update the app on your phone, it automatically updates the sheet, best of all worlds.

This is a first for me, I love writing, I collect fountain pens and usually use notebooks but the one thing I always have on me is my phone. (What really drove me to it was I hate writing in Biro and it was not practical to carry a fountain pen and notebook on every shoot).  It also does the calculations for me, so ammo stock is calculated from (ammo bought + reloaded) - (ammo used).  Cost of reloading is calculated from the cost of components etc..  I have bullet drop tables on there as well and am in the process of adding a wind effect calculator.

I can either enter the information once I am home, or while I am out on my phone.  What is useful is when I wanted my ammo limits varied, I could send the FEO the sheets showing usage as evidence, so I had no problem getting the variation.

Home page tracks guns I have used

You can then go in for further details

Similarly, I keep track of my ammo

Again with further details

So, I can keep track of how much ammo I have on hand, how much is reloaded etc..

I also do components

again with details

And have a reloading log

with details

Then I put other stuff in the menu

Like drop tables for my common ammo

[jcampbellsmith]

On 9/25/2020 at 5:16 PM, Lloyd said:

does anyone know of some software to track handloads for your brass 

- no. Of times fired

- date loaded

- charge weight

And all the other good stuff rather than pieces of paper or notes in a book 

 

Thanks in advance 

Despite working in IT off and on since 1976, I find sticky labels and notebooks essential for tracking the life of my brass. I take the approach that as each batch of brass has to have a label, it might as well be a useful label. I do use MS Word to generate my labels. I don't see the need to increase my workload by entering any info into a spreadsheet or database.

Regards

JCS

[nCognitos]

Well, I don't think it's an instead of, it's an as well as, all my brass is labeled.

For me it's simple, my FEO said that if I'm going to reload, then he expects to see a reloading log at renewal.  This way, I can email it all off to him and I can correlate the components purchased to the rounds loaded.  

It's simple and works for me to record everything but it's also only an option.  I'm trying to show what can be achieved at no extra cost from a simple spreadsheet. 

Paper logs are equally good, it also depends on what you carry, I do know some people who don't have a smartphone or don't carry it everywhere.  Inexplicable I know, but in their case, this method would be useless.

[One on top of two]

I have never been asked for a log . If I was ever asked I would just show them my barrel shot counts for each rifle has to be the most accurate way of record keeping , after all in not like  your going to be adding loads of extra rounds just to just to make it look like your shooting more than you are . 🤔😉

 

anyway if you only shoot at your club there are range records that have all the proof the police would need to see how many shots your firing , it’s all written down in the logs , dates , calibres , shots fired etc . 
so just tell your FEO to look at the range logs , no need for more self regulating. 
 

[nCognitos]

Yeah... I'm not the bolshie type, if he wants records, I will give him records, a happy FEO is an easier life for me. 

Anyway, all this is beside the point, the OP asked a question many months ago, and I have provided an answer and an example of how I meet his requirements.

I am not getting into a political discussion on firearms legislation and it's application in practice.  By all means manage your affairs as you wish and allow me to do the same.

 

[Popsbengo]

35 minutes ago, One on top of two said:

...anyway if you only shoot at your club there are range records that have all the proof the police would need to see how many shots your firing , it’s all written down in the logs , dates , calibres , shots fired etc . 
so just tell your FEO to look at the range logs , no need for more self regulating. 
 

There's no legal requirement to record anything beyond date, range location, personal identification (typically name and club id), rifle type, calibre and serial number.  The range log must be available for inspection for 6 years.  Never been asked for data but have been asked to show we comply.

No requirement to log rounds shot.   Range operators may ask for a total number of rounds shot for their maintenance needs but not a legal requirement.

[Re-Pete]

Open Office does it for me, and it's free...........I have the "Range Attendance" log, which has dates, venues, distances, rifles used, rounds fired, who was there, weather, and any general comments about the session, plus, the reloading log, which is exactly that

And in 15 years, no-one has ever asked to see them.. 😥 

However, at renewal time, my firearms office does ask for a copy of the NRA Bisley rifle useage log, which covers dates and rifle serial numbers. AFAIK, they just want proof of use.

They know we reload all the stuff we shoot. I explained that way back to pre-empt any comments about the "ammunition purchased" section of our FAC's being empty, so I assume it's on file. 

Pete