I was comparing reloading recipes recently, and was surprised at the extent to which using different wads can affect load pressures. Which led to this question: Assuming you are shooting a gun with modern steel barrels, and using loads within the gun's proof, is there any benefit to shooting lower pressure loads? If a gun is proved to 13,000 psi, does shooting 8,000 psi loads instead 10,000 psi loads (assuming the fps and shot charge are the same) extend the time before a gun shoots loose?

Put another way, is it worth spending extra money on higher quality wads to reduce the pressure in my reloads 1500-2000 psi?

Thanks in advance, Doverham

Such a long, long time to be gone, and a short time to be there.