Do you continue to experiment with loads ?

[acemisser]

Like the question ask..Do you have a favorite and accurate load and continue to
use it or do you keep searching for another one..By accurate I mean,like 1 inch
or under at 200 or 250 yards..I do all my load testing at 250 yards as that is the
distance we shoot F Class at..I do not call 100 yards a true test of accuracy..
Because the wind if any has very little effect at that distance,unless it is a gale or
something like that...
But getting back to the question..Why do you and I continue to experiment?
I mean we have a good load,so why waste the moneyon more and different
powder-bullets-primers,cases,etc....When you already have the load,why not use
it and continue to practice with it?

I know of one guy that wore a barrel out with somuch loadtesting when he had 1 or 2
excellent loads already..Myself I have over 700 rounds through a 22-250,but I have
a load that will drivetacks at 200 yards,if I do my part and hold steady..
Why do we do it...?

[wbm]

Just finished working up two loads for a .243 with 1-8 twist. I wanted a good hunting bullet load and a good match bullet load. Found both and have tested each enough to know that they are consistent. Now what? Boring ain't it. :eek:

[JackinSD]

Once I develop a load for a rifle that I am satisfied with that is where it ends. To me that is the purpose of load testing, to find that goto load. To others though they get satisfaction out of all the testing and tweaking. I do a fair bit of match shooting and don't like to spend a lot of time with testing. I'd rather get it done and move on to practice and shooting in matches.

I will disagree with you a little on the 100 yard load testing. You mentioned that there isn't much wind at 100yds and that is specifically what I want. Wind isn't a test of my loads, it's a test of me and my skills. I don't want that involved in my load testing. Once I have my load developed then I will shoot in wind all day long. In my opinion, mixing wind calls and load testing is a recipe for inconsistency.

Exactly!

[acemisser]

Once I develop a load for a rifle that I am satisfied with that is where it ends. To me that is the purpose of load testing, to find that goto load. To others though they get satisfaction out of all the testing and tweaking. I do a fair bit of match shooting and don't like to spend a lot of time with testing. I'd rather get it done and move on to practice and shooting in matches.

I will disagree with you a little on the 100 yard load testing. You mentioned that there isn't much wind at 100yds and that is specifically what I want. Wind isn't a test of my loads, it's a test of me and my skills. I don't want that involved in my load testing. Once I have my load developed then I will shoot in wind all day long. In my opinion, mixing wind calls and load testing is a recipe for inconsistency.

Well,maybe I should have ment it to mean practice after you have the load you want.But I still do all my shooting at 250 yards.In fact I am heading over to the range soon...

[JackinSD]

Well,maybe I should have ment it to mean practice after you have the load you want.But I still do all my shooting at 250 yards.In fact I am heading over to the range soon...

Of course. What good would it do to develope a load at 100 yards and never shoot it again. Just a starting point. Maybe, I am missing something in your last statement?

[wbm]

Of course. What good would it do to develop a load at 100 yards and never shoot it again. Just a starting point. Maybe, I am missing something in your last statement?

Exactly! Once I develop a good load, especially a hunting load, I go to 300 then 400 then 500. Some real surprises can occur, when you get past 300. I have had some very accurate loads at 100-200 that were not that hot at 300+. In fact some were downright awful.

[rrflyer]

I develop a load that'll shoot acceptably at 100 yards then load up a ton and go practice.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

When I find a "good load", I'll load up a bunch and write it down for future reference.
Nothing wrong with making more loads and looking for more accuracy.
Your favorite load may work good one day and not worth a hoot the next.
And, a little trigger time sure beats sitting on a bar stool, anyday!

[fgw_in_fla]

Once developed & tested at 100yds, it's over to 200yds. Once satisfied, onward out to the ranch to try it at 300+ yds. If it works good there, I try another bullet or different brass or seating depth or neck tension or...... There's always some way to improve the shot. That's the OCW / OCD way.
Now if by chance it all comes together & you're still well under MOA at 300+..... It's time to build another caliber & start all over again.

I just finished with a .243 & it's on to the 7mm-08.

Have a nice day at the range.

Frank in FLa

[jhelmuth]

Like the question ask..Do you have a favorite and accurate load and continue to
use it or do you keep searching for another one..By accurate I mean,like 1 inch
or under at 200 or 250 yards..I do all my load testing at 250 yards as that is the
distance we shoot F Class at..I do not call 100 yards a true test of accuracy..
Because the wind if any has very little effect at that distance,unless it is a gale or
something like that...
But getting back to the question..Why do you and I continue to experiment?
I mean we have a good load,so why waste the moneyon more and different
powder-bullets-primers,cases,etc....When you already have the load,why not use
it and continue to practice with it?

I know of one guy that wore a barrel out with somuch loadtesting when he had 1 or 2
excellent loads already..Myself I have over 700 rounds through a 22-250,but I have
a load that will drivetacks at 200 yards,if I do my part and hold steady..
Why do we do it...?

OK... (I'll bite) We'll get back to the "question" - but first let me make a remark regarding 100 yard accuracy tests (at least with respect to "wind").

First of all, any proper "test" needs to reduce or eliminate extraneous variables (like wind) from what you are attempting to prove from the test. Now if you are trying to prove a bullets ballistics, you would want to test against wind. But for load development you should have already picked the "right" bullet for the load development process. I certainly get it if you can't find any appropriate data and experience on "what bullet" given the barrel (and it's twist rate) and the purpose (target long/short range, hunting, etc.), but there is a plethora of good sources out there that should help one select an appropriate bullet for the job and equipment. Once you've done that, accuracy gets down to only a handful of factors - most of which you will keep constant as you develop the load, and possibly tweak that afterwards. I want to "hold" the case and case prep "constant" when developing a load. I always use the same brass I expect to shoot the developed load with. I will pick a primer that I feel will work well given the target load development, which will include experience and/or collected empirical data that will give me some reasonable assurance that I'm "close" (I can always try other primers later if I find I have flier issues and or I am not where I had hoped to get in the final analysis). What I'm really looking for in the initial stages of load development is what powder and charge is going to give me the best velocity with the necessary grouping I need to achieve the goal I have for the load (in my case, .3 MOA or better - and the given bullet). The last thing I WANT is to have wind be a factor in deciding on a load (I still look more at the vertical over the horizontal regardless, but down/up drafts can play havoc with that too). Once I establish the charge and powder for the given case and bullet, I can then "tweak" the load by varying the bullet seating and primer (even the case if I think it's necessary).

So... back to the question (why do we do it? it being continuously screw around with testing).... I think we ignore the idea of the testing process too much (or we don't understand it), but it's also just likely that we just like to tinker and that shooting a match is not our real enjoyment in shooting. To each his own.

PS - I do feel 200 yard testing is better than 100 yard testing, as long as I can minimize the impact of wind (which - while a PITA - I can do by picking the right day for going out and developing a load). It just gives the bullet more distance to show the stabilized accuracy more clearly than at 100.

[fgw_in_fla]

Leave it up to Jim to give me a headache with all the technical stuff.......


Anyone got any aspirins?


Frank in Fla

[jhelmuth]

Thanks Frank.... I'll send you a big bottle of Bayer - or do you prefer another pain reliver? ;o)

[acemisser]

When I find a "good load", I'll load up a bunch and write it down for future reference.
Nothing wrong with making more loads and looking for more accuracy.
Your favorite load may work good one day and not worth a hoot the next.
And, a little trigger time sure beats sitting on a bar stool, anyday!

oh how I miss those bar stool days....those were the daysmy friend..

[lal357]

i do all my testing in th off season (shoot my last f class match next month then dont start up till feb.) also restock with new brass and other components and play around during this time this time i'm going to try some 175-178 gr. loads for my 308 (been shooting 155gr.) and maybe some smk's for the creedmoor (bergers are killing me).

[Deerhunter 28]

Yes


PSE EVO 57 Lbs.
Blacked out

[Blue Avenger]

Always a new powder to try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DanSavage]

Do I continue to experiment with loads? Allways :p Load development is really fun for me, I try to do it all the time.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af240/243Wilson/FamilyAlbumb099.jpg

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af240/243Wilson/Mod.jpg

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af240/243Wilson/308sgroup001.jpg

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af240/243Wilson/F-Class016.jpg

[acemisser]

not bad groups for 50 yards shootin....I use the 175 gr boolet in my 308 rem sps tac....but I shoot out to 75 yards or farther..

[DanSavage]

not bad groups for 50 yards shootin....I use the 175 gr boolet in my 308 rem sps tac....but I shoot out to 75 yards or farther..


That's all 100 yard testing, lately I've started to load test at 200 and 250, it seems to let me see the POI shifts better. I've got several pet loads now for my 10fp using Nosler,Sierra, and Hornady bullet's 150 grain's up to 175 so far. I'll experiment with the 208 Amax's pretty soon.

My most prized group was shot earlier this year in a local match held at 185 yards.
Keep in mind this is a 10 shot group at a scaled down 1000 yard f-class target for 185 yards, and this was shot's 10-20 in my string for the first relay.

http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af240/243Wilson/F-Class046.jpg



http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af240/243Wilson/F-Class042.jpg



http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af240/243Wilson/F-Class047.jpg



http://i1011.photobucket.com/albums/af240/243Wilson/F-Class045.jpg

[DanSavage]

Forgot to add that it was my friends .222 40X and first time I ever shot the rifle.