What's Your Go-To Hand-Load Test Methodology?

[thermaler]

What is your preferred method of testing hand-loads (Baney ladder, Newberry OCW, etc) short of reading tea leaves or sacrificing goats? Reasons? Limitations? (I, for example, am limited to 100 yds for most of my tests).

[fgw_in_fla]

Before loading the brass we dance naked under a full moon around a fire made from palm wood. Then, I put on my black robe & tall, pointed hat with little moons & stars on it, approach the candle lit loading bench where I drink a cup of hog blood & proceed as follows.

I load in groups of 3 each - for a total of 12 or 15 cases.
Select a "middle of the road" powder from the book unless I have other info on the preferred powder to use.
I start 1gr above the listed minimum in my Lyman book.
For 30.06 based cases - 1/2gr increments
For .308 based cases - .3gr increments
Seat bullets to where at least one bullet diameter is seated in the brass.

Head to the range....
Meditate facing north by northwest except after the summer solstice in which I face south.
Roll chicken bones on benchtop to determine wind, coriolis effect, mirage, etc.
Fire rounds in groups of 3 each at specific target labeled for the purpose. 100yds for this procedure. Targets are 8.5"x11" paper with 1"red dots in 4 places & a cross hatch pattern for scope adjustment made easy.
Determine which group has potential.
Give thanks to the gods of reloading by sacrificing a palmetto bug (prominent here in FL through the year)

Fine tune ammo load.
Fine tune seating depth.

If the sweet spot for an accuracy node is found, retest using 5 rounds with a .2gr powder spread.

If load is found for 5 round, 1 hole group - Dance naked in the front yard wearing a Bill Clinton mask. The wife wears a Monica Lewinsky mask and we pour Vodka on each other and smoke cigars. Neighbors join in with our celebration. A good time had by all & the accuracy load is celebrated.

So.....
How do you guys do it?

[Texas Solo]

I do the exact same routine, but I fore go the chicken bones.

[thermaler]

I noticed you left out the Tarot card reader and professional horoscope analyst you used to use--any particular reason Frank?

In all seriousness--I've tried various test techniques--and for me they all seem to have their pluses and minuses--though I probably am not as rigorous as say an OCW (optimum charge weight) test needs to be. But I like the concept behind the OCW test though I'm a little curious that it seems like a fundamental underlying assumption is that all load's best harmonics lay somewhere up in the upper range of charge weights. Recently I bought some budget factory stuff (Atomic 168 nosler custom comp) which, despite being made with recycled components and not especially well-finished (in fact, it looks like crap)-- for some mysterious reason shoots remarkably well no matter what weapon I fire it through (Gold medal 175 matchking is another "holy grail" load that comes to mind). I wonder if this confirms one of the major premises of the OCW test--that for every bullet there is an optimum load weight which corresponds to the best "shock wave" timing; thereby yielding superior performance with only minor variations due to things like weapon used or seating depth.

[thermaler]

I do the exact same routine, but I fore go the chicken bones.

You dance naked with Frank's wife while pouring Vodka on her?

[fgw_in_fla]

Looking at the minimum to maximum charges of a caliber, I usually find 2 accuracy nodes. One at the low end & one at a higher charge. Depending on the intended use, I might use either one.

And would you PUUULLLEEEEEEEZZ not write things like my lawyer. It's too early & it makes my head hurt.

I think there's a lot to your last statement, too.("I wonder if this confirms one of the major premises....")

[fgw_in_fla]

And tarot cards proved unreliable...

Horoscope reading is only used for pistol, ring toss & bocce tournaments.

[FW Conch]

fwg_in_fla, I think I saw you and the "Misses" at "Fantasy Fest" in October??? ;-)

Oh, and all of "fwg's" methods, to include "OCW" ! ;-)

[fgw_in_fla]

You dance naked with Frank's wife while pouring Vodka on her?

He couldn't have been dancing nekkid with my 'ol lady.

He still has his eyesight.

[fgw_in_fla]

fwg_in_fla, i think i saw you and the "misses" at "fantasy fest" in october??? ;-)

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhggggggggggggggggggggggg !!!!!!

[thermaler]

He couldn't have been dancing nekkid with my 'ol lady.

He still ahs his eyesight.You're the only shooter I know that has his own cheer-leading team of young ladies that attend your every range session, you must be doing something right. : )

[fgw_in_fla]

It's my kid charm & glowing personality....

[dxjxrose]

frank you crack me up

[Texas Solo]

He couldn't have been dancing nekkid with my 'ol lady.

He still has his eyesight.

My eyesight sucks Frank, but no, I haven't been dancin naked with your wife. I can't even get my wife to do that, even after the Vodka!

[fgw_in_fla]

My eyesight sucks Frank, but no, I haven't been dancin naked with your wife. I can't even get my wife to do that, even after the Vodka!

If you saw my 'ol lady you wouldn't want to dance naked with her. Not for load development, not for money.

Hell, I don't even want to see her naked but it helps with the ceremony for load development.

[fgw_in_fla]

frank you crack me up

Welcome to Savage Shooter - aka Savage Addiction & Reloader's OCD Mental Health Institution & Support Group.
- aka Nut Farm

[squirrelsniper]

I'm one of those people who can't stand chasing a load every time environmental conditions change, so my method searches for a load that performs well in every condition, even if it may give up some peak accuracy in certain conditons. So...

I start out with an Audette ladder at 300yds (though I have used 200yds and 250yds, depending on the rifle/caliber or the accuracy expectations. I usually try 2-3 different bullets and a couple different powders. I typically either just pay up and get good brass or if it's not available, I take medium quality stuff and make it as good as I can. I also typically use match primers from CCI or Federal. Usually, OAL is set at .02 off the lands or mag length, whichever works better for the rifle's application.

When I find a few nodes that look promising with a couple bullets, I switch to what most would call an OCW method to test them further. Usually at this point I decide on a load.

If something looks promising but just isn't quite right, I may change the primer and take that new load through the OCW test again.

Long range loads will typically get another OCW test at 600yds to check results for that application. Sometimes a good 300yd load holds up and sometimes it doesn't, that's why I test them farther out if they are for that application. I would probably test farther out too, but 600yds is about as far as I can currently go at home.

[FW Conch]

squirrelsniper, your methods are enviable and very effective, but how would you proceed if you were limited to 100 yards, as the OP is ?

[squirrelsniper]

squirrelsniper, your methods are enviable and very effective, but how would you proceed if you were limited to 100 yards, as the OP is ?

Back when I first started loading (at age 16) I did most of load development at 100yds. I guess just because that's how everyone else seemed to be doing it (my father included) and I didn't know any different. I found some good loads just doing the old "load 5 of each and group 'em at 100yds" method. However, I found two issues. One, the way I was testing burned up a huge amount of components just to find a couple good loads. Two, it seemed every time the weather changed drastically, my accurate load seemed to falter. Later, as I got more into long range shooting, I found good 100yd loads often don't work well farther out.

So, knowing what I do now, if I had to go back to 100yd load testing, I'd employ a chronograph. [Currently, I use a chrono very little for load development, I let the targets tell me what I want to know.] I'd still use the "load 5rds of everything and group them" method, as ladders and OCW simply isn't practical at anything less than 200yds. However, along with all the 5-shot group data I gained, I'd use the chrono data to look for two things.
First, I'd try to spot trends where as the powder charge was increased/decreased, the velocity seemed to want to hover near one point. There always seems to be a point where just a small powder increase/decrease sees a pretty big change in velocity. I want my load to be away from those points.
Second, I'd look for low ES/SD.
If I could find a load that shot a good group, its powder charge/velocity seemed to be in a "tolerant" place, and it has low ES/SD, I think you're on the way to having a good load. Testing further out would confirm it, but assuming I had to do all I could at 100yds, that's how I'd do it.

[rebs]

I use the load three of each also to find a decent group and fine tune from their. As stated earlier I also have been finding 2 powder charges that will group the same. I then use the lower charge for target shooting.