Reply With QuoteJust 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.
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...?
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.
Exactly!Originally Posted by Trent
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?
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.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?
I develop a load that'll shoot acceptably at 100 yards then load up a ton and go practice.
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!
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
'Scuse me while I whip this out...!
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.
Last edited by jhelmuth; 09-24-2012 at 02:36 PM.
.22LR * 6.5x47 Lapua * .223 Rem * .308 Win * 260 Rem * Large Cojones!
[I]"I can prove anything by statistics except the truth."[/I]
Leave it up to Jim to give me a headache with all the technical stuff.......
Anyone got any aspirins?
Frank in Fla
'Scuse me while I whip this out...!
Thanks Frank.... I'll send you a big bottle of Bayer - or do you prefer another pain reliver? ;o)
.22LR * 6.5x47 Lapua * .223 Rem * .308 Win * 260 Rem * Large Cojones!
[I]"I can prove anything by statistics except the truth."[/I]
oh how I miss those bar stool days....those were the daysmy friend..
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).
Yes
PSE EVO 57 Lbs.
Blacked out
Always a new powder to try!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.223 Rem AI, .22-250 AI, .220 Swift AI .243 Win AI, .6mm Rem AI, .257 Rob AI, .25-06 AI, 6.5x300wsm .30-06 AI, .270 STW, 7mm STW, 28 nosler, .416 Taylor
Do I continue to experiment with loads? AllwaysLoad development is really fun for me, I try to do it all the time.
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.
Forgot to add that it was my friends .222 40X and first time I ever shot the rifle.
still **** good shootin.We do the f class at 250 2 relays of 20 shots total of 4 targets with 10 shots on each target
for score...I am going to be trying my 22-250 this week end....I am sorry but I just had to bust on you about the
50 yards groups...John
LOL!!! There is another local match in Odessa about an hour away for me that is 250 yards, I've only shot my .308 there and yeah it can print some tight groups but usually I shoot in the 180's with it a few low 190's so far being my second year shooting in match's, 3rd year reloading. My first year I don't think I even made a 180 score, but that 199 33X score of mine with the .222 was mind blowing. My friend who owns the gun has shot a 200 33X this year and one match the top six shooter's all had 200's with 1st place having 37X's. I think I was like 15th place with my .308 with a 192, and there was no score under a 180 that day with over 20 shooter's!
I have shot there and from what your saying about your 308 I think I know who you are..You shot there at the memorial shot I think...I shot my 308 as well...
Nice shooting dan.
That's pretty interesting how the group opens / closes with your seating depth. I can't ever recall seeing that much variation when I change the depth. Unless it's a major amount..... I need to look into that.
Again, nicely done!
Frank in Fla
'Scuse me while I whip this out...!
Yes, I was at the Darkeagle memorial shoot, with my BVSS .308. I'm the tall thin guy 35 year old, I didn't to to good that day because I couldn't get on paper for about 10 shots, then finally the guys walked me back on paper but I didn't have enough rounds left to put on the score target. I found out what the problem was though, my scope wasn't responding to the adjustments then all the sudden it would jump, so that scope has to go back to the factory for repair.
I'm planning on shooting at Odessa this Saturday and they have made some improvements to the range so the target's are not cramped up on the side hill anymore.
Of course I'll have a slightly tweaked load this time,, always trying to do better, match's are a great place to see if your load is up to snuff or not and if little changes too the load make much of a difference.
I'm a little worried though because I'll be using my 16X scope and at 250 yards I might have to get up and look through Scotts spoting scope to see where I'm hitting.
Hope to see you there!
Regards.
Dan
Thank's Frank, seating depth makes a big difference, even with the velocity. With one particular load I crono'd jammed at 2580, .005 off lands 2520, .010 off 2550, .020 off 2580, and .030 off was just over 2600! ( this was .308 w175 SMK and 42 grain Varget)
Dan
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