DRS
Well-known member
When you're working up new hunting loads for a rifle how many rounds of each load do you make up? I have done 3 of each in the past.
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Just drives a shooter nuts......until you increase the distance! I'll usually back off to 200yds when this happens with my load development.....that guns a shooter for sure!Never have been sure what to think of these pictures...all shot over a 2 day period, no change in zero from the same rifle while testing different loads.
It was tough to know which load to work with as they were all pretty good, interesting too the difference, or lack there-of, in POI between them without changing the zero.
Never have been sure what to think of these pictures...all shot over a 2 day period, no change in zero from the same rifle while testing different loads.
It was tough to know which load to work with as they were all pretty good, interesting too the difference, or lack there-of, in POI between them without changing the zero.
Buzz it would be interesting to shoot these loads at 300 yards to see #1 group size and #2 the drop of each. Did you by chance have a chrono handy?
Dan
Never have been sure what to think of these pictures...all shot over a 2 day period, no change in zero from the same rifle while testing different loads.
It was tough to know which load to work with as they were all pretty good, interesting too the difference, or lack there-of, in POI between them without changing the zero.
I do the same. Once I find the 3 closest shots of the string I load 5 of each and do a chrono/group test and make a decision on what I see. It takes a lot of time, and a lot of guys don't understand the process but it really is using science behind it because you want to time the bullet exiting the barrel at a certain dwell time as the barrel is moving from harmonics.I have moved to "velocity ladder 10 bullet" approach. I make one bullet each of powder increments of 0.3gr (0.5gr for magnums) from max book load down 10 increments. I then start on the light end and shoot each over a chrono while watching for pressure signs as I go up. I then look at the resulting velocity plot to find one or two promising "flat spots" - suggesting loads which are somewhat load insensitive ("velocity nodes"). At these nodes I go by 0.1gr increments 2 loads above, 2 loads below and midpoint - I make 3x of each of these (15 bullets) and shoot over chrono looking for both low ES/sd velocity numbers and also low MOA on paper at 100y. If a node looks iffy, I drop it. If a node looks promising I pick the best load(s) and make 5x to confirm over velocity and paper.
When I first tried I wasn't sure if I trusted my loading process and did the velocity ladder 3x at each load, but after a few time through I was very comfortable that there was little noise in my loading process and that I could comfortably rely on the single bullet approach.
This process lets me get from no info to really solid round in 25-50 shots depending on whether I test one or two nodes and if either or both are worth confirming with 5x. If using for target rifle I would then play with seating depth to ekke out final improvements.