I don't think you are at the sorting ammo level just yet.
Your 100% right. I'm nowhere near sorting ammo yet. I bought some Eley Target, Club, Team and Match as a shortcut to sorting ammo by weight, thickness, etc. I know at some point if I want 1/4" groups every time I'll have to go beyond just buying better ammo and sort through it, but that time has yet to come.
I'd figure out how to get the rifle consistent, good or bad, first.
Your right and consistency is the goal. I consider shrinking the group size, when using CCI SV, from 1" to 3" to 1/4" to 1 1/2" a win. I think further bolt modifications might be needed to decrease group size and make it more consistent, however, that kind of bolt work is beyond my ability.
If you have a swing of 1.25" using the same ammo
I attribute the 1.25" swing in large part to my technique, but also to the rifle itself. With my Savage B-22, completely stock using CCI SV, I consistently shoot 1/2" to 1" groups, with the 1/2" difference being my technique. With better ammo, such as Eley Target the rifle produces 1/4" to 1/2" groups.
That being said, IMHO, a swing of 1" or 2" or 3" wouldn't affect my ability to measure how the modifications have affected the accuracy of the gun.
I compare 30 to 40 different groups at different modification stages to see what effect they have had. For example, I take the high and the low with a free floated barrel, a free floated barrel with a stiffened forend, and a free floated barrel with stiffened forend and the first two inches of the barrel rubber bedded, and compare them to each other. If from free floated to free floated and stiffened the high and the low are both reduced by an inch I can conclude that I have made it more accurate and consistent regardless of the swing/my poor technique.
But, while this has been informative and valuable in its own right, this is all besides the point as my OP was about wheather or not changing the torque value made a difference to group size.