3vs.5vs.10 shot groups

[kylec]

I'm about to start my first serious load testing in various calibers. In the past couple of months I've come across the subjects of what groups really test.

If you were only wanting to find what load is best for a specific gun, would you shoot 3, 5, or 10 shot groups and why? Thanks.

 

[jwrowland77]

Me personally, I do initial workup with 3 shot groups. Once I've narrowed it down to the the best two or three of those, I go to 5 shot groups with the two or three I picked.

 

[Muddydogs]

I usually do 3 shots at the starting powder weight and once I get around the weight I think I want I then load 5 shots then drop back to 3 when I get over the weight I want. Example if I'm looking for a top velocity load and the book calls for 45 to 50 grains I would load 3 at 47, 48 and 48.5 then 5 at 49, 49.5 and 50. If I am loading this load on a progressive I would load 3 at 50.2 and 50.5 just to make sure I had some powder variation room. Once I have a close powder charge I would go back and load 5 in .2 grain increments around this powder charge so if 49.5 gave the best groups I would load from 49 to 50 in .2 grain increments. Of course if along the way I started to get high pressure signs then I would adjust accordingly.

 

[dagger dog]

My 2C,
3 shot groups are to sight in a new rifle with scope or iron sights and get it "on the paper",
5 shot groups to test a load, if that load groups , then 10-20 shots will tell you if you rifle can shoot that load.

 

[Centurian22]

3 shots to start 5 shots to fine tune.

 

[Claude Clay]

5 for a bolt gun,

7 loaded, 5 shot for an auto loader
reason being the 1st round is not auto loaded ( i shoot it to the edge of the target)
and the 7th supports that the 5 above are feed the same.

between each test group of loads i pull the bore snake ( tip sprayed with rem oil)
3 times so that the bbl is ~equal for each test

 

[jmr40]

I'm a hunter, not a target shooter. A series of 3 shot groups tell me what I need to know. 15 shots is 15 shots regardless if they are fired in volleys of 3 or 5. In fact a series of 1 shot groups is even better. Anyone can get lucky, or be unlucky with any single group whether it be 3, 5, or 10. And yea, I've got a drawer full of targets I've saved showing off the groups I'm proud of. Just like most of us.

I'll never shoot more than 1-3 times at any given time at game so that is how I practice. If the gun/load consistently put 3 shots into the same spot over several range trips in varying weather and light conditions that is what I look for.

I've never done it, but one suggestion I've read is to place a target at 100 yards, fire the first shot of the day at that target. Take it down after just one shot. Put it back up and repeat for each range trip for a year if you want to know how accurate your hunting rifle really is.

 

[JimKirk]

My buddy teases me about me shooting my deer rifle ... one shot per day for five different days ... I tell him that is the only way I can see if my gun shoots the way it would in a hunting type use ...

But ... I do the three shot groups to find a load ... then I switch to five shot to really test it more...

 

[Jesse Heywood]

Rifle - 3, then 5.
Handgun - 5, then 10, then 50. I like to take home a target without the black.

 

[45_auto]

15 shots is 15 shots regardless if they are fired in volleys of 3 or 5.

Would you be more impressed by a 3 shot group that measured .500" at 100 yards, or a 15 shot group that measured .500" at 100 yards?

Less shots in a group = more chances that it was pure luck.

 

[Centurian22]

JimKirk:

one shot per day for five different days ... I tell him that is the only way I can see if my gun shoots the way it would in a hunting type use

This is awesome! Once I can shoot on my own property I will have to try this. Thanks for the info.

 

[JimKirk]

Centurian... I was told of this(purely for deer hunting) by an older reloading friend way way back years ago ... he said that he could less what his deer rifle grouped like ... as long as it always put his first shot where he wanted it ! Yes it helps to have my range right out the back door...

 

[Grumulkin]

Getting an aggregate of 5 or 10 shots with one shot done on each day is an excellent idea but isn't always necessary. Some rifles don't walk with repeated shooting. The take home message is to know your particular gun.

I do initial load workup with 3 shot groups but know that 5 shot groups are a lot more statistically significant so use 5 shot groups for final evaluation of a load.

The above 3 shot group is the best I've ever shot; 0.042 inches center to center done with a 30/06 that usually couldn't be depended on for better than 1.5 to 2 inch groups.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I personally hone in on a load with around 5 to 10 shots per group. Once I am close though, I switch over to 50 or 100.



I just wanted to see that it was a stable reliable load for general use. Normally 50 though.