Flawed or not, will this work?

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BigBlack

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Okay I want accuracy plus speed. I know faster does not always equate to better accuracy but I want a blend of both. Here is my game plan on developing some future hand loads. My goal is to achieve the best accuracy/speed combo without wasting a lot of components and since I have started reloading various calibers I am working up a collection of partial powder containers.

Step 1: Load up one cartridge of each weight stepping up in .5 grain increments from min to max. Shoot each cartridge over the chronograph going from lightest charged to heaviest. Watching for pressure signs and monitoring speed. This step is basically to test the upper end of the charge scale and see if it is safe in my rifle and also to see the approximate fps gain for each half grain increment and see if the speed increase flattens at a given point.

Step 2: Once complete with step one load up 3 cartridges each of the top 5 loads from above. Now shoot these for groups at 100 still using my chronograph. If one load shows promise then work around it in smaller increments and more shots per group (maybe 5). If not try a different powder that I have on hand known to work in the cartridge I am loading and repeat from step 1.

Again my goal is to find a good accurate load with upper end velocity. I know sometimes slower is more accurate in certain combinations, but I feel with the right combination I should be able to get both or at least a good balance.

Thinking out loud but thought this would be good food for the brain!
 
I can see two , items I would change.

The 0.5gr powder increase, this would depend on the caliber you are shooting. Some of the smaller case capacity calibers might need a 0.1-0.2 gr increase, 0.5 grs in a 22 Hornet or 218 Bee could be excessive.

The other being 3 round groups, they can't tell you much about accuracy. Five round should be minium, 3 rounds doesn't give you enough information to tell if it was you that caused a flyer, or if it is a load problem. I use 20 rounds as an accuracy tell.

Other than that it looks like you're the man with the plan!
 
There will be more than one sweet spot velocity wise for your barrel. Carefully work up until you find the "fastest" sweet spot while staying within load guidelines.

And Dagger Dog is right. .5 increases is too much as you approach the top end of load data.
 
What you're talking about is more or less what is known as the "ladder method". I don't use it personally, but I know a gob of people who do and have success with it.
 
Okay I want accuracy plus speed
Is this for hunting or target shooting? That would be one difference.
One example I can relate to is my loads with 2190 150gr matchking compared to shooting 2200 168gr matchking. bullets.
The 150's are lighter and much faster than the 2200 168's but are not as accurate. (I did this just last summer at the 300yd range). I think the wind was a biggest factor. This was with my AR10B using Varget 43.1gr(150) and 42 gr(168) I tried keeping the powders as close to book as I could but those damn sticks just didn't cooperate, and I'm sure as hell not going to try cutting them. I was off +/- about 1/10 of a gr.

The other one, which isn't the best comparison because finding another bullet weight in the .311 7.62x39, (CZ527 carbine). I did compare the the powder load. V N130 and H322, and AA 1680. Again this past summer at 300 yds, the N130, 26.3gr pretty much out did the other two powders. I was using the same tie down/lead sled combination for all my groups. Wind was also a factor.
 
No paticular load in mind when I posted, my mind was idle and processing ideas. I put the ideas up to get input is all.

I am working on my hunting load in 243 though. But development for this year is over. I know what I have and what I can expect from it. After hunting season I will begin fiddling with my load again.
 
Will point out that if you shoot 2 shot groups on load developement if the 2 shots are not close together , why bother with a 3rd? If during completion of work up then 3's or 5's would be worthwhile. Save the barrel, and components.
 
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