How to determine what your rifle "likes"

[RKRNC]

Wow! I had no idea...

It's going to take some time to sort through all of the responses, and ask follow-up questions. Lot's of good information, here.

I'll start with one of the most recent:

Start with everything equal as much as I can (same lot primers, same lot bullets, same brass weight, same OAL, same weight brass sized the same amount of times, bore cleaning on the range if I'm feeling anal that day) and work my way from min charge up. The amount of powder I vary depends on the cartridge - .270, I might jump .8 or one grain till I get close, .223 I may jump up only .2-.5 grains till I get close.

Timthestudent: Are you reloading at the range, or do you work-up the different loads at home, annotate them, and figure-it-out at the range?

 

[Walkalong]

The group has 4 bullet holes cutting each other, shot #5 is the pressure shot, heart rate goes up,

Don't you know it......but that is when it is most enjoyable, when you do it when it counts. Sort of like baseball, and getting that big hit when it counts.

 

[Tim the student]

I reload at home, just keep track in my log about what combo was shot at which target and measure the groups at home. Then I make any changes I want to try, and do it again until I'm satisfied, and test it again to ensure it is repeatable, and I wasn't some magical shooter for those two groups. In a perfect world, I would reload at the range, but the fact of the matter is that I'm too lazy to load all that stuff up as it is now. It might be different when I'm retired and (hopefully) have time and money to spend doing that stuff.

For each one different load combo, I shoot 2 groups of 5 to get a better idea of the recipe.

There are other reloaders here that are far more experienced than I am - I'm sure you will get other responses on how to effectively work up a load.

I choose to do it the way I do it because it seems to be a good way to only test one variable of the cartridge, as opposed to two different variables at once, while maintaining a decent testing system.

 

[RKRNC]

Sort of like baseball, and getting that big hit when it counts.

Or, perhaps the double play...when it counts.

Has anyone considered making these competitions "boxed". When I was in tha Army, we used to "shoot the box" as a demonstration of skill and rifle/scope integrity. The box was 4 small targets around a central target. Does this not satisfy point of aim/ point of impact/scope adjustment skill? I see the point in not wanting to wreck your point of aim, but also using the scope knobs as a demonstration of skill (controling poi).

Perhaps this could become another thread (or may exist already)? I'd read it with a link. Perhaps we could start a new trend in marksmanship competition?

RK

 

[USSR]

RK,

I can see that you are being given alot of conflicting advice. However, the best advice you have received is to use quality components (especially a match bullet), and do load development to establish the particular load that your rifle likes. Once you have a load that puts all your shots in a nice small group, then you can adjust your scope to have your rifle put subsequent groups wherever you want on the target. No need to make it complicated for someone new to reloading.

Don