bamboozled by smoke & mirrors
Snuffy you're calling OCW smoke and mirrors, but haven't tried it yourself.
I use OCW and it gives good stable (i.e. repeatable in all seasons) results.
But that's anecdotal on my part, so maybe I've been bamboozled.
You have to understand something here. Back when I started reloading, there wasn't anything called an Audette ladder or ocw method of working up loads. Nor was there the internet or computers either. (I began in earnest back in 1972)
We took the components, assembled carefully weighed powder charges in incremental stages, then went, carefully shooting them @ 100 yds. The best group was usually just repeated to determine if it was a stable load or just a fluke.
I have never been a benchrest shooter, mostly just interested in minute of deer hide accuracy. Sure, tiny groups are nice, but usually they cost a lot of money, in finely tuned rifles and expensive components.
If you really want to research the OCW method, take a look at this search on the accurate reloading forum;
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums?a=search&reqWords=dan+newberry&use_forum_scope=on&forum_scope=2511043
Mr. Newberry answers a lot of questions and deals with detractors in those threads.
I'm NOT saying the OCW method does not work. What I'm saying is; I don't care if the load I come up with by my time tested method will work in some other rifle. I
ONLY want it to work in MY rifle.
The OCW method depends on one shot at each powder charge. How can you be sure that you were dead on the bullseye, that you didn't flinch or move off, just as the trigger broke the sear? If you KNOW that you were off the bull, that test just became worthless.
Do you have a good heavy tripod front rest, and a good rear rest? Do you know how to control your breathing? If somebody handed you a rifle that's been proven to shoot consistent ½" groups, could you shoot it to that level of accuracy? If you answer no to any of those, forget OCW, learn how to shoot off a stable bench.
Then there's the trouble of recording each hole to correspond to each powder charge. Either by walking to the target after each shot, plotting each shot on a blank target, or shooting at a bunch of individual targets.