Reloading for Accuracy

[Cyberlink]

How many reloaders out there try to find the charge that works best in there rifle? I wonder because of things that happened to me at the range.

I have found that every gun, bullet, and powder combination has a sweet spot. A point where the grouping changes and the rounds work perfect.

For example, when I am working a load like this, I will create rounds that start at the lowest load and work up in .5 grain increments. Take the smallest grouping then work that charge +/- .5 grains in .1 grain increments. I have found that when I hit this sweet spot load it goes from 1" groups to putting the bullets in the same hole.

I was out at the range recently and was asked by the range officer about my round. I explained that I was looking for the load that worked best in this gun. In all honesty the reaction I got from him was kind of a "yah right" When I hit the sweet spot load and the pattern dropped to putting them in the same hole (@100 yrds) you could hear the surprise in his voice.

Is it common knowledge that you can work a load this way or am I completely crazy?

Let me note here that these are good bullets and not the cheep stuff. The cheep bulk grade bullets tend to go from a 1.5" pattern at 100 yards to a sub 1" pattern. The Match grade bullets tend to go from a 1" to putting them into the same hole.

 

[Leadpot]

I believe you have to , to find that right combination for the rifle . I always did it that way. I went so far as keeping all primers, brass , and powder the same . The bullets were weighted and seperated also within 3 tenths of each other and shot up. That worked for me. Once i found that one sweet spot , i never changed any component. Always stick to what works for you and your rifle. If you change anything , you might just wind up starting all over again. IMO.

 

[codygjohnson]

I though that was all common knowledge!?!? Of course, I thought everyone could change a tire too... You're spot on.

 

[Charley]

You would think it is common knowledge, but it is not. Some don't shoot well enough, or in a way they can tell what is most accurate, some don't have firearms capable of letting them know. Soime are happy with blasting ammo...in some of my guns, so am I. Some of my guns, though, do get the works to find the most accurate load. It all depends on what you are looking for.

 

[robocop10mm]

Apparently the Range Officer does not load his own or he would have known this. Never assume the "Guy in charge" has a clue.

 

[Texas1911]

I tell people all the time about reloading and it's potential.

Shooting is alot more complex than people understand, and something as simple as 0.1 grains of powder can make big changes.

 

[oldguy]

After finding that sweet spot try some Laupa brass and see it get even sweeter.

 

[TexMex247]

I have been shootin' guns for over twenty years now. In the past, I would never reload because I thought I would blow myself up and I was content with factory ammo(performance not price!). Now a days, I appreciate the "arts" of reloading and gunsmithing. You will never truly know the potential of any gun without reloading some bullets for it. In bolt actions, fire-formed brass is awesome. In semi-autos, the wide range of bullet types and weights available to the reloader are almost infinite. In my career as a mechanic, I have always found a number of people who have been doing it longer than I have. They love to tell me how they have been doing something "this way" for X number of years. As I became more experienced, I found that they had been doing it WRONG for X number of years. The same is true of shooting and reloading. Many people who were not willing to learn more became frozen in time in their beliefs and practices. My post on reloading (http://www.texasguntalk.com/forums/reloading/11514-reloadin-done-right.html) was one of my first attempts at reloading for my .280. Now I am proud to say, I reload for everything I own(except 22s)and love to explore the potential(safely) of every caliber I shoot. Now, I am smart enough to know, every bullet/charge shoots a little different even in very similar guns. I guess if you are a volume shooter, you stick with what works at the cheapest cost but I feel the whole point of reloading is to see what a gun can really do.

 

[TheDan]

I don't reload but I have several guns and use lots of different brands of ammo. It's pretty obvious when you find a brand of ammo that your gun "likes". It seems to me that it'd be obvious to anyone who shoots a lot that differant loadings respond differantly in certain guns.

 

[Posit]

How many reloaders out there try to find the charge that works best in there rifle? I wonder because of things that happened to me at the range.

I have found that every gun, bullet, and powder combination has a sweet spot. A point where the grouping changes and the rounds work perfect.

Certainly common knowledge among hand loaders... most load for accuracy, rather than economy, IMHO.

Exception is not every bullet, or every powder, will shoot well in a given rifle. Simply selecting an appropriate powder and bullet, then loading in .5g increments will frequently not provide the best accuracy... change in bullet or powder is commonly necessary. Improvement will also frequently result from different primers and varying the distance from bullet ogive to the rifle lands.

 

[AusTex]

Here are the few things that really helped me out and they are less to do with powder load and more to do with case prep.
Primer pocket uniform tool
Flash hole clean
proper case length
shoulder size (lee collet die seems to keep things very straight)
good dies
Good clean loaded brass ... I know its mental but I shoot better with a case of shinny bullets next to me..

I have been lucky and seem to keep pretty consistent case neck walls ... however I am going to buy a neck turner soon.


I can tell you that if I would not have got into hand loading and the amount of information out there to learn... I would have lost interest in some of my firearms a long time ago..

I like to shoot.. I like to blast.. I will say though that I have completely lost interest in even pulling the trigger unless I am trying to increase my skill at accuracy, consistency, muscle memory, or things of this nature.

I took a bud of mine to my step moms property and he brought a 7.62 pistol which he proceeded to do about 5 - 30 round mag dumps at basically nothing... He didn't have a muzzle break of any kind and that damn thing felt like someone took the paddles to my chest every squeeze of the trigger. Now I understand to each his own .. but again unless I am fine tuning a skill I would rather not waste the ammo.. Also after sitting in your reloading room prepping brass, weighing out each and every load, and the detail that goes into making that perfect round... I almost don't want to pull the trigger sometimes