How good are you?

[wisconsinteacher]

How much do your finished rounds vary? I have never been told how close my measurements need to be while reloading. I am reloading for hunting rifles for the most part.

 

[DrMike]

Are you referring to OAL (overall length)? Or are you referring to velocity? If velocity, I aim to have the smallest standard deviation possible. An SD of less than one percent is acceptable. If you are referring to OAL, I measure the first round to the olgive and leave the die for the remaining rounds. Measuring off the olgive ensures that the rounds are essentially identical in length, relative to the lands.

 

[FOTIS]

which MEASUREMENTS?

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Powder charge
AOL at ogive
Case length

 

[FOTIS]

Powder weight and trimming are nearly 100% for me all the time due to these products.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... ber=772151

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... ber=136199

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?p ... ber=107333

As far as the COAL goes unless I am not using my Hornady Comparator, based on the seating dies and ogive of bullet it can vary a bit.

 

[JD338]

My loads are pretty consistent.
I trim to length and keep tight tolerances on my powder charges. I use a chronograph so I work up my loads for low ES and SD numbers.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Charge weights are always within 0.1 grain. Really, unless I buy more precise scales, that is the best any scale can do. Pop is absolutely correct--quality tools ensure reproducible results. Measuring to the olgive, my OAL is quite consistent round to round.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I set my seating die to the first round and after loading 15 rounds and measuring them I get +/- .005. Is that close enough for a hunting rig?

 

[JD338]

I set my seating die to the first round and after loading 15 rounds and measuring them I get +/- .005. Is that close enough for a hunting rig?

No worries, you are just fine.

JD338

 

[Polaris]

I set my seating die to the first round and after loading 15 rounds and measuring them I get +/- .005. Is that close enough for a hunting rig?

Sounds like you are well within the SD for most hunting bullets. Match bullets will generally tighten that up a bit. Variability in your cases, dies, press setup and degree of powder compression if any will also add to deviation in COL. The biggest thing is to practice consistency in your technique. Use brass, powder, primers and bullets from the same lot. Tighten the locking screws on your dies. Find the same leverage point after you have adjusted your seating die. All these things will improve your odds of acheiving your accuracy goals which brings us to the really important part. What really matters given appropriate ballistics and terminal performance for your quarry is YOUR ability to place a bullet where it counts. Even the best factory ammo will never match the accuracy potential of handloads tailored to your rifle. An additional benefit is that handloaders shoot their rifles alot more. Most game is taken every year with factory ammo. If you are getting 1.5 moa or better from the bench, you are doing good enough for game to 300 yards with a solid rest. It's fun to go for tighter groups, but anything better is strictly academic for big game hunting. I spend less time tweaking and testing loads and more time practicing shooting from prone, sitting, standing and improvised rests once I have found an acceptable load in my rifle. Improves my field shooting and High power scores alot more than crunching numbers and trying to make my SD as small as possible.

 

[Greg Nolan]

Hunting tolerances are where we both operate. I use as much care and measurement as it takes to get my rifles to minute of angle if I can. I base consistency on 400 or 500 yards on a RUM or fast magnum. 200 to 300 yards on most others. Like Polaris mentioned I practice a lot before the season with the rifles I will shoot and some with the others. I discovered that most modern rifles will out-shoot me and run about 5" at 500 yards. One thing I have discovered and proven to my self countless times is that you can't hit what you can't see. I will run 20 or 24 power on my long range shooters when I develop loads. I may leave them on the rifle or replace them with a lesser power scope for hunting. Like we always hear "You don't need all that power to hit a deer at hundreds of yards a 3-9 will do it."! Let me tell you, a 3-9 will not group as well as 24 at 500 yards where I need every bit of accuracy I can get as I develop and prove my load. Once I have developed the most accurate load I can switch back to lesser power scopes for field of view or size. I now know how accurate that load in that rifle is.
I think you are doing just fine :grin:
Greg

 

[Elkman]

wisconsinteacher
Powder charge
AOL at ogive
Case length

I weigh every load when close to max.

Once I get my final load, I set my seating die and leave it alone. For most calibers, I load pretty much the same combination for each rifle all of the time.

Measure every case and trim when necessary, all primer pockets are duburred. I neck size most every time.

When looking for extreme accuracy, I weigh each case, each bullet, each powder charge, neck size only!!.

 

[Guest]

I measure powder charge of each round loaded, measure each bullet off the ogive when seated, with the seated depth exact on each loaded round. Since I am at max. charges listed I really get anal about it all.
The results are worth it.

Don

 

[longwinters]

John Barsness wrote a couple of really good articles for 24hourcampfire on accuracy.....it was a real eye opener for me and very well worth the read. I think they are called "Accuracy 1" and "Accuracy 2".

Long

 

[wisconsinteacher]

Do you have a link to the article? Thanks for the wonderful help.

 

[DrMike]

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/reloading.html

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/factors_in_accuracy_one.html

 

[Guy Miner]

I've got to admit that I really measure my quality control at the 600 yard target line... :grin: For the target rifle and the long range hunting rifle.

For my standard hunting rifles, I measure it at the 300 yard line. If things are under 3" at 300 yards, I'm very, very happy with my hunting loads. They usually are.

Really, I just trust in quality components, assembled with quality tools and a modicum of care. I don't weigh or measure my handloads once complete, I just put 'em in a box and go shoot them. If they don't group well, it's back to the loading bench.

Regards, Guy

 

[SJB358]

I've got to admit that I really measure my quality control at the 600 yard target line... :grin: For the target rifle and the long range hunting rifle.

For my standard hunting rifles, I measure it at the 300 yard line. If things are under 3" at 300 yards, I'm very, very happy with my hunting loads. They usually are.

Really, I just trust in quality components, assembled with quality tools and a modicum of care. I don't weigh or measure my handloads once complete, I just put 'em in a box and go shoot them. If they don't group well, it's back to the loading bench.

Regards, Guy

Same here! Scotty

 

[DrMike]

Really, I just trust in quality components, assembled with quality tools and a modicum of care. I don't weigh or measure my handloads once complete, I just put 'em in a box and go shoot them. If they don't group well, it's back to the loading bench.

A healthy attitude that has to result in a ton of fun, and critters in the bag.