load testing range?

T

tpende

Guest
so if im trying to find what powder charge, seat depth, bullet type combination my rifle likes best, and i intend to use it from 400-600yds at what range should i be testing my loads? 100 to keep the wind and other factors from effecting the grouping so much? or at the actual range i intend to shoot them at? sorry im a newbie
 
shoot at 300

At 100 yds you cant tell alot at 200 and 300yds you start to see how the load does. Your speed fps is important needs to be consistant . If not you will get alot of vertical in your groups . If your shooting long range you need as much speed as you can get try to find a powder and bullet to give you speed and accuracey, I have a 284win that shoots a 1/4 at 100 but still shoots a little over inch at 300 .
 
i see your point. ill test from 300. any recommendations for a powder that will give me that?
 
tpende said:
i see your point. ill test from 300. any recommendations for a powder that will give me that?
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Your powder/bullet selection depends on what caliber you are shooting. Give us a good description of what you are shooting, and someone here will be able to steer you in the right direction. This is the best place on the planet for this kind of info. The more shooters in our sport...the better. (IMO)


I did my inital ladder testing with each bullet/powder combination at 100 yds, just to get a rough idea. Then I shot at 600 for the rest of the time, with some 1000 yard groups to finish off. This is where I tested & compared the best loads from all of the groups. This is also where you can see the results of tinkering with seating depth/neck tention. USE A GOOD CHRONOGRAPH.....ALL OF THE TIME. get used to setting it up the same way/place every time. Where I differ from most of the shooters here is that I LOAD DEVELOPE in great conditions(no wind/mirage), and I PRACTICE in poor conditions (lots of poor conditions). Like I said, this is MY technique, and most here don't agree.

Oh ya....wind flags. I don't need them for load development, but they are great for practicing in conditions, especially at 300+ yards. Again MY opinion.

Hope that helps.
Tod
 
Depends

What cailber are you shooting and what bullet? Smaller cases and lower BC bullets are fine to test at 100 IMHO, but bigger stuff needs some room to stetch its legs. 300 at least.

Rob
 
its a .223 ill be using lapua brass with JLK 52 grain LD bullets and right now im thinking around 25 grains of H335
 
tpende said:
its a .223 ill be using lapua brass with JLK 52 grain LD bullets and right now im thinking around 25 grains of H335
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It's great to have a bullet/ powder combo in mind for a start, but let the gun decide the amount of powder it likes. Don't figure on using this load because your friend does. It might work ....it might not.

As far as for your equipment, I can't help. I have never loaded for a 223 before.

Have fun!!


Tod
 
100yds will be fine

You shold be fine to do load development at 100/200 then. Just be sure to lube the cases well. 223 is about the only case I have ever had trouble sticking in the die.

Rob
 
Just my personal preference...

I think it's important to do testing at all ranges. 100/200/400/600/1000. Go out to whatever distance you expect to shoot, sometimes farther if you only shoot short range.

There's new information about your load and rifle at every distance. Adjust accordingly. Take off any dark glasses and look at all the info.

Most of all, test in competition. Learn from all the other targets along side you. They mean as much as your own.
 
223 52gr bullet.....V133 or V135. Try V133 first. If you don't want to shoot either of these....IMR 4895.

Hovis
 
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