How many rounds do you load for test loads?

[WM Greening]

I'm wondering how many rounds I should load for loads. Thinking I would do 10 for each load. What do ya'll say?

I usually make two trips to the range to find a load for a rifle. 1st trip, I load 6 of each load plus two fouler shots. That way, I try to find promise in a load. I shoot one group at 100 yards, then another shot of 3 at 200 yards for each load. I then will take the two best loads and load up 12 of each and go back the the range shooting mostly at 200-300 yards. I myself find it hard to keep my concentration for more than 40 shots at a sitting. Espeically for anything kicking harder than say a 450 marlin or 300win mag.

[thndrchiken]

I usually find my max load and reduce 10%, use that as a starting point. Load 5 rds each at 1/2 gr increments, I'll shoot 1 fouler, a five shot group and then clean the bore. I take the most promising load from that and work it in .2 gr increments to either side of the previous best load. So all total I usually have loaded around 60 rds to fine my load then start to fine tune with seating depth starting at SAAMI Spec and work my way out to about 20/30 thousand'ths off the lands while ensuring that it will fit in the magazine. So at that point about 75 all total.

[skb2706]

3 rounds and thats about it. I'll know in three rounds if this is going to work for me. In fact these days I pretty much don't experiement that much any more. I have proven loads for everything i shoot and stick with those. With the current situation with primers and powder availibility I have to be flexible but not wasteful.

[eldeguello]

Originally Posted by bigcountry

I usually make two trips to the range to find a load for a rifle. 1st trip, I load 6 of each load plus two fouler shots. That way, I try to find promise in a load. I shoot one group at 100 yards, then another shot of 3 at 200 yards for each load. I then will take the two best loads and load up 12 of each and go back the the range shooting mostly at 200-300 yards. I myself find it hard to keep my concentration for more than 40 shots at a sitting. Espeically for anything kicking harder than say a 450 marlin or 300win mag.

I do essentially the same thing. Except for my first batch I load five at each charge increment level. My first test group is shot at 100 yards. My current range only goes to two hundred yards.

[Lunkerdog]

I'm fortunate, I can shoot at home, so I just load 3 at a time. I shoot at 100 yds. Once I get good 100 yd. groups, I only have to travel 1 mile down the road to my neighbors house, and I can stretch them out too 200, and 300 yds.