HUNT4ME
One thing that really worked for me and it was an accidental change instigated by cayugad (he did not know it)... I moved my charge up from 100 grains of T7-2f to 110 grains - the group tightend very nicely. This was 300 grain GD's in a MMP HPH-24 from my A&H. I think the Gold dots like a little hotter charge... Randy Wakeman has indicated that GD's from a Savage with a hot smokeless charge do not hold their group. But if you find that right charge for your gun......
Sabots - the shorter sabots were somewhat originally intended for 240/250/260 grain bullets - they are shorter bullets... Their upper limits were suppose to be 300 grains...
I am able to load & shoot the 24, which is a long petal sabot, really comfortably from this new Omega I have and because of that I have not tried the "crush rib" in the Omega yet.
I started experimenting with the Gold Dot, both the 300 grain (for elk)because of the high BC and the 250 grain for deer,right after hunting season last year and from everything I can tell I am really sold on thislead bonded bullet.
Why,IMO,such a drastic change?And also ,would I see much change in using short base harvesters(black)and the MMP(black)long base.
As we hear so often each gun has it's own personality, well I believe that of bullets also. Look at the base of a Gold Dot versus the base of an XTP -
Speer will tell you the little concaved dish makes a lot of difference in it's down range accuracy.
I know that this really does not answer all of your questions, but shooting an ML is such varible process...
Good luck in the future...