HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

Do you try a lot of different powders or try a lot of different bullet brands, weights etc. I would usually pick a bullet and try different powders/charges.

How big an impact does different primers have on your loads?

How does different brass impact your loads?

What exactly is your process, if you have one.

How many rounds do you load for each combination?

Do you clean after each group? Or just each different powder?

RE: HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

Myself I work with 3 powders and one bullet at a time. Like right now I am working with Scirocco II 180gr bullet with IMR 4350 -H414 and Varget. I have already used the same 3 powders with Scirocco II 165gr bullets and Nosler Partition 180gr. When I get a few groups that all seem to shoot a pretty good 3 shot group I will try to tweak them by going + or - 1/10thgr increments with the powder and maybe try different primers or seating depths to see if any of my best groups close up even more. If I don't get a load I am sastisfied with then I will try a different powder or different brand of bullet and repeat the process. I shoot 3 shots groups and let cool between each 3 shot group. I take the maximum load and drop back 3gr for my starting load and load in .5gr increments (and I keep checking for pressure signs as I go)so I am only dealing with about 6-7 different loads per each powder per each bullet typeor about 20-21 cartridgesper each powder per bullet type. I clean after I am finished but I am only shooting 20-21 shots not counting 2 fouling shots. If you would be shooting 30 or more shots you may need to clean somewhereduring the process.

RE: HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

I bought a new gun/caliber so I am trying to see what perfoms best in my rifle. I am trying three different brands and weights of bullets and two different powders. I load in .02gr incriments. I try to use all the same brand brass. I also like to seat the bullet at different OAL to see how they perform. I use match primers for all my loadings. I like to load 9 rounds each combo so I can have a warm up group and shoot two groups. I let the gun cool inbetween each 3 round group and clean inbetween each 9 round test.

RE: HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

Audette/ladder method- becasue I don't want to burn through $50 worth of components to find a good load.

Primers- I universally use Federal 210s or WLR primers and IMR 4064, 4895, 4350, and Varget pretty much cover the spectrum for the rifle cartridges I reload, with the exception of RL-22 which is well known as a nearly ideal powder for 6.5x55 and it hasn't let me down either.

If you start with well established 'accuracy loads' for staple cartridges like .223, .308, and 30-06, its hard to go wrong.

RE: HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

I'll go along with Briman on this one, I used to start at the low end of the published data and work up to the max load in 1/2 gr increments, then the load that shot the best would go at 1/10'th gr increments in both directions. Now I start with an accuracy load from Nosler or Sierra and go 1/4 gr increments in both directions till the sweet spot is found. The thing about accuracy loads is that it is not always what produced the best accuracy but the most consistant pressures.

RE: HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

If anyone is interested in an intellegent discussion regarding this topic I'd like to offer my opinion on it. But I'm not if all I get is an argument. I'm a firm believer in barrel harmonics and how they affect accuracy, and how to manipulate a load to take the best advantage of the physics involved....in any good/decent/real good and decentquality barrel.

The audette ladder system has been mentioned...it's along those lines.

RE: HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

Absolutely, talk about it! I'm always looking for a faster,cheaper, better,or easier way to do something when it comes to reloading. [8D]

RE: HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

Be it known first and foremost I've little to no interest in bench shooting, or bench rest guns...but I can't imagine this notapplying there as well considering the bare minimum of qualifying mechanics of the given benchrestsystem.

I've found that the system I use can make a quality hunting rifle darn near perform like a bench rifle, or at a minimum like a fine well builtcustom rifle. IOW, I can take a hunting bullet and get pretty close to bench accuracy with it...and that interests me much. All that with very minimal load work up time and money.

I useDan Newberry's OCW method....

RE: HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

Most of my shooting is either prone,sitting, or standing (High power rifle is my game). I don't like to shoot from the bench myself as I see it as a waste of ammo unless I'm testing loads.


Looks like a very sound method.

RE: HOW DO YOU FIND BEST ACCURACY WHEN WORKING UP LOADS?
 

Even tho each rifle has its own characteristics and preferences in ammo the method I find most cost effective and quick. Make the call to the Sierra tech guys....ask them what powder consistently performs best in their tests. They test more guns, bullets and powder than anyone I have worked with and they will tell you that there is a combination of components that nearly always shoots well in a given chambering. I start there....in 37 years of handloading it has never failed me for a starting point.