Pick One!
 

Finished breaking in my new Christiansen Traverse in 300 RUM and tried some loads. I am very low on M215 Primers so just one load will have to do for now. Which one would you pick?
1. The one that has 3 separate shots in a nice triangle 175g LRX
2. The one that says shots on it? 200g LRX
3. The one showing 3 shots just below bullseye with 90 upper left. 180 TTSX
All loads are using retumbo at medium powder loads. I am leaning toward the 200 but the velocity is a bit lower at 86 gr of powder. The other 2 used 90 grains. All used standard 3.600 OAL. I'll tweak once I have more M215's at a reasonable price
I am looking for an all around load for all NA big species that is accurate out 500. Thanks for any feedback

The difference in the group sizes in this sample won't matter while hunting.

Pick the bullet you like the best and go kill stuff.

-Jake

Thanks Jake. It won't matter much at a couple hundred yards, you're right. Maybe I should ask, is it better to work with heavier or lighter bullets for long range and does anyone have a preference for LRX vs TTSX? Barnes seems to be most accurate, I've tried premium bullets from Swift, Nosler Hornady with no luck. I am beginner at long range and want to learn more about tweaking a load and properly using my scope. Any help to shoot decent out to 500 would help.

heavier bullets more
, for me have always worked better at long range, less wind drift, BUT a lot of things have to come into play at long range, than just bullet weights
bullets BC matters
as for better reloading advice, well, like many things the smaller details matter when trying to get smaller groups,
so weighing empty brass (and each bullet, be surprised the difference you will find if you do this)
and sorting it by weights can help, l measuring overall length on every case , you can also experimenter with different overall lengths of loaded ammo,(stay in the spec's per caliber) till you find the best for your rifle,
and then , like all ammo, is testing it at ALL ranges, as some times what is the most accurate at 100 yards isn't at 500 and such!
and again, keeping notes,
,togging how many times your reusing brass, and just measuring each and every load
best advice for learning to shoot at long range is lots of practice, and keep notes on things as you go, from wind speeds weather conditions, ammo, brass, primers and so on, notes help a lot IMO!
and
just , like anything else you want to be good at, , experience matters and the only way to get it is by putting the time in!
you cannot BUY IT!

There’s nothing distinctive about these 3 groups which describes them as statistically different. Shot again, these groups might represent any of the 3 loads, with no reason to think any of them are actually different than the other.

Assign 1 & 2 to one load, 3 & 4 to the second, and 5 & 6 to the third load, roll a die, let it pick which one you shoot. It’ll be just as meaningful as choosing among these 3 targets.

Thanks mrbb! Great feedback, I have a lot to learn

Nomercy. thanks for the reply. I am not sure I understand what you mean by groups 1&2 etc and roll a die? Appreciate further explanation

There’s nothing statistically different about those groups, so leaving a decision to random chance is just as viable as any analysis of these groups. Roll a die (as in shooting craps), letting fate decide which load you shoot. Assigning the NUMBERS 1 & 2 to one load, 3 & 4 to another load, and the numbers 5 & 6 to the third load, like choosing heads or tails, but for 3 options instead of 2. If you roll a 3, you choose the 2nd load...

Sweet I'd listen to Nomercy. He taught me the "ways of the force" if you will. Loading up some bullets with different charges, powders, bullets doesn't tell you much except that you shot a good group(s) during an outing. That's what I used to do too. The science is finding a load that shoots the best under all conditions - meaning one that is the most stable. It took me 6 months of shooting almost every weekend and loading different rounds during the week of different combinations to find out what my rifle likes and what is consistent by running them through a chronograph and shooting paper.
Sit down at the computer and do some research on load development and you'll be amazed at what you'll learn. Yes, any load you have will work for just about any hunting situation. But to get the best consistency at all ranges there is a lot more to it. For me its fun.

I understand the lack of available components, beleive me I been living it the last 2 years, I can't tell much by 3 shot groups but any you posted will serve you till and if we can readily available supplies. when I started reloading primers were 1 cents each and powder was 6 bucks a pound, miss the old days!

Agreed much work to do and many things to learn, it will be fun. Just need more time with 7 calibers to refine a load, could take years :) Thanks for the feedback all

Developing a 500 yard load for 300PRC can be relatively short and sweet - if every round fired has a purpose.

Seeing those groups with relatively different bullets all shooting under an inch, the task is really just a matter of finding a forgiving load - finding a node - and loading there. I know 3 methods to work, if appropriately employed, and none of them take much time, ammo, or energy to complete:

1) Audette Ladder at at least 300, preferably as far as 600yards. Load one to three shots each of 8-15 different charge weights in relatively small increments (.2-.4grn each step, depending upon cartridge and powder dispenser/scale), fire all of them at the same point of aim at 600 yards, keeping track of which load represents which bullet hole (magic markers of various colors can be used to distinguish one load from another, leaving colored witness marks at the edges of their holes in paper). Some adjacent loads will bunch up vertically, while others will gap apart - these adjacent loads which hit near the same water line are in your node. This can be done as single shots per charge weight or as 3 shot groups per charge weight.

2) Newberry OCW fired at 300-600 yards. Same principle, reliant upon vertical POI shift between charge weights to reveal the node, but fired as groups at multiple targets strung side by side. Many folks shoot this as a round robin, one round of each charge weight, repeating 3x at their respective target. Similar to the Audette test, we’ll see some adjacent groups riding the same waterline relative to eachother, and some adjacent groups spreading up or down considerably compared to its neighbors. The error possible here is to complete the test only at 100yrds (many online sites promote this test at 100yrds) rather than 300+, because mechanical errors will overwhelm the vertical dispersion of the group at 100yrds. Same deal - the adjacent groups which ride the same waterline define the node.

3) The easiest of all, which I have confirmed to align with the other 2 POI dependent tests, is the Satterlee Velocity curve. This can be 1 shot each charge weight, or more. I personally shoot 3 shots per weight. This can be done with or without a target, honestly, but I do like to combine my Satterlee test with one of the other two tests. Shooting all charge weights across a chronograph, you’ll see flat spots in the curve, meaning increasing or decreasing charge weight in the flattened areas will yield little to no influence on velocity, and such little to no influence on long range point of impact... effectively, we know those bullets will impact at range on a common waterline.

With these tests, a guy can be done with primary load development within 8-45 rounds, and may not need any secondary load refinement at all (for example, I’ve not done jump/seating depth testing for most of my loads for the last 3-4 years). I spend far more time and ammo in barrel break in and basically as much in fouling than I do in load development.