sucesss!! well, sorta

[Rustywreck]

After finally getting my press set up an reloading a few cartridges (47 to be exact) I shot them off and lived to tell about it!!

I had three different powder loads at 100 yards.
The first load had 5 shots in a 1" X 1.5" group.
The second load had 7 shots in a 1.25" X 1.25" group.
The third group was a bit more spread out, but still in 1.25" X 1.25" range.

I don't know how I should be measuring groups. What I did was measure a square that enclosed all the shot in a group. The weather wasn't too bad, about 20 degrees and a little wind from the left - if felt colder than it was.

The next time I'll be able to shoot will be Saturday with a high temperature of -6 degrees.

I'm still going to do some experimenting with a different powder and different case.

So my question of the day is: If a particular cartidge load shoots well at 100 yards, will it be proportionally good at 200 yards, or can it go all to heck?

Thanks again to everyone who helped me get to this point, but don't think you're done yet...

[BILLY D.]

Hey, way to go dude. I'm proud of ya.

1.25" groups are minute of Whitetail. I prefer sight ins at 200 yds, but I'm weird. I don't ever remember Jack O'Connor reporting a half inch hunting load. If they were inchers he went hunting.

What cartridge are you loading for?

The proper way to measure group size is to measure the outside of the two widest shots and then subtract one bullet diameter.

Example: rifle is 308 Win. Three shot group at widest point is 1.50 inches. Group is 1.500 - .308 = 1.192 ".

Your question "how will a load perform at different yardages", and my best ewag, educated wild a$$ guess, I don't know and neither can anyone else answer that. It may and it may not.

Something about MOA. Moa @ 100yds is 1". At 200yds it's 2', at 300 it's 3" and so forth as far as you can shoot.

Remember were open 24 hours a day at the "Church of the Lost Cause" to solve all reloading, shooting and marital problems. In business circles we are also known as The Grace L. Ferguson Storm Door and Airline Company. I gotta quit drinking beer while I'm posting.

Best wishes, Bill

[Mil Dot]

Welcome to reloading!

What I try to do is vary my loads (when in the development stage) by .5 grn ie if I'm loading a 35 grn load for a particular bullet I'll load 10 to 15 rnds at 34.5, then 10-15 rnds at 35, then 10-15 rnds at 35.5. Clean my gun, go to the range and set up 4 targets, 1 for fouling shots & 1 for each test group. I usually fire 2 or 3 foulers before settling in to fire for grouping. Wind is your enemy in load development, way to sporadic, I like calm mornings.
Make sure you take time between shots, hey at -6 your barrel cools rapidly! I work with one bullet and one powder at a time, there are already enough variables to worry about. Check out Rocky's Reloading page for further info.

Then it's just a matter of adjusting your loads in the direction which give you the best groupings, until you reach the optimum results.

As far as temp is concerned, some powders are more temperture tolerant than others.

MOA basically says that if you shoot a 1" group at 100 yrds your grouping should then be 2" at 200, 3" at 300 ...etc., for any particular rifle and load. That's my understanding of it anyway.

Good luck with your quest.

MilDot

[Jack]

Feathermax, I measure groups the way you do- and the way Billy does.
I do a horizontal measurement, edge to edge, of the bullet holes at the widest point. Then the same thing vertical. Then take the larger number and subtract one bullet diameter to get the center to center measurement, as Billy described.
1.25 inch groups out of a rifle are all you need to kill any big game animal at any distance one would prudently shoot.
Does a 100 yard group indicate good performance at 200 and 300, etc? Usually.
If you shoot a 1.25 incher at 100, it's likely going to be a 2.5 incher at 200, although there are exceptions. Some rifles even do better at longer ranges.