How often do you tweak your load?

[370bc]

While I was doing optimal charge weight test, and I found a very good load. I then put a higher power scope on it than what I use for hunting, and it shot a quarter minute angle at 200 yards.
Since then, I've shot for groups and the grouping hasn't been near as good as before on a consistent basis. I did a second optimal charge weight test, and found that a higher powder load produced a much better group at this point in time.
How often do you guys tweek your pet loads? The scope I used was a Leopold 20 power with a target Crossair. My hunting scope is up 4.5-14 x 30 mm VX 3 Leopold with a Boone and Crockett crosshair system.

 

[savagedasher]

While I was doing optimal charge weight test, and I found a very good load. I then put a higher power scope on it than what I use for hunting, and it shot a quarter minute angle at 200 yards.
Since then, I've shot for groups and the grouping hasn't been near as good as before on a consistent basis. I did a second optimal charge weight test, and found that a higher powder load produced a much better group at this point in time.
How often do you guys tweek your pet loads? The scope I used was a Leopold 20 power with a target Crossair. My hunting scope is up 4.5-14 x 30 mm VX 3 Leopold with a Boone and Crockett crosshair system.

 

[savagedasher]

I don't any more . With a tuner it's nessary .
Larry

 

[Danattherock]

I assume your also factoring in variance in neck tension associated with the brass being work hardened. After 4-6 firings I've noticed this, on paper, but also with how some bullets seat too easy, some feel normal. Starting to anneal as we speak to alleviate this.

Dan

 

[LHSmith]

It's called tuning, and in short range BR in an average match lasting from 10:00am - 2:00pm I'll have to "tweak" loads at least once and on bad days every match (5x) in order to adjust to the conditions (atmospheric changes). I let the target be my guide.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Yep. If the temp changes or humidity changes the load is off. Time to tweak. On those spring days goin from 40-80deg i may change my load every group to stay on it.

 

[dmoran]

370bc -

Consider chasing the rifling (throat erosion) a bit, may bring it back and be all it needs.
Just a "rule of thumb" here: 1-thousandths for every 100 rounds fired.
Donovan

 

[noload]

There are many things that can change group size. Changing the scope may have affected the tune of the gun. I believe the whole gun has a harmonic tune that will affect the group size. If I have to tweak my load, normally 2 tenths of powder is all I have to change, if I'm in the middle of my node, that may not even be needed.

 

[skiutah02]

I shoot F-Class, which may be a slightly different in terms of load development from some other types of competition shooting in that we load everything in advance and don't tweak/reload during a match. As far as tweaking a proven load, I don't unless it has obviously gone bad.

What I do carry out regularly I would call "validation". That is, making sure that the load continues to behave as I expect, and typically velocity and grouping are the easiest ways to keep track. Along with that, I have always found it useful to meticulously record everything (including atmospheric conditions) during load development. That way, you can always go back and determine whether something changed (usually velocity) if the precision falls off. If you know all the specifics of the load when it is shooting really well, it's usually simple to figure out what has changed and needs to be changed back to get it shooting well again. If you don't know what's different, then you'll be pretty much forced to use a trial and error approach to fix it, or even start again from scratch. If you know that the velocity has crept up by 20-30 fps as an example, a minor adjustment in charge weight will usually get you back to the sweet spot.

This is also true when you change components like powder/primers/brass/etc, or know in advance that you need to shoot on a day that will be much hotter/cooler than when the load was optimized. Identifying any significant changes when a previously proven load performs poorly makes re-adjustment that much easier.

This is good advice

 

[skiutah02]

370bc -

Consider chasing the rifling (throat erosion) a bit, may bring it back and be all it needs.
Just a "rule of thumb" here: 1-thousandths for every 100 rounds fired.
Donovan

+1

 

[savagedasher]

It's so much easier to turn the tuning ring left or right . Then changing the load . Larry

 

[370bc]

It's so much easier to turn the tuning ring left or right . Then changing the load . Larry

Great replies. They Really are an eye openers. I would love to have an indicator measuring to force being applied to the die when resizing to segregate cases for neck tension. I have started to anneal, which helps a lot. As I developed my OCW, it seems 90% of the time the node is on the high end of the tests. Maybe I need to dissect it down to further increments to truly be in the center of the node. I would love to test/zero my gun just before I coyote hunt in the first daylight. Blasting away at 3 or 4 am would not go over to well in my rural community.
I have a BOSS/Muzzle break/tuner on my BAR in 270 win. It just seems easier to fine the node with powder variations than adjusting the BOSS. I might be wrong tho.

 

[BenPerfected]

It's so much easier to turn the tuning ring left or right . Then changing the load . Larry

+1

 

[dkhunt14]

Great replies. They Really are an eye openers. I would love to have an indicator measuring to force being applied to the die when resizing to segregate cases for neck tension. I have started to anneal, which helps a lot. As I developed my OCW, it seems 90% of the time the node is on the high end of the tests. Maybe I need to dissect it down to further increments to truly be in the center of the node. I would love to test/zero my gun just before I coyote hunt in the first daylight. Blasting away at 3 or 4 am would not go over to well in my rural community.
I have a BOSS/Muzzle break/tuner on my BAR in 270 win. It just seems easier to fine the node with powder variations than adjusting the BOSS. I might be wrong tho.

It's not the force being applied to sizing as much as the force applied to bullet seating. Almost impossible to feel on a reloading press but you can feel it with an arbor press and Wilson seating dies. They also have Indicators that go on arbor presses that measure the force of seating. K&M and 21st Century are two that have it available. Yes annealing does help.

I agree with loads at the upper end are usually the more accurate ones. One reason is because if pressure is up, powder burns cleaner. Most of my guns shoot at their best at the upper powder loads. As mentioned maybe your seating depth needs changed because of throat erosion. I have had some match cartridges that I had to move the bullet out after 40 shots. Matt