Most Important Thing to Do?

[Fotheringill]

Aside from wind and aim, etc.,

Which aspect of reloading, individually, have you found to have the biggest effect on accuracy?

i.e.
Weighing a charge down to a kernel or two.
Neck tension.
Seating depth.
Other reloading practices.

And I am aware that the best product is a combination of everything.

 

[Had2muchofForums]

Fundamentals of marksmanship will trump everything you mentioned.

 

[Big Mc]

Aside from wind and aim, etc.,

Which aspect of reloading, individually, have you found to have the biggest effect on accuracy?

i.e.
Weighing a charge down to a kernel or two.
Neck tension.
Seating depth.
Other reloading practices.

And I am aware that the best product is a combination of everything.

Go to the range and shoot. Can Not be beat...

 

[Fotheringill]

I know that and stated so in the first part of the post.
I was referring to all of the reloading and prep items.

 

[BoydAllen]

Of the ones that you mentioned, seating depth.

 

[Bob L.]

I know that and stated so in the first part of the post.
I was referring to all of the reloading and prep items.

I got the most improvement from consistent neck tension. I got more consistent by annealing and neck turning. I do weigh powder to the kernel, just because I can. I use Berger 108 gr BT bullets, which are not very sensitive to seating depth. Other bullets may move seating depth up in importance.

As an aside, I found a barrel which just shot lights out, far better than others I've used before or since. I shed a tear when I finally had to retire it.

 

[Ccrider]

Fundamentals of marksmanship will trump everything you mentioned.

Even wind?

 

[JRS]

Even wind?

Even wind.

"Nothing supplants marksmanship"

 

[oldduc]

Aside from wind and aim, etc.,

Which aspect of reloading, individually, have you found to have the biggest effect on accuracy?

i.e.
Weighing a charge down to a kernel or two.
Neck tension.
Seating depth.
Other reloading practices.

And I am aware that the best product is a combination of everything.

I think consistent charge weights have had the most effect for me, but I've had different guns for which the most important aspect of reloading for one did little for others. I think learning what a specific gun likes and then consistently applying the process and components is probably the most important, regardless of what you do.

Also, an aside, fundamentals of marksmanship and practice depend on what type of shooting you are doing. Pretty basic and not really requiring practice for benchrest, for example, (other than wind/mirage reading), but they are life or death for across the course or PRS type shooting.
~Gary

 

[natdscott]

Even wind?

Especially wind. At times, it is a challenge to get an educated--but still green--shooter to leave the knobs ALONE and shoot through what they think they see.

On the other hand, some guys don't seem to see anything, and/or won't DO anything if they do see a change.



But look at it this way:

Wind MAY screw with you badly on SOME days. Seating depth, charges, pin-gauged flash holes, and micrometer-sorted primer anvils MAY screw with you badly on SOME loads.

Wonky marksmanship will screw with you EVERY day, with EVERY weapon, FOREVER, or until you get that gray lumpy stuff sorted.

-Nate

 

[Ccrider]

Ok. Now I get it. If you can’t shoot worth a crap, all the rest don’t matter. Thanks.

 

[Twoboxer]

Taking your question literally, I think it depends on where you were when you improved one of those factors. For me, a consistent powder charge and the right seating depth produced the most significant changes in precision.

Arguably, charge weights accurate to the particle may not be necessary. But they do ensure better-than-Chargemaster consistency.

 

[GRW]

It definitely helps to have
consistent brass prep.

 

[okie]

I got the most improvement from consistent neck tension. I got more consistent by annealing and neck turning. I do weigh powder to the kernel, just because I can. I use Berger 108 gr BT bullets, which are not very sensitive to seating depth. Other bullets may move seating depth up in importance.

As an aside, I found a barrel which just shot lights out, far better than others I've used before or since. I shed a tear when I finally had to retire it.

set it back, set it back, set it back!!

 

[Bob L.]

set it back, set it back, set it back!!

I know, but I didn't do it. I hope I get another chance. That may have been the barrel of a lifetime.

 

[Rsadams]

I think what their saying is , reloading for better ammo HELPS , but if your fundamentals are bad , well it doesn't help that much.
Brass prep , bullet selection and consistent powder charges along with testing and trigger time are my things to add...

 

[Bob3700]

I know, but I didn't do it. I hope I get another chance. That may have been the barrel of a lifetime.

I have found that setting the bbl back works best when the barrel is at half life. Waiting till it starts going down hill is usually too late!

 

[Bc'z]

Form,trigger control,form, trigger control, breathing, form, trigger control, breathing.
Yeah this sounds repetitive but that's what it takes.
Good rifle , good loads, good form, good trigger control, and by all mean breathing.

 

[Murray Brook]

I am not a competive shooter, but strive to get the best accuracy from each rifle I have. I find that seating depth has the largest effect on my groups providing my other components are suitable. In most rifles I've had when I was no longer able to maintain the optimum bullet to lands distance then the accuracy would go south. JMO

 

[Scott Harris]

If you want to focus on reloading, then I would say using the best quality components is the first and most important step.
My choices:
-Lapua brass
-Berger bullets
-Hodgdon Extreme powders
-Wolf & CCI primers