I'll put forth the argument that it is worthwhile to pursue potential improvements to our ammo even though we can't actually prove them when the bullet strikes the paper.
I do a lot of testing and I know for a fact that much of what we do can't be proven on paper, or at least it can't be proven to a high degree of certainty without getting to the end of the barrel life first. Shooting a good 3-shot group isn't proof of anything.
Most of guys I shoot with do pretty much what I do when it comes to making "the good stuff". We use Lapua brass, for example. We avoid mixing powder lots and we weigh our powder on a precise scale. Many of us weight sort our bullets and cases and some measure case volume. We uniform our primer pockets and deburr flash holes. We chamfer our necks both inside and outside, and so-on and so-forth. You get the idea.
I suspect a reasonable amount of testing will show the difference between one charge of Varget and another charge one grain heavier. We determine that all the time during testing and most of us believe we can tell the difference with some reliability using 5 shot groups perhaps confirmed later on with a more extensive test before we call that particular recipe our "go to competition load".
But I defy anyone to show me improved match scores based on uniforming Lapua primer pockets vs just ignoring that step. When I say "show", I mean presenting statistically significant data. Can anyone show me higher match scores caused strictly because they measure the water capacity of each cartridge vs simply sorting them by weight, or not sorting them at all?
I think demonstrating REAL improvements in match scores "on the target", which is where it really counts, because of taking (or not taking) one tiny step is essentially impossible for anyone who is involved in this sport as a hobby. Nevertheless, most of us take these steps anyway.
Why? Well because most of what we do in the reloading process involves taking care all along the process to make the best possible ammo with the belief that even though an improvement attributable to a particular step is impossible to prove by itself, we believe that all the tiny steps add up to make a difference. And most of us believe that taking care with these tiny steps is worthwhile enough to give us an edge over the guy shooting next to us. We do it because we want to win.
Said another way, giving my wife 12 red roses for her birthday may or may not produce better results than giving her a 12 pack of beer, but I believe it to be true. The little things do add up over time, or at least I think they do. The 12 back of beer may yield good results, but I'm gonna' bet that the roses will produce better results even though I may not be able to prove it.
