ES & SD #'s & accuracy question **UPDATED 7-20-10**

[BigBamBoo]

No input??

 

[Jumpalot]

I don't shoot competition so I really don't have much input on that. I've been working on a load for my 338 Edge for hunting and I've been chasing low ES and SD all summer. I'm having trouble from a "fast" lot of H1000.
Anyhow, I'm beginning to think that maybe low ES and SD aren't as important as finding the node in your barrel. I've found one load that has an ES of 16fps, not great but not bad, but it still shows some diagonol vertical. I'm going to try to find the node on my barrel and then shoot some loads at 1000 yds. ignoring ES and SD and then compare to what I already have.

 

[Rust]

BamBoo - Pretty tight shooting for your first outing.

Analyzing someone elses target, well, other than saying horizontal can be caused by a wind component, or that vertical can be caused by velocity variations. Or even canting the rifle. I keep a precision level attached to the rail to eliminate cant.

But shooting to just over 1/2 moa at 1,000 your first time out isn't anything to sneeze at. If you're like I was, it'll take you the next four matches to shoot that tight again. ;D

Jumpalot - Typically I see a diagonal spread a little below the barrel null point. At least in the Sendero of varmint round barrel contours. Sometimes it will show up twice climbing the velocity scale towards barrel nulls.