Has anyone compared group size from various powder measurers with varying weight measuring precision?

[Cassidy]

I'm a 100 yd BR shooter that generally shoots in the 1s and am thinking of getting a Cambridge V4 Autotrickler/FX-300 powder measurer/dispenser which I think can very precisely measure powder loads with the intent to help reduce group size. However, I don't know if there's a point beyond which increased powder measuring precision no longer helps translate to smaller groups in a tuned BR rifle. Has anyone compared group size from rounds loaded with various BR tricklers/scales with a range of weight measuring precision to see how precise powder measuring equipment needs to be before it's precision is lost in the overall error/noise process of BR shooting?

 

[BoydAllen]

First of all, I know a lot of benchrest competitiors and none of them shoot their bag guns "generally in the 1s". Getting to your question, I like to point out that my friend, Gary Ocock owns a number of world records, 6 or 7, counting IBS and NBRSA. All of his shooting is done with loads thrown directly into cases from his powder measure. Do you own a set of wind flags?

 

[piie]

Why do you think the weight difference would matter depending on what dispensing device the powder originated from? Surely what you are asking instead is “ how much over or under my target weight can I go before it consistently shows on a target”. When you answered that question you can just go look at many sources where the different scales and dispensers have been tested for accuracy and variances and then pick one according to your budget, use case or preference.

 

[ronemus]

At 1000+ yards powder precision comes into play, but a few tenths of a grain variation (typical of thrown charges) will make no difference at 100 except in extreme cases of ill-tuned loads.

 

[precision1]

First of all, I know a lot of benchrest competitiors and none of them shoot their bag guns "generally in the 1s". Getting to your question, I like to point out that my friend, Gary Ocock owns a number of world records, 6 or 7, counting IBS and NBRSA. All of his shooting is done with loads thrown directly into cases from his powder measure. Do you own a set of wind flags?

I thought you said there wasn't a hollier than though crowd with Sr benchrest who liked to help people? Just yanking your chain.
We get what your saying

 

[Doom]

A tenth of a grain is worth about 5 or 6 fps in most cartridges in the 30-50 grain range. as already noted that is trivial in SRBR. Lost in the noise. If it is showing up then it likely the wrong powder load or you simply are not in a "node".

 

[Cassidy]

Thanks Doom! My recent testing showed 5 fps increases with .06 to .07 grain increases with 2-shot group sizes in the .05 to .1 range in that node using test load increments of .2 to .3 grains. These data made me wonder if improving scale precision lower than +/- 0.1 grains might confer smaller groups in this sport of thousandths of an inch.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

These data made me wonder if improving scale precision lower than +/- 0.1 grains might confer smaller groups in this sport of thousandths of an inch.

One would hope this would be one more way to achieve those groups.

 

[Greg@wfcustom]

Cassidy,
A lot of the little, tweaky, OCD things we do as BR shooters is done to make us feel better between our ears when we touch the trigger.
Personally I weigh all my charges both LR & SR to the individual kernel because it makes me feel better, and I have the time to do it. That said, I have never been able to prove to myself that it makes a difference. I also don't have a controlled environment to test it in. When I test a new lot of powder, I use 2/10th gr increments and usually find the node fairly quickly.
To Boyd's point and to quote the noted BR shooter Bob Dylan,
"The answer my friend is blowing in the wind".
1/10th of a grain won't mean squat if you miss that tail change on one of your flags.
Good luck with your journey,
JMHO/YMMV
G