ladder test help.....

[Ring31]

distance 520yards

13 shots
243WSSM
start load

shot #1 = 37.5gr Varget
2=37.8
3=38.1
4=38.4
5=38.7
6=39
7=39.3
8=39.6
9=39.9
10=40.2
11=40.5
12=40.8
13=41.1

looking at this, i would say stay in the #4 ->#8 powder range?
am i right?

 

[lynn]

Most cartridges have a sweetspot and as the cartridges capacity gets larger so does the sweetspot.
Your 6BR and your 6 Dasher have sweetspots about 0.5 grains wide.
The 300 Weatherby 300 Ackley size cases have sweetspots about 2 grains wide and the 50 bmg has a sweetspot about 15-20 grains wide.
When your doing a ladder test it is best to know were your cartridge fits so you can tailor your loads so atleast 2-3 rounds will fall inside the sweetspot.
It looks like the conditions were bad enough that they influenced your results.
I would back the distance down to 300 or 400 yards and re-run the test while keeping the data you already have.
It will help you pick the center without any doubts.
Lynn

 

[itchyTF]

I would also monitor the velocity for shots 4 to 8. Focus on the ones that have a smaller increase.

 

[necchi]

I'd say your right.
But with that round (WSSM) I wouldn't mess around with 4-5-6.
What is the bullet, what's book max for the powder?
If 13 showed no pressure signs I'd be re-investigating that territory also.

 

[Ring31]

I'd say your right.
But with that round (WSSM) I wouldn't mess around with 4-5-6.
What is the bullet, what's book max for the powder?
If 13 showed no pressure signs I'd be re-investigating that territory also.

87gr vmax
only book data i can find for varget is nosler 85/90gr, book says 37.5 best load they found,
max @ 39.5
i found a post saying 40.5 was good on a WSSM forum... i found no pressure sings on any
of the primers in my test.

tests i did the other day had the 40.5 load at 3140fps

 

[bheadboy]

Iwould focus on RL 19 between 41 and 43gr
on varget between 40 and 42.5

bob

 

[necchi]

Ya know, I useta use the Audette Ladder until I found Dan Newberry's OCW.
After reading it several times, then trying it, I'm sold on it's simplicity and more concise results with powder and bullets used for load development.
http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com/

What ever you decide, I'll tell ya the advice I got here while loading for a freinds 223WSSM.
Those WSSM chambers where designed with speed in mind, while accuracy is the most important issue, keeping that "screaming eagle" asspect of the round is the most fun. Loading down for it, is like having a custom Porsche and driving it 20 miles an hour on Sunday only.

Back to that 223, Varget was a good choice for us because he want's to use it as a hunter in our MN seasons, the temp swing issues are a big deal here.
I don't want to advocate any unsafe loading practices, but we found a load slightly over book max with no pressure signs, that is 1/2 moa and clocking 3862 with the bullet we chose. He's got a 4" point blank hold too 390yards with that thing ;D

I started .020 off the lands, found the charge, then went .030 and .010, his gun actually liked the .010 off just a little more but I had to consider magazine and field use so stuck with the .020.

I did find two other real nice accuracy nodes within the book powder charge range but worked it upward real slow and was kinda surprised at what I found.
AFTER we loaded the Varget I found Ramshot has a powder "Hunter" that's recomended for the 223wssm AND temp tolerant, oh well, it'll never end

Good luck, we all know it takes time and $$ to work up a load, but once you find the sweet one it makes it all worth while.