Ladder testing

[DLH_]

Is 200 yards enough for a ladder test? I have never done a ladder test, I usually use the OCW style tests. The calibre is 223 Rem. What am I looking for in the ladder results?

 

[riflewoman]

You're looking for a node where small increases in charge impact in the same spot. You should find two, one near maximum. You need to vary the charge by at least 2 tents of a grain.

 

[DLH_]

Ok thanks. I feel like I should learn a different way of testing loads. Could a similar test be done with seating depth? Loading 3 cartridges of the same depth and shoot them in a ladder form.

 

[riflewoman]

Do the ladder test for charge weight first. Then adjust for seating depth. You may have to "tweak" the charge during the seating depth testing. For seating depth you need to test in 5 shot groups. After you set spearing depth, then adjust for primers, neck sizing etc. keep everything else constant and only adjust one variable at a time. For initial ladder testing s eat at 0.020 off the lands.

 

[chkunz]

Is 200 yards enough for a ladder test? I have never done a ladder test, I usually use the OCW style tests. The calibre is 223 Rem. What am I looking for in the ladder results?

All good info but the question was "Is 200 yards enough"?

 

[BMG]

IMHO 300yds is normally the minimum distance.

 

[Toolbreaker]

IMHO 300yds is normally the minimum distance.

I'll second this. Inside of ~250 yards, the groups cluster to the point that you may have problems discerning your charge windows.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

you have to do ladder tests at the distabce you want the gun to shoot at for best results. What you are doing with a ladder is tuning the rifle to compensate at a certain distance.