Shoot your groups at 100 or 200 yards for load development?

[giannid]

Do you guys generally prefer to shoot your load development groups at 100 or 200 yards. I've been hand loading for a few years and have always done my load work at 200 yards. I always thought it was better to see what the load at 200 yards as 100 yards seems like a little close. From what I'm reading, seems like I've been doing wrong. I alway thought 100 yards was too close. Thoughts?

 

[rijndael]

I always do mine at 100; my local range is 100Y (indoors).

What have you read to make you think 200 is wrong?

 

[giannid]

Seems like when everyone talks about load development, it's mostly at 100 yards. I'm thinking 100 yards might actually show what the load is doing rather how good I shoot. Just a thought though.

 

[rebs]

wish I had a 100yd indoor range close by. its only 21 degrees today here

I load develop at 100 yds since I read Eric Cortinas thread on here

 

[giannid]

wish I had a 100yd indoor range close by. its only 21 degrees today here

I load develop at 100 yds since I read Eric Cortinas thread on here

You have a link to that thread? Maybe I need to read it.

 

[Field_2_Fork]

You have a link to that thread? Maybe I need to red it.

Here you go. Ought to keep you occupied until the new year!

Long range load development at 100 yards.

I found this target, and I think it's a perfect example of how some people might choose the wrong load because they fell in love with a group without reading the groups properly. This target was shot with my 6.5x47 Lapua and 139 gr. Lapua Scenars with VV N550 powder. At plain sight, 38.5 gr...

forum.accurateshooter.com

 

[Mikemci]

100 yds. here.

 

[INTJ]

I do my load development at 200 yds, and then when I can I retune at 600 or 1000 prior to the match. If I had the option, I would do initial development at 200 or 300, then final tuning at 600 or 1000.

If I am in a rush with a hunting rifle, 100 yds is fine for a rifle that won't be shot past 600 yds. I think a key with short range tuning is to use a chrono and make sure the ES is 20ish fps or better.

 

[Bill Norris]

I only have 100 yds. but I seem to do O K with it.

 

[rardoin]

300 for me 90% of the time and, if conditions are reasonable, 965yds.

 

[RegionRat]

The magic isn’t 100 yards versus 200 yards. Both of these distances are fine for typical center fire designs where the MV is usually so high that these are like saying point blank where wind and atmosphere can’t confuse the results.

We wouldn’t want to go down the road too far and get to exactly what we mean. This is to say, for some testing we want enough distance to detect group performance without using microscopes to evaluate targets, yet not so much distance that environment and wind effects begin to dominate the results.

So the majority of the blame can be put on the recipe as long as we don’t shoot so far that we should have called wind, with all other things being equal. For most center fire designs that can be something like 100 to 200 yards without saying one is right or the other is wrong. However, somewhere out past 200 and for many designs well below 300, you can say environment will start to show on all but the calmest days.

ETA: There really is no such thing as a distance where you as the shooter will get away with poor technique when evaluating load performance, unless the only thing you are measuring that day is the velocity using your Magnetospeed. Even your 100 yard groups are affected by you. Your comments can be more true if discussing wind calls, but the best wind coach in the world can‘t help you if your trigger puller is sloppy.

 

[Howland]

100 certainly minimizes any windage impact. I placed targets at 2, 3 & 400 yards because I didn't know whether my 30 MOA rail and my limited elevation travel would even allow a 100 yard zero. I ended up zeroing at 200 yds.

 

[jelenko]

The magic isn’t 100 yards versus 200 yards. Both of these distances are fine for typical center fire designs where the MV is usually so high that these are like saying point blank where wind and atmosphere can’t confuse the results.

We wouldn’t want to go down the road too far and get to exactly what we mean. This is to say, for some testing we want enough distance to detect group performance without using microscopes to evaluate targets, yet not so much distance that environment and wind effects begin to dominate the results.

So the majority of the blame can be put on the recipe as long as we don’t shoot so far that we should have called wind, with all other things being equal. For most center fire designs that can be something like 100 to 200 yards without saying one is right or the other is wrong. However, somewhere out past 200 and for many designs well below 300, you can say environment will start to show on all but the calmest days.

ETA: There really is no such thing as a distance where you as the shooter will get away with poor technique when evaluating load performance, unless the only thing you are measuring that day is the velocity using your Magnetospeed. Even your 100 yard groups are affected by you. Your comments can be more true if discussing wind calls, but the best wind coach in the world can‘t help you if your trigger puller is sloppy.

This.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

The range I'm a member of has limited 200-300 yard time, so I work up loads at 100, confirm at 300 with all my hunting rifles.

 

[K22]

I use 100 yards since I want to minimize the affects of shooter error, wind, and mirage although I try to perform most of my load development on overcast and windless days. I'm fortunate in that I don't need to do much of that anymore since I've been shooting the same loads in the same calibers for a number of years.

I don't think there is a right or wrong way regarding the distance at which you do your load development as long as you find a load that is going to meet your requirements.

I do believe however that it is essential to perform the final sight in / load verification at the distances and in the position /condition you will use the rifle whether that be competition or hunting.

 

[Evan]

300 for me 90% of the time and, if conditions are reasonable, 965yds.

Agree. 300 is about as far as I can consistently and reliably resolve bullet holes. Once I got my Shotmarker, I stopped having to worry about that as much and now work at greater distances more often.

 

[JEFFPPC]

100 yds with flags. Only thing shooting without flags will tell you is if the stars aligned and you have a hummer.

 

[BCBRAD]

I test for groups at 100 yards for POA/POI to get a good base line.

The load will have a low ES and be on an OBT as well as an OCW, if all these are achieved then I'll move to 330 yards to see if the load holds up. If it does , then I'm done and practice out to the range limit of 1400 yards.

At barrel cleaning time , depending on barrel, between 100 and 200 rounds. At this time check for erosion on the throat , from there rejig the load (as charge weight and COL will change to keep the OBT) to accommodate the new dimensions.

 

[johara1]

I like a 100 takes less wind flags and for years now the conditions have been so erratic it is hard to get it done at 100...... jim

 

[DumpHollow]

100 yds with flags. Only thing shooting without flags will tell you is if the stars aligned and you have a hummer.

Exactly. On-Target provides good statistical data to evaluate your groups. Collect a credible statistical sample of any load. Multiple 5-shot groups taken on different days. Three-shot groups are ok for initial development development. The wind and mirage variable needs to be minimized, hence 100 yards.