Shot Marker & Load Development @ 100yds

[CarlGeorge]

[Hopefully this is the right place.....since it's focused on load development. Also, apologies in advance to the Grammar Gods if I misuse the accuracy / precision terms. I always look them up...and I always get confused.]

For folks with a ShotMarker, when doing load development at 100yds, do you use the ShotMarker or do you shoot paper? While my club has a 200m range, shooting prone on it is not always doable. So I'm frequently left to load testing at 100yds.

Since the sub-MOA distances are so small at 100yds - is the ShotMarker accurate enough to reliably discern between 1/3 MOA and 1/4 MOA or less at that short distance?

Thanks!

CG

 

[D-4297]

It can be if it is properly "registered" , ( Target centered ) I use paper targets for a couple of reasons when doing load development , simply because I can mark the targets , make notes on them , and use them to study / reference later on .

 

[Poor Shot 65]

Personally - I think shot marker is worthless at 100 yards. Just use paper targets - why complicate things ?

Adam

 

[davidjoe]

I would never use it at 100. A ShotMarker would only be beneficial beyond the distance you can see the holes, to reveal what you could not discern, and even at the 200 yards you mention, if you shoot white/manila colored paper, the holes are readily visible though a scope. In fact, at a public range other people’s shots hitting nearby may be problematic as misreads.

 

[Ned Ludd]

[Hopefully this is the right place.....since it's focused on load development. Also, apologies in advance to the Grammar Gods if I misuse the accuracy / precision terms. I always look them up...and I always get confused.]

For folks with a ShotMarker, when doing load development at 100yds, do you use the ShotMarker or do you shoot paper? While my club has a 200m range, shooting prone on it is not always doable. So I'm frequently left to load testing at 100yds.

Since the sub-MOA distances are so small at 100yds - is the ShotMarker accurate enough to reliably discern between 1/3 MOA and 1/4 MOA or less at that short distance?

Thanks!

CG

The Shotmarker provides a reliable tool for scoring and practice, especially at distances where it becomes difficult to reliably visualize bullet holes and/or groups in paper targets. However, even though you can probably get away with using one to do what you asked, that doesn't necessarily mean it is the best or easiest tool to use for that particular job. If you really want to determine for yourself whether the Shotmarker in your hands is capable of the resolution necessary for meaningful load development, simply set up a sufficiently large target face on it with multiple aiming points, and shoot multiple independent groups. You can then measure the actual groups [holes] directly, then compare the measured group spreads to those generated by the Shotmarker. If you don't already own the unit, perhaps a friend or another shooter at your local range that does would be willing to let you do the test with theirs.

 

[Evan]

I can only zoom in so far on the interface to view groups. Groups under an inch are visually indistinct, so I prefer paper when shooting 200 and in. At 300 and out is where I use mine.

 

[F Class John]

I do nearly 100% of my load development at 100yds using my shotmaker when I'm doing a seating test and tuner test. Here's an example of how I use it. No guessing whatsoever about which group was best when they're all one hole groups. The target below was a tuner test which I labeled with tuner setting above each group. This makes referencing very easy in the future.