So what to do if only short range ladder is available

[jlow]

I am in somewhat of a quagmire. I shoot at two different clubs. The first only has a 100 yard range. The good thing about this club is I am a member and have good access since few people are there during the week and so I am free to do things like having a chrono and even putting a video camera close to the target to track which round went where.

The second club has 100, 200, and 600 yard ranges. I am not a member here and only shoot as a guest. There is reasonable access at the shorter range but I certainly cannot video my hits and so tracking rounds are more difficult as is using the chrono. The access to the 600 is limited to only once a week and only for 20 min per session and no possibility for chrono and taping.

I understand that it is best to shoot a ladder at ranges greater than 200 yards but thus far I have been doing mine at 100 yards for the reasons listed above. Seems to work but have not done it enough to know for sure if I am missing something. What are other people’s experience under similar conditions?

 

[spclark]

Make the best of what you have.

I too test at 100 yards, limited to Friday afternoons unless I want to contend with the horde when the range is open to the public on weekends. My membership at a range permitting anytime access out to 1,200 yards is most impacted by its location some 2-1/2 hours' drive, one-way. I have guest access sporadically at another 300 yd facility 1-1/2 hour distant but that seldom figures in my plans.

If you're careful with set-up and taking notes/videos/chrono data, info gathered at 100 yards is worthwhile.

 

[jlow]

Agreed with making the best of what I have. Not complaining as it appears to work for me but not having been able to do it at the longer distances, was just wondering what other people’s experience have been that might have done it both ways?

 

[crewchef]

Might consider using OCW instead of or in addition to the ladder method. When I can only shoot 100 OCW is the way I go. Hardest part is to remember it's not about the group size you shot for any particular load. You're looking for a similar POI for 3 or 4 loads, same as ladder. Here's a link;
http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com/#/ocw-instructions/4529817134

 

[nhm16]

Might consider using OCW instead of or in addition to the ladder method. When I can only shoot 100 OCW is the way I go. Hardest part is to remember it's not about the group size you shot for any particular load. You're looking for a similar POI for 3 or 4 loads, same as ladder. Here's a link;
http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com/#/ocw-instructions/4529817134

I shoot F-Class and use the 100yd OCW to do initial load development (for everything, not just F-class), and it has worked out pretty well. Once I do have the optimal charge, I do test seating depth at 300yds by shooting for groups. At 1000yds in match conditions, my loads hold 1/2 moa vertical or better, which is about as good as I can expect, and I'm confident that every point I drop is me or the wind and not the load.

 

[Terry]

Shoot the 600 yard ladder. Video & Crony not needed for this test.

You are looking for bullet hits on the paper for different loads in hope of finding several hits from similar loads at one area vertically.

Color the tips of the various loads with Sharpes, write the corresponding load on the case with the same color as the tip.
Keep the color on the tip only. Color on the bearing surface can cause errors. Differing colors per charge.

When finished shooting write the load data near the hole with the corresponding color. Hopefully you will find a range of charges that strike the paper at the same location.

Best Wishes!

Terry

 

[jlow]

Thanks for all the replies, sorry for the slow response but I was out of town and on the road yesterday.

Crewchef – I do use OCW on top of the ladder but was only wondering about the ladder part of the equation.

Nhm16 – thanks for the input, this is what I was looking for.

Terry – I know of the trick to color the tips but with the limited color option and the limited schedule and number of rounds I can shoot at the 600 yards range, I feel very limited in terms of what I can test.

 

[deadlyswift]

jlow,

Both the OCW and Ladder test work. I recently broke in a new barrel for FTR. The barrel jumped tune at about 150 to 160 rounds. I got lazy and just didn't want to do the leg work to shoot a ladder at 400yd. Done the OCW at 100yds and got things back on track just as quick if not quicker than with a ladder test. How ever I was just re-tuning things so it didn't take much. Shot 10 rounds at 400yds this past weekend and it looks as if the OCW is going to work out for me. We will see once I get it back to the 1000yd line. Or it appears that the OCW is just another way of testing other than shooting a ladder. Witch is why I say the OCW works. Want know for sure until I get back to 1000yds again but things did look really good at 400yd.

 

[jo191145]

I shoot all my ladders at 200yds. Its what I have to work with.
On occasion if I decide I want to shoot a ladder at 100yds I'll switch tactics.
I print off free web targets with 20 dots on them and fire each shot at a different dot.
Mark off each dot as a numerical aim point and point of impact numerically marked on a seperate target on the bench.
Sort of a hybrid between Audette and OCW.
Feel free to skip entire rows of dots if the shots are beginning to merge and get confusing.

This keeps clutter to a minimum and the smaller deviations between nodes can be easily seen.
I call it "reading the book"
First ladder I shot at 100yds with a 308W using just one aim point netted me very little information.
One big hole in the paper ;D

 

[jlow]

Thanks for the input. The dot drill type ladder sounds interesting and I might give it a go. I know what you mean by the one big hole in the paper, I learned to use targets made up of good quality paper as these have less of a tendency to tear and keep the shape of the holes.