Testing Loads/range

[dion]

Dumb question but have to ask:

At what range do you guys test your loads at and why? 100..200..300.....???

 

[dmickey]

I do all of my load testing at 100 yards. Why? I figure that I can blow my five shot groups enough at that range!! Besides, at the range I belong to we only have ranges that go out to 150 yards.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Depends what you are using your rifle for. But for F-Class I never work up a load at under 300 yards because that is the shortest distance that we shoot in F-Class, but I usually work up a load at 500, that is for my Midrange gun (6.5 x 47 Lapua).

For my Long Range gun (284 Shehane), I work up a my loads at 1000, got to get up early though before the wind picks up.

So, I would work up a load as far as you can, just because it shoots good at 200 it doesn't mean it will shoot good at 1000!

-Erik

 

[Steve Blair]

I do initial load development and chronograph testing at 100 yards and candidate evaluation at 300 yards. I can determine pretty quickly whether a load has long range potential by the chronograph data and 100 yard groups and there is less paper involved. 300 yards testing, also sometimes over the chronograph, tells me whether the bullet is stable and will group at longer ranges.

The range where I usually test has highly variable wind, hence the initial 100 yard groups. As X3MHunter said, get out early if you want to test groups at longer ranges.