what's up with this ladder test!?

[groundhogassassin]

I did a ladder test today with my savage axis 308 with 165gr SST bullets and varget for powder. I started at 32.6gr and worked up to 43.9gr with 44 being the max that hornady reccommends. I worked up by 0.3gr and this happened.. I dont quite understand how to read this so if anybody could help please do! I shot at 100 yards off of a bag of feed. i had a rock solid rest and aimed at the bottom square in the picture for every shot. the first shot was the top hole on the right on the top square with 32.6gr of varget, and as you can see as it got hotter they started coming down to the point where i was aiming. I'm not sure how to figure out what the nodes are and what charge i should go with. and yes I realize i skipped from 32.9 to 40.1. (Honestly didnt catch this until i started writing this post.... but i figured it could still help me read this they way it is)

1: 32.6
2: 32.9
3: 40.1
4: 40.4
5: 40.7
6: 41.0
7: 41.3
8: 41.6
9: 41.9
10: 42.1
11: 42.4
12: 42.7
13: 43.0
14: 43.3
15: 43.6
16: 43.9

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[22DASHER]

43-43.3 grains looks like it should work. I would load a few more up/down from there and shoot it again at 300 or so...

 

[Sniper338]

I would test more between 42 and 43...


no reason to test the 32. Something and such thats way too low...

 

[338 Mollett]

Or even 500 yds.

 

[groundhogassassin]

Alright. Thank you. I was quite confused about these results because of what i have read and seen about ladder tests. What surprised me the most was the hotter the charge the closer to my aim point it shot. I don't have anywhere to shoot 500 yards nor do I feel I would be able to see the target well enough with a 16x scope to aim at the same spot everytime. Maybe I'm wrong and shot try it, but I don't know. But i will test at 200 and 300 and see how it shoots. I need to have this ready and at least 50 rounds loaded up by the time I leave for my bear hunt in may.

 

[nastynatesfish]

The hotter the load the flatter it's going to shoot and the closer to poa it hits. If you didn't get pressure and are comfy with it run up to 45 in .02 increments. My 308s always seem to shoot better hot

 

[ballison]

Or even 500 yds.

+1

For a ladder test, the longer the better (IMHO). I've tried similar at 100 yards, and can't get enough vertical difference to separate the shots. Maybe it's me, but I try and shoot them at the longest range possible.

 

[Screamineagle]

12 and 13 are on the same vertical plane. I'd poke around there if I was you
Steve