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Old February 6, 2012, 07:07 PM   #11
serf 'rett
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Join Date: June 25, 2009
Location: Stuttgart, AR
Posts: 1,569
Quote:
1. How do you determine that your rounds are more accurate? Are you comparing published velocity with yours? At what distance do you fire your weapon at? Do you have someone else load your magazines and you just fire at the target, or do you have a rest?
It’s all about the group and here's the skinny on answering your original question – how I go about it:

1. After picking the components and min-max load range, I’ll divide the min-max range into five or six steps and load seven rounds at each step. Each step is color coded – marked on the bottom of the brass case or primer with different colors or patterns. Since I’m shooting a pistol (brass chunker), this allows me to cross reference the load when I inspect the primers during testing and at home.

2. I print peel and stick file labels for each step with important information – brass, bullet, primer, powder charge, COAL, with blank places for date, time and temp, etc.

3. At range, sand bags are set in such a fashion to support either my hands or the pistol grip and trigger guard, while avoiding contact with the barrel (especially for revolver).

4. When I have used regular 8-1/2”x11” copy paper, I’ve had some problems with the really close groups tearing out chunks; therefore, I switched to card stock – 150 pages at $5.77 from Wal-Mart. A 1” diameter target dot in stuck in the center of the 8-1/2x11 card stock target and the target is numbered or labeled. Targets, normally 4 at a time, are set at 50 feet which works well for me as I’m going to make multiple trips to the target stand changing out targets and have no desire to hike the 50 to 100 yards I read about others doing. Sheech, I’m just shooting stock pistols.

5. I generally shoot a little before actually starting testing, more to warm up the shooter than anything else. Note pad is on table and notes are made at each step; stuff like did pistol cycle, amount of recoil, number of rounds I felt I pulled, was the first round a flyer, what did the brass look like, did the brass all drop in a neat little circle or was it thrown into the next county, etc. Write it down.

6. At home the range note are transferred to the targets and the targets are scanned. I use On Target software to analyze each target. The cartridge, testing and On Target information is then put into my spreadsheet, where I can sort by different parameters.

7. The results from this first round of testing generally shows me which direction to go for narrowing down the second round of testing. Generally, I’ll have determined a good load combination within a total of 50 to 80 rounds.

8. I also test factory ammo which I compare to the groups obtained with my reloads. Thus far, my developed and tuned reloads have smoked the factory loads in my 9mm and 40S&W.

My method, but there are folks that just want things to go boom.
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