ramshot hunter load

[9miller]

Hey guys, I worked up a new load for my .243 to possibly go deer hunting with this season for my first hunt. 100gr. Nosler Partition under 41.5gr of ramshot hunter, with a COL of 2.67. I shot multiple 2 shot groups with all about the same grouping. My question is, what would you consider my MOA to be? Do you measure from the middle of the shot or from the furthermost edges? Thanks for any feedback.

[9miller]

Picture

[Brian Pfleuger]

Group size is defined as the distance between the outer edges of the farthest apart shots, minus one caliber size.

The final number is center to center of those two holes but that's hard to measure.

You can also measure the outside edge of one hole to the inside edge of another, same number.

2 shot "groups" are not, however, groups. They are statistically completely and totally irrelevant.

[9miller]

Shot at 100 yards by the way.

[9miller]

Cool, thanks brian, much appreciated.

[iamdb]

My question is, what would you consider my MOA to be? Do you measure from the middle of the shot or from the furthermost edges?

1" per hundred yards, middle of hole.

[Brian Pfleuger]

If you used the same type of target and point of aim, you can overlay each target on the first and punch holes in the first page where the bullets hit the second page. This will give you an aggregate group size that is real and relevant, the more shots the better.

[reynolds357]

A two shot group can mean something, but unfortunately those do not. From what I see, the load definitely has potential. You can never complain if loads from a hunting rifle are touching. If you have a few awful "2 shot groups," then you know the load is not accurate. 2 shot groups can not confirm accuracy unless you have multiple two shot groups and over lay them. I load develop with three shot groups. The three shot group can eliminate a lot of bad loads, but it can no more confirm an accurate load than a two shot group. I am confident in a load when it will put 15 to 20 in the group size I want. Having said that, it might take me 4 or 5 range sessions to compile that 20 shot group. What I really look for is a load that will do the same thing on a clean and a fouled bore. Its rare to find a rifle and load that will do it, but when I do find them, its a keeper. I like being able to hunt with a clean bore. Only have a couple of rifles that will allow me to do that, but its wonderful to take a protected bore out when I will be hunting in bad elements.

[Mike / Tx]

I agree with reynolds357 in that you CAN have a two shot group that means something, but you have to have put several 5 or more shot groups down range with the load before you can actually know what it is meaning.

This is a two shot group from the daughters 25-06 I shot a year or so back. The bottom shot was a fouling round right after I cleaned the barrel, the top two were simply to verify the zero, the target was at 250yds.


Here is the write up if your interested,
Fun day with the grandson....

With that particular rifle, I know the load, I now how it should shoot, and if it has opened up something is amiss. For the most part that particular rifle has been one of the most accurate factory rifles I have had to pleasure of owning over the last 20 or more years.

As for working up the loads I usually work with 3 to 5 shot groups at 100yds going form the starting load data up through to the top end if I make it that far. I shoot at the little 3/4" colored stickers used to mark prices and such or the 1" blaze orange target pasters. Then when I find something that looks promising, I will take those and start working a bit tighter on the seating depth or working the powder charge up or down just a touch and see if I have any improvements. Sometimes it might take me half a year or more to finalize a load, but it doesn't keep me from shooting or hunting with it if it is grouping decent.

Here is an example where I used the 2 shots to find a load. I went into this work up knowing the barrel heated up and would spread the groups, I just hadn't had time to relieve the stock at that point.


In the bottom left and center are the final groups and the bottom right is simply there for fouling shots after cleaning. I fired one fouler after each cleaning.

I rechecked the load after I relieved the wood the barrel was rubbing on. I was in a hurry to get done with it before deer season and looking for something promising. I had just put the barreled action in the stock the day before I did this workup.

So in essence yes you can use smaller shot groups once you know things are going to work. However it usually takes shooting multiple shot groups over a period of time, temps and conditions, to verify that it will hold together. It might shoot wonderfully at 65 degrees and open up wide at 85-90 or vice verse. Only time and trigger pulling will tell.