Accurate shooting pistol/reloads?

[farmerboy]

I have heard it back and forth but am wandering when reloading for pistols do you just find a recipe and load then shoot and try to shoot your best or do you believe you can play with your powder and make your cartridge more or less accurate with pistols like you do with rifles or it doesn't tighten up groups that much? (load development).

[PawPaw]

I'm always piddling with loads, looking for something that works better, although over the years I've found one or two good recipes that seem to satisfy in every handgun I've used them in. There comes a point where technique plays a bigger part in accuracy than ammo. Yes, it's good to have nice consistent accurate ammo, but it is also good to have great technique.

[CS86]

How can you take the accuracy factor from the shooters steadiness? Like with a rifle you set your gun up in a sled or bipod and sand bags, which helps take some of the shooters technique imperfections out of the accuracy when testing loads.

For pistols I thought I would use a laser and figure out which loads were more accurate then work on my technique knowing that my ammo is accurate. Problem is... I haven't made it out to the range early or late enough so I could see my laser.

[bossman]

I like the low end loads. I start at the min. and load up till I get the accuracy I want and stop there. Less wear and tear on me and the gun. I don't claim to be a sharp shooter just a shooter.

[Roland Thunder]

I find that,at least with 45 .acp that I seem to shoot more accurately with ammo loaded closer to the upper end of the min/max range. Don't know if this is coincidence or not.

[Brian Pfleuger]

I've loaded my Glock 33 (357sig) using several powders and load levels from less than starting to "not recommended". I see no difference in accuracy. Glock, mind you, not noted for extreme accuracy anyway. Plus, I'm kind of lousy with a handgun, no doubt, but more or less average from what I've seen. Maybe it's me and not the loads? Except....

Alas, I also load for my uncles 10mm Fusion 1911, a gun that is remarkably accurate. I shoot it much, MUCH better than my Glock. Still, little or no noticeable accuracy difference between loads from start to max.

[Sure Shot Mc Gee]

Best to get a current Reloaders Handbook and read it before tweaking or playing as you say with a recipe. Know what you are doing before doing it.

[Misssissippi Dave]

It depends on the bullet and powder along with caliber. Loading Metal Jacketed bullets tends to lower the need for good technique on crimping compared to lead bullets. Some powders work better at mid range and some might work better at the upper end. Some also prefer the bullet to be close to the powder to be accurate. It helps to know the powder you are working with and what works best with it.

When you are not certain about the powder you plan to use or are using a different bullet then you already have worked up, you need to work up the loads to find the answers. I also will work up some different loads again using different depths for the bullets. In the end I generally will find the combination that works best for me. Shooting from a rest or sandbags at 15 to 25 yards I do see better patterns with the rounds I load a lot of compared to factory range ammo. It might not be as easy to see when you shoot a rifle off of a rest with a good high powered scope. The difference is still there. Now if I could only shoot that well without any support I'd be really happy. Generally speaking, it isn't the ammo I load or the pistol I shoot that is making me look like a poor shooter.

[serf 'rett]

I can clearly see the difference between a CCI primer and Wolf primer when using the same brass headstamp, powder and bullet. It’s called testing and it involves shooting off a solid rest, using good trigger control and investing the time and money to develop loads. Age and experience helps; for example, I know that I need to shoot 5 or 10 or 15 rounds of a known load just to “settle in” before I start testing new loads.

Once I have run through a “ladder” of different power charges, the targets and pistol functions are evaluated. I’m looking for precision; i.e., the tightest group. There will be retesting to confirm the initial results. When I find the best precision (tightest group) for that particular load, then I know what the pistol can “do” with that load. When I get off the bench/bags/rest, stand at the line and deliver, then I find out what the shooter can “do.”

Until you do testing, how will you know if it’s the ammo, the pistol or the shooter?

To return to your opening question – yes I develop pistol loads and find that precision will vary with changes in the components. And will vary between pistols, too. If you shoot competition, you’ll want to find the right combinations for the best groups.