Newberry Optimal Charge weight system

[crimsondave]

This is a question about the optimal charge weight system of reloading. First let me explain my objective.

I have decided to try this system out on my beloved 700 30-06. I have a great load I use for hunting that has worked for years, but I have never really tried to get all I can out of this gun. I just wanna see what it will do when I take out all the stops.

I have neck sized for this rifle in the past, but not recently. I never really tried to get the tightest groups possible out of it, so I really don't know how much difference it made. Recently, I've been FL sizing all my brass due to being given tons of used brass for free. I have the RCBS case prep machine, so I always uniform the primer pocket. I also always uniform the flash hole. I always trim my brass to the same legnth. However, I have never ever sorted my brass by brand. I should point out, though, the brass I've used in the past has been pretty much all Remington and Federal. The brass I have now has Remington, Federal, Winchester, Military (I likely will not use this for my 700), WW Super (Is this winchester too?), and even some Sears brass.

I have always been able to shoot around 1 MOA with this rifle even FL sizing without sorting my brass. I now am going to do this to see what kind of difference it will make.

Now for my question. In the optimal charge weight system, the seating depth is worked out after the optimal charge weight is found. Would I test different brass brands in the same way (after finding OCW) or should I work up an OCW with all my different brass brands?

I'm really interested to see how this will stack up against my tried and true load I've used for 20+ years. I was shooting this load before I was a teenager.

Thanks in advance.

[A_Gamehog]

Do you use this rifle only for hunting deer?

If so buy a box of Nosler brass (50) and use this 35$ brass only for your accuracy loads and call it good.

In your search for accuracy consistent brass matters. No "mixed" brass will do. Mixed brass has different volumes

and pressures, that affects your bottom line accuracy and POI.

The OCW system is now my favorite way to work loads.

1 MOA in a 30-06 is plenty darn good for deer, that said everybody here

that reloads is trying/wants less than 1 MOA as a goal.

[gearheadpyro]

I would at a minimum sort the brass prior to loading it for accuracy if I didn't buy a box of top quality brass instead, as A_Gamehog mentioned.

The biggest factor in accuracy is consistency, variations in anything can change everything. This includes brass volume, thickness, hardness, etc...

I tried to use the OCW system to find good loads, but it must be done at ranges longer than I have available (100 yards) for best results. Instead I use this load development process