testing order: bullet weight / powder charge / COL

[bellwilliam]

how do you find a most accurate load for a particular rifle ? what's the order you test ? is ladder test only for powder charges ?

right now, my test is to find the best bullet weight, then powder charge, then COL...

for example, say 308 (don't really matter).

try 150g, 168g, 175g. shoot say 38g of Varget for all. say it likes 168g best.
then I go for powder charge. say it likes 40g of Varget.
then I go for COL, say it likes 2.805"

is this the right order for finding the best combo ?

thanks.

[Divernhunter]

For what purpose?
If for a hunting load the bullet is most important with as much speed as possible. The bullet must be correct for the game hunted and the situations while hunting. I run loads with the same bullet and COL over my chrono for speed while checking for accuracy. Once I find the most speed with accuracy then I may adjust COL to try and improve accuracy.

If for target shooting then accuracy is the only real thing that matters.

[Carcassonne]

First of all determine what you want to do with your load. See what other are using in a similar rifle for a similar need.

You will most likely be using a loading book's COAL, so that part isn't really relevant. This is especially true if you are using a magazine and/or loading for multiple guns.

Once you have decided on a bullet, do the powder ladder/step test.



.

[rm1911]

There are literally 1000's of combinations and permutations and such of bullets, powder, primer, etc. You'd spend your entire life and probably still never get the "most" accurate for the rifle. And by the time you did, you'd have shot out the barrel making all the work for nothing

As mentioned earlier, what is the need? Remember, there's a level of accuracy that's far more than sufficient and where improvements are marginal at best. Unless you're trying to put 5 shots in one hole, odds are there'll be lots of loads already worked out by people and most will be really good with minor tweaking needed. If you obsess over tiny differences in accuracy you'll drive yourself crazy.

[bellwilliam]

It is for accuracy.

[JMP]

right now, my test is to find the best bullet weight, then powder charge, then COL...

try 150g, 168g, 175g. shoot say 38g of Varget for all. say it likes 168g best.
then I go for powder charge. say it likes 40g of Varget.
then I go for COL, say it likes 2.805"

is this the right order for finding the best combo ?

No, different bullets, especially those that vary in weight will require different charges (sometimes even different propellant). If you are shooting 150-175gr in .308, then Varget or IMR 4064 are the way to go in my opinion. So, for each bullet, you have a different starting load. So, work up each weight independently, then choose what you want.

Also, the book's recommended COAL is never correct to optimize accuracy unless by coincidence your barrel likes your seating depth. You should start seating the bullet all the way to the lands and first, then tune your load by increasing your seating depth until you get the best results.

It is for accuracy.

You definitely want a single stage press for accuracy. As long as you are shooting a standard cartridge, get the Redding Competition or type-S dies. Neck bushings .333-.337" will cover you for 308 brass thickness unless you are using Winchester brass, which is thinner. Apart from having a press that is straight, the dies are the most important tools for accuracy as they shape the cartridge. Also, if you are starting out on .308, I'd recommend buying the Lapua Palma brass, which is a high quality case and uses a small primer. These will give you the best brass life and are very uniform.