How accurate is accurate enough?

[Whiterabbit]

I didn't want to write this in the original post in the interest of brevity, but let me tell you about a load I'm working on:

I'm trying to develop a reduced load for my rifle and medium power load for my handgun. Both will use straight lead bullets, and the use will be for range plinking steels at 100 yards. My accuracy goals on paper for rifle will be 2" groups body-braced, and for the pistol, probably 4" groups on a sandbag rest on a coffee-less morning.

You can imagine that many if not most people on this board, if they develop a load that shot like this, would be cursing at these groups! I'd be glad. For this load. I have others that shoot like laser beams.

So! You can imagine what kind of tolerance I require over my powder charges to create that level of accuracy versus my hunting loads where I expect the utmost accuracy to compensate for field conditions.

Basically, I'm saying we "may" be happy with woodworking artist tolerance, without going down to cabinetmakers tolerance or machine tolerance!

[vmwerks]

Yeah, I understood that, and wasn't clear in my writing, sorry about that!

I needed to open by saying:

"I understand that you are asking about tightening the spread in your powder charges (and OAL), but the first thing I would be asking myself is: "Is that even needed?" There are folks here who say their accuracy on paper at the range depends on accuracy to the .1gr for their load (aka charge sensitive shooting accuracy), and there are people here who like ot brag that they've got their load developed to the point where they can have a relatively huge variance in powder charge and result in no change in accuracy on paper! (aka charge insensitive shooting accuracy).

therefore, before I went chasing potential ghosts with respect to load process, I'd test what I have and see if there is even a need!"

Then insert my post after that.

Thanks for letting me clarify!

No worries - I want to make sure my powder is throwing accurately and whether or not to sweat my OAL issues.

[theduece]

Ok I kinda got lost in the last few posts. However the bottom line is that your powder measure on that machine will drop/meter bullseye very consistently. I mean you want 6.3 grains run 10 through weigh the entire charge you should have 63 grains. That powder will meter very reliably. Now whether you need that or not is an entirely different subject.

A few other things to look at,
the adjustment on the failsafe rod(if memory serves me Dillon said when the spring is fully compressed there should be business card thickness between the wraps)
make sure your powder level is at least a coupe inches from the bottom(more is better
i have also seen/heard/read people polishing the drop bars as well as the internal surfaces of the actual drop assembly. ( I have never done this nor been advised by a professional to do this so...)