Finding the right load?

[30Cal]

Forget it. No sense typing what others aren't reading.

[Timberwolf]

30Cal I'd be interested in finding out at what range these targets are?

[rksimple]

Nor pictures

I trust targets more than pictures of primer flash. Do you even shoot to 1k or beyond? Do you have any relevant data from rounds on target? Nobody ever argued that cleaning flash holes didn't contribute to noticeable consistency. Primer pocket uniforming, flash hole deburring, neck turning, etc. all may contribute to better consistency. But how much more? I think thats what 30cal was talking about.

[30Cal]

30Cal I'd be interested in finding out at what range these targets are?

200yds. I'll have to ask Dan. He ran a DOE with flash hole deburring, and a couple other cutting steps. They ended up down in the noise.

I've had problems where dirty pockets contributed. I don't dispute that. Other case prep steps, IME and from what I've seen done through formal testing, don't contribute and a measurable way (at least at 200yds). Not everything is critical to accuracy.

[rksimple]

Not everything is critical to accuracy.

I shot a precision rifle course with a guy that was just beginning in reloading. He was shooting a 243 with DTACs loaded in new, unprepped Lapua brass with powder charges dropped straight from a chargemaster. It was easy working the pits when this guy was shooting. At 600 yards, he kept shooting the spotter (~3 in.). I didn't have to do a thing after the first spot. It was great! I could live with that kind of accuracy from unprepped brass.

[Timberwolf]

That's not a fair comparison - it was Lapua - wouldn't try it with out of the bag Winny.

I match prep my brass after the first firing which to me means trim, chafer, and debur neck and uniform primer pocket and hole.

I have tested the clean pocket/non clean pocket; deburred hole vs non deburred hole etc etc as basically I'd rather shoot than load so I wanted to see what was helpful and just fluff. After as much I do uniform the primer pocket and hole that first time and clean it everytime I reload thereafter. I've found more consistent ES/SDs this way. I still trim but only the one time. I do not weigh my bullets (unless they're blems) and I don't weigh cases.

[rksimple]

That's not a fair comparison - it was Lapua - wouldn't try it with out of the bag Winny.

I beat him on the qual course using my unsorted/unprepped MILITARY brass. I cleaned each stage at 800, 900 and 1000 yards. Don't ask me how, but I got a low ES with that junk. Maybe I should go back!

[Timberwolf]

Weird how that works sometimes . . . oddly I have shot some of my best groups with the "range fodder" that I use to ring the buff and stir up the people when I'm working. It consists of range pick up Fed brass (just resized no trimming etc) and 168 grn blems left over from a sale at MidwayUSA a couple of years ago loaded with the old accuracy load of 42.8 grns of RE15.