How many times do you try a different powder, primer, etc. before you move on to another bullet?

It is rare that I ever try a different primer.

For your first few trips to the range with a new rifle you can take several powders with the same bullet. Saves a lot of time and trips to the range. If you get something you like test it 2 or 3 times to make sure it was not a fluke.
These days your time and cost of gas if more valuable than an extra box of bullets or can of powder.

It all depends.

The more expensive the stubborn bullet, the quicker I move on....

If I shoot the box and don't see anything hopeful, I've moving on.

Like your bseball...three strikes and OUT on the third.

So I'll try three times to make a group with THE SAME powder, but on different days in case it is my fault.

If it still shows no improvement then I'll move either the bullet or in fact "move on" the rifle.

If the bullet is the only variable-once. For example if I have a rifle that I am confident in and load data for that rifle that is proven, if bullets are switched and the groups are unacceptable, I may fiddle with COAL or powder charges a bit but after that I would give up on that bullet.
OTOH if the rifle/load data is not proven, I wouldn't necessarily blame the bullet until I had reduced some of the other variables.
You are always best off to introduce only one variable at a time.

Ususally an ongoing process with me because they're always coming out with different suitable powders and other components.

That depends on the cartridge and its use...

If it is a fairly common hunting cartridge, there is lots of available tested for accuracy data available.... Any load reported on by several sources which shoots MOA or better for the various reporters is probably a dependable load in a lot of rifles.

I'll try it in my rifle. If it shoots anywhere under 1-1/4 MOA from my rifle(s) it is good to hunt with. I'll quit looking and start practicing my offhand skills for the next hunt. (I may not shoot offhand when I spot my quarry, but if I can shoot well enough to hit a game animal offhand, I know danged well I can do so with any convenient field rest.) BR accuracy from a rest with a hunting rifle is gilding the lily and wasting valuable practice ammo and practice time, when it comes to hunting.

----------

For target ammo, particularly BR competition, things neccesarily get more picky.

Again, the cartridge to use is easy. Look at the tech data listings from the matches you'll be competing in. If 99% of the shooters are winning with 6 PPCs, that may not make it the most accurate cartridge in the world every day of the year and in every weather condition, but it does mean it is good enough to win with, if the gears between your ears are working smoothly and dependably during the match.

Consistently winning BR shooters often do at least some shooting maybe 3 or 4 or more days per week. That gives them plenty of opportunity to try any "new" top-quality bullets or other components which come on the market, as part of the normal practice routine.

And many of them use the "warm-up match" at the beginning of a registered match to "tune" their powder charge for that day.

The hard part there is becoming aware of a new bullet's existance and being able to obtain any really high-grade new bullets to try. Many top BR shooters make their own jacketed match bullets, in dies which cost them literally thousands of dollars per die set. They are not going to give away their own supply, and those they have to spare usually go to other top shooters who are also their personal close friends. And they never will be inexpensive except to a true friend of the maker.


----------

When it comes to "Full-bore" (High Power) across the course competition, it's a bit different again. In that competition, any rifle and ammo which will maintain .75 MOA out to and including 1,000 yards (or 900 meters) is capable of winning any high-power match in the U.S.A. or the British Commonwealth countries.

Such ammo is not hard to develop, but such rifles may be hard to find....at least ones which meet all the match rules as to chambering, rifle weight, stock design, trigger pull weight, sights, etc.

With a given commonly winning match cartridge and load for full-bore competition, I am more likely to change barrels or even rifles than I am to continually putz with load components. If the rifle won't do the job with a proved load, then it's time to try another rifle is my view in full-bore. More practice in wind-reading and hard-holding is almost always better than a component change there.

Lots of others will see things differently, but after close to 20 years of winning match shooting, and another 30+ years of hunting, those are my views.

AC,

Thanks for your detailed report. I'm speaking specifically about hunting loads. I've been trying to get a Nosler Partition to shoot in a particular rifle of mine and have decided it's about time to move on to another bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
AC,

Thanks for your detailed report. I'm speaking specifically about hunting loads. I've been trying to get a Nosler Partition to shoot in a particular rifle of mine and have decided it's about time to move on to another bullet.

You're quite welcome. To continue a bit, do you really need a premium bullet such as the Nosler Partition for the game you are hunting and where you are hunting it?

If not, you might want to try the ordinary Sierra Game King bullets. I've found they shoot very well in most rifles. I think Hornady also makes a hunting-specific bullet which is very accurate in almost all rifles.

For deer, antelope or black bear of any size at any distance, I doubt very many folks need any better bullets than those.

And they are less expensive, which means a person can do more practice shooting on the same budget.

Hope you quickly find something that rows your boat for you and your rifle .

I'll do a ladder test with 3 or 4 powders and if nothing good happens I'll go to a different bullet. For instance if you can't get the accuracy you want from a partition I would go to an Accubond. Did this very thing about 3 weeks ago. Hit a home run with the Accubonds.

quote:

How many times do you try a different powder, primer, etc. before you move on to another bullet?

When I get tired of pursuing what I seek or determine it won't work for that rifle; it's not calibrated. ??

Really no need for the premium bullet, but I did take this rifle to Africa in 2010; hence, the desire for the Partition, plus I picked up a bunch of Nosler Seconds. The rifle is a 7mm-08.

So far, I've tried RL-15, Ramshot Hunter, and H414. I'm gonna give IMR 4895 a shot then move on.

4759. I suggest you consider changing primers to see if your groups improve. I've been reloading since 1963 and have found that primers can make a significant difference in my groups. 90% of my shooting is with the larger .224 calibers, the Swift, .225 Winchester, .224 Weatherby, etc. down to the .222 Remington Magnum and the .222 Remington and have found that quite often a change in the primer from regular to match or vice-versa or just a change of brands at the same intensity is well worth the change. The only two bigger bores I have worked with over this same stretch of years are the .257 Roberts and the .30-06. What I found with a lot of loads in these two calibers is that if I was getting 1 and 2 hole patterns with either 3 or 5 shot groups, that if I changed to a magnum primer the splits would often disappear. It didn't seem to make any difference whether the powder in use was extruded or ball.

Just my observations.

I would suggest being real careful with certain components like primers and powders....

Remember that there are MANY requirements that are important to hunting rifles... and gilt edged accuracy is not actually at the top of the list...

For example, on the specific question of primers...

Do yourself a small test with a Chrono on 2 separate days... 1 very cold and 1 very hot... Pick a known good load... and load up 3 or 5 rounds each with 5 or 10 different primers... Pick the primer which gives the most uniform velocity/accuracy performance in both conditions.... Likely you will find this is a real hot Magnum primer, not a fairly mild benchrest primer....

Same for powder choices.. I would pick the powder that gives the least temperature sensitivity... Not necessarily the highest accuracy on any given single day....

Now.. You might loose a bit of accuracy in one of those 2 conditions.... but unfortunately - The reality of hunting frequently doesn't allow us to be so picky... You have to be hunting when it's legal, and when the animals are out there.... so it might be mind numbingly cold... or it might be scorching hot.... and your ammo better be ready before you head out on the hunt...

In this case - you need reliable, predictable performance... and you can't tolerate Hang-fires (Click... Bang) or 400 FPS velocity drops on COLD mornings.... or stuck bolts on Hot afternoons....

On the subject of bullets... Really, bullet terminal performance between most of the proven hunting bullets out there is pretty similar when you load them to their intended impact velocity ranges.. and the vital zone of most big game is pretty darn large.... so pick which ever one shoots best or which ever one you trust most...

Thanks

I have found H4895 to be so consistantly accurate in any and all of my 7-08s that I no longer even try another powder. Changing bullets may alter the group size to some extent but not enough to concern yourself with if you're hunting.

quote:

Originally posted by graybird:
How many times do you try a different powder, primer, etc. before you move on to another bullet?

I'll try several powders with the same bullet and several seating depths. Quite amazing what 0.030 difference in seating depth will make as an example. Usually I'll find something rather quickly when I'm testing a new rifle/barrel whether it is a cut-rifled bore or button rifled.

If I build a rifle with the intent on shooting one or maybe 2 bullets, they are the last thing I'll change. I do not change primers. I only shoot Fed match and this has served me well.