I always developed my loads the old way, took the optimal powder, started with increments of about 0.5 grains for my .270 Win. Made some 20 rounds for the choice of powder, 60 rounds to investigate the best charge and once found, I prepared about as many rounds to try the most effective freerun. Well, all said and done, several times I spent a good 150 cartridges for one specific premium bullet.
Reindeer put me on the track of Audette. By accident I found two people on this forum, they seem to have the potential to like each other, Dan and HC. Both had their own approach on load development. Whatever the way they behave may be, it's the message that counts. So I tried HC's advocated Creighton Audette Load Development Method, see https://forums.accuratereloading.com/groupee/forums?a=tp...=176104724#176104724
After studying the method I did not believe Audette could statistical bring much good, but I was eager to find out. It might be a good thought to prove my new stainless Lothar Walther heavy barrel on my Remington Sendero. Did not break in the barrel, the performance should be all right, mr. Walther told me. I got two boxes of Barnes TSX, 130 grainers, to give it a try.
I fabricated 6 rounds for fouling shots and to make sure the Swarovski 6x was zeroed correct for hitting the paper target at 240 yards. Made another 20 rounds, charge increments of 0.2 grains, starting at 57.4, ending at 61.2 grains, H 4831 sc. The results (wind 3-4 bf from behind) over the hood of my Landrover, on Sinclair's leather bags filled up with sand, were twenty holes in 2.18 MOA (despite a difference of 3.8 grains!), 13 of them in 1.18 MOA. I dotted every four impacts on paper, proceding as follows:
1-2-3-4, 0.63 MOA, velocity @ 2989 fps at 3.5 yards
2-3-4-5, 1.22 MOA, 3003 fps
3-4-5-6, 1.22 MOA, 3013 fps
(etc.)
10-11-12-13, 0.92 MOA, 3100 fps.
(etc.)
17-18-19-20, 1.25 MOA, 3164 fps
I found two clusters, 1-2-3-4 and 10-11-12-13. The velocity of the former was a bit on the low side, so I concentrated on the 10 to 13 group.
Yet I was not fully satisfied with these results and double chequed to see what happened if I took six impacts, thus:
1-2-3-4-5-6, 1,22 MOA, @ 3000 fps
2-3-4-5-6-7, 1.22 MOA, 3011 fps
3-4-5-6-7-8, 1.68 MOA, 3021 fps
(etc.)
9-10-11-12-13-14, 0.92 MOA, @ 59.5 grains, 3100 fps.
(etc.)
15-16-17-18-19-20, 1.27 MOA, 3156 fps.
Obvious was the cluster formed by the 9 to14 group. Number 12 could have been a flyer, without this one I got 0.67 MOA (five impacts). Quite promising!

Now I started finetuning, also at 240 yards, same laddermethod, no barrel cleaning. I loaded 12 rounds at 59.5 grains, started at a freerun of 0.030" (recommanded by Barnes), increments of 0.005" and ended up at 0.085" (= 0.055" in total). Group of 12 impacts: 1,41 MOA, 10 rounds 0.85 MOA, best shots 6,7,8 and 9, in 0.63 MOA, @ freerun 0.063", 3099 fps, gives about 3110 fps at the muzzle..
I verified with 6 rounds, loaded again at 59.5 grains, gap 0.063" and made my final group at 240 yards, 0.66 MOA! I sat down and shot in my most used field position, sitting with the hasty sling method at 131 yards (highest midway trajectory), 6 shots in 1.23 MOA. Till this point, exactly 50 rounds!
Why this post? In my opinion mr. Audette had a good proposal. You don't have to spend so many components, you get results more easy as usual in a shorter time. Just give it a try and keep us informed!
Nice day,

Jan.

As I understand it, Audette's method really checks one thing and that is insensitivity to small changes in the powder charge. This is interpreted to mean that the barrel harmonics (or whatever) also change little with small changes in powder charge. I believe that his method is best used to efficiently test a variety of powders and bullets with a view to quickly eliminating rather than selecting possible loads. As you allude, statistically, the Audette method is probably not a good predictor of future accuracy.
Peter.

quote:

Originally posted by Jan:
...In my opinion mr. Audette had a good proposal. You don't have to spend so many components, you get results more easy as usual in a shorter time. Just give it a try and keep us informed! ...

Hey Jan, Nice report on the never improved upon Creighton Audette Load Development Method.

Granted if your concentration isn't "up" or you loose focus of what you are trying to do, then it would be possible to create Fliers that would mislead the person. Of course that would also be true with ANY type of Load Development a person may be doing.

Good hunting and clean 1-shot kills.