I just wanted to give a big thanks for posts on this method and encourage anyone who hasn't tried it to give it a go.

Like most new reloaders I began by shooting large numbers of loads down-range and struggled with time and wasted a lot of material. I was intimidated by the Audette method because I didn't think that I could be steady enough from the bench at 200 yards.

To shorten the story a bit, I was at the range this morning working up a varmint load form my 6.5x55. The components were as follows: Lapua Brass. CCI LR Primers. H 4350 powder and Hornady 95gr V-max Bullets. The rifle is my first build based on a Vz 24 action with an A & B Barrel that has been seasoned with about 4-500 rounds, topped with a Burris Fullfield II 3x9x40 with Ballistics Plex. Since this load is hot for the Carl Gustav and since I'm shooting from a 98 action I based my beginning charge on the 260 Rem. which lists starting grains at 47.0 and Max at 49.7 for H4350. (this also takes into consideration 0.35cc more case capacity in the 6.5x55)

My beginning load was 46.4gr and I shot 2 foulers loaded to the same weight. I then advanced at 0.3 tenths for a total of 18 rounds. This put me over Max Recommended But I reached 51.5 grains with no pressure signs. The groupings were what blew me away though. My number 4 test round flew 4 inches right for some reason and was the only flier. However, the 2 fouling shots and 4 of the first 5 (a total of 6)were at 1.5 inches at 200yds. There was another node of 4 shots, numbers 6 through 9 which came in at 7/8 inch. Shots 10 through 18 were in another node which measured 3.5 inches.

This was an amazing experience! 20 shots accomplished what 80 to 100 shots would have in the past!! I found that this load doesn't like to be souped up. I have 2 nodes to work from but will focus on the four charges around 47.9 through 48.8.

I know that this is all old news to a lot of you guys but I just wanted to yell at the moon a little! This was so easy and quick!

Now I know right where to start. If you haven't tried this, it's definitely worth a whirl!

LC

Great job! You must have had a good spotting scope for 200yds.

I've been doing it the old-fashioned way, and recently read about this method online. Makes me tempted to pull the ones I loaded, but since I have a surplus of bullets I may try both ways and see how they compare.

Hey, LC, glad to see your topic.
I tried the same method, seems to work. Go to https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2511043/m/571104925 and read my comments.
Nice day,
Jan

AZ223,
I don't own a spotting scope. Yet!:-) I have 6.5x20 rifle scope that wasn't in use and used it to spot as well as I could. I ended up driving to the target after every two shots so that I could mark the impact points accurately and not get them confused.

I read the thread that Jan had posted. Very consistent with what I experienced. I do believe that I will now adopt this method. I can then use all of those components I was wasting working on my shooting skills.

It's interesting that multiple clusters develop with this method. It is easy to pick a cluster to focus on based on charge weight and impact spread. I can see that shorter ranges would be difficult to develop loads with as the clusters would bunch together and give less conclusive data.

Now to load around that cluster and go from there.

Good work. There is hope for us new guys. I was going to try this but had the same doubts as you. Also everything I have read says it shoud be done at 300 yds. I wish I would have done this at 200 with my 300 win. You have given me hope.

Successfully tried this method with three rifles. 200 or better 300 yds seem to be the distance to go for, as the nodes are spread wider than @ 100 yds. Thanks to Carl Zeiss I didn't need to make a hiking day out of my range session.

One procedure may be convenient for others, too:

I had a second target on the bench. After every shot I checked the POI through the spotting scope and put a little yellow dot (from Staples et al.) on my bench copy. On each dot I wrote the serial # of the load I had fired. This made it easier to analyze the target in the end.

Good, another believer amidst us!

Here is a pic of the target. The the node at about 4 o'clock is the 4 shot 7/8" group at 200yds.

Does the spread of the nodes look comparable to what you guys have seen? Are they about as close as what you see?

This particular target was perfect for the ballistic plex in the Burris. The first mark below the crosshair perfectly filled the white bullseye at 200yd.

LC, nice picture, my targets at 240 yards are about the same, but I do not know how to get the illustrations on this forum.

I asked a friend to sit down behind a little wall of sand at some 10 yards before the target and to mark the impacts. Quite easy. You could ask your wife if she has nothing else to do as well! But be carefull!
Jan.

Sure glad to hear ALL you folks are having such good results.

Just wanted to clarify one small thing for you all.

It is properly refered to as the never improved upon Creighton Audette Load Development Method.

Mr. Audette was able to put in very simple terms the very best way possible to quickly find the most accurate load levels for a specific set of components, in a specific firearm.

Then with a small Fine Tuning of the Seating Depth, a person should be ready to go very quickly.
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All other load development methods have either excessive steps or procedures which typically degrade the accuracy potential rather than enhance it.

I've seen some "claim" there are not enough shots to make it Statistically Accurate. And it is readily apparent the people that make those claims have - Zero First Hand Experience - with Mr. Audette's excellent Method.
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I would encourage all of you to pass along the never improved upon Creighton Audette Load Development Method to any new reloaders you happen to meet. They will always be glad you did.

Good hunting and clean one-shot kills.