Is it just me, or do others find that those reload recipes posted as sub MOA never seem to work out! Sure keeps me doing my fair share of supporting powder manufacturers!

quote:

Originally posted by Westernmassman:
Is it just me, or do others find that those reload recipes posted as sub MOA never seem to work out!

I'm not really sure why anybody would expect loads developed in other barrels to work in yours? It would be nice if shortcuts like this were possible, but reloading remains a field of heuristics as opposed to an exact science. At most, one might be able to use the experience of others as a starting point, whereever that will eventually take you, God only knows.

- mike

All I got to say is Winchester white box. roger

Couple of comments.

As the 2nd poster said, just because it works in someone else's gun doesn't mean it will work in yours.

2. Is your gun a sub MOA gun to start with ? if it's not, it doesn't matter what you feed it. ie I have a 9.3 X64 and a couple of 375H&H's that are very accurate, but I also have 375H&H's that aren't.

3. Are you capable of shooting sub MOA ? It's not that easy with some of the medium bores.

4. I think, to an extent that people should spend some time improving shooting ability than so much time on loads as often, they can't shoot
the gun to the best of it's ability anyway.

Just my HO.

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Actually some of my rifles are MOA. Some may never be, and those are the ones I am always chasing the latest and greatest components for. If I was smart I would cut my losses and move on.

quote:

Originally posted by Westernmassman:
Actually some of my rifles are MOA. Some may never be, and those are the ones I am always chasing the latest and greatest components for. If I was smart I would cut my losses and move on.

Right. It all comes down to a cost/benefit analysis. Just ask the benchrest guys.

Yep, I agree.

I work out a load that is near as can be perfect and that's it. I call this my fall back position in that at least I know if I grab the gun and go hunting it works.

Down the track, if I get time and or take the gun to the range, I might then try to make the load even better.

I have never been one for endless experimentation of loads in a rifle, but then again, I'm not a benchrester !!!

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quote:

Is it just me, or do others find that those reload recipes posted as sub MOA never seem to work out!

I get a lot of chuckles from the frequent requests for "good loads", as well as the common flood of well meaning responses, no two of which are ever the same.

Such total inconsistancy in the submissions should clue anyone that my "pet load" will rarely, if ever, be of any real use to anyone else but the hopeful dream persists; harmless fun I guess, but it's a waste of time so I don't play that game.

I don't know, but there seems to be something about those Pet Loads that they work well in many rifles. A common one I see is 44 grains Varget and a 165 grain bullet in a 308 Winchester. Enough people use that specific charge to get best accuracy, you would think there is something to it. I tried it, and it did give my best groups, by far, in a difficult Savage 99.

I don't start and stop at suggested Best Loads, from the internet or books, but those loads can be a shortcut to Good Enough, which is all I want anymore. I'm spread to thin in time and components to fine tune every rifle I have to the best possible combo. Maybe when I'm retired, but not now.

As Mike (mho) mentioned above, shooting sub-MOA groups is much more a function of shooter ability than just the rifle rifle and load. Guys that come to my range to shoot always talk about 1/2" or even 1/4" loads. I have them take aim at the target with their 2x7 scope, then I tell them to move their point of aim 1/8th of an inch to the right. They look at me like I'm crazy, and tell me they can't see well enough to do that. I tell them that 1/8th is halfway across a 1/4" group, so how can they shoot a 1/4" group? Another evaluation method is to have them hand you the rifle to load while they maintain their position on the bench. After a few rounds, hand them an empty rifle. If you can tell they pulled the trigger without looking at their trigger finger (a blink, a twitch, a slight jump, or all out flinch) then you know you're not measuring the accuracy of the rifle, but the inability of the shooter.

quote:

Originally posted by bja105:
I don't start and stop at suggested Best Loads, from the internet or books, but those loads can be a shortcut to Good Enough, which is all I want anymore.

Agree. I use any load as a starter, thinking drop 10% and work up and when I get there,
if it's as good as they say, that's it. As I explained before, I might fine tune it later.

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I have a custom .280 that stacks Fed Vital-shok 150 nos part but I've worked a year trying to duplicate the load. This past saturday i finally succeeded. It's sweet when it finally comes together!! pic posted here.

target