This is a copy of a post I entered on an another thread, but though I would start a new one. This is not to start arguments, but to see what your loading theroy is. Maybe we can share some ideas with each other.

First and foremost, as a hunter, my first responsibity is to make a clean kill. Lots of factors add into this equation of course. Distance of the shot, angle, size of the particular game, weather condtions etc. The only item I can really control are my loads.

This is how I load, right or wrong:

Depending on the critter I intend to hunt, I research the terminal preformance of a bullet, particularly the impact veloctity required to "do it's job". Retained weight, how much the bullet mushrooms (or fragments in varmint loads), penetration data, etc.

For this example, let's say a deer load for a Contender.

With the selected bullet's impact velocity,I work my ballistics backwards to see if that required velocity is obtainable within the intended range I expect to shoot my handguns.

I then determine which powder will give me the best chance of obtaining the required velocity. I prefer a high load density with out exceeding the pressure limit on the Contender frame.

If velocity required is possble, I'll load a series of cartridges in varying powder amounts and check these over the chronograph, then measure the groups. (I know most everyone does their loading this way).

If the most accurate load meets the velocity criteria, this will be the load I'll use for hunting. I want at maximum, 1-1/4" group at 100yds. I may then change the OAL to tighten group.

I'll load 10 up and sight-in at x" high at y distance for a maximum point blank range distance of a 4" circle. This MPBR is determined by my ballistic program based on all data noted above.

Now in the deer woods, I know that within the MPBR distance I can shoot close to 1-1/4" group, and be 2" high max or 2" low max.

I have a few rules of thumb that I will adhere to also. For instance, I want at least 1200ft/lbs of energy for whitetails at my maximum distance.

Sorry this sounds like I'm lecturing, but this is a forum to discuss things such as this. How do you do your loads? Let's start a new thread. I'm sure we all have a trick or two to share.

Bill

don't guess i really have a theory. i just make test runs of hopeful components to see how the accuracy is. if i see something with some promise in accuracy,i retry to see if it's repeatable, then go with it. usually load 5 each of different powder charges, different oal's, or sometimes a totally different powder or bullet comparison. since a chrony dropped in here, i sometimes shoot across it, while checking accuracy.