Thread: Best load for long range shooting?

Originally Posted by chainsaw

I’d be asking some other questions like - how reproducible are these results? How consistent are the numbers ? Speed and group size ?
Are these from single 3 shot groups ? Or 5 ? Or multiple 3x?
What’s the shape of each group ?
It’s pretty easy for the shooter to slightly push or pull one shot. Shooter technique or slight variations of could make a 0.3 grp into 0.6 and on a good day vice versa.
Personally I’d doubt that there’s any statistical difference between 0.5 and 0.6 unless you’ve got a heap of data behind it.
I’d be running some more groups before making decisions. Might be worth experimenting with seating depth too ?
You might find that all 3 loads are actually all around 0.4 moa +/- 0.2 ?
In which case you can take your pick

Hi @chainsaw,
Valid points you are pointing out.

I had an ES of 2 (3 round test groups) at the lowest velocity, and also the best grouping.
On the higher node I have an ES of about 11.

But yesterday I went to the range to practice some fundamentals. But at some point I decided to run 5 rounds over the crony - just to check, and I got an ES of 21. The higher node I thought was it, is obviously not as stable as I thought it was, hence why I am again looking at the other nodes I found.

I was very thorough with my handloads so I know my powder measurements were correct. When I did the load development I only used fireformed brass that was neck-sized only. Yesterday’s shooting was all with brass that was full-length sized.

This is what the best performing group looked like:


The others were more clover shaped but a bit more open.

My worry is that I might be chasing a high velocity node just for the sake to get most out of the round at say 1000y competition shooting, but now I am second guessing my decision making and node selection.


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