Thread: First attempt at reloading. Thoughts please.

Greetings again @Blackfern, @Makros has made some very good points echoed by @Puffin. One three shot group tells you little if anything about the accuracy of a particular so I prefer to test loads for accuracy in the velocity range that I am hoping to achieve. I note that you started with 1 grain increments and then smaller increments closer to max so you already know this. Earlier this year I worked up some loads in a 7mm-08 for 600 yard F Class shooting. 145 grain Speer projectiles and AR2206H powder were used (what I had on hand) in Lapua cases that have been fired twice. The rifle is on a Rem 700 action with a 26" heavy barrel. Hodgdon has data for that projectile and powder in a 24" barrel so allowing for the extra barrel length 2,800 fps looked possible at reasonable pressure from their data. The rifle, scope and cases were on loan from my son so the scope was mounted and some start loads of 39 grains of AR2206H were assembled for zeroing and initial chronographing. This took 6 rounds. Measured velocity was in line with the Hodgdons data once the extra barrel length was factored in so the next loads of 2 each of 40, 40.5 and 41 grains (max) were chronographed. The top load of 41 grains chronographed 2,795 and 2800 fps. At this point seating depth and other items could have been played with but the 600 yard shoot loomed (my first ever) so a batch was loaded. The rifle shot better than should have been expected with a creaky jointed novice behind the butt and components are limited so more testing will need to wait, perhaps for some time.
I think the point here is that small to medium capacity cartridges like the 7mm-08 and .308 mostly shoot well with any reasonable load if the loading technique and components are up to it. Not all cartridges are that well blessed.
Regards Grandpamac.