Help me pick one

[mapsjanhere]

I finally have the time to do some load development for my 300 RUM. The pictures show 5 shot groups with 82.5 - 86.5 grain of RL25 behind a Berger VLD 210, set .050 off the lands. They are all around an inch (moa at 100 yard).

Now, other than the long vertical stringing in the 85.5 load, I can't pick a good point to do some more detailed load development around (max load according to Berger is 88, but that's a quickload point).

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

If you didn't use Dan Newberry's method, you should. Let the gun pick the load. I bet it can do better than 1 MOA.

 

[mapsjanhere]

yeah, and the other half of the people on the range told me to do ladders...
Problem is, if you have 6 grains of load spread, that's a hell of a long ladder, Newberry or whatever else method you use
My biggest problem that for me shooting MOA is pretty good, so distinguishing shooter error from load is pretty tricky (you notice how nicely the POI goes up 1/2 inch with every grain extra load).

 

[t45]

I think I would try shooting the loads for targets 3 and 5 again and see what happens. Target 3 had a small flyer that could have been the shooter or maybe your barrel cooled down and that was your first shot. Still good groups to work from. Good luck.

 

[Brian Pfleuger]

The Newberry method only requires between 20 to 30 rounds or so.

Read the instructions.

There are many reasons why Dan Newberry's method is better than the ladder method, fewer wasted rounds is one of them.

I'm just saying, you can either post pictures on the internet and ask us to pick which one is best, or you can use Newberry's method and KNOW which one is best. If you'd used the Newberry method on those targets posted above, you'd be done.