What single thing do you feel gives you the most Accuracy from reloads?

[F. Guffey]

Time, time is a factor, in my rifles time is the BIG FACTOR, in my rifles the firing pin crushes the primer before the case, bullet and powder knows their little buddy has been crushed, such as it is when time is a factor.

It wares me out keeping the barrel on task, so I have magic firing pins, those without magic firing pins are exempt and time is not a factor.

I have two rifles chambered in 300 Win Mag, one is a non-Weatherby the other is a Model 70 Winchester, the difference in the two? The Weatherby shoots one hole groups, the Model 70 shoots patterns (as in shotgun type patterns) with the same ammo, the difference? Time.

F. Guffey

 

[Sarge]

No 'single thing' makes any ammunition, reloaded or otherwise, accurate or inaccurate- but an undersized bullet will never shoot particularly well.

 

[snuffy]

Everything is a factor and I would be willing to bet for a lot of shooters that technique when testing those loads is a huge factor

The most precise handloads don't mean squat if the shooter is testing off the hood of his car/truck. Or he had way to much to drink the night before.

Now assuming he has a good solid bench, at the bare minimum some sand bags front and rear, and low wind conditions, he can test those handloads.

There's so many variables that factor into what the final group looks like that listing them all is futile. Much easier to list the things NOT TO DO! That's a long list as well.

Criteria is another thing. Are you looking to make small groups at 600 yds? Or are you simply loading for a hunt where you seldom see a 100 yd. shot? Minute of deer hide is a much larger number that minute of angle @ 600 yds.

When loading for a new rifle, I spend a lot of time looking in loading manuals AFTER deciding what I want that rifle OR handgun to do. Selecting bullet type, I then look for the best powder for that application. Brass, bullets, and dies are ordered, by the time they arrive, I have the load picked out.

Since I've been loading for almost 50 years, I already have a large selection of powder and primers on hand. I sometimes bite on some new super-powder, which I buy locally.

The rest is trying different loads and testing. But that's the fun part, um, that's why we do it, isn't it?

 

[Horseman]

In order of importance;

1.Bullet weight
2.Bullet brand and type
3.Seating Depth
4.Powder type
5.Proper powder amount,pressure,velocity
6.Neck tension and runout
7.Brass
8.Primer

I've had rifles I've struggled with until I started using the right bullets. That for me makes the most difference. After you find the right bulllets everything else is fine tuning.

 

[Edward429451]

The single biggest factor that gives me the most accuracy from my handloads is trigger control. Shame on all you guys for not knowing that.

Going with the flow, I'll talk about ammo also, since that seems to be the gist of the thread. The single biggest thing that helps my ammo to be better is brass prep.

Bullet weight is second and may indeed be more important than actual powder weight. When I weigh bullets for weight conformity, they always shoot better than other ammo.

 

[Doodlebugger45]

As snuffy and others have alluded to, the mere fact that you are reloading at all will start to imporve the accuracy of whatever loads you use. Before I started reloading, I could only afford to shoot maybe a couple boxes of factory ammo each year in a couple hunting rifles. I was like a lot of folks who might go out 3-4 times a year and shoot 5 rounds each time and then an additional 10 rounds or so a week before deer or elk season started. I would shoot a .22 rifle or my single shot .223 quite a bit more hoping it would translate over to better shooting skills with the big game rifles.

When I started reloading for rifles, I was quick to try to go out and find the most accurate load possible for each rifle. After a bit though, I realized that the weak link in the chain was me! So, for quite awhile I just concentrated on loading up some "reasonably" accurate rounds and shooting a lot of them. Instead of shooting 30 rounds per year out of a couple rifles each, I could go out and shoot 50-60 rounds each WEEK out of 4-5 different rifles, getting 200-300 rounds shot each week. Shooting a .22 or .223 is great practice, but nothing is quite like the individual scope and individual trigger and stock of a given rifle.

After quite awhile, my shooting skills got to the point to where I could actually see some consistent difference between parameters that I was testing.

 

[BigJimP]

Assuming you are using a published recipe / with the correct components ...and decent components...

The #1 thing is consistency of your practices and procedures at the loading bench ( that means keeping the press clean, lubed and tuned up ) ...and operating it the same way, every time ...

65% - 80% of the expense in a box of cartridges ...is the amount of money you pay for bullets. So having a good high quality bullet / to shoot your best ...is the #2 thing ...(and consistency of the bullets in terms of shape, weight, etc is very important) so using a true jacketed bullet vs a plated bullet is a pretty big deal.

 

[HiBC]

Precision Shooting put out a guide for reloading for competition.You might try to find one.From memory,imperfect..
The author suggests "pretty good ammo".At some point,shooting more is better than spending more time at the bench.
As I recall,a good chamfer,so your bullets stay perfect,running a brush through the necks,for clean,uniform neck tension,and deburring flash holes(no hanging chads)
They also describe using an O-ring under your die lock ring as an aid to concentricity,which helps.
That will help,at the bench.
Then,from the good bullets,the three or four powders the winners use,you have to find what your rifle likes.It might be a different weight,or ogive to starty into the rifling,or seating depth.
Then,of course,the biggest factor for most of us,becoming a better shot

 

[WIL TERRY]

Good bullets.

 

[Clark]

1) good bullets
2) no expander ball
3) chamfer inside of neck
4) seat long to jam into the lands

 

[Anaconda]

Nothing is more important than consistency between reloading and shooting.

If something isn't working for accuracy, then make a change.


Kenny

 

[TheNatureBoy]

Based on the posts that I've read cosistency is the order of the day. Develop a routine and if it works stay with it. Don't change anything.

 

[Jim243]

There is no single one thing. Read all of the above, they are all correct.

Jim

 

[amamnn]

Like Jim, the one single thing I can say has improved the accuracy of my shooting is the knowlege that there is no one single thing; accuracy is improved by the application of many different techniques and tools that each add an increment to the total of accuracy. Also, that the quality of the ammo is only one aspect of the game--and not necessarily the most important...........the quality of the shooter's skill and the quality firearm come before that...................

 

[totaldla]

Shooting.

 

[Wag]

Powder charge consistancy, type of powder then choice of bullet and seating depth.

This, without question after you have done this:

optimized custom powder charge for the gun in question

Definitely those two.

Overall consistency in every detail is critical no matter what, though. What geetarman is saying is exactly that: Consistency.

That applies to shooting, too. Every detail consistent and repeatedly identical every step of the way.

Did I mention consistency? Anyone else mention it?!

--Wag--

 

[jimbob86]

I was going to say "meticulousness"..... but I think "care" might be the word I am looking for. I am reminded of Jeff Cooper's thoughts on professional vs. amatuer .... Something to the effect that the pro is satisfied with "good enough", as he does it for money. The passionate amatuer will work at until he gets it perfect.

Winchester or Remington or Blount (or whoever it is that owns Speer now) is responsible to their stockholders: their #1 concern is to make ammo that is

a) safe and reliable as to not cost them in lawsuits and damage to the brand name

b) "good enough" to keep folks interested in "good enough" ammo buying it

c) doing a & b as inexpensively as possible.

The fact that powder "A" is more expensive than powder "B" matters more than whether it is better suited to your particular application...... You, on the othe rhand, can do a little experimentation with YOUR rifle and several powders and bullets...... custom ammo can be as good as you want to make it, as opposed to as good as they figure the mass market will bear.

.

 

[marks655]

Aside from quality components I think optimal bullet seating depth may yield the greatest improvement. In most cases I mean into the lands (contact).

 

[Outlaw81]

Case quality, case prep, powder charge consistency, bullet weight consistency, ballistic coefficient, case overall length. If you want one single thing that makes my reloads more accurate, it's the patience of the person putting all of the above together consistently.

 

[WESHOOT2]

given a good gun

The bullet.