What steps, beyond the basics necessary for reloading, do you take to tighten up your groups or provide more consistency for long range shooting?

What cartridge?

How do you load? Specifically throw powder?

How are you measuring your consistency?

Any. I'm just curious what everyone does, in general.

I measure each charge on a Gem Pro 250.

Group size. Velocities. Etc.

There's about 100 things you can do to help increase accuracy and/or consistency. Case prep, powder charges, powder type, seating depth, you name it. You can easily load match grade ammo with a cheap single stage press, hand held primer seater, old balance beam scale, and standard FL dies. I know, because that's how I used to reload my match ammo under the stairway closet when I first started shooting comps. It all boils down to consistency in each round. But before that consistency, you have to have a good load first.

6.5 Creedmoor I'll start the bullet .030" jump to the lands, then group shoot a 140 gr bullet atop H-4350 42.0-43.0 gr at 200 yards. If it prints a tight group, I like it. Mine put down a 3/4" five shot group at 200 yards on its first day. Called it good, then took it to the big range. If it'll hit center on steel from 400 to 800, I'm good with it.

.308 Win, H-Varget, 44.0-45.0 gr, 178 gr bullet, .010" off the lands. Group shoot it at 200-500 yards for five.

Give me something I don't know to be almost written in stone, and I'll research "the" powder for it, seat the bullet .001" off the lands, then ladder test it at 500 yards. After the ladder, I'll group shoot what I learned from the ladder, and do it 200-500 yards. If I want to improve from there, I'll adjust the bullet jump in .005" increments, after I decided on powder charge.

Give me something I don't know to be almost written in stone, and I'll research "the" powder for it, seat the bullet .001" off the lands, then ladder test it at 500 yards. After the ladder, I'll group shoot what I learned from the ladder, and do it 200-500 yards. If I want to improve from there, I'll adjust the bullet jump in .005" increments, after I decided on powder charge.



Did you mean .001" or .010" off the lands ?

1

As long as it fits in the Mag. That give me lots of room to back off from there.

Good stuff.

excellent info

Read this it will help. There are four posts that explain loading for long distance shooting.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/forums/11/1/Big_Game_Rifles

all good info , thanks