Rifle Shooting Procedure

[fightingquaker13]

FQ, 3 out of 5 on a playing card is REALY good for many hunting instances. But it's all about application.  If your hitting that card at 100 yards, and your target is a mountain goat at 1,240...  Your in trouble.  Shooting a prairy dog at 310 yards with a poodle shooter...  In a counter sniper role at 843 yards...  

Another reason to hand load is to get rounds that aren't available commercially.  None of the hand loads I make have commercial counterparts that perform equally (possibly just my opinion  ).

And ultimately, hitting your target is all about tolerance stack-up.  The more tolerance you can eliminate in your equipment, the more room there is for other errors and you still hitting what you want.  

Ellis, BJ I recommend shooting with a clean barrel and following the procedure I did because I'm guessing that's how bj will be using this load.  I've never met a hunter that fired fouling shots...  Nore one that cleaned his rifle between follow up rounds (very little game has been that patient for me anyhow  ).  You wanna do your testing and load development in (as close as possible) the EXACT same conditions you'll do your actual shooting or your wasting lots of time and ammo.

Hope I helped.  

I get the advantages of handloads. I'm just not going to do it. Its not neccesary for my needs despite the obvious advantages.  I don't have the space, money or patience. The question was about technique. Cleaning, not cleaning, cold bore, warm bore etc. I'm lucky in that my particular deer rifle rifle loves Remigton Green Box 130 gr. SPs. Great for deer and cheap. Score! I was shooting close to MOA with the first box at 100 and within 3-4 MOA at 200. I haven't really bothered with anything else. Why would I for a deer rifle? The reason I ask is that I am still playing with my new AR. Ive put a couple of hundred rounds through it, but this is still the "cool new toy, lets play with it"/breaking it in phase. Now its time to see what it likes. It will eat inexpensive factory rounds and learn to like them. My task is to figure out which flavor it prefers.
FQ13

[tombogan03884]

I get the advantages of handloads. I'm just not going to do it. Its not neccesary for my needs despite the obvious advantages.  I don't have the space, money or patience. The question was about technique. Cleaning, not cleaning, cold bore, warm bore etc. I'm lucky in that my particular deer rifle rifle loves Remigton Green Box 130 gr. SPs. Great for deer and cheap. Score! I was shooting close to MOA with the first box at 100 and within 3-4 MOA at 200. I haven't really bothered with anything else. Why would I for a deer rifle? The reason I ask is that I am still playing with my new AR. Ive put a couple of hundred rounds through it, but this is still the "cool new toy, lets play with it"/breaking it in phase. Now its time to see what it likes. It will eat inexpensive factory rounds and learn to like them. My task is to figure out which flavor it prefers.
FQ13

A "treat" for performing well   

[Badgersmilk]

You made the right choice already IMO.  Every AR I've seen (and just about all other semi-auto's for that matter) made a MESS out of the brass!  They scratch and dent the brass up enough that you only get one use out of it, so unless you REALLY, REALLY just HAVE to hand load them, that's just a waste IMO.  I've fed my AR10 several different hand loads out of curiosity, experimenting, and in learning the lesson about how bad it chews up brass.  Only to find it LOVES Federal Premium factory made 165gr. ballistic tip, boat tails better than anything I could brew up.

I still recommend to do your testing the same way you'll do your shooting.  Cold / clean bore with 4 more follow up shots.  Use exactly the same POA for all shots in the group, and see where she puts them.  I've got a .22 magnum that will throw the first shot after a cleaning 2-3" outside the rest of a group the size of a dime at 50 yards!  I'm sure glad I learned it does this on paper.  Not by missing game in the field.  

Note:  I HATE that gun, and it never leaves the safe.   Looks pretty though.   Stupid Marlin...  

[bjtraz]

Thanx Badger, that makes perfect sense.

Brian

[billt]

I don't work up that many loads. Generally from experience I'll know about where to start. Sierra generally posts an "Accuracy Load" which usually works out to a grain or so below max. That is where I usually begin. In a bolt gun I'll generally start out seating about .020 off the lands. If I get good results I'll move it up .010 or .015 on the next batch. I never clean, or have ever cleaned a gun at the range. I don't think this accomplishes anything. I feel it is more or less a fad that got some traction among some shooters and took off. You can tell this by all of the different cleaning "methods". No two are alike.

I once took a new Ruger Stainless Model 77 in .30-06 to the range with 100 rounds of handloads I loaded up. The last 5 shot group I fired that day, (rounds 95-100) went into the tightest group. After I got home I cleaned the rifle, and on the next range trip the first 5 shot group I fired with the same ammo went into almost a full inch larger of a group. That convinced me all of this scrubbing I see people doing at the range just burns calories, and accomplishes little else. I'd rather sit behind the rifle and burn powder.   Bill T.

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