Accuracy vs Velocity vs Bullet deceleration

It's my opinion that benchresters often shoot hotter loads than other competitive disciplines. And most people reloading belted magnum cartridges load to higher pressures than the others.

I disagree with the comment that a 5-shot group followed by a larger one is the shooter's fault. And that temperature plays into it.
 
I have never had a issue with a 5 shot group Bart. Have done it with all 9 of my rifles now. All but one ( 22-250 ) shoot sub MOA very easy ( All are Savages to :D ). Once I find the 5 shot group-Like I said I tweak it and with in 20 more rounds I have my load. Very simple,very straight forward. I don't find I need 50 or more rounds to get there. I start with a proven load and go from there.

As for the temps thing. Correct me if I am wrong,but you were the one last year that told me to put in 2/10 ths more powder for my last match of the year being it was going to be cold and raining. I listened and pulled the best shoot of the year that day. I consistently pull in the low to mid 190's out of 200 for score, so my method does work and works very well. I do not doubt you or Brian as you both have forgotten more than I will ever know, but I can't argue with the results I get.
 
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4runner, have you ever plotted each shot of a mid 190's score then plot each consecutive 5 shots into 4 groups, measure their extreme spread then compare the largest one to the smallest one? With a mid 190's score there's often a 4X to 8X difference in size from the smallest 5-shot string to the largest one.

I've sometimes put 5 consecutive shots at 600 into 2 inches or thereabouts. But all 20 of the scoring string went into 13 to 14 inches; 12 inches a very few times. The rifles and their ammo would test from a rest about 3 inches for a 20-shot string.
 
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My limited experience in loading close to maximum has been that neither the highest listed load nor the lowest gave the smallest group. It was always somewhere in between and always more than halfway to maximum.

I have ONCE had the experience of the starting load being the best (or the nearest to best as made no difference, so why waste powder loading higher?), but that was using a relatively full case of slow-burning powder, and in one rifle only.

Subsonic loads MAY be intrinsically more accurate over long distances in that they never, at any range, have to transit the transonic region with the odd shockwaves and buffeting that can occur there. So there is a grain of truth there, but it's very much an "all else being equal" thing. At the end of the day, unpredictable variables including the gun, the shooter and the environment can combine to blow all that to hell.
 
Bart- Please take this right.. If at 600 yards my groups are ever bigger than 6 inches, It's time for a new load,new rifle or new shooter. I do have a flyer from time to time. ( I have my Accutrigger set so light sometimes just looking at it will set it off :D ) .I get trigger happy, I hurry myself, And most of all I get nervous. That is what causes my flyers. Now last Match I had- Question for all here) I practice off bench, F Class is on Belly. What I find is- I have eye relief Issues when I lay down. I have been told there is a difference between the 2 and I need to set scope for one or the other. I can't go with that as-- Cheek weld should always be the same. What say all on this one?.
 
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OK, 4runner, if you're F-classing and not shooting conventional prone, then you're right. 6 inches plus means new something.

With all the right stuff, an F-class system should easily shoot 3 to 4 inches at 600. I've seen a couple of folks do that in conventional prone. One shooting next to me scoring my point partner set a record at the Nationals shooting 200-19x with aperture sights, 200-gr. HPMK's in Rem. .308 BR cases holding IMR4350 in an almost worn out barrel. all 20 record shots inside about 4 inches with one just off the 6" X-ring at 2 o'clock.
 
Bart--Prone?. Me??, Um ahh Not a chance. I would be lucky to hit a 20 inch target doing that. Heck I tried FTR for a year and stopped. I will admitt,shooting prone or off a bi-pod takes more talent than I have.
 
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