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Horizontal groups?
- Thread starter BC Buck
- Start date
jwrowland77
New member
Well, generally you start at the minimum load and work you way up the scale to max. I generally go up in .3gr increments.
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For me, maximum charges are never reached. I have managed to almost always find a good load way before I reach max. loads, starting from "starting loads" and working up. For my revolvers, I start at .3 to .4 grain steps and when a load looks promising I'll refine that to .1 to find the "perfect" charge. For my rifles, I usually do the same but in .2 grain jumps. Take longer? Maybe, but I like reloading and there is no downside to "taking longer"...
.9" isn't exactly spread out. However, vertical and horizontal groups can be caused by a host of things. Odd pressure on the rest, too hard a rest, inconsistent trigger control, etc. etc.
And like jwrowland77 says, don't start at the max load or just pick a load and hope. Beginning with the start load and go up by half a grain, then once you have a group, you can go one load back and go up by .1. Mind you, since your AR is shooting .375" groups now you're going to be hard pressed to make that any smaller.
And like jwrowland77 says, don't start at the max load or just pick a load and hope. Beginning with the start load and go up by half a grain, then once you have a group, you can go one load back and go up by .1. Mind you, since your AR is shooting .375" groups now you're going to be hard pressed to make that any smaller.
Thank guys. I started out shooting min gr of 4 different powders and a 55gr sierra spitzer for coyote this fall. Did some AR gun work and had it shooting groups 1" down to just over.8". I new I would not have time for more load development till after first of the year so I thought id jump to max just to see what would happen. My most promising load h335 went from .810" to 1.6". The IMR did tighten some and I will be hunting with Varget till I get more bench time. Thanks
I started out shooting min gr of 4 different powders and a 55gr sierra spitzer
I new I would not have time for more load development till after first of the year so I thought id jump to max just to see what would happen.
If I'm reading those quotes correctly . They say you first worked up loads starting at minimum charge and worked up to maximum charge . Later after working on the gun you tested some max loads "YOU HAD ALREADY TESTED AND NEW TO BE SAFE" just to get an idea how the rifle shot after the work was done . If that's the case then yeah loading anything inside that load spectrum you've already deemed to be safe should be GTG .
The one exception to that IMO would be if the work done on the rifle was a new barrel or some type of chamber modification . In that case you need to start over with your load development .
Metal God
Pulled AR out of 20 year storage. Had given up, not happy with groups. Shot four powders at min gr with 2.5" down to 1.08"groups. Installed new trigger ,free floater, and crowned muzzle. Ran all four min loads through gun again with groups between .965" to .810". Not having time to work up loads ran Lymans suggested max and .7 less than max on Varget just to see how groups reacted. Weather gun can do it again or not 27gr Varget stacked 4 holes on top of each other and one flyer for a group at .56"
Pulled AR out of 20 year storage. Had given up, not happy with groups. Shot four powders at min gr with 2.5" down to 1.08"groups. Installed new trigger ,free floater, and crowned muzzle. Ran all four min loads through gun again with groups between .965" to .810". Not having time to work up loads ran Lymans suggested max and .7 less than max on Varget just to see how groups reacted. Weather gun can do it again or not 27gr Varget stacked 4 holes on top of each other and one flyer for a group at .56"
mikejonestkd
New member
I am not sure if you really have a problem....after all, you are getting sub MOA groups with a variety of loads.
Most of us would be pretty happy with those results..
Most of us would be pretty happy with those results..
I am ok with 5/8, what I really want is sub 1/2.
Horizontal stringing can also be a COAL.
Not a given as this is super in depth precision, but the claim from the Houston warehouse was that you could make it vertical (too long I think) to horizon groups and too short , (again from memory)
Someplace in between would be a nice circular group.
I too start low but .5 from the lowest and work up .5 (rifles) If I hit something that looks good I move COAL around.
I am told that there should be an accurate node in the lower end and another up in the upper end. Neither is usually at the very min or max.
The true test is if you hit a load and it will repeat. Even if it was 1/2 one day and 3/4 the next, is it a good pattern and can you keep shooting it.
At that level is amazing how little off it takes for it to be you, trigger, hold etc. All have to be extremely consistent .
Right now I have one in 06 that looks to be a good 1/2. It shot 5/8 in one group, but 3 virtually went into a single hole. I suspect I drifted on the other two.
Horizontal stringing can also be a COAL.
Not a given as this is super in depth precision, but the claim from the Houston warehouse was that you could make it vertical (too long I think) to horizon groups and too short , (again from memory)
Someplace in between would be a nice circular group.
I too start low but .5 from the lowest and work up .5 (rifles) If I hit something that looks good I move COAL around.
I am told that there should be an accurate node in the lower end and another up in the upper end. Neither is usually at the very min or max.
The true test is if you hit a load and it will repeat. Even if it was 1/2 one day and 3/4 the next, is it a good pattern and can you keep shooting it.
At that level is amazing how little off it takes for it to be you, trigger, hold etc. All have to be extremely consistent .
Right now I have one in 06 that looks to be a good 1/2. It shot 5/8 in one group, but 3 virtually went into a single hole. I suspect I drifted on the other two.