Disclaimer: I shoot benchrest
Okay. Go to the range. Set up a target at 200 yards. Put out some wind flags. These can be as little as 2-3' stakes and surveyor tape. You want to know how the wind is blowing. Using grass/trees don't cut it.
If you don't have a 36x (or better) scope, borrow one or buy an el-cheapo. Tascos are fair, and I understand that the BSA Platinum series are okay. You're doing load development, and it helps a great deal. When you put your normal scope back on, the load you're firing won't change.
Examine and prep your brass.
Examine your bullets - Avoid any with dings or deformations to the BASE. That's what throws shots. Bullets that are perfect go to sleep faster. I suspect that the reason moly bullets go to sleep faster is that the moly is "cushioning" and "averaging" the gas release when the bullet leaves the muzzle.
Boattails are better for accuracy at long distances, due to their higher ballistic coefficients. At shorter distances (300 yards and under) flat base bullets work just fine.
Check your muzzle crown. You may want to have an accuracy smith recrown it. It only takes 15-20 minutes, and makes a world of difference.
Set up a good rest that allows the rifle to recoil consistently. I use a Hart front rest, with a Hoehn windage top, and a Protektor rear cordura rabbit ear bag. Put up a whole buncha targets. I like the practice targets that Ron Hoehn sells. 10 targets to a sheet. You want a SMALL aiming point.
Clean the heck outta the rifle. I use two patches of Butch's, then 10 brush strokes, then two patches of Butch's, and a dry patch. Then I wet a patch with Sweet's, and run it through, turn it over, and run it through again. Does it look blue? Start at step one again. Continue until the Sweet's patch doesn't look blue (you may get a "little" from your jag - you can generally tell). Dry the bore, and run a lightly oiled patch down it. Dry your chamber. You DID use a bore guide and a one-piece steel or coated rod, right?
Okay. Load 15-20 rounds to be used as foulers. Use a load that you know is safe.
Now, pick a powder that you know is an "accurate" one for your rifle (i.e., 4895 for a .308, 322 for a 6PPC, etc.). Load three start load rounds using prepped match brass.
Fire two foulers at a designated "fouler" target. Now, with your prepped match brass, fire three shots using a "start" load. Make sure you fire all three with the wind blowing the same direction(s) at the same rate. Avoid headwinds/tailwinds, or really windy days. You should see a modest amount of vertical in your group, with a minimal amount of horizontal if you paid attention to the wind flags. Add powder, about 0.3 or 0.5 grains at a time (or with magnums, a grain at a time), and work up the load, cleaning every 17 shots.
You'll see the vertical tighten up, and then maybe expand again. Where it tightens, you've got your sweet spot(s). These sweet spots won't necessarily have the tightest standard deviation, etc... they're where the vibrational characteristics of the barrel are such that the projectile is exiting when the bullet is at the end of a vibrational swing. If you get that, and a low standard deviation in velocity, hey, you're doing good.
I'd rather have an accurate 2500 fps .308 load than a not-so-accurate 2550 fps load.
Okay. Go to the range. Set up a target at 200 yards. Put out some wind flags. These can be as little as 2-3' stakes and surveyor tape. You want to know how the wind is blowing. Using grass/trees don't cut it.
If you don't have a 36x (or better) scope, borrow one or buy an el-cheapo. Tascos are fair, and I understand that the BSA Platinum series are okay. You're doing load development, and it helps a great deal. When you put your normal scope back on, the load you're firing won't change.
Examine and prep your brass.
Examine your bullets - Avoid any with dings or deformations to the BASE. That's what throws shots. Bullets that are perfect go to sleep faster. I suspect that the reason moly bullets go to sleep faster is that the moly is "cushioning" and "averaging" the gas release when the bullet leaves the muzzle.
Boattails are better for accuracy at long distances, due to their higher ballistic coefficients. At shorter distances (300 yards and under) flat base bullets work just fine.
Check your muzzle crown. You may want to have an accuracy smith recrown it. It only takes 15-20 minutes, and makes a world of difference.
Set up a good rest that allows the rifle to recoil consistently. I use a Hart front rest, with a Hoehn windage top, and a Protektor rear cordura rabbit ear bag. Put up a whole buncha targets. I like the practice targets that Ron Hoehn sells. 10 targets to a sheet. You want a SMALL aiming point.
Clean the heck outta the rifle. I use two patches of Butch's, then 10 brush strokes, then two patches of Butch's, and a dry patch. Then I wet a patch with Sweet's, and run it through, turn it over, and run it through again. Does it look blue? Start at step one again. Continue until the Sweet's patch doesn't look blue (you may get a "little" from your jag - you can generally tell). Dry the bore, and run a lightly oiled patch down it. Dry your chamber. You DID use a bore guide and a one-piece steel or coated rod, right?
Okay. Load 15-20 rounds to be used as foulers. Use a load that you know is safe.
Now, pick a powder that you know is an "accurate" one for your rifle (i.e., 4895 for a .308, 322 for a 6PPC, etc.). Load three start load rounds using prepped match brass.
Fire two foulers at a designated "fouler" target. Now, with your prepped match brass, fire three shots using a "start" load. Make sure you fire all three with the wind blowing the same direction(s) at the same rate. Avoid headwinds/tailwinds, or really windy days. You should see a modest amount of vertical in your group, with a minimal amount of horizontal if you paid attention to the wind flags. Add powder, about 0.3 or 0.5 grains at a time (or with magnums, a grain at a time), and work up the load, cleaning every 17 shots.
You'll see the vertical tighten up, and then maybe expand again. Where it tightens, you've got your sweet spot(s). These sweet spots won't necessarily have the tightest standard deviation, etc... they're where the vibrational characteristics of the barrel are such that the projectile is exiting when the bullet is at the end of a vibrational swing. If you get that, and a low standard deviation in velocity, hey, you're doing good.
I'd rather have an accurate 2500 fps .308 load than a not-so-accurate 2550 fps load.