At what point are you done with load development?

[lancetkenyon]

The difference between a good factory rifle and a good custom rifle in realistically only about 1/4"-1/2" as long as the shooter can hold that accuracy.

But I have yet to see even the best $700 factory rifle shoot in the .1-.2s consistently.

I would put a great shooter behind a decent factory rifle over a beginner shooter behind a 1/4 MOA custom any day.

 

[jasonco]

Until recently I've never spent more than $700 on a rifle.the most expensive scope I own is under $400 I've never used expensive dies, usually rcbs fl dies. I try too cap my bullet budget at $40 a box. That said I've been able too break 1 moa in all but one rifle. A 18" barreled 444 marlin lever gun. Everything I'm loading for right now will shoot better than I can consistently shoot! I have a new rifle I've only put 25 rounds down the tube . It's best group with me shooting it is 1/2 moa. I have high hopes it will be a 1/4 moa gun but if it isn't I'm happy with what I have right now.

My bullet budget is out of control but, that's OK, I got a lot of mouths to feed! I start with a box of 100 and if I get to where it's really working, then, I either buy up that lot# of 4 more boxes or or just get a 500 bulk box from Midsouth or Midway. My 6 Creedmoor, 1/7 twist, really likes the 110 SMK and I'm 200 into that box!

 

[Blackwater Red]

I'm not opposed to the "Texas Heart Shot", provided one is confident of bullet placement. Did you hit spine, or did it travel all the way through the diaphragm and into the lungs? If it went to the lungs, what bullet were you using? Thanks, memtb

Yes, I was comfortable with the shot placement. The .243 was loaded with 70 grain hollow point match bullets... My memory has faded on the powder and charge. In my original post, I alluded to the bullet hitting no bone, no spine hits. It just ruptured the aorta and hit the diaphragm, which is pretty much an instant kill.

 

[Roughwater]

Anyone else have a hard time setting a rifle to the side and saying you're "done" with load development for it? Early on I was happy getting a box of 100 bullets and getting them to shoot MOA or better. I think I had lower expectations at that time and now seem to be on the extreme other end with very high expectations. More and more I find myself unable to stop tinkering with things in the never ending search of that undefined "perfect" combo. I can't be the only one with this affliction.haha

I'm sure you can all relate and also have countless test loads worked up that are at or below MOA. However, I am not happy with my results unless I'm half-MOA or better. ...and then when I do manage to get a rifle to shoot half-MOA, it's either not repeatable or this devil on my shoulder tells me to tweak the seating depth further, try a crimp, don't crimp, crimp more/less, try a different primer or brand of brass, tighten/loosen the action screws, maybe it'll like a different weight/profile bullet better, and on and on the cycle seems to go.

I'm not a PRS shooter and the main goal of my load development is for hunting purposes. I obviously don't need to be going this far down the rabbit hole.lol For those of you perfectionists out there, at what point do you call it good enough or feel happy with your results?

Before Covid I spent a lot of time and money developing a load. But with hunting local here in NC I keep my shots almost entirely under 200 yards. I still like one MOA or less but if it's under 2 now I'm good especially knowing most rounds will probably be at or under one MOA. I save so much money now on bullets and primers both of which are hard to find, not to mention powder and brass and I'm sending a lot fewer expensive rounds into the dirt. I moreso also develop fewer loads and use the ones I know are good already. I learned to load in the first place to help enable me to hunt and I do admit there is a certain pleasure to be had developing a new round or trying a different bullet but I'll save doing that for when reloading componets are more plentiful and don't cost a arm and a leg and hunt more and reload less right now while I can.