what would you do next?

coyotelite

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howa 1500 sporter .308. 21" barrel loading varget powder for 155 eldm. found a good velocity node with 45.6 to 46.0 grains with an es of 13. groups are 2.5" at 100 yards. not good at all but just under that at 45.4 grains I get an es of like 40 but the rifle shoots .82. I really want a tighter velocity spread but accuracy is paramount. I plan on loading a few more 3 shot groups at that 45.4 charge and confirming the tight groups then mess with seating depths all while keeping track of the changes in ES. What are my options to hunt down that happy place of good ES and tight groups?
 
I may be backwards but I shoot my loads for groups(5 shots mostly unless ultra thin barrel) then I get velocity data after settling on accuracy load. All my load testing is done at 300 yds. Bipod and rear bag. That's how my rifles will be shot in field so that's how I develop loads. Focus on groups to start, not es or sd. Once you find accuracy node test in 100 yd increments to your max expected range and go from there with seating depth changes if needed. Works for me.
 
Load 45.8gr and do a seating depth test with that load. I always find a load that has the lowest es/sd then try to dial it in with seating depth. I also try a few different primers. It's often very surprising when see a 1.5" group turn into a .25" group when tweaking the seating depth.
After the seating depth test dials it you may need to tweak the powder charge a few tenths of a grain.
Remember for long range... 100 yd groups are not the goal. You have to get rid of vertical dispersion! Concentrate on that first and you will find your long range load.
 
I may be backwards but I shoot my loads for groups(5 shots mostly unless ultra thin barrel) then I get velocity data after settling on accuracy load. All my load testing is done at 300 yds. Bipod and rear bag. That's how my rifles will be shot in field so that's how I develop loads. Focus on groups to start, not es or sd. Once you find accuracy node test in 100 yd increments to your max expected range and go from there with seating depth changes if needed. Works for me.

Just like you thought, you can chase ES and SD first or use your method. Both will end up with the same results, which is a good accuracy node and low ES and SD.
 
Another thing it could be is that your rifle just may not shoot well with that particular bullet. If you can't dial it in with a low es/sd load I try another bullet. I've wasted alot of time,effort, and money when I started out trying to get a bullet that I wanted to shoot work out.
I finally switched bullets and magically found a good load .
 
Sort the brass by weight. Uniform the primer pockets and debur the flash holes.

I took a rifle that was fighting me from 1.5" groups sub 3/8" with only that change. The Remington brass I was using had an 8-9 gr extreme spread. At one point after I figured it out, I sorted previously loaded rounds by weight and shot them in ascending order. I finished with a 15 shot group with all shots touching. I should have taken a picture of it. It was shaped like a hockey stick.
 
Great point...
I guess we should have asked about his brass prep. It definitely makes a huge difference. I also have to turn the necks on some custom chambers.
I know I seem I concentrate on es/sd but that's the best you can do testing at 100yds for determining potential vertical dispersion.
I often go the range with my best test loads and a portable reloading set up and simply test for actual vertical at 600 yds.What really matters of course is what shows up on paper.
 
He is already shooting Varget with 155 class bullet getting 13 es. Don't over think it. It's a known combination. Do brass prep!!

It was an eye opener for me. All of my rifles shoot well now. Some shoot exceptional. You woul think some of my cases are made from solid gold the way I handle them now.
 
Brass prep should have been the first priority.
That's needs done before anything else.
Everything about this is backwards.
 
45.8= best es. 2.5" group
45.4=poor es .82" group
I'd work with the 45.8 and adjust seating depth. I'm betting with a little tweaking it'll group like the 45.4
I would also shoot 5 or more shots in your testing. .5 grain diffference isn't very much for that rifle to be shooting that different of a group
As mentioned above, sometimes you're better off loading up the 45.4, shooting off the bullets and trying again with a different bullet. Sometimes the group and es will just come together.
 
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