Hunting load work up?

[Rich Coyle]

How many shots do you use when working up a hunting load? What is the reason? Do you wait several minutes between shots or shoot a couple quickly like in a hunting situation requiring a follow up?

 

[HARPERC]

I'm not big on shooting groups with pure big game rifles. I'm also not one to stretch as far as some here. Generally 3 shot groups, fired in a few minutes, and I'll live with anything sub MOA. I look more at aggregate after that, if I can't replicate that each time I look elsewhere.

At this point we generally hang the archery style big game picture targets, and emphasize first shot cold bore kills.

Varmint, and steel shooters, need to hold zero while hot. I have a .223 that's turned in numerous 0.25" groups. That doesn't mean a lot on those 500 round days in a field infested with sage rats. Holding sub MOA in that style of shooting is acceptable.

 

[Plinker147]

I shoot 3-5 shot groups depending on cartridge and barrel. 3 shots for my big magnums since barrel gets freaking hot in 3 rounds. 5 shot groups in standard cartridges with heavier barrels. I never intentionally wait between shots, I just shoot at a comfortable pace between shots. I feel the gun needs to be consistent for 3 reasonably quick shots since that replicates what a real hunting scenario could be. Mostly its done in 1, but I have had to take a few follow ups over the years.

I do wait 5-10 minutes(or how ever long for barrel to cool) in-between groups.

I have had load work up take as little as 15-20 shots and as much as 60-70 depending on how sensitive each gun is and how picky I am with each gun.

 

[velvetant]

I like to work up my loads how they would be shot in the field.
I do load work up shooting prone, like I normally shoot in the field but that's terrain/vegetation variable so might not be doable for a lot of people.
Varmint rifle is heavy barrel, 10 shot groups. No waiting in between.
Non magnum walking around light barrel rifle, doubles as my varmint/deer rifle. 5 shot group no waiting.
Magnum light barrel, 3 shot group. Let barrel cool between each shot. After I find a load for this one I will fire all 3 quick to see if it opens up on a hot barrel.

 

[g0rd0]

what I do is after setting my scope to where I want I let it go for a day, clean my rifle then the next morning I fire 1 shot to confirm the point of aim. After all when you hunt you do not have a heated barrel so, that 1 cold shot is all it takes

 

[DartonJager]

I have for along, long time based my hunting reloads on my nearly 30+ years of hunting, in that in all those years I have only taken more than one shot at an animal on two occasions, and both times were back in my hunting infancy before I matured and became much more competent, proficient a field shot, so I stick with three shot groups.

I only shoot as many shots and needed from the bench to determine the optimum load development and then from that point forward all shooting is done using field/hunting shooting form.

I also use a modified ladder system of load development that has served me extremely well and as a matter of fact I just used it to find a great MOA load fro my new 300wsm Tikka T3 Light.

 

[FURMAN]

I use a modified ladder test if I have access to my long range range otherwise I do an OCW. I am trying to find a stable load in as few rounds as possible for barrel life purposes. If I can not get a stable load under .5MOA I will move on to a different powder and or bullet. If that does not work the gun has to go. I have only had one rifle that would not do under .5MOA with a cold bore shot.

 

[velvetant]

DJ, I've done the ladder test.
What is your modified ladder system?

 

[Rich Coyle]

That makes two of us who want to know.

 

[DartonJager]

I apololgize, I wasn't trying to give the impression I had something new to add the standard ladder method of load development. What I meant by "modified" is instead of a standard "Round Robin" method of shooting at multiple targets, I shoot all my shots at one target and after each 3-shot string walk down to my target circle each hole with a different color sharpie, take a pic with my phone and cover the group with clear packing tape. That way if a new bullet goes through a previous hole the packing tape tells me so.

That way I don't waist time orientating my set up to several different targets, it has proven a tremendous time saver. Admittedly though, it is only practical for 100 and 200 yard groups.

 

[Rich Coyle]

DartonJager,

The three shots do or don't have the same amount of powder?