I was wondering what the fuss is about speed deviations at normal hunting ranges say out to 500 yards? I have a friend that has a Rem 700 300WM, 26" bartlein ss 1-10t barrel, 40x trigger mag pull stock. He asked me to glass bed it as his best group was 11/2" at 200 yards. All scope and mounting hardware is Leupold. I bedded it and worked him up a load using 168 grain Berger's and H4831. I gave him the target at 100 yards just under 1/2" group 3 shots. Also Berger 155 grain vld same powder put 2 in a perfect hole and I pulled the flier 1/4" off. He's insisting on using heavies over 200 grains. He did a deviation check on my load and was hovering in the 50 FPS deviations. I've never checked deviations in my life I go after tightest group I can get with a chosen bullet!
Now he adjusted powder charge to single digit deviations and he is throwing 4" groups at 200 yards! I told him To play with seating depth before anything and like it or not that rifle liked the 155 better than 168 and may like something lighter better. So I'll continue going after tight groups for our kind of hunting here in Western NY which 300 yards is a long shot. But should I be after low speed deviations before I go after tight groups. I have been reloading 30 years based off what my father taught me of the time. I've only started experimenting different theories after joining LRH this spring.
Now he adjusted powder charge to single digit deviations and he is throwing 4" groups at 200 yards! I told him To play with seating depth before anything and like it or not that rifle liked the 155 better than 168 and may like something lighter better. So I'll continue going after tight groups for our kind of hunting here in Western NY which 300 yards is a long shot. But should I be after low speed deviations before I go after tight groups. I have been reloading 30 years based off what my father taught me of the time. I've only started experimenting different theories after joining LRH this spring.