Which tweak should be next?

[Jspeed]

Narrow seating depth test today at 100 yds….243 Win/41 gr IMR 4350/Berger 87 VLD's…previous lot of same projectiles shot best at 20 off, so tried 10, 20, and 30 off today…got an OCW set ready to be seated-just thought a new seating depth might stand out….10 off is largest group (3/4" vs 3/8" and 5/8"), but I like the shape of this group better and am leaning towards tweaking the 10 off after OCW….what are your thoughts? Thanks

 

[Jspeed]

Addendum: new OCW because I've moved from Winchester brass to Lapua…

 

[338 dude]

Addendum: new OCW because I've moved from Winchester brass to Lapua…

Try .040 off

 

[Zen Archery]

What's goal?
Sub-MOA looks good to me.

 

[Jspeed]

What's goal?
Sub-MOA looks good to me.

I get it…and I agree with you, really…. I guess I feel willing to put in a little more testing? The other side of the coin is, if sub-MOA holds at 5-800 yards, I'd be plenty happy. Sometimes I get too caught up in that "5 rounds/1 ragged hole"…I guess part of me would like to do that just once!!

 

[LDHunter]

Sub moa is "good" at any yardage... Sub .5moa is better... Sub .25moa is the Holy Grail...

For a true hunting rifle that I will actually use to shoot medium to large game I'm happy with sub moa but in all other rifles I just can't rest until I get at least close to sub .5moa and sub .25moa usually gets me to stop experimenting.

It's all a matter of perspective. Truly achieving sub .25moa can either drive you crazy or sharpen your focus to laserlike precision. The trick is to NOT let yourself get neurotic if you can't achieve it. There are soooooo many moving parts that have to ALL precisely align that it is a goal that few ever truly achieve and even then to achieve it with more than one rifle is almost unheard of.

I've been handloading my own ammo for over 50 years and I can count on one hand the rifles I've ever achieved sub .25moa with and those successes keep me constantly trying to improve.

Note that I've never had a custom rifle built and every one of my bolt action rifles used for target shooting in the last 20 years have been either Model 700s or Model Sevens. That makes it even harder and the achievement of great accuracy a worthy goal. They all have been professionally bedded and have McMillan, Brown Precision or have aluminum bedding block stocks that have been skim bedded.

Only accurate guns are interesting... Col Townsend Whelen

 

[CCAguns]

I'll take smallest grouping over shape of group any day. But try 40 off if you still want to test.

 

[Jspeed]

Sub moa is "good" at any yardage... Sub .5moa is better... Sub .25moa is the Holy Grail...

For a true hunting rifle that I will actually use to shoot medium to large game I'm happy with sub moa but in all other rifles I just can't rest until I get at least close to sub .5moa and sub .25moa usually gets me to stop experimenting.

It's all a matter of perspective. Truly achieving sub .25moa can either drive you crazy or sharpen your focus to laserlike precision. The trick is to NOT let yourself get neurotic if you can't achieve it. There are soooooo many moving parts that have to ALL precisely align that it is a goal that few ever truly achieve and even then to achieve it with more than one rifle is almost unheard of.

I've been handloading my own ammo for over 50 years and I can count on one hand the rifles I've ever achieved sub .25moa with and those successes keep me constantly trying to improve.

Note that I've never had a custom rifle built and every one of my bolt action rifles used for target shooting in the last 20 years have been either Model 700s or Model Sevens. That makes it even harder and the achievement of great accuracy a worthy goal. They all have been professionally bedded and have McMillan, Brown Precision or have aluminum bedding block stocks that have been skim bedded.

Only accurate guns are interesting... Col Townsend Whelen

I appreciate the wisdom…this is a little Browning MicroMidas that my 3 boys all started on, but have now "outgrown"…I love shooting it, though…nothing more than a little trigger work ever done to this rifle

 

[Rick Richard]

If you're going to play, then try the .040 off and further . Also, try the .010 off and adjust powder .2 grains up and down. With all that said, I bet you are about as close as your going to get with that combo.

 

[Ramem7mm]

What is the barrel specs? ie length and twist rate. some of the older 243's have a slower twist(1 in 10) and if I recall the Berger calculator puts this 87gr bullet and a 1 in 10 in the marginally stable category so depending on what you have you might be fighting a little bit of a battle.

 

[Mikecr]

For this course round of testing, I'd be compelled to also try 40 OTL, and if it opens go back to 25/35.
With something there, and after you dial in OCW, you can fine tweak seating in it's window for tightest group shaping.

Along with this testing, it could be a good time for primer swapping as well.
You could use 10 OTL, since it's nice and open, and see what a few different primers do.
This can identify an optimum primer -for your striking.

 

[Lenny Foffa]

I would try .35 and .40 off just for fun. 3 , three shot groups each. For me it would be three shot groups, smallest group wins. Let the barrel cool between each shot. !! I do not know if it was ever a SUB MOA rifle You may already be shooting Close or At the maximum ability of the rifle according to the manufacture. Your loading will surely make a positive difference.

 

[nksmfamjp]

I'd shoot 20 at 0.030" and see how it holds that group. Then you know where you are at.

 

[jraulsten]

I would continue testing past 30 and go up into the 50s or 60s. You may be surprised.......