hairtriggr
New member
Does anyone use the ladder method of load development? If so, could you please give me a quick primer on the methodology?
Thanks
Thanks
Ladder testing?
- Thread starter hairtriggr
- Start date
songdogslayer
New member
hairtrigger,
My first trip to the range using Dan Newberry's OCW method was successful. I had made seven trips to the rifle range using various other methods without satisfaction. Newberry's method seemed rather tedious when I first started investigating it, but I was to the point of trying anything to get a good load worked up for this rifle. Take a look at this and see if it works for you:
http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com/
My results of using this method were very good - I had just about given up on the rifle (Savage .243 Win bolt action with Horus Vision Hawk on top, shooting 75 gr VMAX). I can cover these three shots with a dime - good enough for this guy.
Good luck,
-Scott
My first trip to the range using Dan Newberry's OCW method was successful. I had made seven trips to the rifle range using various other methods without satisfaction. Newberry's method seemed rather tedious when I first started investigating it, but I was to the point of trying anything to get a good load worked up for this rifle. Take a look at this and see if it works for you:
http://optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com/
My results of using this method were very good - I had just about given up on the rifle (Savage .243 Win bolt action with Horus Vision Hawk on top, shooting 75 gr VMAX). I can cover these three shots with a dime - good enough for this guy.
Good luck,
-Scott
hairtriggr
New member
I remember seeing that before, I think thats what I want to try. I'm having trouble getting a .243 to behave as well. Thanks for the link.
Well, after reading this link in more detail over the weekend - this makes a lot of sense. The only caution would be not to exceed 'max load' with any of your charge weights because to me anyway, it just isn't worth blowing yourself, or you gun up. You should almost always be able to find something that works within the published min & max loads and if not, try another powder or bullet combination. I had already been doing the round robin thing. 7-10% off of the published 'max load' is also right about where I've been starting. And looking for consistent POI between a few different charge levels then, to reduce variability with changing conditions, well... it all sounds very reasonable. Good approach.
I found near perfection right out of the gates when first reloading for my 243 -- 40.5 of Varget with Rem 9 1/2 primers all behind Nosler's 70gr Ballistic Tips. But as I went up on my charge levels (more of a straight ladders approach I guess), I didn't see things really coming together good again until 41.6. As I look back on my targets now, 41.7 was good, 41.8 - also good, and all three of these had virtually the same POI (on the complete opposite side of the target again from 41.5!). So having not even read this link before, I had decided to standardize on 41.7 and just vary my COL's from there. So I think I am on the right track. I didn't do as good yesterday though as the week prior, so can't say for sure. The good news -- more testing required!
)
Thanks again for sharing this link Scott.
Stephen
I found near perfection right out of the gates when first reloading for my 243 -- 40.5 of Varget with Rem 9 1/2 primers all behind Nosler's 70gr Ballistic Tips. But as I went up on my charge levels (more of a straight ladders approach I guess), I didn't see things really coming together good again until 41.6. As I look back on my targets now, 41.7 was good, 41.8 - also good, and all three of these had virtually the same POI (on the complete opposite side of the target again from 41.5!). So having not even read this link before, I had decided to standardize on 41.7 and just vary my COL's from there. So I think I am on the right track. I didn't do as good yesterday though as the week prior, so can't say for sure. The good news -- more testing required!
)Thanks again for sharing this link Scott.
Stephen