Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Where is the node?

Where is the node in this modified ladder test? 500 yards. 7 charges in .4gr increments. Wind started at 4.5 mph full value. By load 7 it was down to maybe 2mph. Load 7 is pretty hot with heavier bolt lift and some ejector wipe.

John

Load 6 is where I'd concentrate. Any chrony info from the groups?

6-7. Right at pressure, where it usually happens...

Didn't Chrono this session. From previous sessions though, load 6 should be a little under 3300.

John

Load 6.

You didn't shoot a Ladder. You shot groups.

You could have shot a ladder, interpreted the same results and saved 14 rounds of ammo.


just sayin'...

True that.
That's more of an OCW and therefore better than a ladder.

How would the ladder account for the dispersion between different shots with the same charge? You could say I shot a ladder and two more to verify. I don't see that I hurt a thing just more data to identify a node with. Kind of a combination of ladder and OCW. I'm not convinced either one is the holy grail of load development but I'm willing to give them a try. Very seldom I consider rounds down range a waste.

John

You can do what you want, but your "combo" is a waste of 14 shots when the same result after analysis would lead you to the same end. That's the purpose of the Audette.

As far as dispersion with the same load, are you fugging kidding me? You expect any load at that range to print in one hole?

LOL

So, ladder, 1 shot each on OP's target.
High 1, Low 2, High 3, Low 4, High 5, Low 6, High 7.
What exactly could you deduce from that?

That was kinda my thinking...

John

So I could pick any one of the three shots of any load and they show the same vertical dispersion between the other charges as the centers of each three charge group? I'm not buying it. If that were the case there would be no reason to shoot more than one shot at the same target EVER for any reason, be it load development, zeroing, or whatever.



No I don't. Which is exactly why I wanted to use a three shot average of where each charge hits to determine my vertical dispersion. If in fact they DID actually all hit the same hole, then there would be no need for further shots.

John

Sure, if you cherry pick the worst impact of each load it looks like nothing is there.


There's more than one way to do it as you see. One method will give you similar results with 2/3 less rounds down the bore. When you shoot an Audette, you pick the loads in the node and test them to see which is best. #7 looks promising as well.

Suppose only the uppermost shots from 3 & 4, and the lowest shot from 5 had been the ones fired. It would then look like there was something special at 4.

I wouldn't choose load #7 personally.

#6 is what i would choose and try seating depth first, then try primer change. Then even try changing neck tension if you have a bushing die.

I think we could look at as either several three shot groups OR he shot three consecutive ladders and got more useful information.

Ladder vs. OCW

How big is the bullseye target?
I'd load up about 10 of #6, shoot 5-6 at 500, if you like the results then crony the remaining rounds to get velocity.

So I loaded up some rounds with the charge halfway between load 6 and 7, 36.6gr. I used a few to make sure my 100 yard zero was perfect. The results at 100 weren't encouraging, but I figured I try them at 500 since that's where I shot the ladder/OCW/whatever you want to call it. The shotgun pattern (10 shots) at the top of and above the bullseye is the "group" resulting from the "node."

I've run MANY ladder test, OCWs and variations thereof, with several very accurate custom rifles over the years and the yet to have a ladder or OCW show me the best load for any of those rigs. I remain skeptical...

John