Having chronographed thousands of rounds from many different cartridges, I nearly always come up well short in terms of velocity compared to what most manuals say. Years ago I had a Remington 700VLS 22/250 with a 26" bbl and when using Varget with a 50gn bullet I remember that Nosler manual saying I'd get xyz velocity, but my rifle produced velocity 200fps less despite having a barrel two inches longer. Go figure !
I've had that issue and if I wanted the 200 fps or more in velocity, I made a dummy round with the bullet seated out further
and took the rifle over to the gunsmith and had him ream the throat out to fit the dummy round and then
worked up my load once again...
also changing powders can change that if velocity is short of your expectations...
some of my varmint rifles I ratchet up in velocity due to desiring an increase in range with them...
hunting rifles, not really, as I hunt at woods ranges usually.
but I chase accuracy first, velocity second...
also learned which powders are most accurate when redlined and which ones are most accurate at more sedate
velocity....
Guess we all have our own ways we have learned to live with... I know what works for me...
and I won't deny that came about from "learning experiences" along the way...
Load manuals are a guide, not a bible.... and that can be for finding velocity, up or down... along with accuracy.
there are no concrete truths... I just don't try to turn a 308 into a 300 Win Mag.. and life is pretty non eventful...
