Not that there is such a things as a bad day at the range...
Anyway, I often go the range with a specific test in mind, often load development.
For load development, I load the powder charge I think should be about right, and then load an increment (or 2) more and less powder, and shoot for groups.
Sometimes the test is inconclusive. A good test shows a significant change in several different guns. Like today.
In this case I was testing 38 Spl and 357 Mag with 148 lead wadcutters with Viht N320. The book suggested 3.2 for the 38 and 3.5 for the 357. My experience has been that my guns do better with higher velocity, so I loaded the book load and then each with 2 more increments.
38Spl 3.2, 3.4, 3,6
357 3.5, 3.8, 4,1
I shot each load through 4 different revolvers in both calibers ( 8 guns). In each case, the book (mild load) was the worst group and the hottest group was the best, and the middle load was in between.
But now I have to go back to the range with some other guns and test the hot loads in them, plus another load, one step hotter.
In this picture, you can see a pair of 38 Revolvers, with the book load on the left and the hot load on the right.
The moral of the story, it try some different loads. It makes a big difference.
Anyway, I often go the range with a specific test in mind, often load development.
For load development, I load the powder charge I think should be about right, and then load an increment (or 2) more and less powder, and shoot for groups.
Sometimes the test is inconclusive. A good test shows a significant change in several different guns. Like today.
In this case I was testing 38 Spl and 357 Mag with 148 lead wadcutters with Viht N320. The book suggested 3.2 for the 38 and 3.5 for the 357. My experience has been that my guns do better with higher velocity, so I loaded the book load and then each with 2 more increments.
38Spl 3.2, 3.4, 3,6
357 3.5, 3.8, 4,1
I shot each load through 4 different revolvers in both calibers ( 8 guns). In each case, the book (mild load) was the worst group and the hottest group was the best, and the middle load was in between.
But now I have to go back to the range with some other guns and test the hot loads in them, plus another load, one step hotter.
In this picture, you can see a pair of 38 Revolvers, with the book load on the left and the hot load on the right.
The moral of the story, it try some different loads. It makes a big difference.
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