Brass preparation is perhaps the most critical step in the quest for uniform ammo. I won't go into much detail here, but I uniform primer pockets and uniform and deburr flash holes of all my brass regardless of the end use. You don't say what your loads will be used for, by typically I work up to maximum then tweak the load downward until I find the best accuracy. When determining the maximum load I typically increase in 1 gr increments (except for cartridges with very smaller powder capacities) from the suggested starting load. If I am looking for the best accuracy I begin working up the load with the bullet seated tight in the lands. Once I have the load I am looking for any adjustment I make to the seating depth decreases rather than increases pressure.
An affordable chronograph makes the chore of determining the maximum load simpler and safer than attempting to read the brass and should probably be part of every handloader's repertoire. With a chronograph, the maximum load can be determined in one of two ways. The most straight forward way is to match the published velocity with the components you've chosen with published data. Regardless of your powder charge, stop when the instrument velocity matches the published velocity as this indicates that you are very near the maximum pressure. If your brass has a smaller volume than the test brass used to determine the published data, you will reach the maximum velocity before you reach the recommended maximum load.
The second way to determine the maximum load is to watch for the velocity plateau that appears as the maximum pressure is approached. If you work up in 1 gr increments for example, you might see regular increases of 40 fps, but when the maximum pressure is reached you might observe only a 10 fps increase with the next powder charge increment. The next increase will almost certainly result in a sticky bolt lift. For a hunting load I would consider the load prior to the velocity plateau my working load, as the velocity gain compared to the pressure increase of the load that shows the velocity plateau is not worthwhile.
From an accuracy point of view I will begin shooting groups and see where the sweet spot is beginning with the load that produced the velocity plateau, then working downwards in 1 gr increments. I might get the best accuracy with the maximum load or it might be 2 grs below maximum, but if the load doesn't look promising right out of the gate, I'll change the components. Once the sweet spot has been determined with full grain increments, I can then split the difference between my two best groups, then if I observe a further improvement I may split half way between the next two best groups.
The next step in the quest for accuracy is to tweak the seating depth of the bullet, but rather than using the nose of the bullet, which tends to be variable, to determine the OAL, I prefer to use the forward bearing surface of the bullet, which is always the same from bullet to bullet within type. Making up a dummy cartridge with a flat based bullet seated base forward and chambering it in the rifle will give you the bolt face to lead length. Pressing a bullet nose first into the muzzle of your rifle and twisting it in your fingers will score a line at the forward edge of the bearing surface. This can now be used as a reference point for how far the bullet is seated off the lands.
If I am loading hunting loads, I don't worry about sub MOA accuracy, and load the ammo with reliable cycling and terminal performance as my overriding concerns. Thus, I work up to my maximum working load and stick with it, and work up the load with the bullet seated deep enough in the case that it will cycle reliably through the magazine. If the bullet I choose has a cannelure, I will probably crimp the bullet to uniform the bullet pull weight, and to ensure that recoil will not drive the bullet deeper into the case neck.
Regardless of the observations you make when shooting your handloads, write them down. Keeping good records is essential to your knowledge base, and dismal or inconsequential results are just as important to record as your excellent results are.
