It does make a difference group

[BudT]

Some reloaders don't mess around with a couple of tenths of a grain of powder, well it can make a serious difference.

Attachment 41401

[bruce]

Agree. Working up a load is a step by step process. The last few steps ... often in 1/10's of a grain. The above target ... several strings of each load or one string with each load? Sincerely. bruce.

[aintright]

Good point Bruce , going to check a string on some loads I was working with in a T/C Venture Predator 308 . Went from 42 to 43 gr of IMR 4064 in .5 gr jumps . Might give some thing in between a try .
42 and 42.5 shot pretty tight , three shot groups running from .5" to .8" , first group on a clean barrel was inch and a quarter but then tightened right up .
Kenneth

[BudT]

Agree. Working up a load is a step by step process. The last few steps ... often in 1/10's of a grain. The above target ... several strings of each load or one string with each load? Sincerely. bruce.

Took a new load using Win 760 then changed the primer to a WLR standard and re-set my seating depth on the bullet and it changed to the top group, acceptable yes but not what I thought the rifle was capable of. I changed up by the 2 tenths in charge leaving everything else the same and bingo I hit a sweet spot. 5 shots in the lower group, my eyes are not as good as they were so when I crank out a good one I'm surprised and pleased. No repeats on the upper group but 2 more of the lower group confirmed the load. Both would go hunt.

[Sunray]

"...it can make a serious difference..." Yep. As little as .1 can matter.
42 of IMR 4064 is very close to the start load for most bullet weights. It is the start load for a 165. You really need to go up from the start load to the max load, then once you have the most accurate load at .5 increments, go back to the charge before that one and go up by .1. If you feel like it.

[JB White]

I haven't had that drastic a change between thrown/randomly checked charges and trickled/weighed charges. I reckon it depends a lot on a lot of factors. Rifle, cartridge, components...
While I could see a measurable difference, it usually wasn't worth the effort for Sunday paper punching. My powder trickler isn't going anywhere though.

[BudT]

I throw a light charge then trickle it up to the number. For me I do a load at the start then .5 grain all the way up the ladder till .5 under book max. I use the book recommended COAL, primer and my case and bullet. Somewhere along the line I find something that wants to shoot then I go into the 1-2 tenths of a grain thing, when I settle on the load I then start to mess around with the bullet jump or adjust to whatever shows best accuracy at the best velocity. It's always a compromise at some point but safety is always "first".

[Major Tom]

Since none of my reloads are any where near max. and since I don't shoot for dime sized groups; a scooped powder charge is OK with me. I do check the powder weight by scale every 10 rounds.

[Liam]

This is irritating, as the majority of electronic powder scales advertise their product as capable of "+ or - .1 grains" accuracy. Granted, I'm not steady enough to realize super accurate groups, but I feel I am handicapping myself at the bench with my little RCBS Rangemaster 750, which tends to wander within minutes of having turned it on. Constantly having to re-zero the thing.

[BudT]

I use a balance beam scale, I have no intention of up grading to a electronic scale. A RCBS 5-10 to be exact, bought it used a few years ago.