100 yd vs 300

[sic65stang]

Hello all.

I have been experiencing some difficulty recently wile trying to stretch my yardage out. I can get 1/2 or so MOA groups at 100 with multiple handloads, however when I move over to 300 I cant seem to hold a group. Any opinions on if this is something I may be doing wrong or something to look out for? Is it possible that a load at 100 that shoots like a laser opens up at longer distance un-proportionate to MOA expectations? Thank you.

 

[bama1]

Yes. I ran into this starting out with a 260. It was lights out at 100 with 130 Berger but at 600 was shotgun patterning. I increased velocity and all was good at 1000 yds.
By the way, this load stinks at 100. 42 grains to 45 H4350.

 

[sib1948]

Tag for 260 hand loading info.

 

[sic65stang]

I guess load development at 300+ is in my future....

 

[armorpl8chikn]

This is a common problem but one I am lax to speak of due to internet arguments. I had a load with my custom 30-06, with H4831SC, that was bugholes at 100yds. I took it straight to a shoot and did not get the performance I expected at longer ranges, it was horrible. Due to the fact that it produced single digit SD's something was strange. I took it to the range and went straight to 300yds it wouldn't group better than 1.25MOA. I redeveloped the load and immediately it was shooting .4MOA at 300yds .6 MOA at 100yds. .5 MOA at 1000yds. I never shot a .5MOA group with my 1000yd BR rifle at 1000yds. Group size is not always linear, lots of folks claim it is an optics issue, bullets not "going to sleep" etc. I don't know why it happens, I am not a physics expert, I just know what I have seen, and not just occasionally. I test loads at 300,600,and 1000yds whenever possible. It is not necessarily your shooting, trust me. I have had many instances of loads shooting smaller MOA at longer distances than 100yds. When I had a 1000yd BR rifle I was green as a gourd about long range shooting. I tested the hell out of it and couldn't get it to shoot bugholes at 100yds. I called my smith and his first question, "Why the hell are you testing loads at 100yds? It's a Mazeratti dipshit, stretch its legs!" The same loads that were shit at 100yds printed .5MOA at 500yds...problem solved.