200 yd Ladder Test?

[DocGlenn]

Is it possible to do a useful ladder test at 200 yds or do you really need a 300 yd minimum to get valid results? It's easy for me to shoot at 200 yds, much more difficult to shoot at 300yds, but I don't want to waste my time with results that aren't going to be useful. Thanks for the help.
Glenn

 

[flashhole]

Re: 200 yd Ladder Test?

I've done several ladder tests at 200 yards. I usually do it 3 tmes on three different backers checking for repeatable results. I draw horizontal parallel lines spaced 1" apart and use a blaze orange target for easy sighting. I like to see 4 equal quadrants of orange around the cross hairs. That way I know I get a good hold when firing.

Remember you don't pay attention to windage, just vertical placement when doing the test to hone in on a load range. Then use finer increments of powder for fine tuning the load. Some guns have very noticible nodes.

My experience has been I get a low charge range node and a high charge range node. I will usually select the high charge range node to fine tune the load.

 

[CTone03]

Re: 200 yd Ladder Test?

I've tried the ladder test at close to 300 yards (286) and it was hard to tell what was what. I was using tired brass, so my groups were pretty spread, but I don't believe that even 300 is game for a ladder test. 500+ is pretty definitive, and would be my choice if I had the room, but since I don't right now, I use the OCW method at 100. The OCW works well at 100, but you have to shoot a few more rounds.

 

[vman]

Re: 200 yd Ladder Test?

You might struggle at 200. Things might look much the same. I do all of my ladder work at 400. 300 Would be a minimum for me, but taking it to 400 help a lot more.

To give you an example, at 400 yards 0.3 grains difference might only mean 1-2cm difference in vertical. Obviously nodes shots stick close together.

Im only just getting stuck into 600 yard shooting, so its a little foreign to me but I would imagine once one has the skills to shoot 600+, the ladder results would be much more apparent.

 

[DocGlenn]

Re: 200 yd Ladder Test?

Thanks guys. I thought it would probably be tough to get good data at such a close range, but thought it was worth asking. Thanks again.

 

[ChadTRG42]

Re: 200 yd Ladder Test?

Doc, just load up 5 rounds each and increase you powder charge .2 or .3 grains at a time. This method will work much better for you. Depending on the caliber and bullet choice, 200 yards would be ok. The ladder method takes too many bullets and several range trips.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: 200 yd Ladder Test?

Shooting at 300+ yards is more about keeping the shot holes properly identified so you can by sure of what you're looking at than the quality of the data, as such.

I only have 100 yards but I do ladders anyway. I just have numbered targets to match my loads and only put one hole in each target. When finished, I precisely stack each one in succession over the back of a same size target and mark/number each hole in turn; works fine for me. It's true that longer ranges don't always maintian the same MOA spred as at 100 yards but I'm not a frequent long range shooter and I live with the test range I have.

 

[jagged77]

Re: 200 yd Ladder Test?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ChadTRG42</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Doc, just load up 5 rounds each and increase you powder charge .2 or .3 grains at a time. This method will work much better for you. Depending on the caliber and bullet choice, 200 yards would be ok. The ladder method takes too many bullets and several range trips. </div></div>

Yep I have to agree, I've worked up loads this way and always got to a good result pretty quickly and usually in one range trip.