Load development - suppressed or not?

[ReaperDriver]

Is it best to do initial load development on a new load / rifle with it suppressed or unsuppressed? Or is there a difference? I would imagine the OCW would change some depending on if there was 11oz of titanium hanging off the end of the barrel. My plan is to shoot probably 75% suppressed and the rest not. I'm just trying to understand if I will need to do two different OCW test with and without the can? TIA.

 

[spife7980]

Mine doesn’t shoot the same with the can as without.

 

[Dthomas3523]

Anytime you’re using groups to determine something, you’ll need to shoot the rifle as it will be shot. Be it surpressed, brakes, bare, etc.

 

[mcfred]

The only load development I've done expressly omitting a muzzle device was when the projectile stability was not guaranteed with a particularly long projectile and "marginal" twist rate. I ran a load up over a chronograph until there were signs of excessive pressure (no existing load data for that powder/projectile/cartridge). Once I confirmed that the bullets were impacting the target pointy-end first, I then re-installed the muzzle device and continued load development as I intended to shoot the rifle.

 

[pell1203]

If you are shooting suppressed 75% of the time then do your load development that way. Once you have a good load, remove the suppressor, fire a group and note the POI difference In angular units (MOA or Mils), if any. Incorporate this difference into your calculations whenever shooting unsuppressed.

 

[FCS]

Define in majority use configuration.
Test and know minority use configuration differences.

Costs you a few rds, minor cost in big picture.