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Target for handloads ladder test

garandman

Bad Advice for Free
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Minuteman
Nov 17, 2009
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Huntington WV
Cuz I'm cheap, I try to make my pwn targets. Cuz I want my load testing to remove human error as much a possible, I developed this target.... the orange is the
crosshairs aiming point... the red is to square the crosshairs to the target.

What do y'all use?


7083136
 
I like it, not sure how big the paper is, if I shoot paper, I use school project board, then just one horizontal line across with however many aimpoints. Easy to measure, and being I shoot mostly Kahles scopes with a floating dot, I use dots instead of a crosshair duplication.
Also when I do this, and maybe am alone, I load 3 rds of each charge, shooting 2 for data. if you biff a shot, discard, shoot the 3rd. Or, if the 2 shots are grouping, and holding vertical, that 3rd rd for a group may end your load dev in one outing.
For the most part, I paint a template or measure dots on a bigger pc of steel at 500, instantaneous, you know right now if it is working.
 
I like it, not sure how big the paper is,


11x14" poster board weight.

True, this wouldn't really work for target dots. :) I shoot non-intersecting crosshairs.


I'll also just simply say I beleive in minimum 5 rounds to identify a possible load for further testing (i.e. 5 x 5, 5 groups of 5 rounds each) Not really wanting to argue that point. :)
 
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For ladder testing I have a piece of OSB at 400 yards with freezer paper stapled to it with one 2” orange target dot stuck on it about 1/3 to 1/2 way up. I mark the bullet tips with different colored sharpies, load 5 different loads - 3 rounds each and just shoot them. The bullets mark themselves by color (of course be sure to write it down). You can determine a lot like this - velocity by vertical spread and horizontal spread - which can be caused by seating depth preference, etc.

Simplest way I’ve found to get to the best load quickly. Just don’t let barrel get to hot.