When testing new hunting loads how many rounds of each load?

[tom338]

When developing or trying to find a good load I start with 3 shots for each weight. Why burn 2 extra shots that don't work?? I guess you can pull the bullets. If I shoot 2 shots and they are way apart I don't shoot the 3rd. Why heat up the barrel and waste bullets/powder. If I find something that looks promising then I will shoot it again with a 5 shot group. But for the most part a 3 shot group for me is all I ever use.

 

[mrjashu]

There is none. Bryan Litz has asked for anyone that could prove it would get a prize. IIRC, he's used multiple acoustic targets to show that the flight path does not change over distance. Not saying it's not seen on paper, but that's different shots being compared.

In one of his books he tests this with shoot through targets and proves that group precision is linear. However he did hypothesize that parallax might be the culprit, theorizing that it's easier to get right at the longer distances. I'd have to go re-read it but I think they even tested that theory by changing the aiming point from the near target to the far targets.

 

[mrjashu]

When developing or trying to find a good load I start with 3 shots for each weight. Why burn 2 extra shots that don't work?? I guess you can pull the bullets. If I shoot 2 shots and they are way apart I don't shoot the 3rd. Why heat up the barrel and waste bullets/powder. If I find something that looks promising then I will shoot it again with a 5 shot group. But for the most part a 3 shot group for me is all I ever use.

I use 3 shot groups to eliminate bad loads, then 5 shot groups to prove good loads.

 

[1_pointer]

In one of his books he tests this with shoot through targets and proves that group precision is linear. However he did hypothesize that parallax might be the culprit, theorizing that it's easier to get right at the longer distances. I'd have to go re-read it but I think they even tested that theory by changing the aiming point from the near target to the far targets.

Yep, bullets cannot group closer together at longer ranges.

 

[BuzzH]

In one of his books he tests this with shoot through targets and proves that group precision is linear. However he did hypothesize that parallax might be the culprit, theorizing that it's easier to get right at the longer distances. I'd have to go re-read it but I think they even tested that theory by changing the aiming point from the near target to the far targets.

I would agree with the parallax theory as the culprit as well.