Can handloading drastically change a rifle's accuracy? What is the expected accuracy from the typical hunting factory load?

[adamsinfield]

In answer to your first question, yes.

Here’s a kid development picture I took with just .1gn adjustments of powder. All 5 shot groups at 100m.

[I am aware that this may not be a 100% true reflection due to barrel temps, shooter error, blah blah, but it does show my point!]

 

[Utectok]

In answer to your first question, yes.

Here’s a kid development picture I took with just .1gn adjustments of powder. All 5 shot groups at 100m.

[I am aware that this may not be a 100% true reflection due to barrel temps, shooter error, blah blah, but it does show my point!]

View attachment 325741

Very pretty but repeatable? Zero chance… I’d say looks exactly like random distribution to me?

 

[John Gryphon]

I saw the US/Pom/Aussie beret boys using 338 lapua sniper rifles using factory ammo in the Hussein days and get pretty good results knocking over the other side at extended ranges.

 

[NullMac]

Assuming the rifle is being shot with minimal interaction from the shooter and we are at 100 meters with a decent enough rifle

1) handloading: can a proper load development turn a 2 MOA group into a sub MOA one using a given projectile?

Unlikely. 2 moa is huge for a hand loaded round and unless there are obvious huge inconsistencies in the loading process then tuning it is not going to get you sub moa. If I was getting 2 moa I would waste not time trying to tune that load. I would also be thinking that something was going wrong in the reloading process.

Despite the comment above about "Eric" saying anything will shoot if you tune the seating depth, it missed out the rest of the video. Check the combustion is consistent first. Chronograph (magneto speed or similar, not optical) the loads and check the velocities do not vary hugely. If they do check the weighing process, if its ok and you are still at 2 moa then change power.

Once you are happy with combustion if the groups are still big at short range then you can try seating depth. FWIW I have never actually had to do that with a load. Most of the 308 stuff I loaded was a shade under 1/2 moa without any effort. 270 seemed to be 3/4 -1/2. 243 was much less but I probably just got lucky. The point I am trying to make is that using the right powder, metered consistently and with straight brass and straight seated bullets gives good results. So I tend to buy better quality dies to get a straight round. It's not the only way, but it seems easier to me and most of the best people use good dies? So let's just copy them.

You are going to have to nitpick your reloading process IMO.

2) most rifle have quite a bit of difference in accuracy with factory ammo they like and factory ammo they dislike. Does this reflects your experience, too? If no, what is your experience in this regard?

Yes. Only because some rounds happen to have characteristics that match you rifles chamber, barrel and harmonics. Just luck, or not.

 

[Utectok]

Honestly seating depth will make very little difference to group size. The small amount will be hard to detect using normal means. It certainly will not “tune” a rifle from 2” to 1” at 100m I would argue it makes so little difference that I don’t even mess about with it anymore. Lead at standard sammi length copper run shorter about 50-100thou that’s about it. Anyone who thinks they can tune a load thats great well done but they never produce repeatable results in my experience. Ie if you do the same test again it looks like a different COAL length is better….. most people never repeat it so….

 

[Heym SR20]

In answer to your first question, yes.

Here’s a kid development picture I took with just .1gn adjustments of powder. All 5 shot groups at 100m.

[I am aware that this may not be a 100% true reflection due to barrel temps, shooter error, blah blah, but it does show my point!]

View attachment 325741

Fundamentally any of those groups are showing good accuracy. Some better than others, but all more than good enough for most uses of a rifle.

Perhaps not for bench-rest competition shooting though.

 

[Irish Bob]

Hand loading allows you to fine tune and increase consistency.

It would only drastically improve performance if the ammunition you were using did not suit your rifle, harmonics etc.

Where the factory ammunition you were using is close to optimum any improvement is likely to be slight.

 

[6.5-06 TIKKA]

Here are my thoughts...using properly prepared quality brass , match / BR Primers , pick a COL safely.
Start say 10 % off maximum load from which ever reloading manual you are using and go in .5 gr increments.
When pressure signs appear Stop.
Shooting over a chronograph is a good help.......just my thoughts

 

[JTO]

Handloading will not improve the accuracy of a rifle, but it will help/enable you to get the best out of it.

 

[6.5-06 TIKKA]

That was simply my point...then getting the best out of it.......improves accuracy???

 

[JTO]

That was simply my point...then getting the best out of it.......improves accuracy???

I think this is what Finch was saying in one of his posts. I tried to shorten the read!

 

[Roonster]

Yes, it is reasonable to go from 2MOA to 1/2MOA with hand loads for a decent factory rifle.

The only exceptions I can think of are the SIG CROSS which isn’t designed particularly well from a consistency point of view, and .50BMG which represents a real challenge in terms of recoil management.

But it can be a long drawn out process to find the optimal combination of components, and you have to do it in the right order and be super-meticulous.

Getting down to single-digit ES however, cannot be guaranteed.

 

[John Gryphon]

One thing that comes into play is that very often it is the rifleman that is the problem of poor grouping. An MOA rifle in one shooters hands may not be in another`s.

 

[Mungo]

In answer to your first question, yes.

Here’s a kid development picture I took with just .1gn adjustments of powder. All 5 shot groups at 100m.

[I am aware that this may not be a 100% true reflection due to barrel temps, shooter error, blah blah, but it does show my point!]

View attachment 325741

This just looks like random variation? I don’t see any evidence of systematic changes in response to charge increases at all.

 

[Utectok]

Yes, it is reasonable to go from 2MOA to 1/2MOA with hand loads for a decent factory rifle.

The only exceptions I can think of are the SIG CROSS which isn’t designed particularly well from a consistency point of view, and .50BMG which represents a real challenge in terms of recoil management.

But it can be a long drawn out process to find the optimal combination of components, and you have to do it in the right order and be super-meticulous.

Getting down to single-digit ES however, cannot be guaranteed.

Personally I’ve your at 2moa with factory loads you’ve got the wrong ammunition, trying the right factory ammunition will get you to around 1” in most modern rifles. Doing slightly better with home loads is possible but really I’d be looking to get ES and SD down a bit for longer range. I have never heard of a statistically proven ES of less than ten. SD of single digit achievable though. I think you have to be realistic. Get a good barrel, good bullets, good brass and powder and you will get good results. There is a lot of nonsense talked about tuning loads to 0.2moa mostly based on low test numbers. A real 1/2 moa rifle is exceptionally rare I’ve never seen one that would shoot 30 shots in 1/2moa but I’m willing to believe they exist.

 

[Bowland blades]

I must add, i have shot a few factory loads that where as good or better than some of my pet loads RWS 22 Hornet proved brilliant for me at more modest ranges and 70 grain Federal premium shot perfect ( nosler 75 bullet) . I dont often use factory but its wrong to say home loads always better factory , too many reasons something might shoot a certain way good in a rifle .