Reloading for Rifle: Accuracy or Velocity?

[Religious Shooter]

I'm probably going to stick with 69SMK for the longer range (100+ yards) stages. I'll be using any cheap factory ball in the stages that are less than 100 yards.

My current loading was just slapped together, zeroed with the rifle and verified that it made minor. Now that it is the off season I can better develop my long range loads.

Now should I be reloading for max or near-max velocity? Or should I load for accuracy?

From what I have read, the powder I am using (Varget) is more accurate usually if downloaded from the max. And it looks like this is a general rule.

But velocity is your friend. With increased velocity the trajectory becomes flatter (more user friendly) and it bucks the wind better.

So... should I reload with velocity as my #1 goal and accuracy as my #2 criteria? Or should it be the other way around?

[texasag93]

I have found in my years of reloading .223, 243 Win, 6mm Rem., 7-08, '06 and 308 that 75-90% of max gives me the best accuracy. I have always thought that accuracy was more important than velocity. I am coming from the hunting end of this topic. In IPSC you must make at least minor first. After that, the load with the better accuracy would be my choice. I am not a big fan of "MAX" loads in anything. It wears barrels faster, and is rough on brass. Make minor, then find the highest velocity that does not affect accuracy. My.02 TXAG

[tightloop]

if you like to reload, chances are you can find a combo that will give you both...keep after it...

[Patrick Sweeney]

Given a choice, take accuracy over velocity. Think about it: if you give up some velocity, how much will your drop and drift change at (say) 300 yards? An inch? A PREDICTABLE inch. But losing accuracy, you lose an inch unpredictably, as in, left/right/up/down, which way?

[kurtm]

For what we do, my thoughts are try to get around a minute of angle to 1.5 M.O.A. with the fastest load you can get SAFELY. Especially if you are triing to match a b.c. in a scope, a la TA-11. My old 1 in 9 Colt barrel will hold about 3" at 200yds, but I can push a 69 gr SMK at 3000fps because of the free bore! Pat has a great point, error to the accuracy side .....but faster better. Just remember faster means new barrels sooner, but it also means sometimes a little less wind hold! I have since switched to 55 gr bullets and find velocity kind of a corner stone with these. Just a different point of view. KURTM

[Bear1142]

Speed kills....but only if you hit the target.

Erik

[Huck]

try some ramshot tac with your 69's and you can have both. Accuracy is paramount, it is also second, and third....

[George]

The following text is an excerpt from an article on AR accuracy by Derrick Martin (Accuracy Speaks).

You can read the whole article at this link: http://www.accuracyspeaks.com/loadinfo.htm

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1. Common sense: Do not blindly employ loading data obtained from other shooters, unless you know the throat profile in your rifle is considerably looser. Even then, it is prudent to work up to the recommended load, instead of diving in.

2. If you own a tight throated rifle, a chronograph is a wise investment. While peak pressure remains a problem, the velocity of a bullet is a method to indirectly measure the work function of the powder (i.e. area under the pressure/time curve). Reducing the powder charge decreases the total work available from the powder; this usually results from a lowering of the peak pressure.

3. Reduced accuracy may result from driving bullets too fast, especially in 20" AR barrels. This may be due to bullet tip-off from the still-expanding propellant gas. I have actually disintegrated 69 grain match bullets by driving them too fast (estimated 3100-3200 FPS). The following velocities are recommended maximums for Sierra match bullets out of fast twist, 20" barreled AR's:

All weights: 3000 FPS (due to bullet disintegration)

69 grain: 2800 FPS (due to gas tip-off effects)

77 grain: 2700 FPS (due to peak pressure and case volume limits)

80 grain: 2650 FPS (due to peak pressure)

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Derrick makes some good points. But it is also true that you can get accuracy real fast & real slow, and in between. My choice runs toward the slow end of the ranges mentioned for SMK 69’s and 77’s. I still get ½ MOA, or better and almost all the available BC.

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Regards,