Today I Joined the Frequent Flyer Club

[38superman]

I spent the afternoon at the range working up loads for my Hvy Barrel .308 Remington.

I'm trying to settle on a load for a Precision Rifle Match that will happen in September.

It seemed that every group I shot today had 4 really tight shots with a flyer.

I don't know what to make of it. I get those groups from time to time but today I had a boat load of them.

I have to believe it was the wind gusting.

The question now becomes how to evaluate them.

Throw out the flyer?

Measure the group and include the flyer?

I don't want to skew the results, but,...

There has to be some way to differentiate between a 5 shot group that has 4 shots in ragged hole with a flyer, and a group of the same size that printed all over the paper....

Tls

Edited March 31, 2014 by 38superman

[DWFAN]

The top group has the best vertical.

Was the flyer a first shot?

I would load that top load and vary the oal in longer and shorter increments and see what happens.

[38superman]

I don't believe the flyer in any of the groups pictured came on the first shot.

They usually came somewhere in the middle of the string.

The 1st group shown was the best of the day.

It was 4 shots into a 0.3 group that opened up into a .6 group with the flyer.

If I had to compete tomorrow, that would be the load.

However, I am getting ready for a precision rifle match.

i am constrained by having to load to magazine length so I can't play with the seating depth as much as I would like.

I can't load anywhere close to the lands as I would in a benchrest shoot.

There is a fairly significant bullet jump. Somewhere around .138"

I notice that all the flyers drifted to the right.

There was a full value wind blowing left to right across the range.

It was about 10 mph and fairly constant.

I have to believe that it was the wind gusting,.... or something I did or failed to do in my case prep.

What I wouldn't give to have access to a 100 yd indoor range for load testing.

Tls

Edited March 31, 2014 by 38superman

[ShooterSteve]

With a 308 at 100 yds, I don't think the wind would have done thar. To get movement like that on a bullet that size would take a significant gust, and you probably would have noticed it. I totally understand about loading to mag length and trying to figure that out. I had a dismal day at the range today. I was trying out new rear bags, and my ar was shooting 3-4" groups at 100 yds. I was pissed. I kept working with these bags trying this and that. Nothing was helping. I shot about a half a dozen groups trying to get this thing going. About that time I figured out that my scope was loose.