357 110 Gr Plinkers - First Variables Range-Tested
Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 2:37 pm
I’ve been around long enough, shot enough different firearms and enough different types of ammo to know a “good group” from a “bad group,” as I’m sure most of you have, too. That’s why I’m most interested in how you interpret what’s going on with the targets below, because they come close to telling me absolutely nothing except that the sample size wasn’t big enough.
The quick background is that this is a “first outing” for my first reloads, specifically 357 Magnum, with Hornady 110 gr JHP over Unique powder at 7.5 gr, 8.5 gr and 9.5 gr. 10 rounds of each load, distributed as outlined below. All rounds seated, indoors, no bag rest (just elbows on the bench in front of me), 1.5-4X20 Leo VX Freedom @ 4.0.
The first target (paper plate on silhouette, 3 layers deep) is just a warm-up, or “control group” of 10 rounds of 142 gr Fiocchi flat nosed at 25 yds, just to see how things might go. As you can see, not a great start. Nothing great about the group as a whole, with one huge flyer. So far, so so-so.
Next target down is 3 rounds of each of the re-loads, again at 25 yds, just to see how they line up against one another and against the control group of factory ammo. NO adjustments whatsoever to the scope, as I didn’t want to bring another variable into the exercise. From these three groups, I can tell almost nothing other than the two heavier loads enabled me to land two shots very close together. Advantage 8.5 and 9.5 gr. But, still, the 7.5 isn’t terrible.
Given the above fairly inconclusive story, see target #3, shot from 50 yds with the remaining 7 rounds of each powder load. From this, I can personally tell even less. They are, for me, all below average groups, but not that inferior to the factory ammo I started out with, and none of the reload variables had the benefit of any scope tweaking (due to lack of enough ammo to have it make sense).
Please feel free to guide me otherwise, but my inclination from here is to load up 50 rounds of each variable, go back to the range with bags and work through each powder weight with scope adjustments to see how tightly I can get them to group, starting with the 7.5 grain and working my way up. Whether I can do all this in one session remains to be seen, but I’d like to, just for the sake of continuity (understanding that fatigue might set in at some point), but I’ll take it one step at a time.
Other than that, I’m clueless and have zero experience in this phase of the reloading game. What would your advice be?
The quick background is that this is a “first outing” for my first reloads, specifically 357 Magnum, with Hornady 110 gr JHP over Unique powder at 7.5 gr, 8.5 gr and 9.5 gr. 10 rounds of each load, distributed as outlined below. All rounds seated, indoors, no bag rest (just elbows on the bench in front of me), 1.5-4X20 Leo VX Freedom @ 4.0.
The first target (paper plate on silhouette, 3 layers deep) is just a warm-up, or “control group” of 10 rounds of 142 gr Fiocchi flat nosed at 25 yds, just to see how things might go. As you can see, not a great start. Nothing great about the group as a whole, with one huge flyer. So far, so so-so.
Next target down is 3 rounds of each of the re-loads, again at 25 yds, just to see how they line up against one another and against the control group of factory ammo. NO adjustments whatsoever to the scope, as I didn’t want to bring another variable into the exercise. From these three groups, I can tell almost nothing other than the two heavier loads enabled me to land two shots very close together. Advantage 8.5 and 9.5 gr. But, still, the 7.5 isn’t terrible.
Given the above fairly inconclusive story, see target #3, shot from 50 yds with the remaining 7 rounds of each powder load. From this, I can personally tell even less. They are, for me, all below average groups, but not that inferior to the factory ammo I started out with, and none of the reload variables had the benefit of any scope tweaking (due to lack of enough ammo to have it make sense).
Please feel free to guide me otherwise, but my inclination from here is to load up 50 rounds of each variable, go back to the range with bags and work through each powder weight with scope adjustments to see how tightly I can get them to group, starting with the 7.5 grain and working my way up. Whether I can do all this in one session remains to be seen, but I’d like to, just for the sake of continuity (understanding that fatigue might set in at some point), but I’ll take it one step at a time.
Other than that, I’m clueless and have zero experience in this phase of the reloading game. What would your advice be?
