[bassfishindoc]

I am spending my winter working on developing a load for Garand competition next year. I am not looking for a recipe, I took care of that with an earlier thread on another forum entitled Garand Competition Loads. I am now in the process of testing the loads and need some advice. When testing 30-06 ammo for accuracy, is 100 yard groupings a good prediction of 200 yard accuracy? Or should I test the rounds at 200 yards? The reason I ask is it is much easier to see the 100 yard target with my spotting scope (saving up to get a better one) and it is much quicker to change targets walking 100 yards as opposed to 200 yards, thus avoiding ******* off the other guys at the range for taking too long to change targets. Thanks for the advice!

[c3shooter]

When we have folks talking to long to pull targets, we find that a few rounds of 22 LR usually makes them move a bit more briskly......

100 should be fine. Difference between 100 and 200 will be drop and wind.

[bassfishindoc]

I understand about the drop and wind, but my goal is to find the most accurate round for my rifle. Once that is done I will sight the rifle with that round in at 200 yards and practice and compete with it there.

[willfully armed]

Get your load as tight as possible on the 100 yards. Its not gonna miraculously go to **** at 200.

[Dragonheart]

I would use 100 yards for testing. Since you want to find the best rifle/bullet performance you want to have the least outside influences effecting the bullet. Outside of consistent rifle support and shooter errors, wind will be the primary variable. Your groups at 100 yards will be the best indicator of accuracy. Even at 100 yards try to pick a day with little or no wind for testing. 200 yards would only magnify the variables and not give you as good of an indicator as to the loads performance, which is what you want.

[Highpower]

When I work up new loads I am after consistency. When a new load begins to show an extreme spread of 50 fps or less in a 10 shot string over a chronograph, I find that accuracy usually follows.

JMHO. Your mileage may vary.

[Catfish]

It may come back to bite you. Any load you work up now will be alot hotter when the weather gets warm. If you work up to max. loads in the cold you could blow up a gun in hot weather. I do all of my load work in the hottest weather because it will still be safe in cold weather though the velocity may be down alittle.

[Cory2]

Unless your making one ragged hole, 100 yards will be fine for testing. IF it does start to punch 1 ragged hole you may need to move out to 200 yards to see the difference between loads more clearly. However as others have stated more variables come into play at longer ranges.

IMO I honestly dont think a garand will be making a ragged hole at 100 yards so you probably have nothing to worry about.