RELOADING FOR ACCURACY

     The most common reason to reload is to find a load that meets your shooting requirements at a cost that will allow you to shoot more .Another reason is try to improve on factory ammunition. The requirements may range from plinking cans in the back yard to placing every shot into one hole at 200 yards. Since the cost of reloading components is continually increasing the goal is to find the most economical load that can serve your purpose.

     All powders cost about the same per pound. Faster the powder burn rate less the amount required thus using the faster powder, if it is suitable, lowers your powder cost. Bullets can range from $70.00/100 to $500.00/100 depending on their purpose. Your local garage may have scrap wheel weights that can be cast into bullets at no cost but your time. Knowing what accuracy you need and purpose of the bullet next would be to select components in the most economical way.

     To measure the accuracy of your components you need to test them. Testing is essentially a comparison of load components. For example, a test designed to decide which is more accurate a standard primer or a magnum primer. A simple test would consist of placing a piece of paper at a set distance, fire a number of shots with the regular primers then replace the paper and fire a number of shots with the magnum primers. The primer that is closer to making one hole in the paper would be considered the more accurate. This is how it works but it is not quite that simple.

     The long accepted method of determining reload accuracy is to measure the largest distance between any two bullet holes in a group. This is considered the group size. It is generally recommended that five groups of five shots each be used. The five group sizes are then averaged and this then becomes the accuracy of this particular setup.

     Theoretically there is nothing wrong with this approach. However, it requires that variation be consistent in every group. If this is not so then at least 25 to 30 groups would be needed so as to include any unusual variations to establish correct accuracy. These variations include such things as a flinch or sudden gust of wind or a defective bullet. If they occur randomly between groups they may distort the results since they can be included in the one measurement determining the group size. A test consisting of 25 or 30 groups would then account for these random variations but would present its own problems.

     This method of five groups of five shots may be fine for rough estimates but is not the best for accurately determining small variations or ruling out the probability that repeating the test at another time would give different results. Very large tests would solve the problem but are not practical.

     There is a better way. The trick is to use short tests but sort out the bad from the good. If the good looks valid then it is a good test. If not, then do another test. Better another test than bad information. In either case studying the reasons for the bad can be very educational.

     Many shooters using wrong components and getting poor accuracy suffer under the illusion that the accuracy they are getting is great because that was the outcome of their tests which consisted of a few shots. Many good ideas to improve accuracy have been discarded for the same reason.

     Statistics of Handgun Accuracy explains what is involved in determining accuracy and presents better and surer ways to test and measure the results.

     Statistics of Handgun Accuracy can be purchased directly from the publisher, from online bookstores, or ordered through your local bookstores and Amazon.

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