Please post your results if you have used Dan Newberry's Optimal Charge Weight method of load development. Pictures of your groups and resoning for picking your OCW would be appreciated. Thanks

I've tried it but I'm on the east coast fro the next 2-weeks, so no pictures. I opted to try this over the Audette system because it seems to me the Audette system doesn't take into account a flier. I can't begin to recall how many times I've shot 3-shot knot-hole groups only to have a flier(s). I still use 5-shot test even with the OCW system.

HTH,

Thanks for the info.

AC, I wrote a spreadsheet to do OCW analysis but it requires extensive measuring of the targets. Plus, I tried writing instructions so someone not fluent in Excel coud do it but that ended up being pretty hopelessly long and complex.

Anyway, how many targets are you analyzing? Did the targets already have a grid printed on them? How close to perfectly horizontal were the grids when you hung the targets? And what range did you shoot them at (which is another way of asking if your groups are tight or all spread out)?

BTW, I saw your post at that other forum. Don't you hate it when a bunch of knuckleheads clutter up your post, only to tell you you've asked the wrong question?

Fred, thanks for the reply. I will be running the loads this weekend and will post pictures of the resluts. The targets are my own design and will be level at 100 yards.

Here is a sample target.

AC, before you shoot it again, I'd offer three suggestions.

First, back the target off by at least 100 yards. Remember the goal of OCW is not to shoot tiny groups, the goal is to determine which area of the target(s) your groups tend to cluster around. You can more accurately determine where the center of mass (AKA the "centroid") of a group is when you can make out the complete perimeter of the individual holes. That 57-grain load will have to go at least to 200 yards, maybe 300, before you'll be able to make out the individual holes. Having an odd hole or two that touches doesn't invalidate the test but it can make the measuring a little less precise. The further away the target is, the larger your groups are, which actually makes it easier to determine the OCW.

Second, Dan's original instructions specify 3-round groups. You can still do it with 5-round groups but what you're interested in is the center of mass of each group, and that's easier to work out with just a 3-shot group.

Third, Dan's instructions say that all your bulls-eyes should be at the same level. In the real world, I find that I get better results using a single target with six bulls-eyes arranged like the dots on a domino (which obviously are not all on the same level) rather than shooting two or three separate targets that I've had to fiddle with to make sure the bulls-eyes all are on the same level and the grid on every target is square with horizontal. My point is that I think your multi-row target is fine to use for OCW. In fact, the greater the range you're shooting at, the less difference it makes.

BTW, where in southern Oregon do you live? I spent a year in K-Falls once, one of my favorite places I've ever lived (which are numerous).

Thanks, I will be working up a load for my .223 using the targets posted. I just posted that one out of my old 30-06 to brag a little.

I live in K-Falls and love it here. If you don't like the outdoors then this is not the place for you.