[Don_Parsons]

I can have a good laugh now looking back at my first ladder tests that went south.

Using 1 target wasn't working for me since I was shooting 5 shoots of one grain of powder, then .5gr up for the next volly.

Doing this at close range made it hard to see the ladder affect, it wasn't till one of the old timers took my target down to the 300m mark that it started happening.

The best thing that happened a few weeks after that was running into a fellow member at our range that took this test to its next level.

We went down range and hung up targets at the 600M mark, then returned to our normal shooting stuff letting those target wait for the calm of the evening.

Both of us probably shoot 100+ rounds that day,,, then he said its time.

The flags were hang down and we were in the game.
We both took our time shooting our ladders.

His ladder was much tighter than mine since he was shooting a 7mm Rum.

His over all spread was close on his first 3 different 6% powder increases,,, then it started to spread out.

Mine was spread out at first, then started tightening up,,, my powder charges started at the bottom suggested loads from the book, so I had a lot of cartrages to shoot from 46.5 to 57.5 grains in .5gr increments.

Good thing we did the 3 tall targets and 1 bullet per change on each of them.
Then 47gr rounds, 47.5 and so on.

The only reason we knew we were close was that he could see sand kicking up behind the back stop.
I didn't even think I was hitting the paper little lone the back stop.

Any ways. I got lucky and managed to hit all 3 targets and the pattern was spot on.
This was a first for me.
My friend was dead eye on his 3 targets since he had done this a few times over the years.

The best ladder tests he has done is at the 700 to 1000 mark.
This is where the spread really stands out.

So latter this summer I went out west to shoot the 1 km.
He was right.
A good spread of 9" is really a tight group at that distance,,, 18" gap between the charges as things would open up... Id slowly incress the charges .5 of a grain till the rifle barrel would get to its next Node.

Just happen to get lucky as I found a primer, case, powder charge and bullet that all seem to work together.

Had it not, then I would of had to go back to the drawing board.

I knew my rifle was up to the task, I wasn't 100% sure if I was, and the only track record of the loads that went out west were the ones that did the 600M test.

Lucky for sure.

It won't be long before I get my new long range rifle going this winter. It to will see the ladder test followed by the box and run.

Like I said in my above post,,, I'm all new to this load development stuff since it is different then the lazy harvest loads from years ago.

I only hope that I see consistency in the years to come.

Don