What load do I pick out of these?

[Rine_Everett]

I loaded 40 rounds up (8 groups of 5). The groups measured center to center are listed below out of a Sako 75 varmint 223 1:12 toped with a Simmons 6.5-20x44 pushing 55 gr BT. Powder was IMR 4895. Remington 7.5 Small Rifle Match primers. Winchester brass. Distance 100 yards 5-10 mph wind. The mirage was horrible. Harris notched bipod. The 3 shot group (4 on 24.7) was the smallest 3 shot group out of the 5 shot group. 24.7 was a raged hole. There is only 1/10 of a grain diffrence from each load starting at 24.0 through 24.7. What load would you pick and why? Or am I being to anal retentive?

load ___ 5 shot ___ 3 shot____ prior
________ group ___ group ____ 3 shot group
23.7 ____ ----- ____ ----- ____ 1.467
24.0 ____ 0.901 ____ 0.597 ____ 0.584
24.1 ____ 0.992 ____ 0.297 ____ 0.710
24.2 ____ 0.673 ____ 0.284 ____ -----
24.3 ____ 1.049 ____ 0.326 ____ 0.890
24.4 ____ 0.811 ____ 0.776 ____ -----
24.5 ____ 0.994 ____ 0.305 ____ 0.419
24.6 ____ 1.024 ____ 0.476 ____ -----
24.7 ____ 0.576 ____ 0.216 ____ 0.620
24.9 ____ ----- ____ ----- ____ 1.113
25.1 ____ ----- ____ ----- ____ 1.059
25.3 ____ ----- ____ ----- ____ 1.000

[CHARLIE]

You can see it got better as you added powder. I think a little more powder mite make it even better. My lil gun with a 53 gr bullet and 25.3 of IMR 4895 tightened up real nice. Barnes says 25.5 is max I think. My disclaimer is just this, any reloading you do at your own risk not my recomendations.

Charlie

[davidb]

24.3 and 24.7 may be sweet spots. Not statistically valid.

Have you looked at the Odette method? a 2-300 yard ladder test that works well but is time consuming. It seems to take out the random variations better than other methods.

As was said I would run it up to max listed first and take the two are three most promising loads and tweak seating depth.

[HEADSHAKER]

It would depend on how often you fire it!A good 3 shoot would be fine for exact nail driving on a cold bore.

[davidb]

I would load at half grain intervals until about 2-3 grains under listed max. Work up to max in 0.25 grain increments.

Then with the best loads try a finer tune at 1/10th grain. In addition to saving powder a tenth grain difference usually wont show up on target. You should consider them groups of threes to find which is most accurate.

That is 23.9,24, & 24.1 should be treated as one load.