Load development range with iron sights

[Dman75]

What distance do you shoot test loads when only using iron sights? 50,75,100 yds. I know it may depend on caliber but if starting from scratch with a rifle where’s you comfort range?

[ShooterAZ]

If I can my rifle get it dialed in at 25 yards, it will usually be in the black again at 100. I will do further adjustments from there.

[BLAHUT]

25 yds to get on paper, then move out to what you are comfortable with ?

[HWooldridge]

Start at 25 yds to get it on paper and to check groups. If it can’t do better than 6” at that distance, it’s time to make adjustments. Most any rifle should be close to one hole at 25 steps…

[Stewbaby]

If totally from scratch, no idea where it is aimed, and it’s a bolt action, remove bolt and site down the bore and adjust sights first.

[Dman75]

Assuming it’s on paper, if you loaded several different powder charges to test group size what distance you go to?

[lar45]

100yds to test for groups

[JSnover]

25 yds to get on paper, then move out to what you are comfortable with ?

That! Especially for an unknown rifle.

[RickinTN]

If totally from scratch, no idea where it is aimed, and it’s a bolt action, remove bolt and site down the bore and adjust sights first.

This is what I always do. The only place I have found it doesn't work is with a Winchester lever rifle. I bore sight many rifles sitting on a rest in our dining room table and centering something several hundred yards away (if with a scope) and move the cross hairs to that object. Very accurate bore sighting. I don't understand why anyone would buy a commercial bore sighter.
Take care!
Rick

[veeman]

I start at 25 yards to get the idea of where its hitting, and the best accuracy loads. then out to 50. If still good, out to 100. Beyond that I can't see the targets well enough anymore. Thats with the lever guns. Now with the black rifles with scopes, starting at 100 yards, then 150 yards, then the quarry walls stops the target shooting, thats the limit. Besides, if I were actually hunting, that would be my limit anyway, cuz its hunting, not sniping. (my opinion):wink:

[Dman75]

We’ll I’ve been working with several lever actions (30-30,44 mag,45-70) and a bolt 30-06. All with cast bullets and no scopes. They do all have peeps. At 50yds I feel comfortable testing groups/load development. At 100, I don’t feel my hold on a small target is good enough for testing. I can ring the 8 inch plate consistently with them but trusting my load development I’m not confident. With a scoped rifle never an issue at 100. Guess it comes down to practice/confidence.

[quilbilly]

Off my front porch I have a 20 yard pistol development range and a 42 yard rifle development range. They have served me well for the last 15 years. The loads developed for rifle then go to my local club range to to tested at 100 yards. My experience has been that the 40 yard distance is usually enough to determine boolit stability for my relatively low velocity CB loads which is not necessarily true of the 20 yard distance.. My porch range has saved me a lot of driving and gas since the covered club range is 20 miles away.

[BLAHUT]

We’ll I’ve been working with several lever actions (30-30,44 mag,45-70) and a bolt 30-06. All with cast bullets and no scopes. They do all have peeps. At 50yds I feel comfortable testing groups/load development. At 100, I don’t feel my hold on a small target is good enough for testing. I can ring the 8 inch plate consistently with them but trusting my load development I’m not confident. With a scoped rifle never an issue at 100. Guess it comes down to practice/confidence.

There you have it, That nasty four-letter swore word, PRACTICE.

[Dman75]

One great advantage I have is I can go out my back door to shoot. On my range I can get 150 yd practice.

[JSnover]

I don't understand why anyone would buy a commercial bore sighter.
Take care!
Rick

Well, if it's not a bolt action or a single shot, looking through the barrel can be tricky.

[Hick]

I shoot comparison groups (ladders) at 50 yards, so that windage and such don't have much influence. In fact if I do a 5 load ladder I set up 5 targets at 50, then shoot one shot per load, then the second shot per load, etc until I do at least 10 per load. I do one shot at a time per target so that all the random effects due to the shooter (and other things) will balance out better than if I shot all of one load then all of the next. I don't try to zero at this stage-- just want a group somewhere on paper so I can see how well they group.

If the best group is not about 1 - 1 1/2 inches or smaller I don't even bother to move on to 100 yards.

[stubshaft]

Usually with rifles no less than 50 yards, depending on the types of sights and their clarity I'll go to 100 for groups.

[warren5421]

Depends on caliber and sights. Pistol caliber starts at 25 yards then 50 yards, if tang sight is used I go to 100 yards. If rifle caliber I start at 50 yards then 100 yards, if tang sight is used I go to 500 yards in 50 yard incerments, recording sight settings at each distance. I also record temperature and wind so I can see the different changes for different temp's. I shoot mainly .45-70 Government in lever and single shot and .38-55 Winchester in single shot. I'm looking for a lever gun in .38-55 off and on as there is money in the kitty, money seens to ebb and flow.

[Texas by God]

I test all my cast loads at 40 yards first- to see if they are worth testing at 100 yards.
Some aren't, and I write it down so my silly self doesn't forget and try that load again after time passes.

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Larry Gibson]

I don't conduct load development with any firearm that is not already zeroed and on paper. With rifles I conduct load testing at 100 yards initially with open, aperture or scope sights, then with selected loads at the maximum range for expected use. With cast bullets in rifles the testing of the selected loads usually is at 200 or 300 yards.

[versa-06]

O.P. You say starting from scratch, Probably should see if you can hit a target @ 25-30 yds. Set sights & move on out to 50 or 100 yds. If it's a 150 yd plus rifle, you can probably go on to 100 yds after the 25 yd. starter, & so on from there. At 25 yds if it's not a tight group that load won't work at 100. My 2-cents.

[Dman75]

How many of you use scopes to develop a known good load and then remove the scope to use irons?

[Jim22]

If I can my rifle get it dialed in at 25 yards, it will usually be in the black again at 100. I will do further adjustments from there.

This assumption is dependent upon the height of the sights above the rifle's bore. It is a handy rule of thumb with sights about one to one-and-a-half inches above the bore. It does not work if the sights are further above the bore - like AR style rifles.

I think the best way is to put the rifle on the black when the black is backed up with a large white background so you can find the bullet holes.

Jim

[waksupi]

How many of you use scopes to develop a known good load and then remove the scope to use irons?

My big game rifles all have aperture sights, so not D&T'd for scopes.

[HWooldridge]

How many of you use scopes to develop a known good load and then remove the scope to use irons?

I've used a tang mounted peep sight to develop a load then went back to barrel sights. I do that primarily because apertures are more friendly to my old eyes.

[Bird]

100 yard testing is what I used initially, then as far as you could comfortably see without eye strain.

[atr]

25 yds then 50
I use the mid range data at 50 to zero at 100 yds. If the patterns are good at 50 then I know they will be acceptable at 100.
in Freedom
atr

[Tripplebeards]

I haven’t shot open sites since around 1999 when I had see-through us for close range bear hunting with dogs. Checked my zero at 25 yards and called it good. I tried my 1917 Enfield last summer at 100 yards. I was using jacketed ammo. Loaded up some random 150 grain Sierras. They were averaging about 2 1/4 inches for groups. I ended up trying a different powder and shot all in the same hole. I also tried some 165 grain ballistic tips. A couple different powders. I shot a hair under an inch and an inch and a quarter group with the two different loads. I can tell you it sure is a challenge using open sites at that distance. For precision 100 yard shooting float the top of your target on the front of your bead or you won’t see what you’re shooting at imo.

[MarkP]

Since you have peep sights make some targets with circles experiment with various diameter circles such that your sight picture it slightly larger than the circle on the targets. This way you can make your sight concentric with the target circle. This reference will allow for better repeatability and depending on your eyes can rival magnified scopes.

[versa-06]

With Iron Sights I always put my point of impact at the very top point of my front sight post not behind my bead so there is always full visibility of target at hand.

[Ramjet-SS]

Already sighted in and zeroed with a load at 100 yards. If the velocity of the new load is significantly different I start at 50 yards. Even with hunting handguns. Self defense guns are completely different criteria.

[quack1]

Since you have peep sights make some targets with circles experiment with various diameter circles such that your sight picture it slightly larger than the circle on the targets. This way you can make your sight concentric with the target circle. This reference will allow for better repeatability and depending on your eyes can rival magnified scopes.
MarkP is exactly right.
I have quite a few peep sighted rifles and have been using this method for many years when developing loads.

[NEKVT]

With open or receiver sights I test for groups at 50yds. A hunting load is sighted to top of bead at that distance so impact is within area covered by the bead at 100yds or a bit beyond. I'll take a few shots at 100 to confirm. Where I hunt most shots will likely be less than 75yds.

[Geezer in NH]

100 yards

[Dman75]

I like the idea of making the target circles fit with the aperture. Definitely going to try that.
Shot today with the 30-06 practicing hunting shots. Sitting with a rest I could ring the 8 inch plate every time at 100. Pretty happy with that. 95% of my shots would fall at 100 or closer

[quilbilly]

When your eyes become as old as mine, 75 yards with iron sights will do.

[versa-06]

I can relate to the Old Eyes thing.

[Friends call me Pac]

100 yards for rifle load development. Scope or irons. Scope gets a 1" bull and irons get an 8" bull. With irons I use a 6 o'clock hold with peep or standard rear iron sight.

[Larry Gibson]

100 yards for rifle load development. Scope or irons. Scope gets a 1" bull and irons get an 8" bull. With irons I use a 6 o'clock hold with peep or standard rear iron sight.

That's the way to do it.