Top_Heavy's World

The rifle I am shooting is a fully custom, competition quality, tacticle tool. Every aspect of the gun has been modified, refined or perfected... it shoots unbelievably well. The Nightforce Optics, rings and bases are as good as money can buy and the biothane sling, custom swivels and bipod stud post make this a gun for the ages. The next step is creating loads for this gun. We have put about 600 rounds through this barrel, so we know what it prefers and we know what combinations have tack driving accuracy. I want to share the steps in preparing precision loads that are capable of sub 3" groups at 800 yards.
The cases have all been weighed, sorted and trimmed. The flash hole was sized and the primer pockets were cleaned and squared. The first firing created Lapua brass that are fire formed to my specific chamber. I have 4 different dies set up for this rifle, and each has a specific step for keeping the brass in perfect condition. I have a neck sizing die to create tension on that area only for precise bullet tensions, especially for compressed loads. I have a neck and shoulder die for when the shoulder gets a little stretched. I have a body die for when the brass gets fired enough times to get tight in the chamber, this will knock it back a little for a proper fit. I have a competition seating die for setting the bullet, this die is capable of being adjusted finer than .001 of an inch! As I said, all of these components must be put together as consitantly as possible to get super quality groups.
Tonight I opened several boxes of 168 grain match bullets. I weighed each individual bullet for weight to .1 grains. The bullets are stacked by weight and like bullets were put into marked boxes for loading this weekend. I was surprised, in the first 200 bullets weighed, the lightest bullet was 167.7 grains, only one of this size was found. There was about 12 bullets at 167.8. The 167.9 grain bullets were the most common. There was 20 more bullets at this weight than at the true 168 grains, and there was about 15 bullets at 168.1 grains. There is nothing wrong with the weight variations, and I know you wouldn't notice this little variation when hunting, but I want my competition loads as precise as possible. The most common weights will be loaded and marked, I will sight for and shoot each weight until it is gone, then recheck zero for the next weight. I will use the odd weights on the practice range, probably at shorter distances for form practice.
This step seams simple and not worth the journal entry... each step has it's place and if any steps are missed there will be variations involved, costing us accuracy or at least consistency! We will clean and size the brass next time!