Hi and good morning people! I have a ? About load development should be a fairly easy ? . Ok my ? Is I'm load developing for two rifles one with a 11.5 barrel and the other is 13.9 both are zeroed at 36 yards . One has a red dot the other has a Eotech . Do i put my load development targets at 36 yards or 100 and if i half test at 100 should i swap out optics to a scope for development .  Hope someone could answer this for me thanks and hope everyone has a great day.

I would place the targets at 100 yds and switch to a scope for load development. This will reduce aiming error and make group differences a little more obvious.

IMO, develop your loads at the range you want to use the firearm at.  If you plan to shoot mostly at 50 yards, develop you load at 50 yards.  If you plan to shoot at 100 yards develop your load at 100 yards.  That is the range you want to be most accurate and anything outside that range is more or less moot although in most cases you will still see good accuracy outside your priority distance.

Awesome thanks for the input super appreciate it !

This.

I agree with these guys.

I do all load work at 100 yards, then if its a LR type load I will move beyond that..I doubt you will get enough separation at 36 yards to properly develop a load...Far easier to see the results from load to load as the distance stretches out..I imagine most any load that shot 1.5MOA or less at 100 would produce much more than a ragged hole at 36 yards..making it hard to decipher which load is worth pursuing..I would also use a better scope for load work...

I do everything at 100 yards and borrow my gen 2 vortex razor 4.5-27x56 off my bolt gun, although I’ve usually managed to shoot pretty decent groups with the delta Stryker 1-6x24 that lives on the rifle typically. Little 12.5” barreled gun looks funny with the big razor on it

Besides shooting at a longer distance to see the amount of deviation better, fire 7-10 shot groups to provide a more accurate presentation of how the load groups.  When firing 3 shot groups, some of my loads appeared to be sub-moa.  When firing larger groups, it was easier to see the real picture regarding groups.

Agreed.   you find little to no information other than function and relative recoil and velocity if using a chronograph at such a short distance.

I for years kept a Nikon on a qd mount for my A4 match rifle that I shot iron sights with per the rules of the day.  I did my load testing with the scope and then put the carry handle back on.


Caveat......I have no SBR experience, pistols and rifles 16-30” barrels.   Yes you could just do your work at the short distance but I presume on occasion you will shoot the SBR at ranges well beyond that.  You’re only guessing on the best if you don’t shoot the loads at the distance.  Any load will work in close.

Just my two bits.