PRECISION .22 LR AMMUNITION TESTING MANUAL: A Systematic Protocol for Velocity Consistency, Lot Testing, and Long-Range Group Analysis

If you have read any of the other titles in the Scott Buttrick Rimfire Series, you already know the foundation this manual is built on. The Ballistics of the .22 Long Rifle covers terminal performance and external ballistics. The Suppressed .22LR Handbook addresses the mechanics of subsonic performance. The Budget 22LR Build Series walks through the process of building a precision rimfire platform from the ground up. What none of those books do in depth is tell you exactly how to test the ammunition you plan to run through that rifle.That is what this manual is for.Precision rimfire shooting at extended range is an unforgiving discipline. The .22 LR is a small, relatively slow projectile with a modest ballistic coefficient. It is already working hard against gravity and wind at distances that a centerfire cartridge would consider a warm-up. Add to that the inherent lot-to-lot variation in rimfire ammunition — a fixed priming compound pressed into the case rim rather than a centered primer —, and you have a cartridge that demands more careful testing than almost any other.The good news is that the testing process itself is straightforward once you have a system. This manual gives you that system. We will cover the mathematics behind the three key consistency metrics — standard deviation, extreme spread, and mean radius — and explain what they actually tell you at distance.We will develop a comprehensive testing protocol using the Athlon Rangecraft Velocity Pro Doppler radar chronograph. We will walk through proper group measurement, both on paper and using modern software tools. And we will cover the often-overlooked discipline of lot testing, which is where serious .22 LR competitors separate good ammo from great ammo. Read more