I have typically done load work up in a rather systematic fashion and it tends to use up a lot of components doing my method.
Typically, I would run 5 shot group ladder tests with .5 grain increments of powder looking for a plateau and small SD in velocity with each bullet and powder I was interested in.
That got to be a large number of shots and quite a bit of component usage.
Then I would choose the best powder from SD, velocity, and group size and shoot 3 5 shot groups to determine if it was a fluke and get a baseline. After that, I’d play with seating depth to refine groups.
While the system works, it’s rather excessively using of components, and right now I can’t replace what I use as it’s just not even findable.
How do the more accuracy minded here do their initial work up to decide which powder is one that rifle likes with whatever bullet you are using, assuming that you do have a selection of options?
I’m more looking at how to find an optimum than trying to find “acceptable”… I went through like about 500+ rounds to determine what my .416 Rigby load for Cape buffalo was- and the load ended up being 3/4 MOA, even though every combo I did with that rifle was well within hunting accuracy for that gun/game/target choice (worst was 2.5” at 100 yards), and that had the benefit of only 4 acceptable bullets- I admit I would have been money ahead just to use factory ammo and accept the 1” groups, but that’s not the point of it.