What is your method to keep track of a gun's appetite?

With the wealth of information on this forum, I am asking: "How do you keep track" of your individual gun's appetite? Meaning...... what powder load, lube, patching, bullet, and point of aim to name a few? Just wondering as we all know every rifle or pistol has its' own likes. A lot of the members have several different guns, percussion, flint, smooth bores, shotgun, pistols, etc.
Flintlocklar

One of them little note pad/books that stays in the range box.

Ditto

Right, a note pad or record book, and I keep all targets "on file" that show where the gun is shooting, how it groups, etc. I don't keep all my targets of course, just those that show what to expect, when I shoot it again, and of course the load data, lube data, patch data, wad data, (!!!!!!!!) and POA written on the target.

Now with all my hunting rifles, I try to sight them the same so that when I'm out in the woods I don't have to think too much about which gun shoots where, at what range, etc. Just aim center-of-mass pretty much, a hair low at close range, and if I think it's over 100 yards I try not to shoot, or really stop and think about my aim, and if I am guessing my range right. I generally sight them a little high at 50, and at least "on" at 100.

"One of them little note pad/books that stays in the range box"

I have pages of history for each pistol.

Never trust your mind in a match(s) to remember diets when you are shooting eight (8) different pistols in a week.

I don’t compete with anyone but myself but I record everything that goes down range in each rifles notebook.

Same for me. I keep a small note book in my range box for an instant check of the most current load to use. At my bench, in my man cave, I have a 3 ring binder with pages for each gun and a history of the loads tried and how many rounds have been fired, and groups obtained. When accuracy starts to wane, I go back to the drawing board and begin a new load development with either thicker patches, or a bigger ball.

Larry (Omaha) said:

I am asking: "How do you keep track" of your individual gun's

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I’ve done a little of everything that’s been mentioned at one time or the other.

What works best for me was keeping the targets with the data recorded on them.

Most were kept in a note book, until I started taking pics of them with my phone or camera.

It’s amazing what one can do with a phone these days....lol

Sure beats having a “Party Line”.

I still keep the targets too.. lol

Larry (Omaha) said:

With the wealth of information on this forum, I am asking: "How do you keep track" of your individual gun's appetite? Meaning...... what powder load, lube, patching, bullet, and point of aim to name a few? Just wondering as we all know every rifle or pistol has its' own likes. A lot of the members have several different guns, percussion, flint, smooth bores, shotgun, pistols, etc.
Flintlocklar

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When I do testing on the range I write on the targets all the pertinent info and take pictures of it. Then at the end of the day I can sit down and go through the pics and save what I think I'll want to remember and give the photo a file name the same as the gun and may be the date for a number with it.

3-ring binders. I have one for cartridge guns, sub-divided by caliber. One for shotguns and one for muzzleloaders, sub-divided by rifle.

Like making toast....cook it until it burns, then ten seconds less. So....load until it explodes, and then a little less.

Seriously, every gun has a certain load it works best with, being traditional or modern. This is actually a stupid question ( although they don't exist)....but........

Anyway, keep records.

Picture of target with notes, goes into GOOGLE DRIVE subfolder.
Notes later placed in loading spreadsheet.

Larry (Omaha) said:

Just wondering as we all know every rifle or pistol has its' own likes.

Click to expand...

Target rifles have a range book. Patch thickness, ball size, swaged or cast ball, lube type, load, granulation, company that produced the powder, and results at what distance.
Hunting guns and rifles..., each have a bag and horn set up for them. The best load when finally worked up..., resulted in a charger made to throw that volume of powder. Patches are pre-lubed, and the bullet board loaded up. A check at the range as the next season nears, to ensure the sights haven't been banged around in the interim between seasons, and if I have switched to a different powder, OR if I got in some new powder of the same brand but of course it would be a different "lot". I use the same sight picture and it's just a question of where I "hold" for the rifles, when it comes time to harvest game.

LD

I buy the "rites in rain" notebooks. For rifle that I shoot quite a bit in competition, I keep a separate book for each rifle with load, dates, scores etc. For other rifles I simply lump them into one book.

These note books are rain proof and very durable.

Fleener

I have a two sided book. One keeps track of the rifles. Flip it around to keep track of my endless parade of beehive notes.

Shooting!

I put a bit of card stock in the patchbox with the load the sights are regulated for and two balls for the benefit of whoever owns the rifle after me.

For my own - I have a separate bag, horn and bone or antler measure that I use with any given rifle or smoothbore.

I don't have a vast amount of arms. 5 rifles and a smoothbore get it done. Fortunately I have 3 rifles that are just right with the same load. Nonetheless, I make a little antler powder measure for each that hold the charge and I engrave and highlight on them the powder type. I hang this from each rifle. I know what ball or bullet they use as the 3 PRB rifles use the same and the other two are very distinct. In order to pass this information to others that may be a future owner I intend to make a 3-ring binder with a photo of the rifle or shotgun, the serial # if it has one, and the specific load data and range that works best with it.

When I get a load I like I set up the bag for that gun, have one bag per gun.