Fire ten rounds across a chronograph, take the highest velocity minus the lowest, and that’s ES. For a precision load, single-digit ES (under 10 fps) is a target. Double-digit but under 20 is acceptable. Over 30 is a load that hasn’t settled.

ES is more sensitive to outliers than SD. One squib or one over-pressure round will inflate ES but barely move SD. Read both numbers; they tell different stories.

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