strike temp ?

Do you guys boil water to you exact strike temperature to meet the temp u want 2 mash @ or do you go a couple of degrees higher? Ive noticed that once I pour the water in my mash tun and stir for a minute or so I lose 2 degrees. Would it hurt aiming for a higher temperature ? My main concern is when I'm reaching a higher temperature like making a stout and I'm aiming for a mash temp of 152. Basically is there harm in aiming for 154-155 and stiring for a few minutes 2 drop to 152 ?
Thanks in advance!

No that's fine. Or you could preheat your mash tun with some warm water before your add the grain and strike water. If you really want to dial it in, you could figure out your heat loss and compensate for it. Check out this thread. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/new-mashtun-mash-temp-correct-water-volume-358834/

no harm there. can stir like the dickens or keep some cool water on the side to add in if necessary.

I have overshot my temps by a few degrees and did exactly as you said, stir for a few minutes until it cools to my target temp. I haven't had any ill effects. I think the most important thing is that your sacc rest is at the proper temp. A couple minutes above shouldn't hurt anything.

It's fully dependent on your equipment and your procedures to determine your strike temp.

My mash tun, I add boiling water to it to pre-heat to about 100 deg, and I use BeerSmith to give me the temps to heat to. Typically, it's about 15 deg above my desired mash temp.

If I didn't pre-heat, I'd need to heat my strike water up probably 2 deg more.

It's fine to go a little high and then stir or add a small bit of ice to bring it down.

Agree with everyone else. I heat my tun with hot water, add my grains, then add my strike water. I shoot for about 11 degrees above my target mash temp. Sometimes I hit it on the nose and other times I have to stir and/or add cool water.

thank you all for everyone's response!

I'm late, but I'd like to add that in my experience, it's MUCH easier to aim a few degrees high and add some cool water to the mash than is it to try and heat up the mash with hot water. I use ice cubes too, by the way. Less liquid, more cooling.

Even with preheating I've been low with my calculations (well, beersmith's) so I usually aim 2-3 higher and if I hit it, in go the ice.