6BRA Ladder Test with/wo Tuner

[Alex Wheeler]

First couple hundred. It was something Tom and I were talking about the other day. How many of his barrels have shot record breaking groups in real early testing. The ladders he posted are very common, almost all of his barrels shot like that early on. They may loose their edge a little faster than we think, or maybe they are loosing it faster than they used to?

 

[KenOath]

Very interesting..

I know some think that you may need 100+rnds on a new barrel before starting load development.. BRA could be good to go out of the gate!
I’m about to have a second BRA Barrel chambered, my first has 500rnds on it and still shooting well but having new Barrel and enough powder n prodgies just sitting there was to tempting... I have to see how it shoots!!!

Cheers Rushty

 

[BartsBullets]

Are these any good? I bought 10K for $200.00!

They seemed to tame the earlier crazy 30.8 load Posted at the beginning of this thread. The X out group was fouling the barrel and adjusting the scope.

30.8 gr 2960
31.0 gr 2980
31.2 gr 3002

Bart

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Ya, I used to use them in the dasher. Need good firing pin energy to run them. Stock Bats are on the edge. They usually tested out better than most. I still have a bunch.

 

[Trevor60]

Thanks for coming back to the thread and your continued testing.

Interesting results with the new primers they brought, up your speed by 40fps. when comparing the two test groups everything comes together around 3,000, 31.2 with the wolf and 31.6 with the Fed. 30.8 under the fed FPS 2941 vs the wolf 30.8 coming in at 2960.

Trevor

 

[BartsBullets]

Thanks for coming back to the thread and your continued testing.

Interesting results with the new primers they brought, up your speed by 40fps. when comparing the two test groups everything comes together around 3,000, 31.2 with the wolf and 31.6 with the Fed. 30.8 under the fed FPS 2941 vs the wolf 30.8 coming in at 2960.

Trevor

I need to go back and chronograph the loads with Federal primers and wolfs at the same time. The increased velocity could have more to do with 20 degree testing with the Federals vs 56 degrees with the wolfs.

Reguardless the gun Shot pretty decent over a 40 foot spread and impacted/printed virtual in the same spot.

Bart

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Were those groups with or without the tuner?

 

[Trevor60]

I need to go back and chronograph the loads with Federal primers and wolfs at the same time. The increased velocity could have more to do with 20 degree testing with the Federals vs 56 degrees with the wolfs.

Reguardless the gun Shot pretty decent over a 40 foot spread and impacted/printed virtual in the same spot.

Bart

3,000fps appears to be the velocity that tightens up the group. excluding the other factors. temp, primer and even power charge.

under different conditions and using different components when you reached a velocity of 3,000 you have consistently shot one hole groups.

- it appears the new primers have given you a larger window, this is something you didn't have in the earlier test at the same speed. if we consider environmental conditions in addition to the primers as the reasons for the larger window that would be something not documented in recent memory. have you experienced this in the past?

when i have tuned using one primer 205m and then tested other primers BR4 or KVB556 the former were hotter and carried more energy jumping my speed giving me worse groups where as the wolf primers were equal to the 205m but were more consistent and my groups improved over a larger sting.

Trevor

 

[BartsBullets]

Were those groups with or without the tuner?

Alex,

That was with the tuner on!

 

[Northridge]

Bart its always interesting how primers like many thing affect a rifles willingness to shoot and I'm curious what you will find down the road with this & I wish you success but I'm going to say this out loud even though this primer is showing even more mellow transition from spot to spot this concerns me in my own short range testing when moving to 1000 yards. my gut tells me this will struggle further out, what I mean is it will shoot everything you throw at it good but nothing great, I hope your findings are to the contrary but that is my 2 cents. it will struggle to go sub 2" vertical and stay round that's my projection . thanks for the updates...

Shawn Williams

 

[JamesnTN]

Shot this ladder test today at 100 yards. I did it with a twist ie 3 shot groups instead of 1 shot.

I also ran the test with a tuner on the barrel and then without (bottom target). All I changed was powder.

What do you think!

I personally like the 30.4-30.6 node best with the tuner. That only one group at 31.6 is more likely a teaser.

 

[BartsBullets]

Bart its always interesting how primers like many thing affect a rifles willingness to shoot and I'm curious what you will find down the road with this & I wish you success but I'm going to say this out loud even though this primer is showing even more mellow transition from spot to spot this concerns me in my own short range testing when moving to 1000 yards. my gut tells me this will struggle further out, what I mean is it will shoot everything you throw at it good but nothing great, I hope your findings are to the contrary but that is my 2 cents. it will struggle to go sub 2" vertical and stay round that's my projection . thanks for the updates...

Shawn Williams

Shawn,

I won’t get a chance anytime soon to try it at 1000. But, I am going to shoot it at 600. Pretty much everything we have discussed you’ve been right on target!

I’m a little scare of the 3000fps node. It’s starting to shoot a little too good! I didn’t try it but I’m pretty sure evil lurks just on the other side of 31.2. So I’m going to park at 31.0 grs and twist on the tuner at distance if necessary!

Bart

 

[BartsBullets]

I personally like the 30.4-30.6 node best with the tuner. That only one group at 31.6 is more likely a teaser.

I agree! It will shoot down there!

Bart

 

[Terry O]

Am I correct in assuming the Wolf primers being referenced are from personal stash? Or have them became available again?

 

[BartsBullets]

3,000fps appears to be the velocity that tightens up the group. excluding the other factors. temp, primer and even power charge.

under different conditions and using different components when you reached a velocity of 3,000 you have consistently shot one hole groups.

- it appears the new primers have given you a larger window, this is something you didn't have in the earlier test at the same speed. if we consider environmental conditions in addition to the primers as the reasons for the larger window that would be something not documented in recent memory. have you experienced this in the past?

when i have tuned using one primer 205m and then tested other primers BR4 or KVB556 the former were hotter and carried more energy jumping my speed giving me worse groups where as the wolf primers were equal to the 205m but were more consistent and my groups improved over a larger sting.

Trevor

Trevor,

With 4895 it’s always tighten around the 2990 to 3000 FPS. I have not seen that with RL-15 or Varget.

As far as the load window opening up I’m not for sure! It could environmental. I have seen with mild temperatures and high humidity increase load windows significantly with the 6PPC. Or it could be the different primer or a better tuner setting. When I put the tuner back on I set it in a slightly different spot.

Bart

 

[BartsBullets]

Am I correct in assuming the Wolf primers being referenced are from personal stash? Or have them became available again?

Personel stash

 

[BartsBullets]

Ya, I used to use them in the dasher. Need good firing pin energy to run them. Stock Bats are on the edge. They usually tested out better than most. I still have a bunch.

Alex,

I just checked that one. It has a carbide weight on the firing pin. The spring starts to compress at 20 lbs 5oz. At the full cocked position it 21 1/2 lbs.

Bart

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Yep, thats not stock Good.

 

[X-Caveman]

I use Russian (Tulas) in my 12 twist BRA with XBR8208. Haven't done extensive testing, but the one time I shot with 450s it was terrible so I went right back. Plus, they give you an awesome forearm workout with the 21st Century tool. They were cheap, rugged and seemed to work well. Too bad we can't get them any longer.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

So your telling me this pile I have here is worth a lot of money?? LOL