Load Change Advice; 30-06 National Match Brass

[Laguna Freak]

I have a really accurate load in my 06 shooting 150 Accubond @ 2900 FPS +/- 3 FPS; 57 gr RL16 WLRM primer. This load is very consistent in both Hornady & RP brass.

I have 280 once fired FA and LC National Match brass 1958 to 1967 that I want to switch to now. Looking for advice on starting load to get back to 2900.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.

 

[762plinker]

sell the brass and buy some new. one lot not mixed stuff

 

[Laguna Freak]

sell the brass and buy some new. one lot not mixed stuff

Please help me understand the potential benefit of your counsel. When weight sorted, I have 2 Lots of brass within a 3 grain weight spread, which is my standard. I have 20 odd weight cases that fall into 2 grain Lots.

 

[lb-ft]

I’ve found 06 to be exceptionally forgiving. My approach based on my experience is a bit different.

Your current accurate load, is it right on the ragged edge of pressure? If not, I’d back off roughly 3% and start there with same powder and primer.

I would anneal and fl size all brass (in that order) before I loaded. If you’ve already fl sized, but haven’t annealed, I’d still anneal, FL size, then load. Yes it sounds goofy but it’s always worked for me.

Let us know how it goes!

 

[Laguna Freak]

I’ve found 06 to be exceptionally forgiving. My approach based on my experience is a bit different.

Your current accurate load, is it right on the ragged edge of pressure? If not, I’d back off roughly 3% and start there with same powder and primer.

I would anneal and fl size all brass (in that order) before I loaded. If you’ve already fl sized, but haven’t annealed, I’d still anneal, FL size, then load. Yes it sounds goofy but it’s always worked for me.

Let us know how it goes!

Thanks. I was thinking 2.5%-5% charge reduction but have no experience with heavier cases. No, the current load shows no pressure signs. Pressure shows above 58.5 gr. I’ll definitely anneal, to well below the shoulder (Peterson like) before FL sizing.

 

[762plinker]

Please help me understand the potential benefit of your counsel. When weight sorted, I have 2 Lots of brass within a 3 grain weight spread, which is my standard. I have 20 odd weight cases that fall into 2 grain Lots.

plain and simple,
if you are happy with flyers and 2 moa accuracy, shoot the brass. 3 plus or minus is not "accurate"
define your accuracy requirements and we can proceed

 

[Laguna Freak]

plain and simple,
if you are happy with flyers and 2 moa accuracy, shoot the brass. 3 plus or minus is not "accurate"
define your accuracy requirements and we can proceed

So, you are suggesting that a lot of 150+/- cases whose weight variance is within 3 grains is to broad? That may be the most ridiculous thing I’ve read on this site.

Thanks for your input but its not even a little bit constructive. Considering the load above is a 0.3 moa load in cases that fit the same 3 grain variance.

Why don’t you move along and badger some other thread that is more worthy of your brand of “wisdom”.

 

[762plinker]

So, you are suggesting that a lot of 150+/- cases whose weight variance is within 3 grains is to broad? That may be the most ridiculous thing I’ve read on this site.

Thanks for your input but its not even a little bit constructive. Considering the load above is a 0.3 moa load in cases that fit the same 3 grain variance.

Why don’t you move along and badger some other thread that is more worthy if your brand of “wisdom”.

i will but i would not got with 3 grain brass. most of mine is plus or minus 0.1 to 0.3. lets see some 5 shot .3 targets from your mil brass. always willing to learn..ohh and what bullet ??

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I would be looking for more Remington or Hornady brass. .3 moa hunting rifle.

 

[Laguna Freak]

I would be looking for more Remington or Hornady brass. .3 moa hunting rifle.

@Coyotefurharvester I have more of both. As stated in my OP, I’m looking to move to the 1x fired NM brass I have. It has been culled into grain weight lots the same as the RP, Hornady that produces the results I’ve been enjoying in this rifle since I started handloading. I’m not looking to buy hundreds of currently unavailable cases at today’s inflated prices to cull them down to lots that meet a tighter grain weight variance.

@SPJ post deleted
@762plinker) We are not discussing a competition rifle load, though I know competition is a primary endeavor here, I never mentioned competition in my OP. Many of us who frequent this forum are not competition shooters and have zero interest in competition. It seems your paradigm informed your errant assumption, and perhaps I could have better focused the conversation by identifying all of the background info in my OP though IME such effort is a fruitless endeavor on discussion forums. One still receives snide, arrogant, and off topic posts such as offered by @762plinker 2nd post.

I am loading for a factory original sporter weight barreled hunting rifle that probably has close to 600 rounds down the tube (I don’t tally rds in it). More specifically, it is a 25 year old Steyr Pro Hunter, recoil lug and barrel shank glass bedded in the original abs stock. It unfailingly shoots 2 different brands of factory 180 gr ammo (different bullets) to sub-moa accuracy out to 300 yd, and shoots the OP referenced 150 Accubond load to 0.3 moa accuracy out to 200 yd using case lots demonstrating a 3 grain weight variance. Yes, the 150 AB shot distribution opens up to 0.7 moa at 300 - 400 yd but is plenty good for shooting critters in the cranium or any other target zone.

As stated in my OP, I’m looking for sage, experience based counsel regarding a starting powder charge reduction for the heavier FA & LC NM brass that I own and have culled into lots which have proven to achieve my goal for this rifle.

Thank you to all who share their relevant experience.

 

[Southern shooter 59]

Comparing the case volume with water is a good practice to gain knowledge about where to start your new load powder charge. Take one case from each manufacturer and fill with water and weigh. The relative weights will give you a close estimate concerning relative case volume and therefore how much to reduce powder charge to start.
Good luck

 

[Laguna Freak]

Comparing the case volume with water is a good practice to gain knowledge about where to start your new load powder charge. Take one case from each manufacturer and fill with water and weigh. The relative weights will give you a close estimate concerning relative case volume and therefore how much to reduce powder charge to start.
Good luck

So, do you recommend applying the relative % case volume variance to the powder charge? Or some other decimal thereof?

Thank you for the helpful post.

 

[Southern shooter 59]

I use this mostly to prevent starting with a charge that will over pressure the chamber. The relative capacity will reveal whether the new case requires less or more powder to have the same capacity so, yes you can use the % difference as a good place to start. However, just to err on the side of safety, I would back down another .5 grains to start.

 

[Laguna Freak]

I’ve found 06 to be exceptionally forgiving. My approach based on my experience is a bit different.

Your current accurate load, is it right on the ragged edge of pressure? If not, I’d back off roughly 3% and start there with same powder and primer.
Let us know how it goes!

I use this mostly to prevent starting with a charge that will over pressure the chamber. The relative capacity will reveal whether the new case requires less or more powder to have the same capacity so, yes you can use the % difference as a good place to start. However, just to err on the side of safety, I would back down another .5 grains to start.

I would love to get some experienced starting powder charge feedback on these results. Fire forming the FA/LC NM cases to my chamber is required prior to re-working the load back to 2900 fps mv, because their exists a wide variance in base to shoulder dimension of the FA/LC NM cases. Maybe 20% of cases reached my chamber’s required shoulder set back. Atleast half of the shoulders are 6-10 thou short with the balance in between.

After annealing, fl sizing, trimming, & re-priming 40 pieces of my 3 grain weight variance Lot 1 FA/LC NM cases, I have the following results compared to R-P brass that fits my chamber:

3 random cases of each chosen

FA/LC vs R-P
Case weight variance
0.6 gr 2.5 gr
Case average weight
200.67 gr 199.7 gr
Water capacity variance
0.2 gr. 3.4 gr
Water capacity average
269.1 gr 269.73 gr

 

[Laguna Freak]

So, its been a long hot summer and I finally got 40 cases fire formed to my chamber. I selected a 10% random sample to compare water weight capacity. Water weight capacity =
68.5 gr
67.4 gr
67.5 gr
67.5 gr

Looks pretty good to me.

 

[Gary in MD]

How do you like the 150 grain Accubonds performance on game? I have killed quite a few deer with the 150 & 165 grain ballistic tips out of my 30-06s and the accuracy and terminal performance has been great.
Gary

 

[Laguna Freak]

I’ve killed a lot with them. Even 250 - 300 lb hogs don’t go more than about 30 yds.

 

[William Vogel]

So, you are suggesting that a lot of 150+/- cases whose weight variance is within 3 grains is to broad? That may be the most ridiculous thing I’ve read on this site.

Thanks for your input but its not even a little bit constructive. Considering the load above is a 0.3 moa load in cases that fit the same 3 grain variance.

Why don’t you move along and badger some other thread that is more worthy of your brand of “wisdom”.

Have you checked internal volumes? I’m not suggesting to check every case but to compare the match brass to your worn brass.

 

[Laguna Freak]

Have you checked internal volumes? I’m not suggesting to check every case but to compare the match brass to your worn brass.

Yes. They average 1 gr difference after the Match brass was fire formed to the chamber. It was much greater before fire forming.

 

[William Vogel]

Yes. They average 1 gr difference after the Match brass was fire formed to the chamber. It was much greater before fire forming.

How does the internal volume compare to the worn brass. If I have different brass but with nearly identical volume, I load it very close to my established load. If it has greater volume, I load identical and be ready to bump up my charge. Internal volume to me is a better comparison than weight.