440YD Ladder Test 6.5 Creedmoor Savage Long Range Hunter

[DeadWoodDan]

Describe how you hold the rifle when shooting. Shoulder contact, grip with trigger hand ect. I try not to have any cheek weld, I feel it adds one more complication. Do you flinch when the gun goes off. Can you see the cross hair move on the target when the gun goes off. I would expect groups under 1" at 100 yards with a factory gun. It would be nice if you could try different bullets but it gets expensive. Hornady isn't the best bulet. I shoot them a lot for GH hunting. Try a box of Berger bulets. I'm not a real good shooter but I can hold under .500" with good bullets. When I was younger I shot wallet groups with a 7mm Rem mag. Always was apprehensive and had a weird trigger pull. 2 lb. trigger always felt like 20 lbs. Good trigger pull when aiming at a GH. The tension seams to go away. I don't look at chrono numbers just group size.

Very light shoulder contact, I have been trying not to firmly place it into my shoulder and let it ride. Hold my breath and if I don't feel I'm ready I re-set again. I have a light cheek weld just trying to keep consistent position every shot. I do realize these are not the best bullets, it's a new to me rifle / caliber and just getting it set up to see what potential it has. Like 9MM I didn't plan on having a 6.5CM but sometimes the price is right. Thanks for your comments!

 

[DeadWoodDan]

Speed is cold comfort if there is no accuracy.

My best guess from the last test, is that this will not be a <0.5 MOA combination. When it isn't tight at 100 yards, it certainly won't be tighter at distances beyond.

Many types of shooting can be done with a system that gives a fat 1 MOA level of performance, but in other kinds of shooting that isn't good enough.

The advice on what to do next would be based on the kind of shooting you plan to do with this and your goals. What are your goals?

Today my goal is to see how small of groups I can achieve with sub par bullets aka "Hornady ELD". I believe the ELDs are one of there top tier bullets. Then if those achieve sub MOA stretch my legs at longer distances and even move up to premium bullets like Bergers or others. At the end of the day this may be used for coyotes and critters for real world experience. Thanks !

 

[Webster]

Today my goal is to see how small of groups I can achieve with sub par bullets aka "Hornady ELD". I believe the ELDs are one of there top tier bullets. Then if those achieve sub MOA stretch my legs at longer distances and even move up to premium bullets like Bergers or others. At the end of the day this may be used for coyotes and critters for real world experience. Thanks !

The butt off the stock should not rest on the shoulder bone. The stock butt tends to roll off the bone on recoil. If your right handed the butt should be left of the shoulder bone. The rifle starts moving from recoil as soon as the bullet starts moving. Some guys think recoil starts when the bullet leaves the barrel. With my trigger finger I have the other 3 fingers pulling the rifle back with light pressuree. I don't put my thumb over the top of the stock. When the rifle goes off I try not to move any muscle in my body for a couple seconds.

Good luck. Have fun. I wish I was 18 starting all over again. The GH hunting is getting really bad in Ohio, at least where I hunt.

 

[seymour fish]

Very light shoulder contact, I have been trying not to firmly place it into my shoulder and let it ride. Hold my breath and if I don't feel I'm ready I re-set again. I have a light cheek weld just trying to keep consistent position every shot. I do realize these are not the best bullets, it's a new to me rifle / caliber and just getting it set up to see what potential it has. Like 9MM I didn't plan on having a 6.5CM but sometimes the price is right. Thanks for your comments!

Got a chance to shoot 5 shot groups at 100yds. Nothing spectacular! I have my POI hitting 2" low. Aiming at the top row POA.

Loading Approximately 0.088" jump to lands. Going to repeat test for seating depth next. Just curious if I should repeat all charges or concentrate on what everyone believes maybe a node? Thinking there maybe a node at #6/7 42.9-43.2. Also #3/4 42.0-42.3....ironically group #1

41.4 is my best group and wondering if I shouldn't revisit that and work lower. @ronsatspokane you had a few observations that that would validate this also!

Charge #7 43.2 gr I have a shot that is way low. As I was marking the impacts I am speculating that I was aiming at the wrong bullseye/target; one below it.

100yds _ clean bore _ no chronograph.
8am
32*F / 84%cloud cover / 62% humidity / E 3mph ( shooting S/W)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

1) hold the forend, then place the Hand on the front rest or a sandbag. 2) firm pressure into shoulder 3) dont hold your breath 4) shoot some factory ammo 5) no magnetospeed 6) once comfortable and repeatable, revisit your loads.

 

[ronsatspokane]

Yes those are 1" squares
1) yep, I should have known to ask or at least second question. Sometime read to much and the right information doesn't stick. As another member posted every rifle is different.
2)This is a stock Savage Long range Hunter . heavy-contour barrel with an adjustable muzzle brake. AccuStock with the AccuFit system. Again just slitghtly better than average off the shelf rifle. Savage does not gurantee sub MOA but marketed to deliver, or perform under, 1 MOA at 100 yards with premium loads.
3) I need pay a little more attention to this. I would say it does not do bad and I can usually pick up my target with little effort. I am sure I need to improve on this just not sure how yet. It is a light "r" rifle at just over 8#s.
4) Again I am doing my best not to add any more variance from my position / hold. I will work on how my wrist and hold going forward but feel i slip into bad habits from time to time.

Thanks for suggestions and comments

That Savage rifle should easily shoot 1/2 MOA. I've had a few of them over the years. Never look down the barrel with a bore scope on a Savage rifle though. You'll wonder how it could shoot so well.

That trigger is adjustable as well. Should have come with a little tool with a yellow plastic cap that is used to adjust the trigger. Pull the rifle out of the stock, play with the trigger pull by turning it and dry firing until you get what you want. When you put it back in the stock make sure your action bolts are evenly tightened and the barrel is centered in the channel. Don't ham fist it though. A lot of people over tighten their action bolts to the point that damn near need a breaker bar to get them loose.

I'd try 40.5 to 41.5 in 3 tenths of a grain increments and play with seating depth. If you find some good groups then you can start trying to find a higher velocity node. If you are still getting inconsistent results try more of a free recoil where you have the butt stock lightly against your shoulder and very little cheek pressure but enough to see through the scope and do not squeeze the wrist of the stock. When you do that it is very difficult to move just the finger. The whole hand contracts. That is a problem very familiar to pistol shooters.

Oh, and have fun. The quest for accuracy is a rabbit hole that most of us have never found the bottom of.

 

[charlie b]

I will sometimes buy some commercial match ammo for a rifle just as a baseline. It's expensive, but, at least I get a starting point for acceptable accuracy.

 

[Jet]

I would have focused around shots 1-3 from the first outing.

Pick #2 and do a seating depth test