.243 Ackley Woes

[SeabeeKen]

Hi Knot,
I had the same problem with my 243 AI for a while. It also was a 1-10 twist and 20" bbl. I tried 17 different powders and several different bullets from 62 to 80 grains. The 3rd shot would always have a mind of its own. H-380 and Varget produced the best groups in that bullet weight range. H-414 produced erratic pressure signs in my rifle. My groups tightened up .4" after varying the seating depth to find that sweet spot. That was the best I could get out of it. It is at Hart now getting a fresh barrel for next varmint season. Good luck.

 

[stacy]

KNOTWILD
UPDATE I checked my bedding and I found one issue and then started checking my seating depth and I made so kind bo bo with my oal gauge I corrected that load up 44.6grs H-4350 87gr VLD berger 210M PRIMERS and it shot a .373 group so I hope that I'm back on track..................GOOD LUCK!
STACY

 

[stacy]

KNOTWILD
I think I got it I shot the previous load today w/5shots was .367 so I'm going hunting some horns in the sandhills good luck with your fix................

 

[Knotwild]

Well, my luck hasn't been so good. I tried IMR 3031, IMR 4350, IMR 4007, 87 gr. Vmax HPBT, 85 gr. Sierra MK HPBT, 80 gr. Sierra Blitz BTSP, 70 gr. Nosler BT, and factory 80 gr. Federal SP. Primers were Winchester, Federal, and Remington. Cases were Federal and Nosler. I varied seating depth, tried full length resizing, and switched scopes. I get either two almost in the same hole and one about 1 to 1.5" away sometimes on the last shot and sometimes on the second.

I found an old target I shot about 3 years ago that measured 0.187 for 3 shots, which was a good fluke, but shows what the gun is/was capable of.

I'm done with it and plan to take it back to Jarrett for him to look it over. If it is something simple, great, it it is more involved/expensive, it's gone. I don't have the patience or money for much more of this.

 

[308sako]

Can't agree more with the concept that this caliber can be difficult to make shoot. VV 550 and 80 grain Berger flat base bullets were about all that really showed this Cooper's ability.

Good luck and good shooting

 

[stacy]

KNOTWILD
Have you preformed any bullet runouts on your loads, or on your case necks,have you annealed your brass.I use a bushing die but look for doughnuts inside the necks, after I shoot my brass several times I run my brass through a 6MM HORNADY neck die just enough to size the whole length of the neck and then run through the bushing die

 

[Knotwild]

308 Sako. I have been wanting to try some flat base Bergers, but haven't found any available so far. The gun used to shoot best with a flat base 85 gr. SMK.

Stacy. I don't have the tools to measure run out, but I do have some 6mm Remington dies. I noticed in my shooting since I started this thread that the rifle seemed to lean a little bit towards Federal brass, which is what I used when I first got it.

The bottom line is that out of all the loads I have tried, I haven't gotten anything that showed promise and gave me a base to work from. I saw Kenny Jarrett a couple of weeks ago and he said (with confidence) switch primer brands, which I did with no different results.

I really think I need to get Kenny to look the rifle over and see if there is some other problem. I am not an advanced reloader with a lot of tools and don't know much about bedding and such, so I have reached my knowledge and capability limits.

 

[stacy]

KNOTWILD
I loaded up some 105VLD HUNTING BERGER'S today 48grs H-1000 210m that thing shot a .298 5 SHOT GROUP 30THS OFF THE LANDS..............SWEEEEEEEEET
HEY MAN GOOD LUCK ON YOUR FIX KEEP US POSTED.