28 Nosler Ladder

[Alex Wheeler]

I shot this fine ladder at 600 this afternoon. Rl33, 195 hybrids .015 off, cci mag, .003 nt. I wanted to fine tune my load and had been shoot 85, but I only done a coarse ladder and have yet to play with seating depth. This is a rock creek 8.5 twist at 26" Rem mag sporter contour (about a #3 contour). The last 5 shots went into 2 3/8". You dont need a heavy barrel to shoot well in a hunting rifle. I am starting to have trust issues with my lab radar. 85 grains was running 3070 fps, today almost 100 fps slower.... ??? However, the node stayed in the same place relative to powder charge even though it supposedly slower. Anyone else have any issues with their lab radars?

 

[jkohler]

Alex don't be putting that RL15 in that thing like you have on the target.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Ya, it was RL33. Just had 15 on the mind I guess.

 

[jkohler]

Wish my stock would get here so I can shoot mine. I'm interested in tying out the lil beast brake

 

[Sheldon N]

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing!

Question for you about velocity results vs the results on paper. Setting aside the velocity differences you had from day 1 to day 2, when you plot out the velocity results across powder charges are they a good predictor of where the actual node as shown on paper will be? The reason I ask is that I don't have an easy location to shoot a long range ladder, so I've been using velocity curve as an approximation for the ladder.

If you don't mind, would you be able to post the velocity for each shot? i.e.

84.0 = XXXXfps
84.3 = xxxx and so on?
84.6
84.9
85.2
85.5
85.8
86.1

I'm curious if the node I would have picked based on velocity matches up with your results.

 

[montana_native]

I am starting to have trust issues with my lab radar. 85 grains was running 3070 fps, today almost 100 fps slower.... ??? However, the node stayed in the same place relative to powder charge even though it supposedly slower. Anyone else have any issues with their lab radars?
View attachment 1011575

Very similar trust issues with mine too.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Cool stuff, thanks for sharing!

Question for you about velocity results vs the results on paper. Setting aside the velocity differences you had from day 1 to day 2, when you plot out the velocity results across powder charges are they a good predictor of where the actual node as shown on paper will be? The reason I ask is that I don't have an easy location to shoot a long range ladder, so I've been using velocity curve as an approximation for the ladder.

If you don't mind, would you be able to post the velocity for each shot? i.e.

84.0 = XXXXfps
84.3 = xxxx and so on?
84.6
84.9
85.2
85.5
85.8
86.1

I'm curious if the node I would have picked based on velocity matches up with your results.

I'll have to get my chrony data, but in this case yes the velocity flattened out at this node. Thats not always the case. In a hunting rifle I look for a node on paper that corresponds with a velocity node. That load should be stable, provide good es, and shoot well at all distances.

 

[Dogsdown]

Alex,

I recently finished a ladder test with my 28 nosler, 28" Bartlein, 8.3 twist using RL33, CCI 250's and 195's. Barrel only had 25 rounds on it when test was done. I was using a labradar, 85.0g=3004fps, 86.0g=3063. Unfortunately I did not get a speed on 85.5g due to user error. Had slightly less than 0.5" of vertical at 500 yards with the three mentioned charges above. Tested from 84.0 to 89.0 in 0.5 g increments, but the above charges definitely showed the least amount of vertical. Sure hope these labradar's prove to be consistent cause they sure are convenient.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I am not claiming they have an issue, I just cant explain a 100 fps loss for no reason.

 

[Sheldon N]

I'll have to get my chrony data, but in this case yes the velocity flattened out at this node. Thats not always the case. In a hunting rifle I look for a node on paper that corresponds with a velocity node. That load should be stable, provide good es, and shoot well at all distances.

Thanks, appreciate the reply. Last couple loads I've worked up have used the velocity flattening approach in conjunction with an OCW style test. They've worked well and all been good shooters with low ES and good grouping at distance. I do still wish I could run a traditional ladder test though.

 

[ImBIllT]

I am not claiming they have an issue, I just cant explain a 100 fps loss for no reason.

Could be a light case, a thick neck, a weak primer, a fouling issue in a new barrel etc. If you're not jumping or jamming by a wide margin, then a variation in ogive location of only a thousandth or two can cause some bullets to jump, and others to be jammed slightly. A similarly minute variation in ogive shape can cause the seating stem to seat the bullets to different depths. What I'm getting at is that single data points mean very little, and the list of things that could have resulted in your experience is very long. While the lab radar is bound to make errors, you don't have any firm data suggesting it's inaccurate.

 

[Steelnecktie]

Alex, I have to ask, did you go in and change bullet weight? That usually throws mine off.

 

[Steelnecktie]

Damn Alex! first the NF Comp and now the labradar. Is my AMP annealer next haha! I'm betting on the AMP!

I have to ask, what's deal with NF Comp?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

85 grains was running 3070, nothing changed but the day. I was on the low end of the node (85). I had been shooting that load since the rifle was new and it was running 3070. Now yesterday I go test and the nodes in the same place but everything is slower. I'll have to check drops to see what happened, but node dont usually move.

 

[wedgy]

Alex, I have to ask, did you go in and change bullet weight? That usually throws mine off.

If you are talking about changing the bullet weight in the Labradar unit this has no effect on reading speeds, it has to do with the energy calculations the unit can do. I learned this from the manufacturer when I thought I was doing something wrong.

 

[Steelnecktie]

Yes, I meant bullet weight on labradar. Sorry for confusion.
I have shot with 2 labradar set up on each side, very consistent and accurate from what I've seen.
I have dropped MV when I take suppressor off.
Its hard for me to believe labradar is not correct, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon, your pretty smart guy.

 

[Frankr]

just wondering if anyone had a expected barrel life on one of them dozers.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

About 150 rounds...

Seriously I'd say 800-1000.

 

[Frankr]

Thanks Alex. yea I was told pick a bullet if it hits the target your done go test it in the field do not play around shooting groups..Just wondering if that hear say is true.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

These things are SO easy to tune. I tell all my customers to load 85 and put a 195 .015 off. Most are done before they even start testing. It is a hunting rifle, and 1000 rounds should be a life time really.