one other question! My high node starts at 34.2-35. This load prints lowest on the target
32.4-33 is the low node, this range prints high on the target.
With a 30BR do you tune it to a node or tune it to where you think it shoots best? I shot at a match in St Louis shooting 34.9 gr and snuck out of there with a win at 200 lacked 1 X at 100 and won the grand agg but shooting groups with that load looks terrible on paper.
Basically the gun shoots way better then I can at just about any powder charge which makes it difficult for me to tune. I can however indentify the low and high node on paper.
I'll work on the whole shoulder thing, I'd guess that this would cure a few problems at the higher powder charge. Breaks my heart shooting the low node!
Jeremy: with the 30BR i find the node to be very wide: mine will shoot well at 33.6(0.3 above it or 0.3 below 33.6), then at 200 yard and beyond it is a totally different load,
you shot the match in St Louis shooting 34.9 gr which is a great area for load at 200, i bet your velocity is about close to 3050 or bit more:
try an experiment: load two loads: 33.6 and 34.9 and shoot both at 100 and 200, and 300, i will bet you that your 33.6 load will shoot excellent at 100 and may shoot ok at 200 , but at 200 yard and 300 yard the 33.6 load will fall flat on its face.
My mentor also taught me a great trick: I run very little neck tension: i can push the bullet into the case with my finger: then I load bullet quite long so it will soft seat itself into the land when i close the bolt, my mentor feels by doing this the bullet will set into the land and straighten itself out into the proper alignment with the bore:
i tried this method and it has worked really well for me.
as for neck tension. the 30 BR does not seem to care much regarding neck tension, it just shoots lights out.
I am still learning with my mentors help on how to drive the rifle as I shoot with firm pressure on the stock and rifle pinned into the front rest.
My mentor only 45 years more experience then me: he is nearly 80 years old and still destroys us when we shoot out matches.
I think you will learn to love the 30BR, it is just alot of fun to shoot.
At our range here in washington state: Kenmore gun range, when my Mentors 30BR is shooting well, very few people can beat him,
i have beat him only one time: using a the 30BR which he cut the barrel for me and using the bullets he and I made together.
have fun shooting
khanh