6.5x284 Fireforming, Barrel Break-In Next Steps?

[Badbob]

Folks!

I need some advice about next steps on my road to accuracy.

yesterday I was at the range breaking in a new 6.5x284 barrel and doing fireforming. My 3x groups got better and better as the morning went on. My question is should I work off my fireforming load since it was improving? Or just start from scratch with my load development. I've read that sometimes fireforming can be surprising accurate and some folks have a hard time getting back to results from FF range time. I used the IMR4350 for fireforming since I want to reserve my H4350 (limited supply) for load development.

here is my rig and specifics.

Criterion 1:8 Heavy Varmint 26" with Harrels brake
Stiller Med predator action
Custom Carbon fiber benchrest stock
Sightron 8-32x56 optics with Burris Rings
Jewel trigger

Berger 140gr VLD Hunting
45gr IMR4350
BR2 Primers
Lapua Brass
.295 tight neck

Wind was 7-15mph coming toward the bench from a 10-11 o'clock position. I was using flags to read the wind and a wind meter. Bald Eagle 3" front rest free recoiling onto a custom rear bag.

Thanks in advance for your expert advise. BB

 

[4xforfun]

How many rounds do you have down the tube? My Brake in period as far as fouling goes is only 3 or 4 rounds...cleaned between each shot. After that i don't see any difference in the fouling aspect. Krieger and Brux.

On the other hand, you can expect the BBL to speed up for at least 50...maybe even 100 rounds. By then things stabilize and you can get serious about load development.

I asked a similar question just last week.......wondering if I could do a seating depth test while breaking in the tube and FFing the new brass. The answer.......shoot the brass, get the gun broke in....and THEN do the fine tuning. I did do a rough tune the first 40 rounds just finding a rough load that shot best.,..,.I'll shoot up the last 60 brass plinking steel and paper before doing any serious load work. I am shooting a 6.5-47, so BBL life will be twice yours, so maybe start after 50 rounds and FF the rest of the brass as fowlers, sighters and warm up shots.

Good luck, and have fun,

Tod

 

[Badbob]

How many rounds do you have down the tube? My Brake in period as far as fouling goes is only 3 or 4 rounds...cleaned between each shot. After that i don't see any difference in the fouling aspect. Krieger and Brux.

On the other hand, you can expect the BBL to speed up for at least 50...maybe even 100 rounds. By then things stabilize and you can get serious about load development.

I asked a similar question just last week.......wondering if I could do a seating depth test while breaking in the tube and FFing the new brass. The answer.......shoot the brass, get the gun broke in....and THEN do the fine tuning. I did do a rough tune the first 40 rounds just finding a rough load that shot best.,..,.I'll shoot up the last 60 brass plinking steel and paper before doing any serious load work. I am shooting a 6.5-47, so BBL life will be twice yours, so maybe start after 50 rounds and FF the rest of the brass as fowlers, sighters and warm up shots.

Good luck, and have fun,

Tod

I put 30 rounds down the pipe to break in the barrel and get a good lot of fireformed brass for load development.

I have a 6x47 that has been a bit of work to get tuned. The best is in the 3s. so this 6.5x284 was very exciting to see shooting one group in the 2s and the other was .133"

Cheers! BB

 

[Badbob]

Ok, after doing a bit of forum searching I'm thinking I might head off to the range with my fireformed brass and shoot these for my first mission to find a node:

H4350 (why? Readily available proven 6.5x284 powder)

3 shots each: 47, 47.5, 48, 48.5, 49, 49.5
Berger 140 VLD hunting
BR2 primers
.010" off the lands

Base on research it sounds like I should find something in the 48-49 range bumping out at around 2900fps.

How does that sound for starters?

Thanks, BB

 

[Charwell]

Thanks, BB[/QUOTE]
I've had better luck with magnum primers. I use Fed 215. 48grains to 49.5 grains h4350. My current barrel is 49g , Berger 140hvld.

 

[Badbob]

Thanks, BB

I've had better luck with magnum primers. I use Fed 215. 48grains to 49.5 grains h4350. My current barrel is 49g , Berger 140hvld.[/QUOTE]

How long is your barrel? Twist? Did you try the BR2s before switching to the Feds? Thanks!

 

[Charwell]

How long is your barrel? Twist? Did you try the BR2s before switching to the Feds? Thanks![/Q
Barrel is a Krieger , 26 inch , 8twist. I tried federal 210m, but from my previous experience I jumped right back to 215s.

 

[fingers]

I started with Fed 210s, moved to Br-2s & they cut my groups in 1/2 with the same load. A friend suggested I try the Wolf primers & they cut my groups by 1/2 again. I have never looked back as I was happy with the Federals. I never consider a load good enough until I have tried several different primers. Good luck & Good shooting.

 

[Badbob]

Folks, I need help interpreting my target and picking some next steps. The attached target is from March. I switch powders from IMR4350 to H4350 simple because I use the H for m 6x47 and don't want to have to locate and stock another powder. It appears to me that was mistake since my groups opened up and are not as tight as the IMR (target posted above). So I'm thinking about switching back to IMR and heading back to the range. I shot 3 pill each: 47, 47.5, 48, 48.5, 49, 49.5 (no signs of pressure). Wind was 5-8mph coming down the range from 11:00 O'Clock position. I used flags and monitored the wind.

Particulars:

Stiller Predator Action
Carbon Fiber Bench Stock
Sightron SIII 5-32x
CBI 26" 1:7.5 twist Heavy Varmit
Jewel Trigger
Lapua Brass
BR-2 Primers
Seated .010" off
140 Berger VLD Hunting

Any suggestions or help interpreting my data so far would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, BB

 

[Bart B.]

BB,

All those 3-shot groups are statistically equal in my opinion. Each load has equal accuracy.

Try each load with 10-shot groups. If it's worth getting more reliable data for each load.

 

[Twicepop]

For barrel break-in I took the advice of a couple guys that had "real" bench rest rifles, and not the modified factory rifles I shoot. They said with a new barrel, thoroughly clean it and shoot one shot. Thoroughly clean it again, do this for three shots thoroughly cleaning between each of the three shots. Then shoot two shots, thoroughly cleaning again, and follow up with two more two shot cycles, thoroughly cleaning between each cycle. When you stop getting copper on your patches, the barrel is seasoned/broke-in. I never had to go beyond the third two shot cycle with any of the rifles I've done this with. I had a Kreiger barrel that stopped showing copper after 5 shots and two Douglas air gauge match barrels that stopped showing copper after the 7th and the 9th shots.

 

[dkhunt14]

H4350 is usually a bit slower burn, it is possible with a slower lot that you didn't get to the accuracy node yet. I wouldn't worry about fireforming. New brass shoots as good or better. Matt

 

[Badbob]

This is basically a duplicate of another thread . . . just thought I would post these targets here for folks who might be doing research later down the line. Bb

 

[4xforfun]

H4350 is usually a bit slower burn, it is possible with a slower lot that you didn't get to the accuracy node yet. I wouldn't worry about fireforming. New brass shoots as good or better. Matt

Agree MOST of the time...but my only journey into 6.5-284 land saw .010 to .012 headspace on new brass, so I did the whole false shoulder thing (AKA Dasher).

Now, my BBL that I used to FF Dasher brass is , so far to date, the most consistently accurate BBL I have ever fired.

 

[Rust]

IMR 4350 and H4350 are close but the data is not really interchangeable. IMR is faster and depending on lot# could be a little, could be a lot. As it is H4350 is a little fast for a 6.5 X 284 but after using half the barrel life of the first barrel I stopped there with load development. RL-22, H4831SC and H4350 all work, H4350 worked best IN MY RIFLE.

28" barrel, 1-9" twist (everybody says it isn't enough twist but everybody was wrong). 140 gr Lapua Scenars, yes there are newer bullets but they work just fine and I don't chase every new whiz bang that comes along. 49.5 gr of H4350 and a CCI LR primer (the BR version didn't work any better, just buy a bunch from one lot#). All charges are within a tenth of a grain. Bullets are seated into the lands a couple thousandths. Wisdom says if you want to seat into the lands back off the load a bit and work your way up so as to not run into overpressure. Target velocity is 2940 fps which hits a very good node.

My chamber is a custom which allows for seating the bullets quite a bit past SAAMI spec. So my data may or may not work for you and if it's over the powder charges you've been using be very careful sneaking up on it. You know, "Danger Will Robinson!!!". Use at your own risk and all that. I did find another node at a higher velocity BUT after carefully measuring and examining the fired brass immediately pulled the bullets.

If you have a good IMR load and want to switch to Hogdon use a chrono to find what velocity your best IMR load is and that's where you have a barrel node. Work up a load with Hogdon that duplicates the velocity and that should get you real close. The you can play with seating depth.

Oh, your targets. It looks as if you are around a node for the .332 and .390 groups.