6 BRA (776 rounds throat check)

[johnnyi]

200 rounds with 105 VLD’s jammed 15k with 29.2 grains of Varget were fire formed before I started doing any load development. It took 4-5 outings to get all of the rounds formed and the barrel to get through the speed up / settling in period. I would clean the barrel after each session. During Fire forming my process was shoot 10, clean up the bolt, add new grease and allow to cool a bit. During fireforming the velocities started in the 2720’s and climed to the 2770’s about the time Fireforming was complete.

After the fireforming the lands didn’t register much movement around half to 1k. Since the fireforming, I have shot 86 rounds with Varget max charges up to 31.5 during initial load testing. Group consistency lead me to test H4895 which is the powder used for the last 490 rounds. Of those 490 rifle has been used to shoot 4 Fclass matches. Developed charge ended up with 30.6 grains of H4895 shooting 2925.

Matches shot: 2 at 300 yards, 1 at 1000 yards, and 1 match at 600 yards. Those being 20 records shots plus some sighters etc. just to note those rounds I would say they cause more wear than some other formats fired.

I just scrubbed down the barrel to check to see how much wear I was seeing after those 776 rounds. Lands have moved about 5-6k.

Photos are kind of blurry. But overall seems to be holding up really nice. Accuracy is phenomenal and a ton of fun to shoot this little case! Anyway thought I would share how the barrel looked at this point.

Right at the case mouth. A little wear here

Here are a few photos in the lands:

 

[Willow]

Looks to be holding up well so far. I'll be interested to see what the general round count for this cartridge ends up being once a few people start shooting out barrels. I wonder if north of 2000 rounds is realistic?

 

[Jeff A]

Thanks for the report. Quick questions. What Chronograph was used to record those velocities? What is your barrel length? Do you mind sharing some group sizes?

 

[SHall]

johnnyi, that is a great report on the Ackley! Keep us informed on your data! Samuel Hall

 

[johnnyi]

Looks to be holding up well so far. I'll be interested to see what the general round count for this cartridge ends up being once a few people start shooting out barrels. I wonder if north of 2000 rounds is realistic?

The round count is always an interesting conversation as to what we would be considered as acceptable accuracy. Different shooting formats I’m sure would influence that conversation. I have a dasher barrel still kicking along north of 2800 rounds. For me it still has acceptable accuracy as it will produce Fclass scores in the upper teens at 300 and 600 yards. All rounds were shot with Varget from that dasher barrel. That dasher barrel Started as .104 freebore with the 105 class Bullets. At around 2000 rounds down it the freebore was eroded to the point I switched to the 108’s with longer bearing surface. Not that the acceptable accuracy left. I just didn’t like tiny amount of bullet left in the case. For me, if it’s still shooting upper teens in x count and still shooting flat waterline and not oddball fliers, I would continue to use the barrel.

 

[johnnyi]

Thanks for the report. Quick questions. What Chronograph was used to record those velocities? What is your barrel length? Do you mind sharing some group sizes?

LabRadar was used for speed recording. Barrel is Krieger 28”, straight 1.25” no taper, .237 bore, standard 4 Groove.

Fire forming loads at 600:



First development targets at 300:


Ladder test at 1000:



I picked 30.6 for as my OCW load for the next 4 Fclass matches.

 

[ShootDots]

200 rounds with 105 VLD’s jammed 15k with 29.2 grains of Varget were fire formed before I started doing any load development. It took 4-5 outings to get all of the rounds formed and the barrel to get through the speed up / settling in period. I would clean the barrel after each session. During Fire forming my process was shoot 10, clean up the bolt, add new grease and allow to cool a bit. During fireforming the velocities started in the 2720’s and climed to the 2770’s about the time Fireforming was complete.

After the fireforming the lands didn’t register much movement around half to 1k. Since the fireforming, I have shot 86 rounds with Varget max charges up to 31.5 during initial load testing. Group consistency lead me to test H4895 which is the powder used for the last 490 rounds. Of those 490 rifle has been used to shoot 4 Fclass matches. Developed charge ended up with 30.6 grains of H4895 shooting 2925.

Matches shot: 2 at 300 yards, 1 at 1000 yards, and 1 match at 600 yards. Those being 20 records shots plus some sighters etc. just to note those rounds I would say they cause more wear than some other formats fired.
hes
I just scrubbed down the barrel to check to see how much wear I was seeing after those 776 rounds. Lands have moved about 5-6k.

Photos are kind of blurry. But overall seems to be holding up really nice. Accuracy is phenomenal and a ton of fun to shoot this little case! Anyway thought I would share how the barrel looked at this point.

Right at the case mouth. A little wear hereView attachment 1039187

Here are a few photos in the lands:

View attachment 1039188
View attachment 1039189
View attachment 1039190

What Johnny DID NOT tell you in his post was that those 2 / 300 yard matches went like this: 600-54Xs with one of those matches having a score of 200-22Xs! The other 300 yard match was 600-51Xs! In 2/ 300 yard matches not 1 point was dropped and 105Xs out of a possible 120Xs were shot! AND at the 1000 yard match he shot a 200-15Xs! I would say that Johnny's rifle was extremely accurate. Johnny don't like to "toot his own horn" but these scores are worth sounding out on anyone's trumpet!

 

[KenOath]

Thanks for the report and great shooting Johny, I’ve got 550rnds on my BRA for 3-4thou of lands movement, they appear to be easy on the throat!!

Cheers Rushty

 

[jwallen5516]

What's your source for the nice targets with the back ground grid?

 

[R.Morehouse]

Great report and some real fine shooting...Thanks

Regards
Rick

 

[johnnyi]

What's your source for the nice targets with the back ground grid?

@Highpower-FClass made them.

 

[CaptainMal]

Maybe I'm wrong but it looks like carbon deposits in the grooves past the throat.

I had much the same look in my 4 groove Krieger when I junked my BRA barrel at 1,100 rds. H4895 just seemed to deposit carbon in the grooves that all variety of solvents, brushes and pastes would not remove. In many ways it looked like yours. Now I did not really junk it because of that deposit but because I never got it to shoot to my satisfaction. Next barrel going on soon and I will be back to Varget. Man that 4895 just seemed dirty and super tough to clean.

Glad yours is shooting.

 

[Link]

Maybe I'm wrong but it looks like carbon deposits in the grooves past the throat.

I had much the same look in my 4 groove Krieger when I junked my BRA barrel at 1,100 rds. H4895 just seemed to deposit carbon in the grooves that all variety of solvents, brushes and pastes would not remove. In many ways it looked like yours. Now I did not really junk it because of that deposit but because I never got it to shoot to my satisfaction. Next barrel going on soon and I will be back to Varget. Man that 4895 just seemed dirty and super tough to clean.

Glad yours is shooting.

Hi did you have better luck with Varget?
Don

 

[JMayo]

I have1200 rounds down my Bartlein
Erosion is starting 3-4" in front of the bullet.
30.5 Varget, 105 berger vld.
I recently got a lymans bore cam.
There was one groove that was very burnt right at 3,4". I worked it over really aggressively, finally with jb non embedding & a nylon brush. That is where the erosion is.
The chamber, throat and all the rest of the barrel looks fantastic.
My self questions ...
If I would have known and cleaned there better ? Did my aggressive cleaning make it worse ? Is 2400 down range (the rest of this year) possible?
The rifle shoots great, my lack of skill is the weak link.
Just a perspective of the BRA ...

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Hi did you have better luck with Varget?
Don

CaptainMal reported much better grouping in his barrel with Varget. Sub 1.5" at 600 if I remember correctly. Even with 1100 rounds down it.

 

[Highpower-FClass]

@Highpower-FClass made them.

All, here is a PDF with 4 variants of the target (different x-ring marker, otherwise the same), feel free to use.

The grid in the target has inches divided into 8*8 squares to make it easier to get a visual appreciation for group size.

The rings are intended to be the same size as the 300 yard F-Class target. It uses these dimensions:
300 Yard Target - NRA No. MR-63FC
X ring- 1.42 inches
10 ring - 2.85 inches
9 ring - 5.85 inches

A couple of notes for printing the targets (on Windows):
- In the printer options (i.e. the dialog window you see when clicking Print), make sure to select 'Actual Size' in the size options. If you leave it at 'Fit' it will shrink the target making the rings smaller than the 300 yard F-Class target.
- If you want to print multiple copies of just one variant of the target, then enter just that page number in the 'Pages' option in the print dialog.