6ppc Reloading Help

[Belton45]

Got me a used LV 6ppc .262nk Panda action. Barrel is 1-14 twist using 68 HH-6. Powder is N133, 205m primers, Lapua brass turned to .260. Using custom fl die and wilson seater. Just kinda curious what kind of range of load is the norm for this and also where should bullet seating start. Thanks for any input. If you need more info let me know.

 

[SS427]

You should get a copy of the Tony Boyer book. It details just about everything you need to know about 6ppc short range shooting, from reloading, to wind flags, to tuning the rifle and lots of other topics. I thought I knew something about shooting. The book is a real eye opener.

The Mike Ratigan book is also a great book, but he doesn't go into the load details like Tony does.

Considering the cost of either of the books is just a little more than 100 bullets, it is money well spent.

 

[artbosco]

Got me a used LV 6ppc .262nk Panda action. Barrel is 1-14 twist using 68 HH-6. Powder is N133, 205m primers, Lapua brass turned to .260. Using custom fl die and Wilson seater. Just kinda curious what kind of range of load is the norm for this and also where should bullet seating start. Thanks for any input. If you need more info let me know.

What's the leade angle? What's the freebore? How much neck tension are you using? What's the bushing size?

When resizing, .003" of neck tension applied with a .257" bushing gives good results because N133 seems to like lots of tension. With a Bart's Ultra measured at the pressure ring my OD is .2600" too.

My bullet is seated into the lands so a square mark appears at the Ogive after rotating a dummy round in the chamber with the firing pin removed. My freebore is .045", and the leade angle is 1 degree 30.

There's a good accuracy node around 29.0 to 29.2 grains of VV N133. There's also another good accuracy node at the 29.8 to 30.0 grain range. My barrel likes the 29.0 to 29.2 range. You have to experiment to fine your barrel's optimum load.

 

[Belton45]

I went to the range today and had excellent results. Took 5 loads to the range 28.0, 28.3, 28.6, 28.9, and 29.2.
These are 3 shot groups.
28.0 so so
28.3 bug hole (my smallest ever)
28.6 opened up to small clover (all still touching)
28.9 opened up to larger clover (3 seperate holes)
29.2 groups shrank back down to one hole (these 3 made a vertical hole)

Temp was about 70 degrees and with winds but I worked on shooting fast. I will be ordering the Tony Boyer book today. I am not sure on how to measure the freebore. And one more question is why is it important to remove firing pin when finding seating depth? I have always heard this just unsure of the reason. I will try going above the 29.2 barrier next go round. Thanks for the help. Here is a pic of my 28.3 load.

 

[SS427]

Looks like a great start!

You should wait until you get the Boyer book before you do much more load development. He has a chapter on "Tuning Your Rifle" that makes the most sense I've ever heard on doing load development. Those big groups you shot with a certain powder charge could be the optimum load with a different seating depth. Tony is looking for seating depth more than powder charge...read the book and you will see what I mean. Considering where you are at I would jump right to that chapter. (Keep in mind he is loading for competition, and is more interested in consistency, not one or two tiny groups.)

Take this for what it is worth...I'm just getting started with the PPC, so by no means am I an expert. I've heard volumes of advice, and what I've read in Tony's book makes the most sense. (For the record Boyd, Skeetlee and Frank have all given me sound advice as well.)

As for taking out the firing pin, I'm curious about that too when finding "jam". I think it is a safety thing rather than it changing where jam is. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Belton45]

Checked the tracking and the book will be here Thursday. Will have plenty of reading to get done this weekend.

 

[artbosco]

As for taking out the firing pin, I'm curious about that too when finding "jam". I think it is a safety thing rather than it changing where jam is. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

You don't have to remove the firing pin to find jam.

"With the firing pin removed", probably should have been left out. It looks like those five words muddied the water. Let me explain what I was referring to.

I've previously established my seating depth with a visual reference, a square mark on the bullet. What I'm doing is an additional QC check, right after I've verified my case dimensions with the firing pin removed.

While it's still out, I seat a bullet into the empty case, run the cartridge back into the chamber with the hollow bolt, turn it back and forth a few times, to see that I'm still getting the mark I'm looking for. I perform this QC with the hollow bolt, because I can feel the lands actually engraving the bullet. With the firing pin and spring in, it would mask the feedback or feel that I'm looking for.

Sorry for any confusion.

 

[fishbone]

Belton45, you described my very situation (except for the gun) with the 6ppc.
Otter is dead-on about the two books.
The jam method for finding the seating leaves me a little cold.
Just this week I used a Hornady OAL gauge to find my "touch" point. Although a little goosey to find the magic number, it works and, I feel, is more useful and accurate than jam.
Another helpful tool was a slug fit to a case that gets seated into the case when the bolt is closed. An OAL measurement then shows the max case length. Just something I like to have recorded. The slug was ordered from Sinclair.
Being just at the point of loading to find what the gun likes, I'll be interested in your method and results.