Compressed load anomaly

[Texas10]

Thanks for the suggestions. I can feel/hear the crunch and using the highly scientific shake test I don't hear any powder rattling around, so I think they're compressed. Neck tension seems consistent throughout.

The scale was the first thing I questioned but it looks like it's working. Also, the compressed being so much slower would make me think it wasn't more powder.

Admittedly I have not done any brass sorting and it would pain me to have to do it for this rifle. You bring up a good point with brass cleaning though. I just give the outside of the neck a couple turns in 000 steel wool, run a brush on the inside of the neck, and then just tumble in dry media long enough to knock out the big stuff. It would surprise me if there was enough build up in there to cause an issue, but definitely something I hadn't considered. I'll put a few pieces through a couple cycles in my wife's sonic jewelry cleaner and see if that makes a difference.

My cartridge OAL is consistent, but I haven't measured out the bullets to see how consistent they are. I'll add that to the list.

Primers are Wolf SRM and the same I use in other rifles and don't see the same issues. The 22-250 and creed brass is large primer and I use Winchester for those. I use them in my 6XC and they seem to be fine as well. The powder is the only thing I don't use in any other rifle, so maybe that's the culprit here. I'm in Phoenix so it's about as dry as you can get.

This might be dumb but your point about combustion made me think that maybe that's why I'm seeing slower speeds with the compressed load. If I'm borderline on combustion for whatever reason, would having less air in the case cause even poorer combustion?

The propellent has its own oxygen, so air by itself is not an issue. But air SPACE is! And a compressed load may be harder to ignite when the kernels are all jammed together. Have you tried magnum primers?

 

[Buzz]

The small rifle are magnum. I don't have any large rifle magnum.

 

[Trevor60]

Have you had a chance to read this article, it discuses case volume and pour times. one of our forum members Boyd Allen did some tests.

http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com...ng-controling-cartridge-powder-column-height/

Trevor