The beginning began back in January when I ordered the Brux barrel, then it was into finding a gunsmith to chamber the barrel for me. Within my search I decided to use Scott Harris of Black Knight Accuracy out in Scottsdale AZ. The donor rifle is my BAT M acting n bedded into a McMillan MBR stock which is currently chambered in a 300 WM. Last fall I ordered a bolt from Bat machine so I could also shoot a dasher from the same action.
Fast forward 3 mos. now, today I did my first initial load development on the 284 Shehane, no idea where my zero was I put one shot on a 4' square plate at 100 yards and from impact I knew what I needed to do at 300 yards. On my long range calibers I start at 300 and move out to 500.
Today it was a cold 25* when I arrived at the range. My test loads were 56.0, 56.55, 57.0 and 57.5grains of H4831sc these were loaded in Lapua 6.5-284 brass and lit with a Fed 210m primer, the bullet is a 180 Berger Hybrid hBN coated.
Loads 56.0-57.0 grains shot in the ball park of 2.5" and were three shot test groups. Then when I got to the 57.5 grain charge the group shrunk down to a nice .8985 outside to outside measurement with 2 nearly in one hole.
I thought ok this looks promising so I finsihed fireforming a few more cases and back home I came.
This evening I went back to the range and setup out to 500 yards with charges of 57.5, 57.8 and 58.1 grains. I also loaded up another batch of fire form loads and got zeroed in at 500 yards. After I got sighted in I decided to put the magneto speed on the rifle and get a velocity of my load then I put 5 rounds on paper right before the time expired for the range to go cold. So I ride down and looked at the target which had verticle and one flyer out to the left, this group measures 3.398 this was the 57.5 grain charge. So as the range went hot I decided to just leave the magneto speed on the rifle and shoot the next two groups with it to go ahead and gather my chronograph info. After I shot those groups I had five more rounds left of the 57.5 grain load so I thought ok I'll remove the magneto speed and put the muzzle brake on and see what it does.
I waited for the barrel to cool a bit and once it got cool a ripped those five down range.
Now for the numbers I'm not impressed at all and im hoping as the barrel breaks in these rise. And the ES and SD drops.
57.5 grains low 2856 high 2883 avg 2868 ES 27 SD 11.5
57.8 grains low 2872 high 2896 avg 2888 ES 24 SD 10.3
58.1 grains low 2899 high 2918 avg 2909 ES 19 SD 7
Below are the pics of today's resuots starting with the 57.5 grain load at 300 yards.
Here's the first load using the magneto speed this is at 500 yards and the 57.5 grain load as well.
Here's the 57.8 grain charge.
Now here's the 58.1 grain charge
Everything shot with the magneto speed attached had verticle to it as you can see in the photos all shots were five shots even if picture may not show it as I was trying to just show the group size with charge weights.
Now here is the big kicker this next group is back to the 57.5 grain charge with out the magneto speed and the muzzle brake back on.
I'm impressed with the group but not my velocity, and the numbers.
Comments welcomed and any questions I'll be glad to answer.
Fast forward 3 mos. now, today I did my first initial load development on the 284 Shehane, no idea where my zero was I put one shot on a 4' square plate at 100 yards and from impact I knew what I needed to do at 300 yards. On my long range calibers I start at 300 and move out to 500.
Today it was a cold 25* when I arrived at the range. My test loads were 56.0, 56.55, 57.0 and 57.5grains of H4831sc these were loaded in Lapua 6.5-284 brass and lit with a Fed 210m primer, the bullet is a 180 Berger Hybrid hBN coated.
Loads 56.0-57.0 grains shot in the ball park of 2.5" and were three shot test groups. Then when I got to the 57.5 grain charge the group shrunk down to a nice .8985 outside to outside measurement with 2 nearly in one hole.
I thought ok this looks promising so I finsihed fireforming a few more cases and back home I came.
This evening I went back to the range and setup out to 500 yards with charges of 57.5, 57.8 and 58.1 grains. I also loaded up another batch of fire form loads and got zeroed in at 500 yards. After I got sighted in I decided to put the magneto speed on the rifle and get a velocity of my load then I put 5 rounds on paper right before the time expired for the range to go cold. So I ride down and looked at the target which had verticle and one flyer out to the left, this group measures 3.398 this was the 57.5 grain charge. So as the range went hot I decided to just leave the magneto speed on the rifle and shoot the next two groups with it to go ahead and gather my chronograph info. After I shot those groups I had five more rounds left of the 57.5 grain load so I thought ok I'll remove the magneto speed and put the muzzle brake on and see what it does.
I waited for the barrel to cool a bit and once it got cool a ripped those five down range.
Now for the numbers I'm not impressed at all and im hoping as the barrel breaks in these rise. And the ES and SD drops.
57.5 grains low 2856 high 2883 avg 2868 ES 27 SD 11.5
57.8 grains low 2872 high 2896 avg 2888 ES 24 SD 10.3
58.1 grains low 2899 high 2918 avg 2909 ES 19 SD 7
Below are the pics of today's resuots starting with the 57.5 grain load at 300 yards.
Here's the first load using the magneto speed this is at 500 yards and the 57.5 grain load as well.
Here's the 57.8 grain charge.
Now here's the 58.1 grain charge
Everything shot with the magneto speed attached had verticle to it as you can see in the photos all shots were five shots even if picture may not show it as I was trying to just show the group size with charge weights.
Now here is the big kicker this next group is back to the 57.5 grain charge with out the magneto speed and the muzzle brake back on.
I'm impressed with the group but not my velocity, and the numbers.
Comments welcomed and any questions I'll be glad to answer.
