Follow up from my 220 Swift AI loadings

[Raider1v1]

After the info that i received here about my previous loads, I went back to the books and made some new ones to test using varget. Here are the results.

COAL - 2.450
Brass - New Norma
220 Swift AI fireforming loads
Bullet-53gr Hornady v-max

Im thinking the 37.0gr of varget is the max. The 2.450 COAL is touching the lands. I need to have them at least touching to keep the case against the boltface for fireforming (at least i have been told). Should i try seating them farther into the lands to see if i can shrink the group at all or should i just stay w/ the group thats about 1/2" or so?

Targets

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Id pick 37.5

 

[Raider1v1]

Id pick 37.5

ill load up some more to test, that was just 3. do you think going farther into the lands will do anything?

 

[ranger3]

Ditto

 

[Dusty Stevens]

ill load up some more to test, that was just 3. do you think going farther into the lands will do anything?

No but windflags would have made that a very small group

 

[BoydAllen]

Plus one on the wind flags. Generally when I am trying powder charges for a .22 caliber varmint rifle I load about .006" longer than firm touch (thumb exerting maximum pressure on the rod, see below). In the past, for those applications I used the Sinclair to come up with what touch was, the one that has an action adapter, a rod, and a couple of stepped stop collars. On the flags, many balk because of the expense, but 1 x 2s sharpened on one end, driven into the ground, one at about 15 yards, and the other at 50, with surveyors' tape tied tot their top, hanging to the ground...are a whole lot better than nothing....trust me on this. Testing loads with nothing to indicate what the wind in front of you is like driving at night in the country at full speed with only your parking lights on.

 

[dedogs]

Should i try seating them farther into the lands to see if i can shrink the group at all or should i just stay w/ the group thats about 1/2" or so?

If these are fireforming loads, I don't know why you are even worrying about it. The volume of the case will change and once formed you will have to start load development all over again. As long as the cases are forming properly, I would choose that load (for fireforming). I personally would go .005 more into the lands but that's just my method. YMMV. 36.5 looks to have good numbers. dedogs

 

[Raider1v1]

If these are fireforming loads, I don't know why you are even worrying about it. The volume of the case will change and once formed you will have to start load development all over again. As long as the cases are forming properly, I would choose that load (for fireforming). I personally would go .005 more into the lands but that's just my method. YMMV. 36.5 looks to have good numbers. dedogs

concerning the wind, it was about 10-15mph blowing from where i was shooting right down to the target. ill bring a couple stakes and some flagging tape with me next time. i have both of them handy.

Thanks! The reason why im putting so much effort into the loads is that i have 400 cases. Its enough of them that it would warrant the effort, at least to me. Ill try out the seating a bit further and then call it good. 1/2" is certainly good enough for PD's at 150-400yds.

I will try out the 36.5 and the 37.0 again seated a bit deeper as people have suggested here. Ill see what that does to both the cases and the speed.

Thank you for all the help so far.