How many rounds until new barrel...

[garandman]

...calms down ?

Searched everything I could think of and found nothing.

224 Valkyrie bolt gun... Bighorn Origin action ... professionally built... Triggertech @ 8 oz... 24" ... 150 rounds so far... 12 - 17 avg fps SD .... not grouping well. Anywhere from 0.75 to 1.25"

 

[Dud]

Which reamer did they use?

 

[garandman]

Which reamer did they use?

Dont know. Standard SAAMI I think. They recommended against extra freebore.

1.791" ogive to lands ... about 2.335 coal.

 

[ShootDots]

Every barrel is different. I have had barrels continue to speed up past 200 rounds. I have had barrels speed up over 100f.p.s. til they settled in. I have had them barely speed up at all. But I would say the "average", if there is such a thing, would be a speed up of about 40-70f.p.s. and settle in about 150 rounds.

 

[Bc'z]

Have you run a seating depth test?

Is this just with 1 set of components or have you tried different powders and bullets?

Primer test?

 

[garandman]

Have you run a seating depth test?

Is this just with 1 set of components or have you tried different powders and bullets?

Primer test?

See Above.

Yes... 5-10 off lands both worked well.

CFE only powder tested... both 80.5 and 85.5 Bergers.

 

[garandman]

Every barrel is different. I have had barrels continue to speed up past 200 rounds. I have had barrels speed up over 100f.p.s. til they settled in. I have had them barely speed up at all. But I would say the "average", if there is such a thing, would be a speed up of about 40-70f.p.s. and settle in about 150 rounds.

Got a coupla good SDs today, right about 150 rounds, in the 3-5 fps range, but crappy groups.

Wind was hellacious today ... 5 - 20 mph. Had a wind flag out.... held off for moments of minimal wind.

 

[Bc'z]

See Above.

Yes... 5-10 off lands both worked well.

CFE only powder tested... both 80.5 and 85.5 Bergers.

Exactly, if your 150 deep into it and it ain't preforming the way you want it to, maybe it's time to tinker.

 

[garandman]

Exactly, if your 150 deep into it and it ain't preforming the way you want it to, maybe it's time to tinker.

Gonna dbl check some loads and if they dont grp try a diff powder.

 

[garandman]

Anyone recommend other powders?

 

[Dud]

Dont know. Standard SAAMI I think. They recommended against extra freebore.

1.791" ogive to lands ... about 2.335 coal.

Early 224 Valkyrie reamers we're ground improperly and caused lots of problems, pressure signs, poor accuracy, etc.

Figure out what you have got before you go chasing for something that might not be there.

 

[garandman]

Early 224 Valkyrie reamers we're ground improperly and caused lots of problems, pressure signs, poor accuracy, etc.

Figure out what you have got before you go chasing for something that might not be there.

Im not even sure what to ask the 'smith..... what reamer they used.

How old it is ? Or are they named / designated some how? How do I know whats good / bad ?

 

[billlarson]

IMHO.... if a barrel won,t shoot in 20 rnds.I start looking at everything...borescope,bedding and the scope....however in a professionally done gun...take it back to the builder.
Bill

 

[F Class John]

For me and most of the guys I shoot with for F-Open we don’t even start dialing in a barrel until it has at least 200 rounds down it. As a good example I’m breaking in a barrel as we speak shooting a 284. At 35 rounds my average velocity was 2730 and by the time I was at 179 rounds I was averaging 2760 all from using the same load over the course of a couple days of shooting. my goal is to be around the lower node which is about 2770. Does a barrel shoot well at 35 rds, of course it can. I shot a 200-12x when it was at 35 rounds but my vertical was also averaging 5” at 600 yds and that’s not acceptable for me. For the most part you can know the load once it’s around 50 rounds and in reality most of my barrels shoot pretty close to the same load. But what I’m talking about is really tuning it out for maximum accuracy at a given distance (positive compensation) and the barrel needs to be sped up before that can happen and for the most part that won’t happen until at least 200 rounds are down it. Once I get over over 200rds and really tune it out I should be able to get that 600 yard vertical down to 2- 3” or less and that’s where it needs to be and realistically my buddies and me can get our 1000yd vertical down to well under 5” but it takes time and patience and you have to accept that you’ll be at 300-400rds on a barrel before it’s ready for high level matches. I went through 3 barrels and am on my fourth for this year but that’s ok because as many have said before me, this is a consumables game and for me it’s worth it. But as always everyone mileage may vary.

 

[garandman]

I have not used it but RL 16 has had some very good reviews....more so than RL 17. Also, while the 80.5's and 85's have done reasonably well in mine under 300 yards I would recommend trying the 90gr bullet. IMO as long as your twist will stabilize it the 90 is a better choice at any distance.

Get a box of 90's, some RL 16, and try some groups with all three. And get a group on the 90's with the CFE. By then your barrel should be settling in more with the round count anyway.

I'd give the 90's a chance before buying another powder. At least you can eliminate one thing at a time.

That *is* why I built this gun... shoot the heavy 22's.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

They must show promise in the first warmup group. Honesty is what im looking for- seeing how far it drifts with wind changes according to what i know it should. Since i know loads change every day i dont waste barrel life worrying about it changing later, instead ill tweak the load as needed.

 

[shoot4fun]

...calms down ?

Searched everything I could think of and found nothing.

224 Valkyrie bolt gun... Bighorn Origin action ... professionally built... Triggertech @ 8 oz... 24" ... 150 rounds so far... 12 - 17 avg fps SD .... not grouping well. Anywhere from 0.75 to 1.25"

May I ask if you have fired any of the available factory loads yet?
Did the builder use a 7 twist barrel? What brand?
Are you doing your testing using nothing but virgin brass? What brand brass?

 

[garandman]

May I ask if you have fired any of the available factory loads yet?
Did the builder use a 7 twist barrel? What brand?
Are you doing your testing using nothing but virgin brass? What brand brass?

1:7 twist. Not sure of "brand" of barrel. Its not identified on the invoice. I got a good history with this builder, so I trust him.

I tried 75gr, 88gr and and 90 gr factories. 90's shot the best.

Virgin Starline brass.

I did seating depth first, got 5 / 10 off as the best groups (1/2" at 100y) , then did powder charge testing. I hopes it would shrink gropups from there. This is backwards from how I usually do my load testing - charge weight first, seating depth to fine tune. I had good results my usual way. I got horrible results this way (0.75 - 1.5") .

 

[Bc'z]

Now we're getting somewhere....
Case capacity is changing with every firing, your gaining volume in turn changing the load slightly from original recipe.
They say 3 firings on brass to have full case growth.

If the 90's shot best work with those.
Alliant has new load information for
224 valkyrie, I was looking at it last night.

 

[Dud]

Im not even sure what to ask the 'smith..... what reamer they used.

How old it is ? Or are they named / designated some how? How do I know whats good / bad ?

I believe it was PTG that made problem reamers. Lots of barrels got scrapped over it.

For anything that is fairly new, like 224 Valkyrie, you need to figure out what works, not let a supplier use you to figure out what works.