Long range load development at 100 yards.

[Raythemanroe]

Jamming?

Ray

 

[Hollywood]

Can't see it getting any better than -3.

 

[savageshooter86]

Jumping. Started at touch

 

[bill123]

Can't see it getting any better than -3.

On either side of -3, the groups open up. I'd test -10, -12 & -14 to see if the groups stayed consistently small.

 

[Hollywood]

Can't see it getting any better than -3.

On either side of -3, the groups open up. I'd test -10, -12 & -14 to see if the groups stayed consistently small.

I fell back into looking at the tight group not at the method at hand. :-[

 

[savageshooter86]

Yep going to test around -12 to 15

 

[Erik Cortina]

Can't see it getting any better than -3.

On either side of -3, the groups open up. I'd test -10, -12 & -14 to see if the groups stayed consistently small.

+1

 

[Erik Cortina]

Can't see it getting any better than -3.

On either side of -3, the groups open up. I'd test -10, -12 & -14 to see if the groups stayed consistently small.

I fell back into looking at the tight group not at the method at hand. :-[

It's easy to get sucked in by the lone small group, but those are the ones that will cause you to scratch your head when they don't perform as expected.

 

[savageshooter86]

I'll fine tune charge then re check seating depth around 12 to 15. Then use tuner to get dialed in

 

[Raythemanroe]

No jamming tests?


Ray

 

[savageshooter86]

Not this go round. It appears to want to shoot jumping. I normally jam everything but decided to try something different

 

[bill123]

I'll fine tune charge then re check seating depth around 12 to 15. Then use tuner to get dialed in

I suggested -10 as well because if it groups well, you may pick -11 which would give you more time before throat erosion causes your groups to open up. Does that make sense?

 

[Archer]

10. Final step is to load the new seating depth and load 5 shot groups in 0.1 gr. increments 0.5 gr. on each side of node (if pressure limits are not reached). This will cover an entire grain of powder and you will be able to pinpoint where the powder node starts and ends. In the summer, load towards the low end of the node, and do the opposite in the winter.

Erik,

First, thank you for this step by step process. It has helped me to quickly narrow down the node for my rifle, where before it was just a lucky guess or a toss of the dice.

I have a question in regards to the results from step 10. Is it possible that the upper and lower end of the node is just .1 on either side of the center?

My center is 42.5 gns and the lower is 42.4 gns and the upper is 42.6 gns. Anything further out than that starts to open up dramatically. The rifle is shooting quarter minute groups inside the node but it opens up to half to one minute beyond that. The rifle only has 1100 rounds through it and seems to be putting them where I call them otherwise.

Thanks again for your procedure.

Archer

 

[Jay Christopherson]

10. Final step is to load the new seating depth and load 5 shot groups in 0.1 gr. increments 0.5 gr. on each side of node (if pressure limits are not reached). This will cover an entire grain of powder and you will be able to pinpoint where the powder node starts and ends. In the summer, load towards the low end of the node, and do the opposite in the winter.

Erik,

First, thank you for this step by step process. It has helped me to quickly narrow down the node for my rifle, where before it was just a lucky guess or a toss of the dice.

I have a question in regards to the results from step 10. Is it possible that the upper and lower end of the node is just .1 on either side of the center?

My center is 42.5 gns and the lower is 42.4 gns and the upper is 42.6 gns. Anything further out than that starts to open up dramatically. The rifle is shooting quarter minute groups inside the node but it opens up to half to one minute beyond that. The rifle only has 1100 rounds through it and seems to be putting them where I call them otherwise.

Thanks again for your procedure.

Archer

In my experience, there are generally two nodes within the safe range of powder vs. pressure and one them is usually a lot smaller than the other. YMMV.

 

[Steve Blair]

My center is 42.5 gns and the lower is 42.4 gns and the upper is 42.6 gns. Anything further out than that starts to open up dramatically. The rifle is shooting quarter minute groups inside the node but it opens up to half to one minute beyond that. The rifle only has 1100 rounds through it and seems to be putting them where I call them otherwise.

Thanks again for your procedure.

Archer

[br]
Please describe your rifle, cartridge, bullet, powder type, primer, seating depth, etc. It would help to make a rational judgement regarding potential improvement.

 

[Hollywood]

Here is my attempt. .308 175smk varget. 43.5-44 showed the least vertical. Pulled the low shot on 44.5. Bottom right grouping is 12 shots over magneto speed 3 ea of 43, 43.5 and 6 of 44

43gr
2546
2424
2601

43.5gr
2574
2562
2559

44gr
2591
2614
2592

2579
2530
2582

Is my assesment correct?

 

[Brians356]

It's easy to get sucked in by the lone small group, but those are the ones that will cause you to scratch your head when they don't perform as expected.

A 3-shot group tells us so little about a load's dispersion tendencies. In this testing it's the pattern of shifts in vertical that tell the more meaningful tale, if I understand.

 

[MahtewsSB]

Erik,
Could you look over these targets and give me your opinion on what the node is? I though about loading between 34 gr and 36 gr in .3 gr increments and examining those. To my eye it appears the best load is somewhere between 34 and 35.5.
These were shot from a savage 22-250 using lapua brass, CCI 200 primers, sierra 55 gr blitzking and varget seated at 20 thou off the lands with a 2-5 mph 9 o'clock wind.

Edit: after posting the pic i see the writing is hard to read. the charges are as follows
top row: 33 33.5 34 34.5
2nd row: 35 35.5 36 36.5
last row: 37 <--pressure signs

 

[Erik Cortina]

Erik,
Could you look over these targets and give me your opinion on what the node is? I though about loading between 34 gr and 36 gr in .3 gr increments and examining those. To my eye it appears the best load is somewhere between 34 and 35.5.
These were shot from a savage 22-250 using lapua brass, CCI 200 primers, sierra 55 gr blitzking and varget seated at 20 thou off the lands with a 2-5 mph 9 o'clock wind.

Edit: after posting the pic i see the writing is hard to read. the charges are as follows
top row: 33 33.5 34 34.5
2nd row: 35 35.5 36 36.5
last row: 37 <--pressure signs

Do you have any chronograph data?

 

[MahtewsSB]

Yes it is written on the target but I now realize it's hard to seE that as well.
Gr avg fps. ES
33 3353. 25
33.5 3403. 26
34. 3454. 9
34.5 3490. 9
35. 3511. 37
35.5. 3553. 28
36. 3609. 19
36.5. 3648. 29
37. 3690. 10