Long range load development at 100 yards.

[Erik Cortina]

Erik, you probably answered it but no time to read all posts.

Have you ever verified, using QL, just for curiosity, if your best load would match the OBT theoretical load?
I did and both give similar results.

I have, but I always had to shoot to verify, so I skip the OBT now and just go to the range and shoot.

 

[P3S]

Mr Cortina- I continued testing with seating and started where it shot (.117) well. I did not sort any bullets for this test, might shoot a tad tighter if I sorted the bullets by BTO though.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Mr Cortina- I continued testing with seating and started where it shot (.117) well. I did not sort any bullets for this test, might shoot a tad tighter if I sorted the bullets by BTO though.

Shoots great but I like .111" the best. Nice shooting.

 

[P3S]

Thanks. I'll try at longer range when the weather breaks and post results.

 

[MNFinn]

first load development from my new rifle.
Conditiions:
sunny
45 degrees
snow melting off the ground
Pressure: 30.13
RH: 61%

Load:
Lapua Palma brass
CCI 450 primers
Berger 185 Juggs
IMR4895

Top row: 40.0, 40.5, 41.0
Middle: 41.5 42.0, 42.5
Bottom 43.0, 43.5, 44.0

Velocities:
40" 2461, 2485, 2488
40.5: 2503, 2486, 2526
41: 2572, 2573, 2560
41.5: 2615, 2572, 2580
42: 2641, 2618, 2640
42.5: 2681, 2714, 2720
43.: 2719, 2697 (forgot to write down the last one)
43.5: 2734, 2728, 2726
44.0: 2767, 2757, 2778


I was shooting pretty fast so I think barrel heat accounts for some of the drop on the last 3.

That said, thinking that 43.5 is my node

Thoughts?

 

[spclark]

Why the 43.5? 43.0 looks better to my eye, appears to have least vertical of the nine groups; vertical is what I usually let decide me.

I'd do another series of five rounds each next, starting at 42.6 & going up thru 43.4 in 0.2 increments. Maybe then mess with seating depth; what were these 27 seated to?

 

[MNFinn]

seating depth was .015 off the lands.

I'm looking at 43.5 because Low ES (despite only a 3 shot string) and it's in the middle of a 3 group set that's the in the same place vertically in relation to the bullseye, like Erik states in his opening post. I'll probably re-test all three of the top ones given they all seem to be very solid groups, just to see

 

[P3S]

What do you recommend I do when the load I tested/selected at 100 yards does not group well at 300 yards? The two 5-shot group averaged about an inch.

 

[Marksman63]

On stage, an 1/3 MOA group is well inside the V-bull

 

[MahtewsSB]

Erik, I did the powder testing portion of this procedure yesterday with a 300 win mag with a clamp on muzzle brake.
I was wondering what you thought was the best node. I was thinking 79 but wanted to see what you thought. I pulled the first of the 3 shots on the 79.5 group and on 80 the 3rd shot was low and left which im assuming is because the brake flew off during the shot. I have chrono data as well if you would like to see it

 

[Erik Cortina]

Erik, I did the powder testing portion of this procedure yesterday with a 300 win mag with a clamp on muzzle brake.
I was wondering what you thought was the best node. I was thinking 79 but wanted to see what you thought. I pulled the first of the 3 shots on the 79.5 group and on 80 the 3rd shot was low and left which im assuming is because the brake flew off during the shot. I have chrono data as well if you would like to see it

Well, looking at the target I would load between 77.5 and 78.0. Is 76 gr. a group or one shot? If a group, I would also load between 76.0 and 76.5.

If the brake flew off, it's hard to trust the groups as the brake may have been moving as you were shooting and with no chronograph data it's hard to tell if the patterns match.

 

[Erik Cortina]

What do you recommend I do when the load I tested/selected at 100 yards does not group well at 300 yards? The two 5-shot group averaged about an inch.

What kind of rifle are you shooting and what do you consider a good group at 300 yards?

 

[P3S]

Mr Cortina- I'm shooting a custom bench rest rifle; 28" Broughton on Kelbly's Panda F class action in their 1M stock, S&B 12-50, Jewell trigger. Since it shot quite well at 100 yards during my seating test (scroll up a page), I figure it would shoot well under an inch at 300 yards. Tested at 300 on two different days with similar conditions, 3-5 mph @1200, 45 degrees.

 

[MahtewsSB]

Erik, I did the powder testing portion of this procedure yesterday with a 300 win mag with a clamp on muzzle brake.
I was wondering what you thought was the best node. I was thinking 79 but wanted to see what you thought. I pulled the first of the 3 shots on the 79.5 group and on 80 the 3rd shot was low and left which im assuming is because the brake flew off during the shot. I have chrono data as well if you would like to see it

Well, looking at the target I would load between 77.5 and 78.0. Is 76 gr. a group or one shot? If a group, I would also load between 76.0 and 76.5.

If the brake flew off, it's hard to trust the groups as the brake may have been moving as you were shooting and with no chronograph data it's hard to tell if the patterns match.

Yes 76 is a 3 shot group. By far and away the best group I have ever shot. I will post the chrono data wen i get a chance

 

[MahtewsSB]

Erik, here is the chrono data from the test. i can give u shot by shot speeds if that would help.

charge avg velo ES
75.5 2731 39
76 2756 17
76.5 2783 35
77 2802 35
77.5 2828 6
78 2919 19
78.5 2931 13
79 2936 13
79.5 2971 26

i didn't get chrono data for 80 and 80.5 because i tested them later and had already put the chrono away but they didn't appear to be the right node anyway so i wasn't too concerned.
i liked 78.5 as a starting point because of the consistent speeds between 78, 78.5 and 79 along with relatively the same ES between the 3. the vertical between 77.5 and 78 appears a little better but not sure about it with the almost 100 fps jump between the 2. but i'm new to this and not sure what is best so i'm open to help

 

[MNFinn]

Erik, Could you comment on my target up the page a bit? I think 43.5 is my load, but wanted your opinion

 

[Ecomeat]

Erik,
Wouldn't these groups show a lot truer reading of the "tune" of each load, if they we shot Round Robin style ? Surely if you are shooting the three shots of each powder charge, one after the other, some groups have to have a significant advantage due to weather conditions constantly changing.
If not, could you please give the rationale ?
Do the shooters fire any fouler shots/s first to warm and foul the barrel ?
Again, if not, could you please give the rationale.
Thank you !

 

[Erik Cortina]

Erik,
Wouldn't these groups show a lot truer reading of the "tune" of each load, if they we shot Round Robin style ? Surely if you are shooting the three shots of each powder charge, one after the other, some groups have to have a significant advantage due to weather conditions constantly changing.
If not, could you please give the rationale ?
Do the shooters fire any fouler shots/s first to warm and foul the barrel ?
Again, if not, could you please give the rationale.
Thank you !

I prefer to shoot a group and then move on to the next. I don't like round robin style because it requires more shooter focus and affects natural point of aim as you keep changing rapidly from one aim point to the next.

 

[Erik Cortina]

Erik, Could you comment on my target up the page a bit? I think 43.5 is my load, but wanted your opinion

Load between 43.5 and 44.0 and see how it does after seating depth testing.

 

[comagutsa]

new powder time

2208/varget with 105gr berger hybrids at .010 off lands (1st time using hybrids), target at 200m , 6BR, CCI BR4 primers, .272 no turn neck, loaded round 269, using 267 bushing with, .105" free bore, lapua brass





ok these are all 4 shot groups, speeds taken with magneto speed v3, there was a small amount of mirage and slight wind

29.6gr
min 2852
max 2864
avg 2858 SD 5.0

29.8gr
min 2863
max 2878
avg 2872 SD 6.8

30gr
min 2879
max2894
avg 2884 SD 6.8

30.2gr
min 2901
max 2917
avg 2905 SD 7.5

30.4gr
min 2913
max 2918
avg 2916 SD 2

30.6gr
min 2936
max 2945
avg 2939 SD 4.1

30.8gr
min 2953
max 2983
avg 2969 SD 12.6


any help would be great and then i will start seating depth

cheers
Pethy