Reducing SD by trying different powders and primers in 223AI

[Halmccoyii]

I am not sure that variations in powder charge is a factor for me. I am using A&D FX300i scales, so I am weighing down to the individual kernel (0.02grain). In addition I am in a powder node, so small charge weight variations will have less effect on velocity. I just have to watch that higher temperatures in summer don't push velocity up out of the node.

0.17" is a great group.

I am in the same boat as you with learning to shoot from online sources and trial and error. NPOA, breath control, trigger follow through, free recoil versus held, cheek weld pressure, grip pressure, shoulder pressure, adjusting position to reduce heart beat movement, optic parallax, square/bladed shoulder position....did I miss anything?

2206H is made in Australia and sold in USA as Hodgdon H4895.

I’m sure you missed something, but of course I wouldn’t know what that is. Haha. It seems like a pretty exhaustive list. There’s a lot going on and I know there’s a lot I need to learn.

You have a way better scale than I do. Maybe someday I’ll end up with a high-end scale but right now it doesn’t seem to be the thing that’s holding me back. Worse than 223 than 6.5 for sure but I’m generally not taking the 223 out that far. I’ve been pretty happy out to 750 and that’s kind of the limit of my range anyway at this point.

I may have to try the H 4895 sometime. I hear good things.

Good luck with everything.

 

[Dwubyd]

Seating Depth Testing at 100m.

At 90 thou it felt like I could put bullets in that hole all day long. It also felt like the the limiting factor was not the rifle and load, it was being able to get the scope on the same spot each time, being able to hold it steady and having the same recoil management each shot.


12 thou - 4 shots. Good, but I pulled one shot.
25 thou - 4 shots. No good.
50 thou - 3 shots. No good.
90 thou - 5 shots. Good. Yes, that is really 5 shots.
130 thou - 3 shots. No good.


























Seating Depth Testing around 90 thou jump - 80VLD

80 - 1 flier that was not me
84 - Not sure why this went diagonal
87 - Can't remember whether I pulled the high shot....soz
90 - Wind coming into play here 8mph for the rest of the day. What matters is the tight vertical.
93 - A bit more vertical here and lateral from the wind. Calling this good.
96 - 1 flier that was not me.

80VLD going faster (`2970fps)
25.3gn 2260H - bottom left group. Reasonable group, 5 shots.
25.4gn 2206H - 1 flier that was not me.

Hornady 80ELDM
3 groups, nothing good here.




500m Berger 85.5gn Hybrid

I previously found that 85.5 Hybrids were slightly unstable at short range. So I tested at 500m. There are 3 shots in the group. One is difficult to see - it is on the left side in the black. Still look unstable from the tip puncture not being in the centre of the bullet hole. This was a moderately windy day (8mph) and I held 0.8 on 1 shot and 0.4 on the second two shots. Not sure which is which. Still it is 10.5cm group, which is <1MOA, and look at the vertical - around 2cm. I was very happy with that.