Today's 6PPC lesson? No more milquetoast loads.......

[Bronsin]

Went to the range today to do some group testing with LT-32. Previous testing had shown that 28.3 to 29.3 was the range I wanted to investigate. 29.5 knocked a primer out..........CCI450's were the best performing primer. I was also trying cases loaded from a new Harrell's FL/bushing die today.

Started firing 3 shot groups and nothing was doing well. Each group went from vertical, to horizontal, then back. Everything between .350 to .450. So far not impressed. Seemed like every twitch of the wind was moving the bullet around and breathing on the gun could be problematic. 28.8 put up a .651 horizontal group and I had about had enough. Then 28.9 went into .133. 29.0 was .171. It laid an egg at 29.1 and the dream was over. The gun was moving all over the place from recoil. A .2 grain node. Not real happy with that, but it did show some life.

I still had 2 groups left, so I just ignored the flags, put my shoulder up to it and fired 2 touching shots. Hmmmmm. 3rd shot made it .138. Last group with the same hold at 29.3 was .135.

With light loads this gun doesn't like being touched in any way that doesn't cause a flier. When it's running hard, you have to stabilize it or it won't stay in the bags or shoot worth a flip. Load development has been a cakewalk compared to learning how to set up and control it in a rest. Once I got it tracking in the bags, and not packing down the rear after every shot, it has been much more consistent.

 

[BoydAllen]

What stock and rear bag?

 

[Ccrider]

Tell us about your gun.

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Lots of people I know are running in the 28.3-28.6 range.
Ime, lt32 is about a grain faster than n133 in a ppc or similar case.
You're definitely playing at the very top end.

 

[Ccrider]

.35-.45 groups? Tell us about your gun. Also, are you using flags?

 

[R.Morehouse]

28.2 of lot #3 of LT-32. I use a 4" drop because it fits nicely in my hand and just dump it , no slow pour needed. Your front rest bag may be the issue and the ear tension as well. Bart has a nice video on setting up a ppc on the bench on Youtube. There is surely more than one way to get it done, but his advice and technique and way of communicating it are straightforward.

Regards
Rick

 

[K22]

No sure what rifle or front rest you are using but if you not using one and have a sporter weight rifle, see if you can borrow a "bull" bag for a front rest which cradles the forearm. I've found this front rest to be the most stable for light sporter weight rifles.

How fast are you shooting your groups? In hot weather the barrel heats quickly and can cause drift.

Then there are some days your biorhythm is just off then there are some days you're in zone and can lay shot after shot precisely.

For example, this week I shot a 78 x 100 on a B16 pistol target - 25 yards with my open sight S&W 586 - the worse score I've shot in two years. I average about 87 x 100 over a season. Two days later, I shot a 92 x 100, nothing outside the "8" ring and only two of those - the rest in the "9" and "10" ring. Some days it just pays to avoid the range if your mind is somewhere else.

 

[Bronsin]

The stock is apparently a Hunter Benchrest style, so the forend is 2 1/2" wide with vertical sides. It likes to jump up a lot. Since it's laminated, I'm having that modified. The rear bag is a Protektor. I finally got it to settle down and work right. It didn't have enough sand it in it, and would pack down with every shot, forcing me to change my elevation way too much.

I'm using CCI450 primers because they shot best in a primer test with LT-32, and Berger 68gr FB at .004 off. I have some of Bart's bullets on the way, and have shot some of them already. It likes those bullets even better. As soon as I got to 28.9grs it really shot well. 29.1 didn't, but that's when it was acting up in the bags. Once settled in, it shot right up to 29.3grs. The rifle has a .262 NK, and my loaded rounds are .259. When it popped a primer with 29.5grs, the brass had a loaded round O.D. of .261. Oh, and yes, I'm using flags

 

[JMayo]

I'm running 28.9 in mine. 30.7 is the Maxx i know of.
My 2.25 stock in for Hunter class @10lbs. Front doesn't jump up for me.
I have rear bag maybe .25 from the end.

 

[Ccrider]

Who made the action? Is it custom or factory?

 

[Bronsin]

It's a BAT Model B. The barreled action is fine. The stock just doesn't ride the bags very well.