Where To Go From Here ?

[Mark W]

Berger 105 VLD Hunting. This is the second time I ran a seating depth test and it doesn't seem to care where it's at from touching the lands to a .040 jump. The first test was with 40.0 Gr of H4831SC. I bumped it up to 40.5 this time with pretty much the same results. I've always heard that VLDs were picking about seating depth and I've never had a bullet perform over such a broad range. I think I'll start with a .020 jump and work up .3 Grains at a time and see what shows up. The gun is a Ruger Precision Rifle in .243 Win.

 

[Tommie]

I've seen much worse from a mass-produced rifle.

 

[Homerange]

Where to now? Crony and more fine tuning work on group B.

 

[Berger.Fan222]

0.5 MOA is great with a factory rifle.

I haven't seen VLDs be sensitive to seating depth either.

 

[Mozella]

Keep testing, and it may take a lot to find the best combination. Pick half a dozen likely powders and do a load work up on all of them. Pick the best one and then do seating depths tests again. You should be able to shoot below 1/2 MOA with the right powder/load/seating combination using most any decent factory gun if you find the right hand-load and make your ammo with care.

You might also consider using software like On Target for measuring your results. Remember, Mean Radius is considered by some to be more important than group size and On Target will perform this measurement without the tedium of hand calculating it.

Saying "about the same" to describe a testing session when you're searching for small differences in performance will keep you in the dark. Make precision measurements, track them in a spreadsheet, and keep experimenting if you want to shoot sub 1/2 MOA nearly all the time with your factory rifle. It's not difficult, but it does take a scientific approach.

 

[4xforfun]

"Just touching the lands" is a bad idea. With bullet run out, press run out, die run out, etc....., you may well be +002 to -.002. Now +/- two thou isn't a big deal when you are at .010 or .020, but when you are at 0.000 it is a huge deal as far a PSI is concerned.

I would forever skip the "just touching the lands " part of you load development and go strait to a .010 jam and a .010 jump!!!

 

[barefooter56]

Berger 105 VLD Hunting. This is the second time I ran a seating depth test and it doesn't seem to care where it's at from touching the lands to a .040 jump. The first test was with 40.0 Gr of H4831SC. I bumped it up to 40.5 this time with pretty much the same results. I've always heard that VLDs were picking about seating depth and I've never had a bullet perform over such a broad range. I think I'll start with a .020 jump and work up .3 Grains at a time and see what shows up. The gun is a Ruger Precision Rifle in .243 Win.

MarkW,
Do you have any chronograph information such as Standard Deviation and Velocities ?

 

[eric32]

Have you tried a bit higher charge like up to 42.5 grs. When i had a 243win it didnt really shot till i got into the high density charges.

 

[Mark W]

I've seen much worse from a mass-produced rifle.

Haven't we all!! Those ones just don't get to stay as long.....lol

Thanks for all of the input! Lot's of good perspective. My thoughts are in line with Homerange on working with Load B to see what develops. I have a feeling that it will find something that suits my needs.

Mozella, I hear you on the data tracking. I work with a bunch of Engineers that live and die by data and I know that's a weak spot for me at work and hobby.

4xforfun, point taken and I agree whole heartedly! I like your approach much better.

barefooter56, I don't have any chrony data for this load yet. I'll be getting some as I work up with the powder charges next weekend.

eric32, I haven't tried anything but 40.0 and 40.5 of H4831SC with this bullet yet. I have a load that uses 107 Matchkings and 41.7 of the same powder that shoots lights out while another load using a 105 Amax shoots under 1/2 moa with 43.5 Gr of the same H4831SC.

 

[Frankr]

Mark where are you shooting this rifle at..What shooting range?
IS it 100 Yards ? I know this is a controversial subject but I have seen a few times groups at 100 yards I would have walked away from shoot great at 200 yards and beyond...Also seen a few times .100's at 100 yards be 2.5" at 200 So
I have been tuning all my rifles at 200 yards anymore. mostly because if it shoot well enough there it usually shoots decent further out...as this is not a short range rifle.
I would go up on the powder charge also as others have stated.
Also Primer change...I like the cci 200 but a cciBR2 or a Fed 210M can change the group sometimes quite a bit.
And then there is a good old barrel scrubing...sometimes factory rifles don't shoot well till they have some rounds on them and have been cleaned VERY WELL a few times...

 

[Sniper338]

Load them .10 off the lands and play with it there. Jmo. I dont own any factory rifles yo reload for, but bergers usually like kissing to close to kissing the lands.

 

[eric32]

Mark W

I hope you find the load that shoots the best for you. I have learned a general rule of thumb most cartridges will shoot the best at somewhere around 95% load density. It leads to a even powder burn help velocity remaining stable accross multiple rounds.

 

[HTSmith]

In my 6BR I've found as little as .003" difference in seating depth can make a discernable difference in accuracy with the 105 VLDH's. I tried the hybrids hoping they would be less sensitive, but I just couldn't get them to work. It could have been my 8" twist combined with relatively low velocity didn't stabilize them adequately. That is great shooting by the way.