Hi everyone! I have recently bought and out togheter an all around hunting rifle: bergara b14 hunter in .308 with 22" barrel and 1:12 twist (in Italy that's the twist of this rifles, in the US It should have been a 1:10). the scope is a kahles helia 2-10x50i (a great scope imho, paid 1500 euros/1800 usd). Today i went to the 100 meters range and i shot 5 shot groups letting the barrel cool down (with airflow from a compressor They have at the range) After the First three rounds of the groups. I Also cleaner with a single pass of a dry boresnake the barrel when changing from an ammo type to another. I shot from a bench but the rifle wasn't perfectly still so i estimate a mean error of 1/4 of an inch for every shot. I tried out 4 factory ammo and the results are weird. Keep in mind that the trigger of this rifle is cristo but is 3 lbs and that outside It was raining with 2
35 farenheit degrees.

-nosler partition 150 g: 3 groups, mean 1.9 MOA. Didn't check if during the chambering process the lead tip was deformed.
-federal powershock 150 g: 3 groups, mean 1.3 MOA.
-winchester PowerPoint 150 g:  obscene groups with crazy fliers
-geco teilmantel SP 170 g (the less expensive by a lot.. They cost half the Federal Power shock): 4 groups all between 0.6 and 0.9 MOA.

I would have preferred to use a 150 gr projectile because of the flatter trajectory and because, theorically, a 1:12 twist barrel should stabilize it better. Anyway, i shoot mainly boars (up to 350 pounds or even more) and roe deer (an adult male is around 45-55 pounds) and only inside 225 yards mainly because my scope doesn't have a BDC reticle and because i prefer to be sure to kill the animal without making it suffer (there is much less margine of error beyond these distances, at 300 yards the animal can take a step and the bullet will hit him in the abdomen for example). have some questions:

1)when i bought the rifle the owner of the gun shop, a famous hunter here in Italy, broke in the barrel with geco 170 g SP. I don't think this is why the rifle shoots better with this load but what donyou think about it? Is it possible in your opinion?
2)do you think i should try out some ballistic tip bullets like the nosler ballistic tip, nosler accubond or the hornady gmx? And what bullet weight would you choose for my applications?
3) shooting these groups i observed some crazy fliers. It was cold weather and i was freezing because i was to lazy to use warm enough clothes but i had the feeling all the 80 shots were good. Is this already a sign that they were not?

Thanks!!!!
Simone

Your bullet is either stabilized or it isnt.  Just because it is 1:12 doesn't mean it will like a 150gr bullet more than a heavy bullet.

For those ammunition choices, those look like pretty typical experiences in group size, with the exception being how impressive that GECO ammo is.  Most hunting rounds I have used produce 1.5MOA at best, which Winchester often being 3MOA on a good day.  With my 30-06, I experimented reloading for it, with a wide range of powder levels and bullet depth seating, and used a Hornady SST.  I was very unimpressed with any of my groups, and really disappointed when some cheap Remington Core-Lokts outperformed my handloads on group consistency.

I'd say if you want to use factory ammo, you just have to experiment with what's available to you, find something the rifle likes that gives you acceptable accuracy and terminal ballistics, and then stock up on that.

Thanks. The fact that the barrel was broke in with GECO 170 grainers isn't a factor in your opinion? By the way, i'll try some ballistic tip stuff even if i prefer the concept of a SP. Worst case scenario i'll stock up on GECO, maybe 170 grains are also Better than 150 for the small roe deer, going a bit slower They should be less devastating on the meat. 170 grainers should also be good for hogs but someone said that GECO teilmantel are a bit too soft and lack a bit in penetration

I am not sure what caliber you are talking about.   .30-06, .308?  Thinking 06.

A ballistic tip should shoot close to match grade accuracy.    I cannot speak to the 150 grain gmx, I have them on hand but haven’t loaded them.

Might try a longer bullet, split the difference and give a 165 a try.


Other than the winchester the ammo is functionally accurate enough.  Not pleasing on paper but for out to 200-300m it sounds accurate enough to do the job.  

Noslers ballistic tips will usually fragment very easily.  The cup and core  will seperate often into two different wound channels.  For the gmx bullet I would go light weight and keep speed up to get them to open.  Slower speeds hinder them opening.  A Barnes TTSX is a copper bullet with  plastic tip that aides them in opening so they say.  I have them in a 6.8 to try this year on whietail.

You might easily find a reload that works with the twist that iis still in the 150 area

.308!
Bergara says their rifle are guaranteed for 1 moa or less with factory ammo..
This is the First Time i shoot this rifle, maybe it's me. I Will try with another box of powershock and i Will try some ballistic tipped bullet. Still have to decide which ones. I don't like the idea of accubonds very much since They seem to work well on the animals only at certain velocities (so only at certain distances)

No, I think you misunderstand.

https://www.bergara.online/us/support/faqs/what-is-your-accuracy-guarantee/

What is "match grade" ?  It means using one of their recommended loads for your caliber:

https://www.bergara.online/us/accuracy-testing/

In .308 - that is:

2 out of 3, 3-shot groups needs to be sub-MOA using the above ammunition to pass their standards.

None of your hunting ammo can likely possibly achieve these same results.

If your rifle is shooting the Geco well, use the Geco...

Geco advertises that as a thinly jacketed soft point.  If that is the case, the  170 gr weight is actually better than 150.  The 170 will be a little slower, and slower impact speeds mean less bullet stress.  The lower impact speeds at a given range, and the greater bullet mass, mean more controlled penetration which is good on larger game.

If this means anything, the three likely most common cartridges for big game in Canada are likely 308 Win, 30-06 Sprg and 303 British.  In most cases, the most commonly used loads are 180 grain soft points (very much like the Geco load) like Winchester Powerpoint or Remington Corlokts.  These unsophisticated loads have taken a boat load of moose, bear and big deer.  And will be fine for boar and the like....

I would avoid the Nosler Ballistic tip for your use.  It is one of my favorite bullets, and I have used it very successfully on North American whitetails for years.  However, it is a very soft bullet and expands VERY rapidly.  It will devastate a roe deer (as in a large portion of the hind shredded). And it is NOT a great bullet for boar.  Its too soft.

As for range...   I am making no comment on shooting ability.  However, you do NOT need a BDC scope to shoot at decent ranges.  Forgive my use of inches and feet and yards, but that's what I know....  Take your rifle and sight it  for a 200 yard zero.  Odds are very very very high that at 100 yards your rifle will be about 1.8 to 2 " high.  Point of impact is dead on at 200. And POI will be very very close to 8 inches low at 300 yards...

Now simply become accustomed to how your rifle shoots...  Have a deer at 100 yards?  Hold the reticle about 2 inches lower.  Bullet will be where you want it to.  Little roe deer at 200 yards?  aim dead on.  250?  Aim about 3 high.  Laser say its 300 yards?  Aim an estimated 8 inches high...  Even on a little roe deer, this hold under/hold over system will work well.  And it works for virtually any  modern bottlenecked cartridge running 2700-3000 fps muzzle velocity....  No BDC needed.

My .308 Savage Model 10 will shoot sub-MOA with the heavy FGMM but won't even come close to that with any cheap ball, milsurp or hunting load I've found.

5.56 is kind of unique in that a good rifle that shoots great with premium ammo will often do really well with cheap ball too.

Thanks for the answer. You are probably right on 170 grainers being a good choice, especially if i don't plan to shoot past 225 meters (250 yards).

As for long range shots, i killed some chamois at 350-400 yards without a BDC reticle. It's doable, yes, but it's not Ideal in my opinion. You don't have references. Consider that in .308 with a 170 gr projectile and a 150 yard zero at 100 m the bullet goes 4 cm (almost 2 inches) high. With a 200 yard zero 9 cm High. With the 150 m zero the bullet impacts 49 cm at 300

.308 is not the flattest caliber

So basically i am asking too much from these loads?

Yes. I would only expect sub moa performance with Gold Medal or similar match ammunition.

Theorically Federal premium loaded with nosler partition is match grade, no?

If you have Federal 168gr Gold Medal Match available give them a try to see what the rifle is capable of, if your rifle doesn't group well with the Federal GMM 168gr, call Bergara for a service request you most likely have a poor barrel, they will rebarrel it.


My Bergara Premier 6.5cm wont group well 140gr, but will shoot one ragged hole with 120gr

He shot 4 groups, ALL between .6 and .9MOA, with a Geco Soft Point hunting round.  There isn't anything wrong with that barrel.  

Yeah, could be just finding what his rifle likes, but a rifle with a good barrel will not be so finicky.

Federal Premium with Nosler Partitions is "premium" because the partition bullet is a "better than normal projectile".  The "better" part comes from its terminal performance.  Its an expensive bullet to make, and its also fairly complex.  Instead of trying to get one core concentric inside  one bullet jacket, the partition really is two cores, seated separately inside a far more difficult to make jacket.

Premium does not mean "match grade". Match grade means "very consistent', cartridge to cartridge.  Every cartridge in a box is very close to the others in terms of specs.  for example, I've weight brass cases from various calibers.  Regular military spec Lake City M2 Ball 30-06 fired cases (I'm going back years and years now) mostly ran about 190 grains or so.  Most cases were in a cluster between about 185 and 195 grains (again, if I remember correctly).  However, I had a significant number of cases running 170's and even one at 155 grains.  And others at 210+.  Those very light or very heavy cases would cause velocity changes that would cause flyers...

In contrast, I also have weighed match cases.  These ran somewhere mid 160's grains. I simply dont remember the specifics. However, the entire lot of 100 cases were all very very very close to the average weight, and within 1 grain plus or minus.  These cases are not somehow "better" than the Lake City 30-06 cases.  They dont somehow shoot faster, or harder, or last longer.  However, they are "match" cases because they are so very CONSISTENT.

Match bullets are consistent bullets.  It does not mean they perform better on game.  Actually, you could argue they DON"T. they aren't designed for game. are not designed to expand, or deliver terminal results.  They are merely designed to be as consistent as possible in order to shoot as consistent as possible.

Premium does not mean Match

Ok thanks for the explaination. I didn't expect too much from nosler partitions Federal premium cartridges anyway as far as accuracy and the price is eccessive. Maybe i Will handload some rounds with these projectiles. The guy above said a good barrel should not be so finnicky about ammo selection. I don't think that 2 MOA 5 shots groups  with the ammo in the worst case (with factory non match ammo) is too bad. I wasn't even keeping the rifle in a rest and my position wasn't the most consistent..
What do you think?

@frozenny

As far as i know bergara rifles are known for their barrels. Do you think these results are so bad for a 700-800 euros rifle? Please consider that the rifle wasn't in a bench so some changes in the way i was letting the rifle recoil are surely there. And i think the fliers are due to that.

@hapjack

They will warranty it.  

My friend has one and loves it.   He bought another for his son.  It shot like yours.   He sent it back and they replaced the barrel or recrowned it and lapped it, and bedded it iirc.   Iirc the inletting was the cheif problem.

He is a machinist and firm in his expectations.  He could have fixed it but preferred the warranty route.


Edit, your latter coment about not resting solidly kind of makes your data suspect.  

For load workup I think you should be shooting off a sandbag or at least a good bipod with good bipod techniques (controlling bipod hop).

If you reload I would simply choose a projectile appropriate for the game and work up a load tuned to your rifle.  with the 170s shooting like you report, I doubt you have a gun problem.  


I am not real familiar with performance on smaller deer or goat sized like chamois.   I would be tempted to try a lighter bullet like a 130 barnes ttsx or a gmx for those.  Ask around over there with people who hunt those to see if anyone has recommendations.  The extra speed needed to open like bullets may be a big issue with meat destruction.  A heavy slow all copper bullet may not open much at all.  

I am just working these things out for myself now.  

So After just a single range session with these results you should send It back? Note that the b14 hunter is not the tactical model, it's a hunting rifle. I am really confused now. Some of you said these kind of performances with non match bullets are perfectly ok, now you are saying the rifle could be defective. Asking on forums often just create new concerns

No I doubt you have a gun problem based on your later comments.  I would put a lot more work into it before I came to that conclusion.  Like I said, the 170s shoot so the gun likely doesn’t have a mechanical problem.

If it did, use the warranty.  

Tuned reloads might be the answer you seek.  With my M1 garands and M1903a3 Springfield I can load speer 125 soft points to moa accuracy for light shooting club service matches.

Edit, years and years ago, back in the 1980’s some of my first reloads were .308 win with Speer 110 grain spire points.  I was a young college kid with just one centerfire rifle, a ruger 77.   I was shooting deer and woodchucks (marmots) with 180 grain corelokts.  I figured the 180s were a tad overkill and got into reloading.  Those loads were well under 2moa and much easier shooting prone on a bipod at woodchucks in the pasture.  My loads were light, basically I worked up charges and stopped at the first accuracy node.  I didn’t know there was more than one node in those preinternet days.



edit2,

sorry I couldn’t find my old .308 110 spire point loads.  They predate my surveyors notebook I use as my data book now.  

Off the top of my head the powder was IMR 3031 that I weighed in a scale with a plastic cup and kitchen spoon sifting powder into the scale pan.  I was primative.  My other early powder was IMR 4064 and it might have been with that.  Somewhere I have a seperate three ring binder of saved targets from that era of my reloading.  I couldn’t lay my hands on it just now.

This is what I would do to see what the rifle is capable of.

Bench rest while shooting

Use Federal Gold Medal Match 168gr for testing

Clean barrel very good first, fire two fouling shots first.

now lets see how it groups, five shot groups.

Start with the most logical reason:
It’s you.

Once you eliminate that, then you can decide what ammo works best for you.

No, I don’t think break-in has anything at all to do with your experience. And the fact that it was “broken-in” by a famous shooter and they didn’t say, “something is off with this rifle” means to me that the weak link is you. Not trying to be mean; trying to save you time, money and frustration.

Get the rifle secured well and have another accomplished shooter give it a go. If they have similar results, then go down the rabbit hole. My buddies will buy a new gun and have issues. But they realize they are not the best pistol shooters. Not that I am, but I am the best of our group, so they’ll ask me to shoot it. Only once did I say, “it’s the pistol” and it was a 1960s PPK that the previous owner apparently had drifted the sights to overcome their poor shooting. Don’t ask me to shoot rifle though...I’m cross dominant and don’t do great past 100.

Every rifle I have had has shown obvious preferences for bullet weights, sometimes not what they were "supposed" to be.  I had a .270 Winchester that would spray 130gr bullets like a shotgun but would group very well with 150gr bullets.  

I would try out 165gr Nosler Accubonds in your rifle to see how they group.  The 165gr bullet weight is popular here in the US for .30 caliber (particularly in .30-06), and should group quite well in your .308.  I have consistently gotten better results with Accubonds than Partition bullets, but that is to be expected as the Partition bullet was meant for performance on game over gilt edge accuracy.  Also consider trying the Barnes brand of bullets.  They are tough as nails and I have seen the damage that the Barnes X type solid copper bullets do on game (admittedly only on whitetail deer and black bear).  

Sometimes you just have to feed them what they like!

Sorry, double tap!

I would want to try some Norma, Lapua, or similar higher quality ammunition.  Rifles can be very picky about what they shoot well.

I have a few "precision" rifles that all shoot similarly to your Bergara. Certain loads will dip into the .6" area while hunting ammo is in the 1-1.5" range at 100 yards. I pretty much know what certain loads will do in each rifle and buy depending on what use I have for the rifle. For instance, in my 6.5G setup, it will shoot 1" PPU groups all day long. If I switch to Fusion it will drop to easy .6" groups. If I use the Wolf steel case, 2.5" groups. In my Savage Stealth in 6.5CM, Non-typical whitetail softpoint ammo shoots about 1.5" groups. With match ammo, it will drop down into the .6-.7". Just shoot different types of ammo and find what works best in your rifle and stick with that. You have one load that shows promise out of the types of ammo you listed.

I see. Thanks for the clarification. At what distances did you shoot marmots? I really want to get into handloading but i have only experience in reloading for pistol with relatively low attention to precision. How difficult is It to obtain better performance than the average non match factory loads (ideally i would like a 150 grainers producing at leqst 0.8 MOA)

Thanks. I don't think i Will buy 35 euros of Federal Gold medal match just to see how accurate the rifle is since i won't ever zero the rifle for that cartridge. That said, i will follow the rest of your advices. What bench rest do you suggest me to use? I don't have one

I don't think i am a bad shot but i realized i have not been consistent enough in the shooting session exactly because...i tried to be more accurate than with my usual zeroing process because this is a new rifle and i ingested in the rig. That's why i didn't shooot It like i always do but i used a support for the rear part of the stock and i think i didn't let the rifle recoil consistently. Also It was freezing and i Was on a run cause in just 1 hour i had to test 4 loads

@M1Lou
@Genin
@Cheesebeast
@BuddyChryst
@SteelonSteel
@hapjack
@FALARAK
@frozenny
@jaqufrost
Hi guys a quick update.
I just came back from the range. This time i used the same procedure described above but i wasn't on a rush so i prepared the shooting position pretty well and i focused on consistency in the foundamentals. I had only 4 Federal powershock 150 grain left and i tried them out: bad results, 2 MOA. I then tried again the magical geco teilmantel 170 grains softpoint. Amazing. Three 3 shot groups between 0.28 and 0.5 MOA, without even letting the barrel cool down after every shot. Here is the best group but the other where similar. I Guess my rifle prefers heavier projectiles, i'll try out some 165/168 grainers. Suggestions?

This group measures center to center 0.8 cm (0.31 inches) at 100 meters (110 yards) so it's roughly a 0.28 MOA group. The other two groups where 0.34 MOA and 0.45 MOA. Consider that i wasn't shooting from a vice and the max magnification of my scope is 10x. The ammo i was shooting are almost the cheapest .308 SP on the market in Italy at 33 euros (28 US dollars or so) for a 20 round box

It's a hunting bullet.

Yes i confused the terms match and premium, Sorry about that. Ya, Federal vitale shock didn't group horribly but not very well too (Considering the conditions were not Ideal last time i think mybrifle shoots them more or less 1.5 MOA)

I could try rws dk 165 g, most Hunters here in Italy love them because they are similar to partitions as far as bullet structure but are much more accurate on average. They are also super pricey so Also these geco sp 170 g are a good alternative. Just a Little bit heavy for my tastes and someone says they are a bit fragile as far as terminal ballistic

With the setup you mentioned, I would be thrilled with groups like that.  All week long, and twice on Sunday, I would be dancing for groups like that with the setup and ammo you mentioned.

Sure, you might be able to improve the groups with handholds, a vice to hold the rifle, a higher power scope, different trigger, etc, etc, but those groups are outstanding with your setup.  

Chasing group size rather than shooter skill is something all to many shooters do.  If you know that your rifle will shoot groups of .4 MOA or better, then the next thing is to see if you can use that same setup to shoot the smallest groups possible from actual field type shooting positions.  Prone, seated, over a log, over a backpack, kneeling resting on the side of a tree, etc.  

If you can shoot groups of 2.5 MOA at 100 meters from seated, kneeling, standing using field type rests or braced against something, you are quite an accomplished rifleman.  I have been shooting for a very long time, and I'm still working to get much better than 4MOA from those positions.  From prone, it is easy, but other field positions sure make it harder to do.

First, I would certainly buy some more of that Geco ammunition as quickly as possible!  I would get 5 boxes minimum and put them on the shelf.  That will give you the chance to have something on hand in case a hunting opportunity arrives unexpectedly.  I wish I had followed my own advice years ago when I thought I could "just buy more when I need it" in the case of a specific brand of shotgun slug loads.

This has nothing to do with your rifle, but it is surprising how much difference in point of impact there is between shotgun slugs if you attempt to substitute (12" at 50 yards!).

As for 165gr bullets, I would certainly try Nosler Accubond.  It is a boattail bullet, but my other favorite Nosler product is the Partition bullet, which has a flat base like the Geco load that shoots so well in your rifle.  I would be surprised if the Nosler Partition will shoot as well as that Geco load, however.  They rarely group in my rifles better than MOA.  Partition bullets anchor animals, however.  I would consider a Partition if someone called you up and told you to get your butt to Finland to go hunt Moose.

Barnes bullets are also worth trying in your rifle.  They are long for length (particularly their all copper TTSX).  That might be beneficial to try in your rifle in 150gr weight first as it will have a longer bearing surface (contact with the lands and grooves) relative to other 150gr bullets of more conventional lead/copper construction.  I suspect you want a bullet that has a better ballistic coefficient and can driven faster than the Geco load.

That said, buy more Geco.  Don't fix something that is NOT broken!

Looks like you found your rifles load. Like was already said, I would put a few boxes of it on the shelf for a rainy day. Try out some other rounds in a similar weight bullet and see what else it might like. The only good thing a out the Firearmageddon 2020 is that I can still get 6.5CM and 6mm CM to test. I plan on doing that when I can get to an outdoor range.

Well you can shoot very nice groups with the 170s.  Odds are it is not you but the rifle with the other loadings.  

I will toss out the saying, don’t push a rope up a hill.  The 170s work nicely.   The other loads work just adequately.  That said adequate is enough for the job unless you are pushing the distance really far.  

Don’t get fixated on accuracy too much for hunting purposes.  yea it is nice but good enough is good enough.   (I sometimes ignore this myself though

like the other poster said, maybe work on field shooting and that might be a place to use the other ammo you choose not to hunt with.  

This year, I shot .22 and then some of my last years ammo for off hand practice.  A hundred yards unsupported and I can stay in the vitals with confidence.)

This is actually a very good advice. I Will do as you suggest. At the moment i have no time for handloading because of my (too) many hobbies and because i broke up with my gf after many years and now i am hunting female humans mostly

I Will buy some other boxes, definitely. Btw, do you think a 165 grain accubonds could work well with my 22" barrel inside 250-300 meters?

You are right, of course. In this case the difference in accuracy is huge. talking about 1 vs 1.5 MOA or 1.5 vs 2 is One thing, in this case the rifle produces groups almost 10 times tighter with geco's. Having this kind of accuracy is definitely appealing. That said, i don't think that geco's are totally inadequate for hunting at all. I think the best solution is:
1) looking for someone with more experienced than me with geco's loads on boars.
2) trying maybe nosler accubond or rws dk 165 grainers

Do you think It is worth trying other 150 grains bullets or do you think my rifle just prefers heavier projectiles respinte the 1:12 barrel twist?

Thanks

@SteelonSteel

You might find a 150 load that works fine if you reload.  A sierra game king or Nosler ballistic tip were easily tuned for my guns in the past.  Just buying boxes of factory ammo can work but it the results are more sporadic in finding just the right load.  



ETA you indicate that your time for handloading is limited.  You have some results that will work.

There is nothing we could likely suggest that wouldn’t require range time or bench time.  Maybe you could evaluate different muzzle velocities reported by manufacturers on different factory 150 loads and find one that is substantially different than one you have already tried.  Kind of a poor man’s “reloading”.


You will have to shoot it to prove it.  



For what you have already tested......use the Federal150 powershok on the deer. 1.3 moa at 300m is about 100mm.  Good enough!

Use the partitions on the boars.  


You’re done.   Now go work on your mating dances.



I too would buy more GECO.   Maybe try their lead free offering some day.  

European ammo doesn’t get a lot of play here in the US with the average guy but has made a lot more sales with our crazy market.  The prices here are now comparable when imported ammo used to be inexpensive I think due to lack of US recognition.   At half the price Id buy the GECO!

I have no problem buying PRVI, GECO, S&B.

I like european ammo generally. Fiocchi, geco, rws, s&b, baschieri e pellagri, etc..
I have no problem with geco brand at all. I am just suspicious because of these voices about the geco teilmantel 170 grains SP being a Little fragile on bigger boars..
On paper i would have chosen the partitions but 1.5-2 MOA is just not ok for me, especially if i am shooting at smaller hogs or small roe deer at distance and of i know that a much cheaper load Will shootnalmost ten times smaller groups consistently

why use the same ammo for both?  Are you hunting both species on the same outing?

I don’t have the wild hogs that our southern states have but I cannot see them shrugging off a 170 grain anything.


My bench and mechanical accuracy are much better than my field condition accuracy.  I am not bad and used to shoot club matches with iron sights in offhand, prone, sitting and kneeling positions.  I am always less accurate than the gun itself.  I would hazard you are too and it is a wash accuracy wise.

Ya i Hunt Both species in the same outing! I am a pretty good shot, actually. Hunter chamois and roe deer for quite a bit and never Lost One. I also shoot only when i am reasonably sure to make a fast human kill. I think that these 170 grainers should be ok for hogs, i just have to give them a try and listen to experiences of other shooters using that same ammo.

Thought this was interesting.  

I have already seen It. What do you think of this test?

Update: with rws dk 165 grainers the rifle shoots well, between 0.5 and 0.9 MOA. These cartridges are much similar to nosler partitions but are inherently more accurate. These are probably the most loved european hunting cartridges for shots inside 250-300 m. The areodynamic of these bullets sucks, that's the only downside.

I Will adopt these cartridges for hunting!

Thank you everyone

A test I always do with my hunting hammers is cold bore shots.  Once tuned/sighted I shoot 1 shot at 200yds.  Then I let the barrel rest for some time, hours even and throw another round and repeat.

I have found multiple cold bore shots to be very tight vs the barrel heating up and throwing my shots to 1+moa.

To me for hunting purposes this is more important.

That's a good test. I don't let the barrel cool down for more than 15 minutes every three shots because i have to shoot at the range and the maximum amount of time i can stay there is 3 hours