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Posted: 2/18/2010 5:41:30 PM EDT
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All right guys I loaded up some more .308 up after my last outing and would like any and all input
All are the following: Shot from front sand bags and rear supported by a mono pod at 100 yards off a bench .308 168 SMK's (All seated to 2.810") BH Brass (Fire Formed and neck sized and trimmed to 2.005" RL-15 Savage 10 (5) shot groups Fired (1) fouler then (2) groups of (5) then clean then (1) fouler and (2) more groups of (5) From 38.0 - 40.5 were done on this outing and 41.0 - 43.5 were done on a previous outing, temps were about the same outside 45-50 It was suggested before that I go above 43.0 to see what I get and I may do the high end on my next but I am thinking that I need to focus on the 38.5 - 39.5 range 
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I'm still waiting to start reloading, but the pictures you posted rock. Its cool to see what happens when you change just one variable in reloading. I have a quick question though, what rifle are you shooting these through? (custom or factory rifle) Bought it a few years back and did not reload at the time and had little to no rifle experience, I originally was looking to get a Remmy 700 but the dealer I frequently visited advised me to try a Savage because they had come along way and were less costly the the 700 so I did. I kept it for a couple of years but never like the stock so I dropped it in a Choate UV Stock, other than the stock it's all factory and has had no work done on it It has only 835rnds thru the action and it's been all match BH stuff and it did not shoot as well as the 39.0gn handloaded stuff 
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Quoted:
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I'm still waiting to start reloading, but the pictures you posted rock. Its cool to see what happens when you change just one variable in reloading. I have a quick question though, what rifle are you shooting these through? (custom or factory rifle) Bought it a few years back and did not reload at the time and had little to no rifle experience, I originally was looking to get a Remmy 700 but the dealer I frequently visited advised me to try a Savage because they had come along way and were less costly the the 700 so I did. I kept it for a couple of years but never like the stock so I dropped it in a Choate UV Stock, other than the stock it's all factory and has had no work done on it It has only 835rnds thru the action and it's been all match BH stuff and it did not shoot as well as the 39.0gn handloaded stuff http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/panther308/sav4.jpg http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/panther308/sav2.jpg http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/panther308/sav1.jpg That's very cool. I only have a couple Savage rifles as long range rigs, and its nice to know what their potential can be with hand loads. |
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I'm still waiting to start reloading, but the pictures you posted rock. Its cool to see what happens when you change just one variable in reloading. I have a quick question though, what rifle are you shooting these through? (custom or factory rifle) Bought it a few years back and did not reload at the time and had little to no rifle experience, I originally was looking to get a Remmy 700 but the dealer I frequently visited advised me to try a Savage because they had come along way and were less costly the the 700 so I did. I kept it for a couple of years but never like the stock so I dropped it in a Choate UV Stock, other than the stock it's all factory and has had no work done on it It has only 835rnds thru the action and it's been all match BH stuff and it did not shoot as well as the 39.0gn handloaded stuff http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/panther308/sav4.jpg http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/panther308/sav2.jpg http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/panther308/sav1.jpg Sir, that's a pretty cool looking rifle. If I may suggest you back up to 200yd and see how much the groups open up. You appear to have some "flyers" in some of the groups. Do you have access to a chronograph? I would be curious if the flyers are due to variations in velocity or sighting error. Did you call the flyers? It really is easier to distinguish shots that are outside of a group due to shooter or sighting error or if there is some variation in the load if you shoot at a longer distance and have a chronograph. I'm only trying to be constructively critical of what you have posted, I hope it helps. 7zero1, out. |
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Quoted:
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Quoted:
I'm still waiting to start reloading, but the pictures you posted rock. Its cool to see what happens when you change just one variable in reloading. I have a quick question though, what rifle are you shooting these through? (custom or factory rifle) Bought it a few years back and did not reload at the time and had little to no rifle experience, I originally was looking to get a Remmy 700 but the dealer I frequently visited advised me to try a Savage because they had come along way and were less costly the the 700 so I did. I kept it for a couple of years but never like the stock so I dropped it in a Choate UV Stock, other than the stock it's all factory and has had no work done on it It has only 835rnds thru the action and it's been all match BH stuff and it did not shoot as well as the 39.0gn handloaded stuff http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/panther308/sav4.jpg http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/panther308/sav2.jpg http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab15/panther308/sav1.jpg Sir, that's a pretty cool looking rifle. If I may suggest you back up to 200yd and see how much the groups open up. You appear to have some "flyers" in some of the groups. Do you have access to a chronograph? I would be curious if the flyers are due to variations in velocity or sighting error. Did you call the flyers? It really is easier to distinguish shots that are outside of a group due to shooter or sighting error or if there is some variation in the load if you shoot at a longer distance and have a chronograph. I'm only trying to be constructively critical of what you have posted, I hope it helps. 7zero1, out. Thanks for the advice and no I don't have a chrono but wish I did, once I am sure where the load will end up at 100 I plan on going out as far as my 14x will carry these old eyes I do have a question? if it groups at say .50" extreme spread at 100 yrds how much will it open up at say 300 ? on the same load and as far as the flyers go I can't answer that most of the ones I just dropped my head right after dropping the hammer so I guess I called most of them but not all, Sierra states that the accuracy load is at 42,0 RL-15 but I can't get a decent group at that load but the loads between 38.5-39.5 look good but may not look that good at say 300 yrds And looking at my Sierra manual gives me some idea that it may be moving at approx 2450 with the 39.0gn load |
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I would try 39.5 grains again, you may have just thrown that one round out. Now you have a good idea of what your rifle likes with that powder and bullet combination. Great job and good shooting. Nice paint job on your rifle too.
Now repeat the process, shooting the 38.5, 39.0 and 39.5 at least three groups each. This will further define which one is best and if all of them are equal, pick the load in the middle. This will give you a load that shoots great even if you don't have perfectly thrown charges. As far as 300 yards goes, you won't have a problem. Things don't really open up much until you get further out than that. I'm guesing 2" to 3" groups at 300, damn good by anyones standards. |
Thanks for everybody's input, I plan on going out again in a few weeks if not sooner to see where I end up and now to top it all the BH Brass I has been using is developing loose primer pockets (on 5th reload) I do have some virgin Lapua Match that the Mrs. got me for Xmas I hope it has the same internal capacity as the BH stuff if not I guess I will have to start over 
I do have another question, I know all rifles are different and no two usually shoot alike but all the research I have found on the 168 SMK and reloader 15 suggests accuracy 42.0 - 43.0 but my rifle did not seem to like that load ? so am I lucky to be getting decent groups at the 38.5 - 39.5 range or is my rifle a odd ball 
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finding out where your particular bullet touches the lands of the rifling in your barrel, and then using different case overall lengths off the lands, can also give you different variables and sometimes improve accuracy.
when i work a load i often shoot 3 shot groups of the same powder weight starting .005 , .010 , .015, .020- sometimes .030 off the lands. My RRA .223 varmint likes 52 grain bullets at 2.220 COL. IVE tried heavy bullets loaded long, thinking accuracy would be better with a 1-8 twist and magazine limits up to 2.260 , but go figure.... Every gun/barrel is different. |
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Quoted:
Thanks for everybody's input, I plan on going out again in a few weeks if not sooner to see where I end up and now to top it all the BH Brass I has been using is developing loose primer pockets (on 5th reload) I do have some virgin Lapua Match that the Mrs. got me for Xmas I hope it has the same internal capacity as the BH stuff if not I guess I will have to start over
I do have another question, I know all rifles are different and no two usually shoot alike but all the research I have found on the 168 SMK and reloader 15 suggests accuracy 42.0 - 43.0 but my rifle did not seem to like that load ? so am I lucky to be getting decent groups at the 38.5 - 39.5 range or is my rifle a odd ball There can be more than one high accuracy peak in the load workup string. I think that may be why AeroE wanted you to revisit the higher loads again. On the otherhand if the lower loads work for you, that means lower pressure and longer brass life (primer pockets not loose so soon). |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Thanks for everybody's input, I plan on going out again in a few weeks if not sooner to see where I end up and now to top it all the BH Brass I has been using is developing loose primer pockets (on 5th reload) I do have some virgin Lapua Match that the Mrs. got me for Xmas I hope it has the same internal capacity as the BH stuff if not I guess I will have to start over
I do have another question, I know all rifles are different and no two usually shoot alike but all the research I have found on the 168 SMK and reloader 15 suggests accuracy 42.0 - 43.0 but my rifle did not seem to like that load ? so am I lucky to be getting decent groups at the 38.5 - 39.5 range or is my rifle a odd ball There can be more than one high accuracy peak in the load workup string. I think that may be why AeroE wanted you to revisit the higher loads again. On the otherhand if the lower loads work for you, that means lower pressure and longer brass life (primer pockets not loose so soon). That's right. The last loads need to be re-shot to figure why the bullets are landing in two spots - was it parallax error, mishandling the gun, a head or tail wind, or just what? |
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Well I do plan on visiting the higher end again just to make sure and then decide from there, and wherever it winds up I guess I need to make up some and shoot several groups to check for consistency, and then I can move out a few hundred yards to see how things go
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