Hand Loading for Long Range

[CMBTshooter]

I'm trying to shrink my vertical dispersion at 600 yards with service rifle. I got about a 3 MOA spread but I know I can cut that in half with some better loading practices.

I currently drop my charges with the dillon powder measure but it's not as exact with IMR4064 as I'd like it to be. I'm considering the RCBS auto charging thing that would attach to the scale I already have or throwing a majority of the charge through the dillon and getting an inexpensive trickler to get the rest in there. Which one would work better for loading 100 rounds at a time? Is the RCBS scale and powder measure really that accurate?

Would sorting bullets by weight and length make a significant difference? How about trimming metplats?

The rifle itself is an M1 Garand that's going to get glass bedded and the front handguards screwed and glued. It shoots pretty well so I don't know if I'm going to replace the barrel just yet. While all that's happening I'm switching to an M1A.

 

[Guy Miner]

You're getting a "3 MOA spread" or an 18" group at 600 yards?

Which bullets are you using? The good ol' 168 grain Nosler Competition bullets or the 168 Sierra Match King have both given me 2.5" - 3" groups at 600 yards, from my .308 bolt action rifle.

No bullet sorting. No meplat trimming. Just seat them nice and straight over a good powder charge. Prep the case lightly.

I throw my 600 yard powder charges (Varget usually) with an ordinary RCBS powder measure. Check every 10th one. I used to weigh each charge, but got to shooting so much ammo at 600 that I streamlined the procedure a bit and never noticed any change in group sizes or scores. I was shooting 600 yard prone matches then.

Case prep. Good dies. Really good dies. Seat the bullet straight. Use a good bullet.

Other than that... Dunno.

Guy

 

[257 Ackley]

There is a good article that Speedy wrote for 6BR that might give you some ideas to try. I tried to copy the link, but it wouldn't let me. Do a google search on vertical stringing and it should come up as an option.

If you want to be serious about LR shooting (600 is mid-range) you will need to have your powder charges more consistent than most powder measures can throw them in my experience. Even a high end measure like a Harrells will not throw them as consistently as you would think, especially with larger stick powders. I throw with a Harrells and than put it on a digital scale to trickle in the last granules to make all mine within .02 grains. I have a chargemaster as well, but it is still off by up to a tenth of a grain or more sometimes.

 

[Dr. Vette]

Here is the link:

http://www.6mmbr.com/verticaltips.html

Any idea on ES and SD for the load?

 

[CMBTshooter]

That's an interesting article. I shoot off of a sling and it never occurred to me that the pressure on the stock fore end could cause some dispersion.

I'm using the 175 Custom Competitions. I size with a Dillon and seat with a Redding Micrometer die. have no idea about the ES or SD, don't have a chronograph. Just about all of my shooting money goes into bullets and powder.

I full length size with a Dillon die and seat with a Redding Micrometer die. I'll pick up a trickler and see if that tightens it up a little bit. I'm definitely not going to say that everything else is perfect, but what I can control absolutely should be.

 

[Guy Miner]

I like that Redding seater die...

Guy

 

[CMBTshooter]

I like it too. It's kind of a pain on the dillon with the .30-06 because the bullet gets caught on the spring loaded sleeve when the shell plate starts to turn. I'm going to order one for .308 Win too. I don't think I'll have the same problem with the shorter round.