Load Development Sanity Check

[ACLakey]

It looks as if you are engaging the neck with your die. Perhaps your neck is slightly thickened or long. However, when you witness such belling, it is almost always due to pressing the neck back, especially when seating the bullet.

I agree with what DrMike stated. I had the same issues when loading the 300wsm and that was the culprit.

Sent from ACLakey's Android

 

[DrMike]

Instead of setting the seating die off the shell holder, set the die with a sized case in the shell holder. When the die just touches the case as the ram is in the fully raised position, back off the die by at least a full turn.

 

[bob_dobalina]

Great I'll try that. I have a collet puller in the mail in meantime...

 

[bobnob]

Looks like you've got the die setup sorted out. Live and learn.

3000fps with a 180g bullet is plenty in anyone's language. I would hate to be in the crosshairs when that round was set off.

 

[bob_dobalina]

Hello I am dragging up this old thread because I am back working on this gun again.

Last year, I never really got it grouping to my satisfaction.

I'm shooting
RL17
180gr Barnes TTSX
Remington 9 1/2 Magnum primers

This year, I changed 2 variables at once - Barnes published new data saying their test seating depth is 2.830, and I got a new can of RL 17. I had been shooting a depth of 2.860".
So, I seated 3 bullet groups each at 2.830" with charges of 64.5, 64.8, 65. And, I seated 3 bullets with the old lot of powder to 2.830" - this was 64.5 grains.

Here are my numbers:

New Lot of RL17
64.5

• 3009 (1st shot)
• 2982
• 3003

64.8

• 2989
• 3023
• 2969

65

• 3023
• 3044
• 3037

OLD LOT 64.5

• 3037 (didn't read?)
• 2969
• 2949

Attached are pictures of my groups (100 YDS).



Not great groups. I don't discount that I may not have been shooting great.

Anyways - I'd appreciate feedback and insight on what my velocities mean. How's my pressure/etc?

And, any advice on where do I go from here?

I've invested alot of time into the 180s. I have tried alot of powders with the 180 grains - both TTSX and Accubonds and haven't landed on anything yet. IMR7828, Hybrid H-100V, H4350, RL17. Do I keep pushing the RL17 to max? Do I try yet another powder? IMR4350 or RL19 is where I would go next. Or is it time to try another bullet? I have a box of 168gr TTSX. Also - hunting opener is 2 weekends away!

 

[Tjay]

I would seat deeper with with the 65gr. load and see if that pulls the group together.

 

[kraky1]

Try my 168ttsx load in the earlier posts.....I bet you come back smiling. My buddy hasn't hunted anything big for a number of years but is going on a stag hunt this year. We dug up some of the old ttsx loads and went to the range and in high winds he shot a 1.6 inch 200 yard group...5 shots. The 168 is MORE bullet than you'll ever need!

 

[bob_dobalina]

Thanks guys. I just saw the Nosler 8.0 data puts the lowest RL17 load as the most accurate (60gr) with Nosler 180s, that is interesting. I thought about trying one last round at 63.5 gr with the 180 as that would reproduce the velocities in my gun they list for 60gr. I could try seating that deeper as Tjay recommended.

Kraky1 - I was going to try stepping up 62, 64, 66 with the 168 TTSX. I don't think that would be too aggressive since Alliant lists max at 68 what do you think?

Can anyone share quickload data for RL17 and the 168 TTSX bullet - 24" barrel, 2.860" seating depth?

 

[kraky1]

Bob.... you've pretty much got all the information you need in my post from years ago....just give it a go.
I don't know if this helps but his gun is a 24-inch Browning X Bolt.
We got the same identical results with two different lots of re17 so it's pretty consistent.
I simply have to think the 168 is a perfect match for the twist of the Browning.

 

[SJB358]

64.5 looks pretty good to me. I'd keep seating it deeper.

I'm assuming this is a 300 WSM?

 

[jimbires]

do you know what the bullet jump to the lands measurement is ? when I was playing with barnes bullets they liked a long jump . something like .070" - .100" will get you in the ballpark .

 

[bob_dobalina]

do you know what the bullet jump to the lands measurement is ? when I was playing with barnes bullets they liked a long jump . something like .070" - .100" will get you in the ballpark .

I just loaded another little batch and they are approx. .8" off the lands. I seated these a little deeper at 2.625", and I had been shooting 2.63", so I'm guessing they were .75" off the lands. I think I'll try this, and another set at another set at .100" off and see what happens.

 

[bob_dobalina]

64.5 looks pretty good to me. I'd keep seating it deeper.

I'm assuming this is a 300 WSM?

Yes - 300wsm

 

[kraky1]

Well a little quicker venting on federal 300 WSM loads.... a month ago I caught a deal on 130 ttsx Federal Factory loads. They are rated to do 3500 FPS. They are clocking a consistent 3530 out of my buddies 24-inch Browning. They are pretty accurate and they are a laser beam to 300 yards.... ballistic programs say that you can be no higher than 2.2 on its way to 300 and - 1.8 @ 300. I bought him 3 boxes of these thinking if they didn't shoot good we could reload them....well.....once again another Federal loading that destroys the primer pockets all the brass is shot after one firing....still... we bought them for around $30 a box so I guess all is not lost and he may use these on his stag hunt instead of my 168 loading. He really likes the idea of point-and-shoot to 300 yards and not worry about a thing! We are getting a consistent under 2 inch group at 200 yards and we'll try them next to 300 .....If all is good they are probably what he will use.

 

[kraky1]

Btw...lol.... I asked quick load yesterday after our range session if there's any powders out there that can reach 3530 with a 130 TSX at 65k pressure.... quick load came back with only reloader 17 could do that.... and it would be right dead on 65k pressure!
I know the factories can have special powders but obviously they are still way over loading this stuff.... it would be fun to see a pressure trace!

 

[bob_dobalina]

Well I seated down to 2.8" and with 64.5.gr RL17 my groups went from 1.9" to under 0.5" so I am pretty happy. Now I just want to transition from REM 9 1/2M primers to CCI250s because I'm almost out of the REMS and have 1000 CCI250s. I appreciate all the help getting me dialed in!

 

[kraky1]

Good for you Bob! If those groups are consistent you are pretty much ready for anything on the North American continent.
With a 180 TTSX you can shoot through a moose and then a concrete wall or vice versa.
I have no experience substituting a 9.5 Remington primer for a CCI 250.... but years ago I went from 9.5 Remington to a 215 Federal and everything stayed exactly the same on paper and over the chrono....this on a 7 stw.

 

[bob_dobalina]

thanks kraky1. I did try your load but it wasn't a fair test - I was experimenting with a new rest and halfway through I noticed some neck splitting issues so I quit shooting. I'll definitely give it another shot I think my velocites were around 3040.

 

[kraky1]

We've been having a few Gremlins lately with that load. I quit using Winchester primers because I had some regular primers that got the dreaded pinhole leak and I got 4 pit marks on different guns. The last time we went to the range we used Federal 215 and Winchester brass which is a little roomier than the federal we had been using and our velocity drop down to about 3070 and accuracy wasn't quite as good as when it was 3120. It was moa or slightly better. And now we are splitting necks on Winchester brass after 3 to 4 reloads! And of course replacement brass is almost impossible to find....reloading can be fun some days and it's good we have the factory stuff to fall back on if we have to. Moa will still get the job done.... it's just that we were so golden before that my buddy thought there was no way he could miss. Now he thinks a 1.9" 200 yd 4 shot group is awful!

 

[bob_dobalina]

We've been having a few Gremlins lately with that load. I quit using Winchester primers because I had some regular primers that got the dreaded pinhole leak and I got 4 pit marks on different guns. The last time we went to the range we used Federal 215 and Winchester brass which is a little roomier than the federal we had been using and our velocity drop down to about 3070 and accuracy wasn't quite as good as when it was 3120. It was moa or slightly better. And now we are splitting necks on Winchester brass after 3 to 4 reloads! And of course replacement brass is almost impossible to find....reloading can be fun some days and it's good we have the factory stuff to fall back on if we have to. Moa will still get the job done.... it's just that we were so golden before that my buddy thought there was no way he could miss. Now he thinks a 1.9" 200 yd 4 shot group is awful!

What do you think about those split necks? I am finally getting to 4 reloads on most my cases so I figured that's just how it is with the 300wsm shoulder, the necks start to split at 4+ reloads. I'm going to try annealing them because besides 20 factory bullets I pulled, the 3 times shot brass is all I got!