New To Me 30-06 Loads

[nosler06]

I have an older 30-06 Winchester Model 70 and am thinking of a switch to 165grn Nosler Partitions from my usual 180grn Parts. I'm using H4350 powder and CCI primers. This is today's test run. I'm looking at the 55.5grn or the 56.5grn. I think I might be able to tweak a bit around the 56.5grn loads to keep the velocity higher. What do you all think?

 

[AFG270]

Either of those look good, a little seating depth adjustment should tighten them right up.

 

[salmonchaser]

I agree with tightening, shortening them up a little. I can’t guess how many times I’ve experienced two together and one out over the years. Sometimes just a little will bring them all together. If I were a betting man I would bet that I have shot many of those same groups with Partitions.
I have quite a bit of H4350 as it has been an excellent powder in most everything I shoot often.

 

[JD338]

Looking good. I'd focus on the 55.5 gr load and start seating bullets deeper in .05" increments. This should tighten up your group.

JD338

 

[RL338]

55.5 looks good with a little seating adjustment. Are able to try 57.5 or are you seeing pressure?

 

[SJB358]

I’m with the others. Try shortening up your load .010 or maybe a skosh more and you’ll have all the groups looking good.

 

[nosler06]

55.5 looks good with a little seating adjustment. Are able to try 57.5 or are you seeing pressure?

I have over my years pushed into compressed loads and pushed the envelope lots. I guess im trying to stay more on the safe side. I used the exact length as some factory Nosler 165grn load length rounds. I will play some shorter and longer to see where I find the tight spot. I even stayed away from the 57.5grn load as it is into 103% capacity. I was not seeing any signs of pressure on what I shot but did note that the 57.0grn load was a slight bit tighter to extract but nothing showing on the case at all.

 

[nosler06]

I agree with tightening, shortening them up a little. I can’t guess how many times I’ve experienced two together and one out over the years. Sometimes just a little will bring them all together. If I were a betting man I would bet that I have shot many of those same groups with Partitions.
I have quite a bit of H4350 as it has been an excellent powder in most everything I shoot often.

I agree. Almost every time I've done ladder loads for my two 06s and a 308 I get the same type of pattern as well. It's bizarre.

 

[PJGunner]

I haven't tried the 165 gr. Partition on my 30-06 yet. I've been running the 165 gr. AccuBond over 56.0 gr. W760, WLR primer and Winchester brass for a bit over 2800 FPS. The load has been sub MOA from the start. I've only taken one animal with the load, a cow elk. She went all of about 30 yards and expired. I never found an exit wound and never recovered the bullet.
Pressure appears to be normal and brass has held up well. Frankly, any one of those loads you show would work on a big game hunt. I've said for a long time that I've never seen a bench rest out in the boonies.
Paul B.

 

[nosler06]

Looking good. I'd focus on the 55.5 gr load and start seating bullets deeper in .05" increments. This should tighten up your group.

JD338

I just checked the OAL of my case with the bullet seating the lands and found that it is 4.410". Backing and starting .020" from the lands will not fit in the magazine at all. I will check the full length capacity of magazine and then have to start from there. I am hoping that this will help tighten up the 55.5 gr load as I like the grouping already. Also book velocity is 2757fps which is not its max that I could get out of it, but I do know that a 165 gr pill at that velocity will drop an animal.

 

[longrangehunter]

Stick with the 55.5 grain load and tweak it for seating depth, but that one is closer to what you want to see.

I Always prefer to see a triangle of any size over anything else.

Usually the odd fliers are because of a seating depth issue and it wants to shoot but needs tweaking. Or a different primmer.

 

[Alaska]

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I have an older 30-06 Winchester Model 70 and am thinking of a switch to 165grn Nosler Partitions from my usual 180grn Parts. I'm using H4350 powder and CCI primers. This is today's test run. I'm looking at the 55.5grn or the 56.5grn. I think I might be able to tweak a bit around the 56.5grn loads to keep the velocity higher. What do you all think?

Actually 56.0 makes a great load with 180gr and 57.5 with 165gr in WW brass in Win 70 XTR 30-06.

 

[nosler06]

Well trying to get back at it after a dryer belt breaking and a dishwasher fill valve broke and clean up that mess. My digital calipers decided they no longer want to work with me. New calipers and have now checked that the maximum magazine length is 3.390". I will start loading with 0.010 from the magazine end and see if they will cycle through. Will shorten from that until full free cycle is obtained. Then will start loading from there and shorten each load by 0.010" to see what groups come from those. Not much else that you can do when the magazine is your length limiting factor to have to start with. It is a bit away from the lands as I checked that the overall length touching the lands is 3.410".

 

[nosler06]

Im trying to figure out which is the OAL that would be best to use to make length ladder loads. Would you use the full length measurements using the base to tip or using the Ogive length?The hard part which makes me think I should use the tip length is i know the max Magazine length the the round would fit by the base to tip. Should I just focus on OAL tip lengths regardless of any tip deformation that might show up? The max length that the magazine is is 3.390". Based on this i can start at 3.380" first and see if the rounds can cycle cleanly. If they do would just run the tests reducing the length by 0.010". Then see which length would give me the best group. I hope im on the right track cause I feel like I've been way overthinking this.

 

[sako2]

Your limited magazine lenght. Make a dummy round base to tip and see how it functions. Including ejection.