newbie questions

Banshee · Feb 24, 2008

I made up a series of loads (150 gr) in 0.5 grains steps from minimum to maximum published loads. Yesterday at the range none of these loads would shoot under 1.11" in 5 shot groups.

A different test series with another bullet (125 gr) all shot under an inch with 3 different charges @ 0.6" or better.

At present, I don't have tools to measure distance from lands and am loading to published lengths. Can adjusting this distance turn a poor shooting load into a good one or is this a fine-tuning adjustment?

How long do you tinker with a given bullet before scrapping it and moving on to another?

Banshee

JD338 · Feb 24, 2008

Need a little more information.
What caliber are you shooting and what rifle/scope combo?

Adjusting the COL can play a role in the accuracy so I would
recommend that you give that a try.
It could also be that your rifle doesn't care for a certain weight
or style bullet.

JD338

Banshee · Feb 24, 2008

Rifle Savage 12 FV in 0.308 Winchester 26" varmint barrel
Scope Nikon Buckmasters 6-18x

Winchester brass
Hornady 150 grain SST bullet
Powder Hodgdon Varget
Primer WLR

Britz · Feb 24, 2008

I just bought the hornady COAL guage set and it is a cinch to use. But in the past I did measure the distance using an old case, bullet, and a black felt marker.

Take a fired brass and bend the neck a little in a couple different places by pushing it gently against a piece of wood or something hard. take the bullet that you wish to shoot and color the whole thing black. place the bullet on top the case and insert into the rifle and close the bolt. The bullet will hit the lands and be forced into the case scratching the black marker away from the bullet. Eject the case and you will likely have to use a ramrod to knock the bullet out of the lands. Carefully reseat the bullet into a case until it is seated at the same depth as it was in the chamber. Your COAL will be a couple thou less than that because the bullet was jammed into the rifleing.

THis procedure will have to be done to each type of bullet you want to use since different bullets contact the rifleing a little different than others.

I was amaized at how much the POI changes when adjusting the seating depth of rounds. I watch my groups move their way around the POA on 3 different seating depth test groups. All were under an inch at 100, but the groups were shifting a couple of inches.