- Thread starter
- #41
what would you do?
- Thread starter kendog
- Start date
Mountain Goat
Handloader
- Dec 14, 2010
- 386
- 12
good advice given so far, and I think that the bedding will show promise. There are some consistencies in your loading/shooting procedure that I would like to address since I have had more than a few rifles act like yours.
1. You are loading too close to the lands for initial load development. 0.010" off is more of an ending point once it's determined that the rifle likes the bullet closer and not farther away from the lands. How are you measuring this distance? Just leaving the seating die at the same setting doesn't mean that each bullet is the same distance from the lands. Try backing them off to .030-.040" off and see which powder charge gives you a consistent group, even though it may be larger than you like. Then load some longer and shorter in .005" increments to she which way the barrel prefers. It might take a few groups of each setting for results to really show up.
2. I do feel that you are shooting with your barrel too clean as you stated before. The chatter marks revealed by the gunsmith is just more reason to shoot the barrel with some fouling built up. You need to have enough copper built up to "smothe" out those chatter marks and depressions. I don't own a single factory tubed rifle that doesn't benefit from 10-15 rounds of copper build up before groups tighten up and show consistency.
3. Stick with 3 shot groups until you find a few loads that show promise. 5 shot groups just complicate load development by allowing too many possibilities of the many variables at play, the biggest being the shooter. I'm not insulting your shooting skills by any means, for I am far from a bench magician, but eliminating the called flyers as much as possible will be beneficial. I would rather evaluate 10 3-shot groups than 6 5-shot groups with some called flyers that make them 3 or 4 shot groups.
4. Pay attention to what the data reflects. It is possible that this barrel prefers 150grn or heavier bullets. Feed it what it likes instead of force feeding it what you want it to digest. I did that to a .243 for way too long. I wanted to shoot 100gr bullets, and it just didn't like them. I moved down to a 90grn and now have the most accurate factory rifle I have ever owned.
Please don't take this as an insult to you or your equipment choices. I have been in your situation many times and just wanted to share my experiences. If you don't agree or don't follow them then all I'm out is the time it took to post a reply. If something is gained from this post, then it was time well spent.
Let us know how this progresses as I feel that you have a load or two in there that show promise once some inconsistencies are eliminated. Even a bad barrel can benefit from a bedding and crown job.
1. You are loading too close to the lands for initial load development. 0.010" off is more of an ending point once it's determined that the rifle likes the bullet closer and not farther away from the lands. How are you measuring this distance? Just leaving the seating die at the same setting doesn't mean that each bullet is the same distance from the lands. Try backing them off to .030-.040" off and see which powder charge gives you a consistent group, even though it may be larger than you like. Then load some longer and shorter in .005" increments to she which way the barrel prefers. It might take a few groups of each setting for results to really show up.
2. I do feel that you are shooting with your barrel too clean as you stated before. The chatter marks revealed by the gunsmith is just more reason to shoot the barrel with some fouling built up. You need to have enough copper built up to "smothe" out those chatter marks and depressions. I don't own a single factory tubed rifle that doesn't benefit from 10-15 rounds of copper build up before groups tighten up and show consistency.
3. Stick with 3 shot groups until you find a few loads that show promise. 5 shot groups just complicate load development by allowing too many possibilities of the many variables at play, the biggest being the shooter. I'm not insulting your shooting skills by any means, for I am far from a bench magician, but eliminating the called flyers as much as possible will be beneficial. I would rather evaluate 10 3-shot groups than 6 5-shot groups with some called flyers that make them 3 or 4 shot groups.
4. Pay attention to what the data reflects. It is possible that this barrel prefers 150grn or heavier bullets. Feed it what it likes instead of force feeding it what you want it to digest. I did that to a .243 for way too long. I wanted to shoot 100gr bullets, and it just didn't like them. I moved down to a 90grn and now have the most accurate factory rifle I have ever owned.
Please don't take this as an insult to you or your equipment choices. I have been in your situation many times and just wanted to share my experiences. If you don't agree or don't follow them then all I'm out is the time it took to post a reply. If something is gained from this post, then it was time well spent.
Let us know how this progresses as I feel that you have a load or two in there that show promise once some inconsistencies are eliminated. Even a bad barrel can benefit from a bedding and crown job.
- Thread starter
- #43
Thanks for your time first of all. Yes, I have found that if I did not clean my rifle, the next time out it seemed to shoot better (but not always) so I was only cleaning every other time. I only shoot 20 rounds a trip.
I will try some loads father off the lands, just by s*@t house luck the 150 BT and the 175 SBT have the same oglive (sp?), so I don't have to move my die. I partially size a case and use the lands to seat the bullets to find my OAL.
And I am not insulted at all, while I am not a bad shot I know there are many more much better than I, like my 16 year old, don't tell him I said that though, he already thinks he can.
Thanks again, I am here to learn.
I will try some loads father off the lands, just by s*@t house luck the 150 BT and the 175 SBT have the same oglive (sp?), so I don't have to move my die. I partially size a case and use the lands to seat the bullets to find my OAL.
And I am not insulted at all, while I am not a bad shot I know there are many more much better than I, like my 16 year old, don't tell him I said that though, he already thinks he can.
Thanks again, I am here to learn.
Two more factors to offer for your consideration: Temperature. I've noticed some of my groups opening up a fair amount when shot in colder weather. This time of year its possible [ at least in my home state of Michigan ] to experience a 30+ degree swing in temperature between shooting sessions. Colder temps open up the groups in my light barreled Model 7 in 7mm-08 using 42 grains of IMR4064 to push a 120 grain Nosler BT. Load development occurred during more moderate temps. Note the temp conditions on your shot targets for future reference.
Wind: Hang a 10" tail of tape from the bottom of your target when shooting. Use the tape as a wind indicator and shoot only when the tape hangs limp.
Wind: Hang a 10" tail of tape from the bottom of your target when shooting. Use the tape as a wind indicator and shoot only when the tape hangs limp.
- Thread starter
- #45
finally a decent day to shoot after I pillar bedded my Featherweight 7mm08, I took the left over factory 140 power-points and got about an inch or a little better at 100 yards, then my young fella shot 2 at the swinger target and I fired one, right around 1" at 200 yards!!!! Wow, this rifle would barely keep those on paper at 100 yards before.
- Thread starter
- #46
oh yeah, start of construction, will be ready this fall, 400 frickin meters YEAH.View attachment img_0079.JPG
