10-shot load development, 30-06, H4350, 180 Accubond

joelkdouglas · Feb 11, 2018

I'm starting to think, not really 10-shot load development.

But to find a velocity node, it only took 5 shots today.

H4350
Nosler cases
CCI 200 primers
180 AccuBond 0.075 inches off lands

Charge Velocity
56.2 2829
56.4 2818
56.6 2815
56.8 2813
57.0 2845 and 2855 (had 2 loaded)

I stopped there; I had loaded up to 58 grains but 2800 is Hodgdon's max velocity; 2770 is Nosler's max velocity. And 56.4-56.8 looks pretty flat to me.

I also shot a 3-round group with a 57.0 charge that I had loaded just to see if there was much accuracy potential. About 3 inches at 200 yards; the group was triangular. And the wind in Cheyenne today is blowing about 25 knots, pretty normal for this time of year.

I think with triangular groups one is supposed to make the OAL a touch longer; I'll give it a try with the 56.6 load.

6mm Remington · Feb 11, 2018

Looks like you are getting it dialed in! Good bullets and good powder for that old 30-06!

hunter24605 · Feb 11, 2018

"I think with triangular groups one is supposed to make the OAL a touch longer; I'll give it a try with the 56.6 load."

Learn something new everyday. I'll have to make a mental note of that.

SJB358 · Feb 12, 2018

Looks pretty good Joel. That is certainly trucking along well for a 180 and I'll be pretty interested in seeing what you get for accuracy.

joelkdouglas · Mar 11, 2018

I made it back to the range today, a beautiful, rare not windy March day in Cheyenne!

I had previously completed the 10 round load development work with H4350 (see above) and 56.6 gr H4350 looked about in the middle of a node. Should be about 2815 fps. Two weeks ago I loaded up some 180 ABs at various seating depths.

Here's 2.680 Cartridge Base to Ogive (CBTO) depth, 0.01 off the lands.

Terrible!

Here's 2.640 CBTO, 0.05 off lands

Better...about 1.3 inches, the first 3 shots had the "2 in, 1 out" thing going on.

Here's 2.600, 0.09 off lands

A little better...about 1.1 inches, circular group.

I've heard that circular groups like to be seated a little further out, and 2 in 1 out groups need seated a little deeper. Next range trip I'm going to start at 2.605 and load 2.605, 2.610, 2.615, 2.620 and see where that gets me.

I also put Dyna Bore Coat in the bore. I love that stuff! And it should help, I think this barrel likes to be shot while clean (in contrast to a barrel that doesn't mind being dirty).