Things don't always work for me.

Been on a run lately with loads and rifles falling together pretty quickly for me.

Today I loaded up some 180 gr Speer FP's for my 760 35 Rem. It shoots Remington 200 gr Core Lokts pretty good really in factory form or at the much higher rate of 2310.

Someday I will be out of those cor lokts so I wanted to work on a back up plan.

I had saved the powder I pulled so far from the factory loads that I redone with my own loads with H4895.

Used that factory powder for the 180's as it seems like a dense powder giving me plenty of room to work up in the case. Loaded 6 up in increasing charges up to 2430 with no seen issues in primers or other pressure signs.

Loaded 4 up at that charge and was thinking woo hoo, gonna have another hammer load for the 35 Rem.

Well that was a waste of 10 primers and bullets. Shot almost a 3" group at 100. Back to the drawing board. :roll: :lol:

Load development is a science. Take it step by step.

What shoots well? How can I duplicate that?

Pursue what works.

We've all had handloads that disappointed us.

Guy

Guy Miner":2igh2tkf said:

Load development is a science. Take it step by step.

What shoots well? How can I duplicate that?

Pursue what works.

We've all had handloads that disappointed us.

Guy

Click to expand...

Yeah, I was just trying to make use of that factory powder. Normally I'd try some 3 shot groups at charges lower than what I settled on, but not the times to be burning through primers with a bullet I don't really need right now so I was just trying a quick test.

Although once I discovered how it often works, I have had what could be categorized as excellent results with numerous cartridges using IMR 4350 and just doing single charges looking for pressure, and then having several loaded at or near the top charge. For whatever reason that powder seems to really like top charges and/or, charges that end up at or near the base of the neck with a lot of different cartridges using normal hunting weight bullets.

250 Savage, 348 Winchester, 30-06, and most recently 257 Roberts AI. No load development of any significance to realize very satisfactory results. In some cartridges/bullet weights, IMR 4350 has been like an easy button for me.

I can't imagine those 180's will shoot horrible using the same charge or H4895 I'm using for the 200's, or maybe 1/2 grain higher, but that will be for another time.

Speer Hot-Cor’s work great on game, well above their price point. Use one of your known loads as you stated above, put the Speer bullet on top of it and there’s a better than average likelihood that the group will come in.

Joec7651":vipjz2xc said:

Speer Hot-Cor’s work great on game, well above their price point. Use one of your known loads as you stated above, put the Speer bullet on top of it and there’s a better than average likelihood that the group will come in.

Click to expand...

Yep it should. Had it in my head that's what I was gonna do, but decided to try and use that factory powder and kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Didn't work out, but hoping it was just the powder/speed combo and not that it doesn't like those Speer's. Would like to use them someday.