Painless load development (mine)

[prm]

Since the rifle is proven to shoot a variety of loads well, I’d say odds are high it will shoot that well. Why some rifles are seemingly finicky is a topic for another thread.

In determining length, is your priority touching lands, max mag, then boattail to bottom of neck? By touching, do you mean just touching, or do you bias a little off or in?

I do not worry about distance to lands. If their are multiple rifles of the same chambering, I make it fit in all of them. I am not generally going to have “special” loads for each gun- I shoot too much for that nonsense. I also don’t touch land nor do I want to be even close to them. Field guns need some margin for error, and getting a bullet stuck in the lands and powder dropped everywhere isn’t my idea of fun.

For this I will seat the boat tail at the neck/shoulder junction though it probably won’t matter.

Copy all, thanks for clarification. That was not how I interpreted your first post.

 

[Formidilosus]

Copy all, thanks for clarification. That was not how I interpreted your first post.

The OP?

 

[prm]

The OP?

Yes.

” I pick the bullet I want to shoot, a case, a decent primer, a near max load, and seat the bullet to fit magazines, just kiss the lands, or as in this case to seat the bullet so the boatail is at the shoulder/neck junction of the case.”

 

[Formidilosus]

Why some rifles are seemingly finicky is a topic for another thread.

Meant to respond to this in the first reply. Since I, and those I’m around switched to certain rifles, scopes that work correctly, and mounting systems mounted correctly- we haven’t had a single finicky gun. I am waiting for my first picky Tikka/Sauer/Blaser/etc rifle. All the aftermarket barrels shoot fine as well- well, about one in 50 steel barrels is just a bum barrel, about 1-3 in 10 carbon barrels are.

 

[Formidilosus]

Yes.

” I pick the bullet I want to shoot, a case, a decent primer, a near max load, and seat the bullet to fit magazines, just kiss the lands, or as in this case to seat the bullet so the boatail is at the shoulder/neck junction of the case.”

Ah. I meant whichever fits the mag or rifle- kiss lands if that happens before mag limit; for mag COAL if that happens before lands or boatail, or boatail to neck/shoulder if able by mag and throat constraints.



Also, I don’t mean that every gun has shot Avery bullet/powder combo well. I mean that I haven’t had good rifles before finicky. I might have a bullet and powder combo that doesn’t shoot well, but each case simply changing powder or bullet or both has fixed it.

 

[prm]

Gotcha. I do have rifles that seem to prefer bullet weight ranges. Maybe they’d shoot others but I tire of trying alternatives as long as I have something that works.

I have bullets I can’t get to mag length because they would hit lands, others that would be seated too far out on the neck to reach lands or mag length, in which case I seat just above the neck/shoulder. So I have to work through the seating length alternatives/limitations and am always open to different methods or thoughts.

 

[Formidilosus]

Gotcha. I do have rifles that seem to prefer bullet weight ranges. Maybe they’d shoot others but I tire of trying alternatives as long as I have something that works.

I have bullets I can’t get to mag length because they would hit lands, others that would be seated too far out on the neck to reach lands or mag length, in which case I seat just above the neck/shoulder. So I have to work through the seating length alternatives/limitations and am always open to different methods or thoughts.

 

[Formidilosus]

1 each at 40, 40.5, and 41gr of RL23.

Seated with the boatail and the neck/shoulder, came out to 2.760coal, same as the 115gr DTAC.






Sharpied the bullet, chambered, and not touching lands-





Shot the loads in order, lowest to highest- left to right, in the dirt-



41gr has the slightest ejector mark, so loaded 15 at 40.5gr

(note: without pressure testing equipment, “high pressure signs” don’t tell you much. Only that a load is way over pressure. I do not know what the pressure for these are, but they’re not high and aren’t going to cause issues).

Off to the range in a bit.

 

[HighUintas]

1 each at 40, 40.5, and 41gr of RL23.

Seated with the boatail and the neck/shoulder, came out to 2.760coal, same as the 115gr DTAC.

View attachment 481819

View attachment 481823


Sharpied the bullet, chambered, and not touching lands-
View attachment 481825




Shot the loads in order, lowest to highest- left to right, in the dirt-
View attachment 481835


41gr has the slightest ejector mark, so loaded 15 at 40.5gr

(note: without pressure testing equipment, “high pressure signs” don’t tell you much. Only that a load is way over pressure. I do not know what the pressure for these are, but they’re not high and aren’t going to cause issues).

Off to the range in a bit.

Do you find Peterson case heads to be any softer than Lapua, adg, or alpha?

 

[Formidilosus]

Do you find Peterson case heads to be any softer than Lapua, adg, or alpha?

Eh. Haven’t really paid attention it. I would prefer Alpha or Lapua, but Peterson is fine. That’s four firings on the brass so far.

 

[Formidilosus]

Magic. 10 rounds at 100. (For the internet, the first 3 shots went right at .1”)







A bit heavy in the snow fall for solid trueing today.

 

[ToolMann]

Magic. 10 rounds at 100. (For the internet, the first 3 shots went right at .1”)

View attachment 481879


View attachment 481880


A bit heavy in the snow fall for solid trueing today.

View attachment 481881

I'd scrap everything and start over

 

[SouthPaw]

Sweet. Bring on the animal autopsies.

 

[RyanT26]

Magic. 10 rounds at 100. (For the internet, the first 3 shots went right at .1”)

View attachment 481879


View attachment 481880


A bit heavy in the snow fall for solid trueing today.

View attachment 481881

Now if clean that carbon ring out and start chasing the lands you could get that down to .05 all day long

 

[nobody]

Loved this whole thread.

Form, what would you do if you don't have the appropriate primer for the cartridge? Getting ready to do workup for my new CTR in 6.5 creed. I've got piles of 140 ELDM's, H4350, but I've only got a boat load of CCI Magnum primers and Remington 9 1/2 Magnums from owning a 7 Mag in the past, no standard primers. Max load from Hornady with a Fed 210 Match primer is 41.5 Grains. Would you load up at max with a Magnum primer anyways, or would you back off a couple grains and work up in .5 increments? Haven't done tons of reloading in the past, the gun is new and shoots factory ammo very well for 10 shot groups. Thoughts?

 

[Formidilosus]

Loved this whole thread.

Form, what would you do if you don't have the appropriate primer for the cartridge? Getting ready to do workup for my new CTR in 6.5 creed. I've got piles of 140 ELDM's, H4350, but I've only got a boat load of CCI Magnum primers and Remington 9 1/2 Magnums from owning a 7 Mag in the past, no standard primers. Max load from Hornady with a Fed 210 Match primer is 41.5 Grains. Would you load up at max with a Magnum primer anyways, or would you back off a couple grains and work up in .5 increments? Haven't done tons of reloading in the past, the gun is new and shoots factory ammo very well for 10 shot groups. Thoughts?

I would go one grain under max, shot one and check for pressure. Then if no pressure- load at .5 grain under max, shoot one, etc. Etc.

 

[nobody]

I would go one grain under max, shot one and check for pressure. Then if no pressure- load at .5 grain under max, shoot one, etc. Etc.

Perfect. Sorry for the ignorance, but I'm assuming if I dropped that one grain and hit pressure, just drop one more and repeat the process, correct?

Thanks for sharing the knowledge, really appreciate it.

 

[Formidilosus]

Perfect. Sorry for the ignorance, but I'm assuming if I dropped that one grain and hit pressure, just drop one more and repeat the process, correct?

Thanks for sharing the knowledge, really appreciate it.

Yes sir.

 

[nobody]

Yes sir.

Love it, thanks much sir!

 

[wind gypsy]

All the aftermarket barrels shoot fine as well- well, about one in 50 steel barrels is just a bum barrel, about 1-3 in 10 carbon barrels are.

How could that be when carbon barrels are more expensive than steel barrels and they look so cool?