Painless load development (mine)

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus , since you're not big on granular details in the loading process, do you just use a thrower for powder charges?

I have before, and with a Dillon or similar I probably would again. But I’ve had enough issues with throwers and stick powders that I weight each. Though I use an RCBS electronic dispenser and scale and I do not worry when one is .1gr over.

 

[ShootOkHuntWorse]

I have before, and with a Dillon or similar I probably would again. But I’ve had enough issues with throwers and stick powders that I weight each. Though I use an RCBS electronic dispenser and scale and I do not worry when one is .1gr over.

Now THAT is exactly what I was hoping to get answered. I’m spending a huge amount of time weighing and trickling only to be putting it in mixed headstamps. I’m wondering just why the hell I am not just using the thrower and sorting headstamps instead.

 

[Wrench]

I love these threads. I have a buddy who will wear out a tube to get to his magic number group size. I'm much closer to Form in that I pick something that checks all the boxes I want.....bullet choice, powder availability and if so temp sensitivity (sub zero to 110 here) and rock on.

I'm a thing hitter vs group shooter. I pack around a can of paint to squirt dots on rocks and try to wipe them off.

Far and away the most misses are from bad wind calls or thermals getting me.....mirage and just plain shanks.

I pulled out the labradar on a load that I field validated velocity on ro check my work. We were within 8fps... .hardly worth the hassle to set it up if field validated can fly.

 

[wind gypsy]

Not to put words in anyone's mouth, but I think the point is that if you're MOA at 100m, you'll be MOA at 1000m.

MOA is MOA. Ignore the "noise" and what-abouts.

Might be close to being true if your 1000 yard groups are shot in a tunnel with constant airflow. Hasn't worked out that way in practice anywhere i've shot 1000 yards.

 

[yycyak]

Might be close to being true if your 1000 yard groups are shot in a tunnel with constant airflow. Hasn't worked out that way in practice anywhere i've shot 1000 yards.

So did you miss at 1000 yards because you made a bad wind call? Or you're 100% confident your miss is due to a flubbed reload with an ES/SD issue?

The point being made is that a guy will likely miss due to wind/fundamentals. And not because ES/SD due to 0.2gr being off at the reloading bench.

 

[wind gypsy]

So did you miss at 1000 yards because you made a bad wind call? Or you're 100% confident your miss is due to a flubbed reload with an ES/SD issue?

The point being made is that a guy will likely miss due to wind/fundamentals. And not because ES/SD due to 0.2gr being off at the reloading bench.

I think we are aligned for the most part. I’ve just seen too many people say similar things and assume that because they can hit a 1.5 MOA target at 100 at the range, they can hit a 1.5 MOA target (deer) at 700 yards in the field. I don’t think that was your intention but probably good to clarify.

That said, I’ve missed enough targets by less than a few inches in elevation when most of the group was centered which absolutely could be explained by inconsistent velocities. I can’t argue the application of abs hit %s but if that was all there was to it PRS wouldn’t be dominated by BR variants shooting bullets that don’t have the highest BC.

I’ve stopped going down the rabbit hole too and try to stick with basics of known combos and live with 30 FPS ES.

 

[yycyak]

Haha definitely on the same page then.

I know I won't hit the same at 1000m as I would at 100m. Because I'm not too humble to admit my fundamentals suck. (Slowly starting to improve thanks to the forum here.)

But I sure won't blame misses on 0.2gr reload variance. Focusing on those variances, and putting time and money into chasing those with the thought that it'll magically make you a perfect 1000m shooter, is a silly. There are more important and critical things to focus on before going down that rabbit hole.

Although maybe that'll be my next go-to line when I have a flyer: "not my fault. The Extreme Spread of my reloads caused it. Totally would have rung the 1200m gong otherwise..."

I think we are aligned for the most part. I’ve just seen too many people say similar things and assume that because they can hit a 1.5 MOA target at 100 at the range, they can hit a 1.5 MOA target (deer) at 700 yards in the field. I don’t think that was your intention but probably good to clarify.

That said, I’ve missed enough targets by less than a few inches in elevation when most of the group was centered which absolutely could be explained by inconsistent velocities. I can’t argue the application of abs hit %s but if that was all there was to it PRS wouldn’t be dominated by BR variants shooting bullets that don’t have the highest BC.

I’ve stopped going down the rabbit hole too and try to stick with basics of known combos and live with 30 FPS SDs.

 

[Formidilosus]

Got “lucky” again.

Loaded 10x 108gr ELD-Ms with .5gr more powder than the 115’s with the boatail at the neck/shoulder junction for a COAL of 2.750. Fired one round for pressure. All good. Loaded 19 more.

The first ten with the same zero as the 115’s-



Then guessed at 3,000fps MV, immediately turned to the 1,050 yard target, one shot, came up .2mil, the next four hit the 14” plate. Final MV of 2,970fps.

 

[HighUintas]

Got “lucky” again.

Loaded 10x 108gr ELD-Ms with .5gr more powder than the 115’s with the boatail at the neck/shoulder junction for a COAL of 2.750. Fired one round for pressure. All good. Loaded 19 more.

The first ten with the same zero as the 115’s-
View attachment 342345


Then guessed at 3,000fps MV, immediately turned to the 1,050 yard target, one shot, came up .2mil, the next four hit the 14” plate. Final MV of 2,970fps.

You should buy a lottery ticket!

Are you just calculating speed backwards from your drop and BC?

 

[bpotter]

Throat on this one is wearing, Shoots 56g same now and I just worked up load with a new powder (18 shots including foulers) . Need to see if it holds at range and check drops.

 

[Formidilosus]

Are you just calculating speed backwards from your drop and BC?

Yes.

Known scope, known range, known bullet, unknown MV.

 

[yycyak]

But what about your ES...? It could potentially, maybe, possibly, make you not-MOA at 2500m+.

/s Good shooting.

Yes.

Known scope, known range, known bullet, unknown MV.

 

[MuleyFever]

Got “lucky” again.

Loaded 10x 108gr ELD-Ms with .5gr more powder than the 115’s with the boatail at the neck/shoulder junction for a COAL of 2.750.

Is loading so the boat tail is at the neck shoulder junction something that tends to have a good result? Or is it just an arbitrary starting spot.

 

[Formidilosus]

Is loading so the boat tail is at the neck shoulder junction something that tends to have a good result? Or is it just an arbitrary starting spot.

Eh…. Kind of both. If you’re doing it “right”, you’d load a dummy case with the chosen bullets boatail to the neck shoulder junction (not below or) then have the Smith chamber to that. That you allow you to smchase the lands of the throat wears. Me, I don’t really care. I kid then to the junction, sharpie the bullet, chamber to make sure I’m not in lands, fire one round to check pressure, then it’s 10’ish for grouping and zero, 10’ish for trueing.

 

[HighUintas]

@Formidilosus , did you have a Tikka barrel rechambered to 6xc for this gun? What was the factory chamber?

 

[bsnedeker]

The rifle-
View attachment 339906

Did you borrow that rifle from Willie Nelson? lol!

Thanks for this!

 

[Formidilosus]

@Formidilosus , did you have a Tikka barrel rechambered to 6xc for this gun? What was the factory chamber?

No. That was a Tikka M595 Master Sporter. I believe originally in 22-250. Then got a 243 barrel, then a 308, and now a 6XC.

 

[HighUintas]

No. That was a Tikka M595 Master Sporter. I believe originally in 22-250. Then got a 243 barrel, then a 308, and now a 6XC.

Got it. I was wondering about the options for 6mm Tikka takeoff barrels for rechambering, but it doesn't seem there are great options for twist rates. 243win being the only one I'm aware off

 

[Formidilosus]

Got it. I was wondering about the options for 6mm Tikka takeoff barrels for rechambering, but it doesn't seem there are great options for twist rates. 243win being the only one I'm aware off

Their twists suck. Tikkas are easy for prefits, or send to Shaen for installation.

 

[sndmn11]

Got it. I was wondering about the options for 6mm Tikka takeoff barrels for rechambering, but it doesn't seem there are great options for twist rates. 243win being the only one I'm aware off

Preferred is right by you I think and only about 4-6 week wait.