Painless load development (mine)

[SouthPaw]

You’ve been screwing on factory barrels or prefits?

Both, but more prefits. My next 22cm barrel I'll probably try a local gunsmith recommended to me by @huntnful as I've never done a smith-chambered blank. Just to try something new.

That’s an impressive amount of lead you’ve been able to send down range

Meh. I've logged 1.5k-2k centerfire rounds annually over the past few years, mostly .223 and 6.5cm, so pretty modest really. More than most 'hunters', but far less than some shooters even on just this forum.

How many rounds you shooting through the barrel before swapping them out?

This T3 is from 2010ish, and the the two prior barrels were magnums that I didn't shoot completely to their life's end. More so I got bored/tired of them after years. I probably averaged 600 rounds on each of those two, so really not a lot of shooting on that particular gun over 14 years. I learned that I just don't love shooting magnums. I wanted to turn it into something I could shoot some NRLhunter matches with and also hunt with when 6mm+ required. I will shoot this barrel to its death.

 

[Muley Buck]

I definitely did some googling to see if anyone else had done it before I tried it lol. No problems thus far

It's always been my understanding that tumbling loaded ammunition is a no-no, due to the possibility of the powder breaking down and changing the burn rate. Amongst other things as well. Definitely doesn't set well me.

 

[jfk69]

It's always been my understanding that tumbling loaded ammunition is a no-no, due to the possibility of the powder breaking down and changing the burn rate. Amongst other things as well. Definitely doesn't set well me.

When I bought a MidwayUSA 1292 tumbler years and years ago, a statement to that effect was included in the instructions. I’d never consider doing it.

 

[IDVortex]

Well, got my can today so went and sighted in my rifle and tested my load.

FED GM210M Primers
147 ELD-M
H4350 39.7grs
Starline Brass

ill be loading more up tonight to shoot and confirm my sight-in. But so far, dang. Im impressed.

 

[Formidilosus]

Making sure my brass is spotless before loading…


Resizing and depriming-




After sizing, priming, and powder dumping. Spotless inside and out… give or take.

 

[Jimbee]

I loaded a few .243/106tap/ 7828ssc to check for pressure. New Tikka take off barrel cut to 17" with Raptor8, new Lapua lrp brass. My first 2 shots at my lowest charge of 45grains clearly showed ejector marks. How much should a person drop charge weight? I dropped 2 grains shot two over a chrono and had no pressure signs at about 2750fps. Loaded 20 to check group size that i haven'tshot yet. Just wondering if I'll be good once the barrel speeds up.

 

[huntnful]

Just tested 2 different bullets. 5 shot groups with each bullet. These are the first charge weights (I’m familiar with the general charge weights in this cartridge though), and first seating depths with each bullet. Seated somewhere near the lands. Within .020, but I don’t check them very precisely, I just know they’re close.

7-300 Norma Mag Improved. Groups shot on 14X power.

160 McGuire Copper Rose. 90gr. N570




180 Berger Hybrid Target. 84.5gr. H1000



Based off these 5 shot groups, I would take either load out to pretty long ranges without hesitation.

A well constructed rifle, a steel barrel, a good set of rings and a dependable scope takes all the fun out of “load work” hahaha.

This is how I shoot. It works for me. Also I put witness marks on the scope when I put it in these UM Premier rings. I used blue loctite and torqued to 22in lbs. Scope hasn’t budged one bit in over 700 rounds of Lapua Magnum recoil.

 

[lak2004]

Just tested 2 different bullets. 5 shot groups with each bullet. These are the first charge weights (I’m familiar with the general charge weights in this cartridge though), and first seating depths with each bullet. Seated somewhere near the lands. Within .020, but I don’t check them very precisely, I just know they’re close.

7-300 Norma Mag Improved. Groups shot on 14X power.

160 McGuire Copper Rose. 90gr. N570

View attachment 709740
View attachment 709741

180 Berger Hybrid Target. 84.5gr. H1000
View attachment 709742
View attachment 709743

Based off these 5 shot groups, I would take either load out to pretty long ranges without hesitation.

A well constructed rifle, a steel barrel, a good set of rings and a dependable scope takes all the fun out of “load work” hahaha.

This is how I shoot. It works for me. Also I put witness marks on the scope when I put it in these UM Premier rings. I used blue loctite and torqued to 22in lbs. Scope hasn’t budged one bit in over 700 rounds of Lapua Magnum recoil.
View attachment 709744

Hot damn those bullets are scootin!

 

[huntnful]

Hot damn those bullets are scootin!

Oh yeah. It’ll kill lol.

 

[Harvey_NW]

160 McGuire Copper Rose. 90gr. N570

A 160 at 3500fps is friggin wild lol.

 

[huntnful]

A 160 at 3500fps is friggin wild lol.

It also has a .33 G7 BC. Just verified it at 1000 yards and killed a nice coyote with it. Best mono bullets I’ve seen.

 

[Marbles]

I loaded a few .243/106tap/ 7828ssc to check for pressure. New Tikka take off barrel cut to 17" with Raptor8, new Lapua lrp brass. My first 2 shots at my lowest charge of 45grains clearly showed ejector marks. How much should a person drop charge weight? I dropped 2 grains shot two over a chrono and had no pressure signs at about 2750fps. Loaded 20 to check group size that i haven'tshot yet. Just wondering if I'll be good once the barrel speeds up.

It is your face, eyes, and hands, so don't do anything your are not comfortable with; and don't take advice from people who have lost their Marbles (such as this poster). I'll share my point of view, but there is an art to interpreting things and if in doubt, the most conservative course is correct in high risk, low reward decisions.

I'm not sure what to make of Tikkas and ejector marks (I wonder if their chambers may come a touch too smooth). So I'm not really any help. If you have a second pressure sign, I would drop until they go away. If it is only an ejector mark, it could be a false pressure sign.

Ejector marks shows case thrust against the bolt, which may or may not be due to pressure above spec (such as moister, residual lubricant, or excessive head space). If only a certain load is causing them, I would be inclined to read it as pressure. Loose primer pockets can only be from high internal pressure and while other things can cause flat primers, I would assume a flat primer is due to excessive pressure unless there is good reason to think otherwise. If you are loading above book max, I would assume even without pressure signs you are over pressure, so even an ejector mark would automatically be a big red flag.

My 223 made some, but 2K plus rounds in I no longer see any. My Tikka 308 did not, then it made them really bad (to include on factory ammo to include on Wolf steel case, PMC 150 gr FMJs, South African mil surp, and Federal JSP hunting loads). I had some very light ejector marks on Berger 175 OTM factory loads, which use Lapua brass. I cleaned the snot out of it, and there was minimal change. With 178 gr factory Hornady precision hunter I'm getting ejector marks and heavy bolt lift from shaving brass. However, the primers are not flat, pockets are not loose, the Hornady primers do have a very slight (slight enough I cannot see it, but I can feel it and they turn ever so slightly when rolled) muffin top, though they are the only ones and it may be the dumb crimp Hornady puts on them.

The only large rifle primers I could get were BR4s, on reloads that will consistently give a heavy bolt lift and ejector mark the B stamped on the primer is still sharp and crisp. At 2.5 grs below book max load I stop getting ejector marks on the PMC brass.

Barrel is cut to 16.5 inches with a Raptor 8 on it, I'm getting 2415 fps on factory Hornady precision hunter. Hornady lists it as 2600, so I've lost the expected 25 fps/inch of barrel cut and velocity is reasonable.

I've disassembled the bolt and there is not a bure on the ejector nor the ejector hole.

I have a headspace gauge on the way. However, I'm not getting any light strikes.

Wolf steel

Factory Precision Hunter

Reload in PMC brass. 1.5 gr below book max.

Reload in GFL brass

Brass shavings on bolt face.

These were all shot in 30 degree weather.

 

[ljalberta]

I loaded a few .243/106tap/ 7828ssc to check for pressure. New Tikka take off barrel cut to 17" with Raptor8, new Lapua lrp brass. My first 2 shots at my lowest charge of 45grains clearly showed ejector marks. How much should a person drop charge weight? I dropped 2 grains shot two over a chrono and had no pressure signs at about 2750fps. Loaded 20 to check group size that i haven'tshot yet. Just wondering if I'll be good once the barrel speeds up.

Where’s your baseline load data coming from? Seems like 45 would be near the upper end of max or over max based on some similar weighted bullets (albeit not the exact bullet).

 

[Jimbee]

Where’s your baseline load data coming from? Seems like 45 would be near the upper end of max or over max based on some similar weighted bullets (albeit not the exact bullet).

I was using Hodgdon's website with a similar weight bullet.

 

[huntnful]

Zero load work here. Just a previous pressure test, and then dropped 1gr. and loaded up 10. Also a PRIME example why not to sit at 100 yards forever trying to get bug hole groups. Any more I just shoot at 100 to get a rough zero, make sure the load isn’t total trash, and that’s it’s under pressure, then take it long to actually see its potential, or lack there of. The parallax setting is much more finnicky/critcal at 100 yards as well, which can lead to you chasing your tail more than necessary. Parallax is much more forgiving out at distance.

These groups were shot 5 minutes apart. Same exact load…. and shooter haha.

100 yards with 109 ELDM’s out of 6 PRC


600 yards with the same exact load.


So basically in 10 shots I would easily kill any animal out to, and beyond 600 yards as far as accuracy goes. As long as “I do my part” behind the rifle haha.

Of course I’m still testing more powders and bullets, for the greater good of being able to
provide info for those interested.

 

[huntnful]

My first 22 creedmoor.

Chambered it around the 80 ELDM’s or bigger monos for coyotes. Looked up some load data and decided to test 41gr. H4350.

First 10 shot group


Adjusted up .1 Mil and set the zero. Then went straight to 600 yards to verify DOPE. 1/4 MOA 5 shot group at 600 yards with absolutely zero “tuning”


I already want to set up one with 88 ELDM’s and kill some deer with it hahaha

 

[TimberHunter]

Zero load work here. Just a previous pressure test, and then dropped 1gr. and loaded up 10. Also a PRIME example why not to sit at 100 yards forever trying to get bug hole groups. Any more I just shoot at 100 to get a rough zero, make sure the load isn’t total trash, and that’s it’s under pressure, then take it long to actually see its potential, or lack there of. The parallax setting is much more finnicky/critcal at 100 yards as well, which can lead to you chasing your tail more than necessary. Parallax is much more forgiving out at distance.

These groups were shot 5 minutes apart. Same exact load…. and shooter haha.

100 yards with 109 ELDM’s out of 6 PRC
View attachment 711457

600 yards with the same exact load.
View attachment 711458

So basically in 10 shots I would easily kill any animal out to, and beyond 600 yards as far as accuracy goes. As long as “I do my part” behind the rifle haha.

Of course I’m still testing more powders and bullets, for the greater good of being able to
provide info for those interested.

Thanks for sharing, that’s a good reminder for me to not focus so much at 100

What kind of ES/SD do you generally hope to achieve?


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[huntnful]

Thanks for sharing, that’s a good reminder for me to not focus so much at 100

What kind of ES/SD do you generally hope to achieve?


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If I get 10 shots under 30 ES I’m happy. Which a lot of combos will achieve with good reloading practices. If I see crazy ES like 50-100, I immediately change powders.

 

[TimberHunter]

If I get 10 shots under 30 ES I’m happy. Which a lot of combos will achieve with good reloading practices. If I see crazy ES like 50-100, I immediately change powders.

Do you typically FL size? Anneal? You may have already told us your process, if so can you please reference what post that was?


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[huntnful]

Do you typically FL size? Anneal? You may have already told us your process, if so can you please reference what post that was?


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I probably do some unnecessary steps honestly. But start with virgin brass

1. Chamfer inside/outside of necks (this is mandatory. Especially inside)

2. Moly inside of neck and then expand .0005 under bullet diameter. Example. .2425 mandrel for 243 bullets.

3. Seat primer.

4. This one might be unnecessary for the virgin brass, but I like consistency. Brush inside of necks with nylon brush, and then moly inside of necks.

5. Add powder, seat bullets.




Fired brass is pretty similar. Except full length size, with a bushing that leaves the neck .001-.002 under mandrel diameter.

I anneal and trim and all that shit, but it’s not totally necessary honestly.

Most important step IMO is probably to brush the necks with a nylon brush before seating bullets. Neck tension consistency is the most important driver of accuracy and lower ES that I’ve found.


A simple once fired process would be

Lube

FL size

Mandrel

Brush Necks

Seat primers