Painless load development (mine)

Joined
Feb 2, 2020
Messages
2,534
I had to drop 2 thou off the bushing I was using for lapua. Ended up using a .266 if I remember right.
I annealed my Virgin brass and put some graphite on the inside of the neck before sizing it and loading it last night with my cheapo Lee die. I usually don't do that with Virgin brass, and I can't remember if I did that with my Virgin 6.5 CM starline brass, but I don't think I did. There was still up to 0.002 run out on the case neck after sizing, but the loaded bullet runout wasn't anymore than 0.004-0.005, so it was much better for my ocd.

However, I don't think it matters.
About 50 shots through it today just trying to get it stabilized before finding a load for hunting in October. The left/right stringing is shooter error too. Had a pretty poor rest and was shooting quickly as I could.

1000001612.jpg

I did get my forster die in the mail today. Man is it a big difference from from Lee dies. I sized one fired case and it was smooth as butter and had immeasurable runout after sizing. I'm looking forward to using it more.
 
Joined
Nov 7, 2018
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1,348
Just picked up a tikka 22-250. Installed Maven RS1.2 using sportsmatch rings.

First 3 shots were signters at 33,34,35 grains of powder. Then moved to 100 and shot the circled group (including the one way to the right) with 36 of H4350 and 75eldm at about 3200 fps with 22” barrel

I can typically shoot my 6.5 tikka around 1-1.25” for 10 shot groups.

Obviously the 22-250 doesn’t like this load. But I was about to cut 2” off and thread for suppressor. Typically suppressors improve groups but this is a pretty rough group.

Really want a high BC bullet and have a lot of H4350 on hand (trying to not buy other powder if I can help it)

What would you change first?

76d7aadefc4cfe384fb679a1e76d6878.jpg



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Joined
Aug 14, 2024
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43
H4350 is definitely a powder to not catch pressure and rock on like some powders. Especially if ur not 100% case fill and jumping an eld-m

If you are going to run it hell or high water I’d punch the eld-m into the lands 10thou and cure a bunch of reloading ills in one fell swoop.

Then catch pressure and see where she lies.

This is assuming all your assembly is tidied up and nothings bound or dead heading where it shouldn’t and be everything is screwed and glued where needed and scopes slick too
 
OP
Formidilosus

Formidilosus

Super Moderator
Shoot2HuntU
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Oct 22, 2014
Messages
9,500
Just picked up a tikka 22-250. Installed Maven RS1.2 using sportsmatch rings.

First 3 shots were signters at 33,34,35 grains of powder. Then moved to 100 and shot the circled group (including the one way to the right) with 36 of H4350 and 75eldm at about 3200 fps with 22” barrel

I can typically shoot my 6.5 tikka around 1-1.25” for 10 shot groups.

Obviously the 22-250 doesn’t like this load. But I was about to cut 2” off and thread for suppressor. Typically suppressors improve groups but this is a pretty rough group.

Really want a high BC bullet and have a lot of H4350 on hand (trying to not buy other powder if I can help it)

What would you change first?

76d7aadefc4cfe384fb679a1e76d6878.jpg



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Change the bullet.
 

Stocky

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
153
I’d go 80gr ELD-X, if that doesn’t work- 77gr TMK.
Have you seen issues with the 75 ELD and tikkas? I have a bunch and loaded 100 in 223 with H4895. They do a smidge under 2 inch's at 100 for 25 rounds from a bipod and scrunched up jacket. A little better would be nice to really maximize things but I took it out to 1km last weekend and other than having a bit of issues with vertical dispersion likely due to a combination of sifting winds and a high SD's. I will load the rest of them anyway but deciding whether i should buy anymore while they are cheap here. I have 600 odd left
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2014
Messages
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Have you seen issues with the 75 ELD and tikkas? I have a bunch and loaded 100 in 223 with H4895. They do a smidge under 2 inch's at 100 for 25 rounds from a bipod and scrunched up jacket. A little better would be nice to really maximize things but I took it out to 1km last weekend and other than having a bit of issues with vertical dispersion likely due to a combination of sifting winds and a high SD's. I will load the rest of them anyway but deciding whether i should buy anymore while they are cheap here. I have 600 odd left

My factory t3x lite barrel shot a number of bullets well but did not like the 75 ELDm. I tried XBR, varget, H4895 and various seating depths and nothing made me happy. It did better with 77 TMKs and much better with 73 ELDms.

I replaced it with a 7.5 twist ACE barrel with a wylde chamber. I dont have much time with it yet but thus far it seems to shoot the factory 73 ELDm ammo and ADI 55 SBK less precisely than the factory tube did however the one load i tried with 75 ELDm over h4895 shot much better than the factory barrel.
 

ljalberta

WKR
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
1,601
I’ve read of people having issues with the 75 ELDs at mag length. My Tikka .223 shoots them fine loaded to 2.42ish” COAL with Varget and 8T barrel.
 
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OP
Formidilosus

Formidilosus

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Shoot2HuntU
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Oct 22, 2014
Messages
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Have you seen issues with the 75 ELD and tikkas? I have a bunch and loaded 100 in 223 with H4895. They do a smidge under 2 inch's at 100 for 25 rounds from a bipod and scrunched up jacket. A little better would be nice to really maximize things but I took it out to 1km last weekend and other than having a bit of issues with vertical dispersion likely due to a combination of sifting winds and a high SD's. I will load the rest of them anyway but deciding whether i should buy anymore while they are cheap here. I have 600 odd left

There’s nothing wrong with the 75gr ELD-M.
 

Stocky

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
153
My factory t3x lite barrel shot a number of bullets well but did not like the 75 ELDm. I tried XBR, varget, H4895 and various seating depths and nothing made me happy. It did better with 77 TMKs and much better with 73 ELDms.

I replaced it with a 7.5 twist ACE barrel with a wylde chamber. I dont have much time with it yet but thus far it seems to shoot the factory 73 ELDm ammo and ADI 55 SBK less precisely than the factory tube did however the one load i tried with 75 ELDm over h4895 shot much better than the factory barrel.
Did you load them long?
I'm going to try some AR Comp loads might be a bit slower but if it improves the SDs, accuracy and burns a bit cleaner that would be nice.
 
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Nov 7, 2018
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To reinforce (not that it needs it) the change bullet/powder if it’s not shooting well….

I had the barrel cut back 2” and threaded. Shot with a known good scope and supressor. Lot less vertical compared to stock configuration but group size is only slightly better at about 2.5”. New bullet here we come

93ae858af16117b8cdfa133696fe38b5.jpg



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Bluumoon

WKR
Shoot2HuntU
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May 4, 2020
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To reinforce (not that it needs it) the change bullet/powder if it’s not shooting well….

I had the barrel cut back 2” and threaded. Shot with a known good scope and supressor. Lot less vertical compared to stock configuration but group size is only slightly better at about 2.5”. New bullet here we come

93ae858af16117b8cdfa133696fe38b5.jpg



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Have you tried changing powder? Tried that a few weeks ago, and went from 2.5-3" groups to right at 1" 10 shot groups. I was impressed, had no idea that was a thing to that extent.
 
Joined
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Messages
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Have you tried changing powder? Tried that a few weeks ago, and went from 2.5-3" groups to right at 1" 10 shot groups. I was impressed, had no idea that was a thing to that extent.

Stores were closed yesterday evening so couldn’t get a different bullet like suggested above so used some other powder on hand (staball 6.5). Not a true 10 shot group at the same powder charge. 1-36, 1-37 and 8-38 grains (shot the last two at 540 yards)

Also changed jump from .050” to .020”

So went from 2.5” ish groups with 4350 down to 1.25” which includes two loads that has substantially different powder amounts

Crazy fast (concerning fast) at about 3250 in a 20” barrel that hasn’t sped up yet. But no obvious pressure signs. Hodogen does list a 70 grain bullet with 38.6 at 3400+ fps out of a 24”

a09ed674984036e873b82b0beed863fa.jpg



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