3rd shot flyer???

[OKbow87]

Was working on my loads for my 257 weatherby today and was consistently getting my third shot about and inch to the right. The rifle is a weatherby mark 5 ultra lightweight so it has like a #2 contour barrel, very thin. The load that was shooting best for me was 73.5 grains of rl 22 with 100 grain tsx loaded just off the lands. I think that the barrel was just getting too warm on the third shot and that is what was causing this but im not sure. My first two shots on all my groups were 1/2" or better but couldnt seem to make that third one stick. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanx guys.

 

[littledevil2873]

OK, Had the same problem with a Winchester featherweight in 308. I think the barrels on these rifles are just too thin to put 3 shots in a group. My rifle would put 2 shots in .5 at 200 yds, but forget the third. Just my .02

 

[bailey1474]

Maybe it was those **** gail force winds we have been having around here /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif!!

 

[Bart B]

I don't think it's caused by a thin barrel. Too many thin ones have shot great from the beginning.

Some factory barrels aren't stress relieved enough or properly and that lets them curve a tiny bit usually in one direction when they heat up. Others are done right and will shoot just fine for unlimited shots.

Let's hope you don't have the same problem I did years ago. I didn't hold the rifle or use the trigger exactly the same for each shot. The first few shots went into about one hole, then the next few moved off someplace left. Finally, I cured that problem with some help from a friend. Don't know if you're doing this but it happens to us humans and I mention it because it is one cause of what you see.

There are no 'fliers.' Every bullet goes where it was intended to go depending on where the muzzle was pointed when the bullet left and what direction the bullet took after it left the barrel as well as the trajectory it takes based on its muzzle velocity, ballistic coefficient and atmospheric conditions it flies through.

 

[Hired Gun]

How are you getting anywhere near the lands? Anyway there is no way you will fit them in the magazine box like that. Barnes like a big jump. I seat my TSX's at 3.300". My Weatherby's shoot best with max loads. Groups come right down. Our load for the TSX's is 74 grains of IMR-7828 and it's knocking on 3700 fps in a 26" factory rifle. Many times I've anguished over 1 1/2" groups only to find out another half grain of powder cuts the groups down to half inch or better. You are in the neighborhood when you are getting the ever so slight extractor mark on the soft Weatherby branded brass. Factory ammo leave a pretty good extractor mark. I always stay under factory pressures.

 

[OKbow87]

Hired Gun - I started by taking an empty case and just seating a bullet just deep enough that it would stay in. I then put the case in the rifle and closed the bolt and let the lands seat the bullet down. It actually pulled the bullet out of the case the fist couple times, so i seated it a little deaper. Once i had it where it was seated on what would be the lands, i then took a candle and blackened the bullet and put it back in the chamber and close the bolt. the bullet was still being pushed up into the lands a decent amount. So from there i just kept adjusting my die to seat the bullet a little deaper at a time, then i would re-blacken the bullet and repeat the process until i didnt have any more land marks on the blacked bullet. I dont know if this was a good way to do this or not, but this is the first reloading i have ever done so it seemed the best way to get that minor amount off the lands that barnes recomends. I will say that the loads are very long. i can only get them into the action a certain way and they just ever so barely fit down into the mag. I was worried that i might have some feed problems, but this has not been occuring. Barnes says that with the tsx you can go 2 grains over max for a regular x-bullet of the same weight, which is 72 grains with rl 22 and 100 grain bullets. I started out at 71.5 to be safe and loaded up to 73.5 grains at .5 grain intervals. I loaded 6 loads of each grain weight so that i could shoot a 3 shot group and one of the guys i work with could shoot a 3 shot group with each loading. As you said they do like max loads, i figured that out quickly. The more powder the tighter the groups got. When i got to 73.5 grains i shot both 3 shot groups b/c my buddies shoulder was sore from shooting one of his rifles too and didnt want to waste the loads flinching. The first two shots of both those groups were 1/2" or slightly under with the third being about and inch out on both. At 73.5 grains im still not showing any pressure signs, and could probably stand to go up just a bit if i wanted but i think i am just going to leave it. I havent gotten a chance to chrono the load yet, but hopefully will here in the next week or two.

 

[Hired Gun]

You're on the right path. I like the jam method for finding the lands. The blackened deal gives false results as the bullet is flopping around in there and will leave land marks long before it is anywhere near coming up tight. That said, on Weatherby's, I have not had any luck seating long so I just stick to a good round number that functions flawlessly. What is your overall length?

I also find my max load in .5 increments but then once I find it I do up 3 shots for group in loads above and below it in .1 increments to find the very best sweet spot. For example, right now I'm doing up 200 grain Accubonds for my 300 Wby Accumark. I tested from 83 to 85.5 in .5 grain increments. It started out at a 83 grains (3025fps ave)the group was 1.25 and continued to shrink to 85.5 grains (3133fps ave) that went into a .6" inch group. Now I'm retesting it from 85.3 to 86 grains even in .1 increments. Then I will try 2 more powders all over again to see if it can be improved. In my Weatherby's the IMR-7828 usually wins out in accuracy and extreme spreads in the single digits for 10 shots. I have never tried the Ramshot Magnum so I want to try that. I really like ball powders when I can use them. Using this method I got my super skinny 7.5 pound German Deluxe 300 Wby to shoot a .291" inch 3 shot group and my 2 257 Wby Accumarks stay under .5's most of the time if I do my part.

 

[OKbow87]

I actually dont remember what my overall length was, but my die is still sitting in the press and hasnt been touched, so i will make sure i measure and write it down when i load some more this week. Im hoping to test out the one game performance of the tsx later this week on a hog. Of course ill have to put down a turkey b4 i can venture into that. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif