Help me combat fliers...

[m249]

I was wondering if anyone out there has any good ways to help to eliminate fliers. I can get really good groups and distance but every once in awhile I get a flyer and ruins the group.

I'm just looking for any tip that you have from the reloading process to tips when shooting to help get rid of them for good anything will be helpful.

 

[AJ Peacock]

Are your fliers vertical, horizontal or both? Wind? What distance are you shooting your groups at? Are you using bi-pods or bags? Are you shooting your groups over a chrony? How is your velocity spread?

Give us a bunch of info and it will be easier to throw out ideas.

AJ

 

[deerkiller]

Mark the piece of brass a flier came from.
If it throws a flier next time, get rid of it.

dk

 

[m249]

I'll have to start doing that with my brass, didn't even think of that. My fliers are mostly vertical. I've been testing a load at 200 and 300 yards was going to try out to 500 next weekend and see what happens. I haven't been able to shoot over a chrony because of a miss-hap that left one of my sensors with a nice .223 hole through it.

My load is 79.5 grains of H1000 with a berger 190 vld(.300 WIN MAG), shooting is done off a concrete bench. I have shot off a bipod and off sand bags, both with a rear bag, with same results.

If I do my job and have no fliers, I can shoot on average .25 to .5 moa groups. With fliers the groups are 1 moa and over.

 

[AJ Peacock]

Vertical can easily be velocity differences. I've had problems with bags, because I don't have great form on them. I end up creeping forward or backward , so the location the stock rests upon moves from shot to shot; on my rifles, this causes vertical.

My best luck has been to use bipods with a couple thickness's of carpet between them and the bench.

AJ

 

[m249]

AJ, I'll give it a try, but I have to ask what exacly does the carpet do between the bi-pod and the bench?
Should I try shooting some groups from the prone position and see if I still get fliers?

 

[AJ Peacock]

It absorbs some of the shock of the recoil that 'bounces' the rifle. Shooting off of carpet with bi-pods makes my rifles behave almost exactly like shooting off dirt when prone.

Here is a great article on shooting with bipods.

http://www.6mmbr.com/TacticalFroggyA1.html



AJ

 

[m249]

That was a good read, I'm going to have to find those carpet squares in the basement when I get home.

 

[Michael Eichele]

A few things that have helped me.

1: A lighter trigger.

2: Using the powder my rifle likes the best.

3: Using the bullet my rifle likes the best.

4: Using a OCW load.

5: Keeping my barrel clean.

6: A VERY consistent grip with minimal hand tension.

You can NOT replace a good harmonic node. Only the perfect powder/bullet/charge weight will give you the best node. Once you find that sweet spot, you almost have to work real hard to get a flyer that isnt either called or due to an extra gust of wind.

 

[pressman]

what about seating the bullets to close to the lands??? it seems i read an article that was talking about fliers. it stated something about if you are right at the lands your 3 or 4th shot may not have the same pressure as your first one or second one because of heat expansion. and this little difference can cause a flier. so they recommended that go farther away or deeper into so it will take more heat to make the difference in pressure. not real sure about all of the pressure deal but i do know i was getting fliers out of my 223 and i moved them back another .010 and my fliers went away. may have been just a fluke but it did work for me.

 

[SkyScrapin]

You could always anneal your brass along with a little neck turning. I think it's called a pumpkin neck turning tool. That is one that I hear is most popular.

Preston