Rerun 300-yd ladders or go with what I've got?

[Alan Griffith]

Re: Rerun 300-yd ladders or go with what I\'ve got?

In looking this thing over and over /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif, comparing velocities from the original Nosler BT ladder with the 2nd ladder, numbers 3-8, if you don't count #6, run 2-1/4". I think I probably threw #6 out of the group. Their is a 1.5 grain spread equating to a 75 fps spread.

So, unless someone replys before I go to bed tonight, I'm going to load up some #7's at 68.6 grains. It's at the upper end of a 6-shot node and within the 2-1/4" group I mentioned.

When I assembled these loads, I weighed each charge because that's the advice I received and read. I prefer to "throw" charges via my Harrell's Premium meter. I've noted that my Harrell's will throw Reloader 25 +/- .3 grains; usually +/- .2 grains.

The plan is to weigh six 68.6's and shoot two 3-shot groups. In addition, I will weigh two @ 68.3, two @ 68.6 and two @ 68.9. I will then shoot two 3-shot groups with one round of each weight in the groups. That's 12 rounds to determine if #6 is G2G with either a weighed or thrown load.

In addition, I want to run the same 12-round test with #10. Mostly for the process of elimination.

With tomorrow being a Federal holiday, and I'm a federal contractor, I'll go shoot them in the am. Weather looks to be 2-3 mph /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif from my 11-2 at 2 degrees F /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif(8am) increasing to 11 degrees F /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif(11am), and sunny! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Matt27]

Re: Rerun 300-yd ladders or go with what I\'ve got?

If i were u i would load three at 68.3,three at68.6 and three at 68.9.

I then would shoot 1 at 68.3 then 1 at 68.6 then 1 at 68.9 all at the same aiming point. Continue with the sequence till all are shot. If they stay MOA your 68.6 would be your load and then you can fine tune with seating depth.

Matt

 

[Alan Griffith]

Re: Rerun 300-yd ladders or go with what I\'ve got?

Well,

I got back out yesterday morning and was shooting by 8am (offician sunrise=7:49). It was about 0 degrees (no kidding!) and the wind was, again, 0-1 mph but this time it started from about 9:30 and swung around through my 12 O'clock and ended about my 2:30 by the time I quit at 11am; sunny too, which helped warm up a bit to the low teens. Honestly, I don't mind the cold temps. I can tolerate that. It's the cold wind I don't like.

Aiming squares have 1" Interior dimension. I aimed at the lower right corner of each.

First up was what I thought would be a promising load, three 3-shot groups with the Nosler 180 BT and 68.6 gr (1/2 way between #'s 16 -17 from the 1st ladder and #7 of the 2nd ladder) of Reloader 25. No good! See the pics.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/Nos180BTRel252007011568.jpg
Would it kill an elk at 300? Sure! But I think this new Lilja barrel can do better, the ladder makes me believe so. What was off was the velocity, or should I say faster than the ladder shots; 59 fps faster. Not sure I can 'splain that.

Next, the 69.5 grainers comprising two groups; a little better. Again, faster velocity than was noted in the ladder.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/Nos180BTRel252007011569.jpg

Next up was the Speer 180 Hot Core Spitzer. Load #3, 63.2 gr with 3-shots into 4-3/8", but at 30-06 velocities of 2707 average. Then load #11, 66.4 gr at 2860 fps into 5-1/8"; two practically touching. This one needs more exploration.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/Speer180SptRel252007011563.jpg
Then finally, I completed the Speer ladder. These would be shots #13 through #18, the shots where the camera quit on me and I could not tell the impact sequence. Here is that ladder.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/Speer180SptRel2520070115.jpg

Chg wt velocity
#1 67.2 2953
#2 67.5 2934
#3 67.8 2913
#4 68.1 2934
#5 68.4 2977
#6 68.7 2960
#7 69 2995
#8 69.3 3004
#9 69.6 3045
#10 69.9 3021

Numbers 1,2,3 and then 7,8,9,10 look interesting to me.

I would prefer the Nosler BT to work so I can use it for lots of inexpensive practice followed by the Nosler Accubond for hunting, both .507 BC. Then followed by the 180 Speer Spitzer (.483 BC) for practice and the Nosler 180 Partition (.474 BC) for hunting since thier BC's are similar.

My velocity goal, if achieveable is 2900+ fps but accuracy will win out in my book.

 

[Alan Griffith]

Re: Rerun 300-yd ladders or go with what I\'ve got?

I love it when something works.

If I include sighting/foulers, it took me 79 rounds to get to this and 14 of those were a re-shoot for my second ladder since my video camera quit working in the cold weather.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/180BTRel2568.jpg


Then, it took me 58 rounds to get to this.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/Speer180SptRel2569.jpg

Guess I should play with seating depth?

 

[LRHWAL]

Re: Rerun 300-yd ladders or go with what I\'ve got?

That's at 300 yards right?

I can see why you would want to tinker with that. You never know when you get invited on a gnat or bee hunt or something!

LOL

Great shooting and great result!

 

[Alan Griffith]

Re: Rerun 300-yd ladders or go with what I\'ve got?

LRHWAL,

No, what you saw was at 100 yds. Though today it was 300 yds. I went back out with a bunch of 68.6 gr loads put up with the seating depth long and seated in .005" deeper increments at the range. Their a little bit out of sequence since I had taken deliver of my new Tactical Precision Sys low rings and had farted around with an unproven load trying to get it to print where it was supposed to at 300. I didn't think seating depth test was improving on my original .005" "into" (3.765") the lands until I hit 3.745" with the Stoney Point or .015" off the lands (3.760" is "on" the lands). Great morning to do this until about 11 am when the wind picked up from my 3 o'clock and moved the POI on that last 2.432" group. Those two groups run .55 and .78 MOA.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/SeatingDepthTestNos180BTRel25.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/GSSP/3.jpg

I love it when it all comes together. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif Dan Lilja sure makes a great barrel. With my old 30-06 barrel, I would have been happy with those 300 yd groups at 100 yds.