I'm totally new to reloading so I don't know much about it. So how do I develop a good load for my Tikka T3 22inch barrel 30-06! I have a Barnes 168g that I want to work with and figure out what I'm doing. I'm using IMR4350 or Varget. I have been testing the different powder charges but I'm having a hard time with my groups.. What's the best way to go about making a good load?
30-06 Load Development
- Thread starter Jor1034
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Kansaswoodguy
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What's your gun shooting with good quality factory ammo and what sort of groups are you getting with your reloads. Are you trimming your brass?
I was shooting hornady sst 150g factory ammo! With my reloads I'm getting 2.5 groups and sometimes larger.. not good.. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong.. everytime i reload I trim my lapua brass with a Wilson trimmer!
jjmp
Well-Known Member
Save the Barnes for later ,their soft and smeer copper in your new bbl ,brake in your new bbl ,with some Sierra bullets ,read n read till yur eyes bleed , great site here loads of info lol, buy some reloading manuals , learn it step by step .Sierras got a help 1/800 help line , read read read ask questions ,cross reference data read read and learn from great reloaders here !thks great luck and Welcome to a Great Forum happy to have you !! My 30/06 like Varget and H4350 plus a couple others thks !!! Other members have asked manny of your same questions Please fine n read them Thks
HARPERC
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Kansaswoodguy
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Knowing what your gun can do with some quality ammo like Federal gold metal match is a good starting place. I personally like to start with Noslers or Sierras accuracy powder for the bullet weight listed in their respective reloading manuals this typically saves me time and money on components. I also would dump the Barnes bullets at least until you get a little more reloading experience. Pick up some Nosler custom comp, Hornady ELD or Sierra match king bullets to work out some of the kinks in your reloading journey. I'm not an 30-06 guru but glancing at the Nosler manual for 168gr bullets IMR 4350 I believe was their accuracy powder and Varget wasn't even listed so I'd probably save the Varget for something else and try the 4350. I shoot a lot of long range so I normally drop a couple grains below book max loads and work up in .3gr or even .5gr increments back upto the max charge weight looking for that magic load my gun loves. If I was shooting short to mid range all the time, I would start at book minimum and work up to the first accuracy node and call that good do to the better brass and barrel life.
bob4
Well-Known Member
Basically you need to read up on it quite a bit from here and other forums. Books ...buy at least one reloading manual to start. Learn about seating depth here. https://www.longrangehunting.com/th...-from-berger-vld-bullets-in-your-rifle.40204/
This will only scratch the surface but should raise enough questions for you to search out more answers.
turkeyfever
Well-Known Member
How did you set up your sizing die? You might be over sizing your brass. Check decapping stem to see if it is bent. You only want to push shoulders back a couple thousandth. From my experience from setting up dies from manufactures directions you could be pushing shoulders back 5 to 10 thousandth.
1034, there is no single magic load to reach a great group. What one rifle likes, your's may not. Many factors besides the load are involved. Trigger, scope mounts, scope, stock (bedded?) and the person behind the trigger. Like HARPERC replied, a bit more info would help. Stock type, scope, mounts, make of rifle, barrel cleaning, barrel round count, has it ever shot sub-MOA groups, etc. You will receive a ton of good advice from forum members.
You may not be doing anything wrong. Looking for a good load on a new gun can sometimes be tricky. One thing that almost always gets overlooked is how the shooter shoots the gun. Tikka's are sort'a light and lighter sporter guns often have their own character and how they like to be shot. I'd take a bit of time to experiment with how you shoot the gun. Soft hold or hard hold? Light or heavy cheek pressure? Tensioned pocket muscle or relaxed? Low, med or hard pull into the shoulder? Low, med or hard push of body mass into the gun? Are you slapping the trigger or does your trigger finger still have the trigger depressed well after you break the shot? Thumb wrapped around the grip or thumb on top? Is your body mass lined up directly behind the rifle or are you canted a bit to one side? Follow through after the shot breaks or not so much? Chances are, after you've torn down how you shoot the gun, you'll find a noticeable improvement from one thing to another. If so, write it down so you don't have to burn through 20 shots to re-remember what you figured out. After a while, it'll be second nature.
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gohring3006
Well-Known Member
IMR 4350 will work.
If you have some faster burining IMR 4064 you might give it a try. It might work a little better with the 22" barrel.
If you have some faster burining IMR 4064 you might give it a try. It might work a little better with the 22" barrel.
