Bghunter338
Well-Known Member
Maybe next year, I really want one of his carbon lite weights 
Badlands BD-2 load data
- Thread starter sbruni
- Start date
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Phil Rizzo
Well-Known Member
Did you happen to try RL19 or N560?
Im about to play with some lighter-
medium bullets in my 7ss is why I ask.
WiscGunner
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2016
- Messages
- 318
No I didn't. Going to pick up some Staball 6.5 or H100V to try soon
Recently re-barreled my Howa 1500 specifically to accommodate the Badlands SBD2 0.257" 110gr.
I ended up getting a Howage prefit barrel from Preferred Barrel Blanks in stainless with 1-7" twist at 26" length chambered in 25-06AI
Sorry for the very long post. I assume there are other spreadsheet nerds out there like me that might have some of their questions answered by seeing my entire reloading process for this bullet.
Pressure Ladder
After fireforming Lapua 30-06 brass in this 25-06AI chamber I started load development with the Badlands SBD2 110gr using N565 powder.
All brass is annealed between each firing.
Below are the results of my pressure ladder test. Hoping to find a forgiving flat spot I chose to focus further testing around 60.8-61.6gr of N565. My starting COAL was 0.020" off of jam.
All testing in this post is done at 100 yards
OCW from 60.8-61.6 in 0.2gr incremements
OCW testing was shot in a round robbin fashion.
60.8-61.0 were selected as having the smallest vertical dispersion and tightest POI grouping
OCW from 60.6-61.0 in 0.1gr increments
OCW testing was shot in a round robbin fashion.
"Cool Bore" 3-shot groups 60.8-61.0 in 0.1gr increments
3-shot groups shot with 1 minute between shots in each group. Barrel cooler ran for 3 minutes between each group to allow barrel to cool down to nearly cold bore conditions. This is a hunting rifle for me so I am attempting to develop loads that shoot accurately in a cool barrel.
ES/SD data looks pretty hideous, but I was pleased to see very minimal vertical POI dispersion around the 61.0 charge. The horizontal POI dispersion was pretty wide so seating depth testing was performed next at 61.0gr
Bullet Seating Test from 0.010"-0.080" off
I was pleased with the seating depth around 0.010"-0.030 area and chose to do further testing in that area with 0.005" increments.
Notice that I switched from using a 0.255" to a 0.2545" mandrel from this point on. I had gotten my 0.2545" mandrel stuck in a case at one point so that is why I wasn't using it earlier.
"Cool Bore" 3-shot groups Jump Test from 0.025" to 0.035" off jam
Again, ES/SD is pretty hideuos, but this is 3 shots starting with a cool barrel.
I was pleased with the horizontal spread at 0.035" jump so that is the depth that will be used going forward.
This seating depth results in COAL of 3.353" and CBTO of 2.695"
It is worth noting that the lighting was really low during this test and I believe that caused the velocity shift seen in the chrono data. It's nice to have the chrono, but I don't totally trust it all the time so I use it more as a point of reference than a guide. I try to let my targets tell me what needs addressed.
Magnum Primer Test
For this test I replaced the CCI 200 used in all previous testing with the CCI 250
The overall group sizes shrank sat all charges with the load at 61.0 gr producing a sub 1/2MOA group
If you look at the first two shots in each of these groups, the ES is no greater than 5fps. The third shot in each group caused a greater ES in every case, assumingly due to the change in barrel heat over the group.
I have loaded up the rest of this brass at 61.0 with the CCI 250 and will test those loads at 400 yards and possibly 1000yards in the coming weeks as weather and time permits.
My goal was to have sub 3/4MOA loads which looks to be very doable with this combo and I can't wait to try this bullet on some critters this fall.
It took me 78 shots to reach the load I am at today.
I ended up getting a Howage prefit barrel from Preferred Barrel Blanks in stainless with 1-7" twist at 26" length chambered in 25-06AI
Sorry for the very long post. I assume there are other spreadsheet nerds out there like me that might have some of their questions answered by seeing my entire reloading process for this bullet.
Pressure Ladder
After fireforming Lapua 30-06 brass in this 25-06AI chamber I started load development with the Badlands SBD2 110gr using N565 powder.
All brass is annealed between each firing.
Below are the results of my pressure ladder test. Hoping to find a forgiving flat spot I chose to focus further testing around 60.8-61.6gr of N565. My starting COAL was 0.020" off of jam.
All testing in this post is done at 100 yards
OCW from 60.8-61.6 in 0.2gr incremements
OCW testing was shot in a round robbin fashion.
60.8-61.0 were selected as having the smallest vertical dispersion and tightest POI grouping
OCW from 60.6-61.0 in 0.1gr increments
OCW testing was shot in a round robbin fashion.
"Cool Bore" 3-shot groups 60.8-61.0 in 0.1gr increments
3-shot groups shot with 1 minute between shots in each group. Barrel cooler ran for 3 minutes between each group to allow barrel to cool down to nearly cold bore conditions. This is a hunting rifle for me so I am attempting to develop loads that shoot accurately in a cool barrel.
ES/SD data looks pretty hideous, but I was pleased to see very minimal vertical POI dispersion around the 61.0 charge. The horizontal POI dispersion was pretty wide so seating depth testing was performed next at 61.0gr
Bullet Seating Test from 0.010"-0.080" off
I was pleased with the seating depth around 0.010"-0.030 area and chose to do further testing in that area with 0.005" increments.
Notice that I switched from using a 0.255" to a 0.2545" mandrel from this point on. I had gotten my 0.2545" mandrel stuck in a case at one point so that is why I wasn't using it earlier.
"Cool Bore" 3-shot groups Jump Test from 0.025" to 0.035" off jam
Again, ES/SD is pretty hideuos, but this is 3 shots starting with a cool barrel.
I was pleased with the horizontal spread at 0.035" jump so that is the depth that will be used going forward.
This seating depth results in COAL of 3.353" and CBTO of 2.695"
It is worth noting that the lighting was really low during this test and I believe that caused the velocity shift seen in the chrono data. It's nice to have the chrono, but I don't totally trust it all the time so I use it more as a point of reference than a guide. I try to let my targets tell me what needs addressed.
Magnum Primer Test
For this test I replaced the CCI 200 used in all previous testing with the CCI 250
The overall group sizes shrank sat all charges with the load at 61.0 gr producing a sub 1/2MOA group
If you look at the first two shots in each of these groups, the ES is no greater than 5fps. The third shot in each group caused a greater ES in every case, assumingly due to the change in barrel heat over the group.
I have loaded up the rest of this brass at 61.0 with the CCI 250 and will test those loads at 400 yards and possibly 1000yards in the coming weeks as weather and time permits.
My goal was to have sub 3/4MOA loads which looks to be very doable with this combo and I can't wait to try this bullet on some critters this fall.
It took me 78 shots to reach the load I am at today.
Last edited:
Cbuck - impressive work in your load development. It puts my load development to shame.
Phil Rizzo
Well-Known Member
I found better results with a 215m than I got with BR-2 in my Sherman. Long powder column i guess
Phil Rizzo
Well-Known Member
I forgot, tried 210m also but the 215m was better than it as well
nralifer
Well-Known Member
Very nice job. Glad to see in your 2 shot jump test ( see photo) that the jump off the jam that worked best was 0.020-0.030"which corresponds well with what we find in many other BD bullets, thus our recommendation to start at 0.025" jump when doing a powder charge ladder
Attachments
ClydeG
Active Member
any more info? Going to start load development asap but RL26 hard to find around here.
sbruni
Well-Known Member
distracted by other toys and afraid I didn't finish up load dev on that rifle
ClydeG
Active Member
.308 1:10 20"proof research barrel, Remington action trued, Pacific tool and die bolt, Magpul Hunter stock and Vortex viper PST
150 Grain BD2 .02 off jam, 1X fired Lapua brass neck turned to .013, .020 neck tension, CSI LR primer Hodgdon Leverevolution.
Ladder
48.3-3066
48.6-Brain fart
48.9-3095
49.2-3097
49.5-3143
49.8-3132
50.1-3135
50.4-3138
50.7-3145 Heavy Bolt
51.0-3158 Real heavy bolt
Going to do a 5 round test at 49.1 and 50.1 then try a little seating ladder but i understand that .02 is usually a sweet spot.
150 Grain BD2 .02 off jam, 1X fired Lapua brass neck turned to .013, .020 neck tension, CSI LR primer Hodgdon Leverevolution.
Ladder
48.3-3066
48.6-Brain fart
48.9-3095
49.2-3097
49.5-3143
49.8-3132
50.1-3135
50.4-3138
50.7-3145 Heavy Bolt
51.0-3158 Real heavy bolt
Going to do a 5 round test at 49.1 and 50.1 then try a little seating ladder but i understand that .02 is usually a sweet spot.
nralifer
Well-Known Member
Your speeds are really good especially for a 20" barrel. During your powder charge ladder, did you notice whether any 2-3 consecutive shots grouped at about 1/2 MOA? That would indicate a good powder charge node at the jump you used.
ClydeG
Active Member
They were all pretty tight that "walked" vertically, I had Magneto Speed mounted on barrel, I had forgotten my attachment to mount to rail, this may have affected harmonics some. I do feel like the first 5 were tighter, I will update. But yes I'm pretty excited about speed.
nralifer
Well-Known Member
I'm impressed by the speed you got as well.
