Extreme spread has me pulling my hair out.

[RangerBrad]

Hey fellas, I have tried for over a year to control my es in my 25-06 and can't seem to get a handle on it.
I load my rounds while watching Defensive edges, reloading for long range hunting and do it step by step.
I am reloading 115gr berger VLD's in winchester brass using 54gr of H4831sc and using federal large rifle match primers.
Each bullet is weighed and measured for consistincy. All brass is sized using Reddining s bushing dies and seated with the redding micrometer seating die. All brass is fire formed then then head spaced .002 less, then trimmed using the sinclair mirometer trimmer then cleaned using the stainless steal tumbler to clean well inside and out. All powder is twice measured to an exact 54gr. all OAL are measured to exactly 2.707, I am setting .020 off of lands and I still have horrible es. I even sort my brass by how often it is fired. As an example I went out last week and shot 6 rounds and the read as follows. 2996,2911,2936,2943,2930,2969 All were measured with my Competetion Electronics Prochrono. My only consistency in es is inconsistency. Please help. Thank's, Brad

 

[Broz]

Shoot a couple groups at 600 + yards and measure the vertical spread. Many chronographs are known to lie. The proof is in the pudding.

Jeff

 

[HARPERC]

Shoot a couple groups at 600 + yards and measure the vertical spread. Many chronographs are known to lie. The proof is in the pudding.

Jeff

If not lie, at least buried in the fine print. If I looked at the right chrony, it's listed as +/- 1%. Approximately 60 fps spread is within the advertised tolerances of the device at 3000 fps.

You didn't mention if you're annealing case necks?

 

[8andbait]

you could try some magnum primers or a slight increase in powder charge. If I remember correctly my favorite load with that powder and bullet was 54.3 with a fed 215 match primer. I never checked the speed but elevation was under 1/3 moa out to 700 yards.

 

[varmintH8R]

Shoot a couple groups at 600 + yards and measure the vertical spread. Many chronographs are known to lie. The proof is in the pudding.

Jeff

+1 on that. See if it shoots. If not, start changing components one at a time to see what changes. Based on the attention to detail you are describing, I'm guessing it is not a "you" problem.

Are those 6 shots in succession, starting with a clean, cold bore?

 

[RangerBrad]

I'll have to look at my target from last weekend ( left it at work)for verticle but as I rember I got about a perfect triangle at 566 yds giving .6 moa

 

[RangerBrad]

I computed my velocity at 2938 on the br2 range finder and shooter app and was real close on the shots from 400yds and 566yds. If a chrony ain't no better than that what good are they? Brad

 

[Broz]

If a chrony ain't no better than that what good are they? Brad

Well the less expensive ones I owned, 4 in total, before I bought an Oehler 35 and now also a Magneto speed were not worth much.

Jeff

 

[MMERSS]

A chronograph is an indicator of performance, you could say a tool. You still have to put rubber to road. Some just indicate performance better than others. The Oehler and magneto top my list of "tool indicators."

 

[HARPERC]

Every step of the way is built, or measured with devices that operate within "tolerances". When they compliment each other life is easy, when they accumulate not so much.

 

[RangerBrad]

I felt I had researched it and the competition electronics procrono was supposed to be a good one. Brad

 

[mrultramag]

I would try another top performing powder and see what it reads. Blaming the chrono seems like the easy way out. with a 115, I would try H4350, RL17,19,22,25, IMR 7828, Retumbo. You're prob all set on having to use one of hodgdons extreme powders? If so you might just try some primer changes with that 4831. Are you taking your readings from at least 15' in front of the muzzle? If not, try that also.

 

[mrultramag]

you could weight sort your brass also.

 

[Mikecr]

22" barrel?