In 15 years of shooting, I just shot my 2nd group in the .300's at 300 yards.

[Michael Eichele]

I just got back from the range to (hopefully) finish up my testing and development for my new Hart 308 barrel. I just thought I would brag on this gun a little. After adding a jewell trigger, wyatt box magazine and re-bedding the stock, I think I have got this rifle figured out. I have struggled a bit getting consistent loads using traditional 308 powders such as RL15 and VARGET. I switched to H4350 with the bullets seated out farther (taking advantage of the wyatt mag) and things have settled in a bit better with the heavier bullets. My sheep load however has always been easy to tune. This is the 155 Berger VLD over 44.0 of Vit N-130 at 2930 FPS. After shooting the last of my test 190 VLD's of which the best load did 1.0" at 300 I scrubbed out the bore, HOLD THAT THOUGHT......Using H4350 I have never had a powder clean up so easy. I ran one wet patch through, stroked the bore 6 times with a bronze brush, one dry patch and the 2 wet and two dry patches and all I could see was a mirror shine bore. Anyway, after scrubbing her out and fouling once with my sheep load, I shot 3 bullets for sight in purposes. After an adjustment and cool down, I fired 3 more. I held off target 1" for one shot due to some wind. After each shot I checked my spotting scope and couldnt see a bullet hole and assumed that it was in the black. I drove down to look and to my suprise I saw what keeps me going back to the range! A ragged one hole. This is only my 2nd best 300 yard group as well as only my second 300 yard group in the .300's. I have shot a few in the .400's and a handfull in the .500's and a box car of groups in the 1.000"- 1.500" class.

All in all, I am happy with the Hart.

 

[trueblue]

Congrats, Michael.
Why does the group have a torn look ?

 

[Michael Eichele]

Because the little tears in the paper show up against the black. Even the bullet holes in the paper out of the circle have them, they just dont show up in the picture. The tears are ussually a product of a peice of paper NOT resting firmly against a cardborad backer.

 

[trueblue]

Thanks, Michael.
I thought maybe it was something to do with the backing of the target. Just curious. Anyway, fantastic shooting, and congratulation on figuring out your rig.

 

[Michael Eichele]

Youre welcome and thanks.

Below is a picture of a target that I did not flatten and stick tape on the back. You can see how it pushes in the hole. As you can see, targets would be much cleaner if they were pressed up neatly against a backer.

 

[Coyboy]

Michael, Great shooting

What twist are you using with the 190's?
Can you share the charge weight, or PM me it?

I'm working on loads for a new rifle 308 with a rock 11.25t
I just loaded up some 168's with H4350 because the 4064, 748, and Varget were good just not good enough, and I thought a little slower powder might help. I've got aprox 50 bullets thru the gun, and 5 shots groups are ranging form 1/2"-1" @100. I'd be shooting now but theirs a bit of a wind.

 

[Michael Eichele]

I am using an 11x for the 190 VLD's. You have the right twist at 11.25 (IMHO) for the 190 SMK or VLD. I have toyed around with the 11.25x for a while and found it to be a sweet spot for the 190 SMK both in the field and mathematicaly.

I hear ya on the 4064, VARGET just not being good enough. They seem to shoot lights out for factory barrels but seem too fast for tight custom bores. Yet for the 155's the typical 308 powders are doing great, just not for 165+ grain bullets. My sweet spot for the 190 VLD is 47.0 of H4350 with a OACL of 2.940". This is .015" off my lands. Velocity is 2650. I have pushed the 190 VLD as high as 2750 with H4350 but the accuracy or more appropriatly, the consistency is not as good as I had hoped. In both my 11.25 and 11x bbls, around 2650 with a full yet NOT compressed case was the sweet spot. I also seem to get the lowest ES with full but not compressed loads. I am using a wyatt box mag and feeding rounds as long as 2.965" is very reliable. More than that is un-reliable. The demension is 2.990 but 2.965 feeds perfect. I am wanting to try RL17 next, if only I could find some..........

 

[Slopeshunter]

Congrats Michael, that's some great shooting!!

 

[Joel Russo]

Nice shooting Michael. Every once in a while we steer them straight.

 

[Coyboy]

Thanks Michael.