New bullet load development

Tac-O

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Hey all,

Since I have no more hunting tags for myself to fill, I'm going to play around with some heavy bullets in my '06.

I'm going to test out Sierra 200gr game kings for the first time in combination with aa4350 since it's a touch slower than h4350. And I'll be using Winchester LR primers. Depending on how this powder/bullet combo goes, I may try this bullet with the staball 6.5 for fun.

I would like to keep this simple. I don't want to do a speed ladder test with my magneto, because shooting only for speed drives me nuts. The goal is to get a sub moa load at as high velocity as possible... so that goal might decide what the best first step is. My '06 is a Tikka, so I have to limit my COAL to ~3.35 or less. And I want to keep this simple!!

I'm not trying to find a 1/4 minute group right now... I'm just wanting to play around with these bullets and possibly change up my load development process. And burn out my barrel ;)

Because I've not shot this bullet before, should I:

1. Start by picking a medium charge and test varying seating depths changing to them up by 0.010 or so.

2. Start by varying charge weights to see which groups best, using the recommended COAL from Sierra's load data.
 
Yes, I've read about Dan Newberrys ocw method and my usual method is very similar. I just haven't played around with seating depth after finding the right charge. I know that some people when using a new bullet will do a seating depth test first, so I was just wondering about the benefit of going that route.

I decided to seat to Sierra's tested COAL. We'll see how this first round of charge testing goes on Thursday and I'll report my results.
 
I'd do a seating depth test at a low to mid weight load. Then I'd shoot groups with varying charges to find the highest one that groups well. I used to do it the other way around but after experimenting for myself, I've found seating first is faster for me.
This is how I will be doing my next batch. I've done several other ways but have heard good things about this as well
 
I figured that with the short mag box on my Tikka, I don't have a ton of room to play with seating depth on this 200gr bullet so I'd just do the charges first. I have a couple other shorter bullets that I'll probably do a seating test on first, then do charges
 
Here's today's charge tests.

Tikka .30-06
Sierra 200gr game king
Cci200
Starline 0x - 2.038btd
Accurate 4350
2.727bto (Sierra's recommended COAL of 3.320)

I'm not sure how I want to follow this up. I have a couple of definite flinches in there, one on the 56.5 and one on the 56.9.

I am wondering if there is a sweet spot between 56.1 and 56.5 (or just above or below those charges) and if there is another above 57.3. I didn't see any pressure signs with any charge here.

I'm thinking maybe next time I should do 56.3 and then jump up to 57.5 and 57.7.

Thoughts?
 

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Looks somewhat typical of aa 4350 to me. I went back to IMR 4350 after burning up a couple of # of AA stuff years ago. I'd run slower rl powder if I wanted to push heavies out of a 30-06 today. I run IMR 4350 (lit by a 215) with 165 hornady fb in my current 30-06 to about 2800 fps. I have no reason to push the rifle as I have a pair of 300rum rifles pushing 225's to 3,000 fps. Back when I only had a 30-06 I ran 200 sierra with enough I 4350 to hit 2600 fps. She usually held under 3" at 1/4 mile over the hood of my truck; I can't remember the charge as it was 20+ years ago.
 
Looks somewhat typical of aa 4350 to me. I went back to IMR 4350 after burning up a couple of # of AA stuff years ago. I'd run slower rl powder if I wanted to push heavies out of a 30-06 today. I run IMR 4350 (lit by a 215) with 165 hornady fb in my current 30-06 to about 2800 fps. I have no reason to push the rifle as I have a pair of 300rum rifles pushing 225's to 3,000 fps. Back when I only had a 30-06 I ran 200 sierra with enough I 4350 to hit 2600 fps. She usually held under 3" at 1/4 mile over the hood of my truck; I can't remember the charge as it was 20+ years ago.

Why did you end up going back to imr over the accurate? Narrow charge sweet spots with the accurate? And your 200gr load was with imr?

I was considering trying some h4831 or staball, but all the load data I can find seems to put accurate above the slower powders and accurate is easier to find in stock!
 
Hey all,

Since I have no more hunting tags for myself to fill, I'm going to play around with some heavy bullets in my '06.

I'm going to test out Sierra 200gr game kings for the first time in combination with aa4350 since it's a touch slower than h4350. And I'll be using Winchester LR primers. Depending on how this powder/bullet combo goes, I may try this bullet with the staball 6.5 for fun.

I would like to keep this simple. I don't want to do a speed ladder test with my magneto, because shooting only for speed drives me nuts. The goal is to get a sub moa load at as high velocity as possible... so that goal might decide what the best first step is. My '06 is a Tikka, so I have to limit my COAL to ~3.35 or less. And I want to keep this simple!!

I'm not trying to find a 1/4 minute group right now... I'm just wanting to play around with these bullets and possibly change up my load development process. And burn out my barrel ;)

Because I've not shot this bullet before, should I:

1. Start by picking a medium charge and test varying seating depths changing to them up by 0.010 or so.

2. Start by varying charge weights to see which groups best, using the recommended COAL from Sierra's load data.

I would go with your (1) at 0.005" increments. Experience says you are likely to get reasonably tight groups at 0.015 to 0.025 CBTO. However ES could be pretty wide. I would start at 0.040 and work it out to longer jumps. You could find a sub-half moa node that is 0.003" to 0.005"+ wide. Finding a wide seating node works great for many bullet brands that vary a couple or few thou' in length.
 
a bit flaky in accuracy and lower vel. than similar powder at similar pressure. I have burned a bit of ramshot/ accurate over the years and aa 4350 was not one of the better offerings. AA#5, AA#7, true blue, AA#9, AA2015, AA2460, AA2700, ramshot big game, ramshot big boy/ magnum have been good. AA4350, AA3100, and AA magpro not so much. We were even getting hangfire with magpro. I tossed a half pound in the trash.
 
a bit flaky in accuracy and lower vel. than similar powder at similar pressure. I have burned a bit of ramshot/ accurate over the years and aa 4350 was not one of the better offerings. AA#5, AA#7, true blue, AA#9, AA2015, AA2460, AA2700, ramshot big game, ramshot big boy/ magnum have been good. AA4350, AA3100, and AA magpro not so much. We were even getting hangfire with magpro. I tossed a half pound in the trash.

Shoot! I'll have to measure the velocity next time to see where it's at.
 
FWIW, I have found better accuracy with Sierra's at the lower end of the velocity side. Super forgiving bullet to make shoot itty bitty groups, but I could never get ES down enough at the higher charge weights to stick with it.

If velocity is what you are seeking, with the 200gr, as Lefty said, RL22 may be your friend...or perhaps RL23, but never used 23 is a 30-06.
 
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