DutyRanger
Member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2014
- Messages
- 5
Hey guys, been reading this site off and on for 8 months or so now. Finally had some questions so I registered to hopefully get some help/opinions. I've been reloading 308 for my M1A for a couple years. Started loading my own elk hunting rounds for my 270win a little less than a year ago. I started looking at options for my hunting rounds and settled on the 150gr partitions. My hunting load is 150 partitions, 58.5gr RL22 (I think, don't have my notes with me right now), CCI primers, assorted brass. I'm pushing the partitions just shy of 3000ft/s. They vary from about 2960 to 3000. This load was cooked up at about 6800ft elevation and 90-95 degrees. Since working up this load, I have moved. Early fall I discovered the matrix bullets. I ordered a couple hundred 165gr VLD's to work up a new hunting load. Winter set in and I haven't really been able to do anything. Now things have freed up a little and I'd like to start working on the 165 matrix load. My concern was the difference in basically everything from where I worked up the 150's. So today I got a chance to shoot the 150's to compare to when I first worked them up. I shot them at about 7800ft elevation and 20-25 degrees with light snow. They were running 2870-2920ft/sec over a 12 round string. It was about a 75ft/sec loss on average. I really want to start working on this 165gr load. I was hoping to get about 2850-2900ft/sec out of the 165's. Any body see any issues working up an accuracy load right now, shooting for about 2750-2800ft/sec? I'm thinking that ought to work out to around 2875ft/sec once the warmer weather hits. I wouldn't load up all my bullets right now. Just find a pretty decent accuracy load around that velocity and keep a few loaded to test out in warmer weather, when it finally gets here, to verify I'm around that 2850-2900ft/sec. Thoughts? Gun is a fairly stock Rem 700, 270win, sporter barrel. Rebarrel will happen eventually but I don't have enough rounds through this one to justify that yet. B&C light tactical stock. Wyatt Det Mag. 3.5-10x Burris Fullfied II. Not sure if any of that matters, but there it is.
Second question: I've been reading stuff saying that RL22 varies considerably from lot to lot. During all the mess that's been going on for the last year, I've bought a pound here and a pound there where I could find it. I couldn't find 5lb jugs so just got what I could. I've got probably 5 or 6 lbs from different lots. What're you all's thoughts on mixing that 5 or 6 lbs together to balance everything out? Then as I add to my stock, mixing in the new stuff. Obviously when I mix in new stuff, I'd back off a couple grains to verify my load. It just seems like it'd be easier to maintain some consistency this way so I didn't need to start all over when I got new lots of powder. Thoughts?
And final question. This is just kind odd and I can't explain it. Maybe you guys can help. So after chronographing my 270 this afternoon, we got curious about our duty rounds. We shot a couple of our duty sidearm rounds through the chrono cold and a few that we warmed up under our jackets. The warmed up rounds clocked about 40ft/sec slower than the cold rounds. Same lot, 40cal, not sure what brand or grain. I carry a different caliber than the guy that was curious about them. We've got a few different rounds to choose from so not sure what he had loaded as far as brand. I just thought it was weird that the cold rounds clocked faster than the warm rounds and I can't explain it. Any ideas?
Second question: I've been reading stuff saying that RL22 varies considerably from lot to lot. During all the mess that's been going on for the last year, I've bought a pound here and a pound there where I could find it. I couldn't find 5lb jugs so just got what I could. I've got probably 5 or 6 lbs from different lots. What're you all's thoughts on mixing that 5 or 6 lbs together to balance everything out? Then as I add to my stock, mixing in the new stuff. Obviously when I mix in new stuff, I'd back off a couple grains to verify my load. It just seems like it'd be easier to maintain some consistency this way so I didn't need to start all over when I got new lots of powder. Thoughts?
And final question. This is just kind odd and I can't explain it. Maybe you guys can help. So after chronographing my 270 this afternoon, we got curious about our duty rounds. We shot a couple of our duty sidearm rounds through the chrono cold and a few that we warmed up under our jackets. The warmed up rounds clocked about 40ft/sec slower than the cold rounds. Same lot, 40cal, not sure what brand or grain. I carry a different caliber than the guy that was curious about them. We've got a few different rounds to choose from so not sure what he had loaded as far as brand. I just thought it was weird that the cold rounds clocked faster than the warm rounds and I can't explain it. Any ideas?
