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**Unclenick** · September 21, 2012, 09:42 AM

Not too conservative. Indeed, Dan Newberry's OCW method says 0.7% to not over 1% per step, otherwise you can fail to identify a band of accuracy loads by skipping over the ends of one.

Your choice of primer is possibly not the best for the situation. Load some with 215M's or else try TulAmmo or Wolf large rifle magnum primers for comparison (I find these Russian primers to be extraordinarily consistent, but be sure you seat them firmly to get below flush with the head by about 0.005"; that's a number that applies to the Federals, as well, but which they take less effort to seat to). The older formulation spherical propellants in the WC7xxx and WC8xxx series (BL-C(2) is cannister grade WC846) have deterrent coatings that can be difficult to ignite. CCI reformulated their magnum primers in 1989 specifically to address these propellants. A Western Powder's lab tech recently told me more modern deterrent coatings, such as are on their Ramshot line, don't have this ignition issue, but those old military types do. Recently, a fellow on the CMP forums said he took my advice on this and cut group sizes at 500 yards in half by going to CCI 250 primers from CCI 200 primers.

One year I shot some Accurate 2520 in .308 and found the groups would not match what I could do with stick powders. I had an M1A that would shoot 0.7 moa with IMR 4895 and Brigadier 3032 and Reloader 12 (the latter two powders are no longer available), but was 1.3 moa with 2520. I was using 210M primers and Remington cases at the time. It didn't occur to try magnum primers, but I did try deburring the vents ("flash holes") and found the group sizes then dropped to match what stick powders did in that gun. The deburring didn't have any apparent affect on the stick powders, apparently just because they light up so much more easily anyway.

September 21, 2012, 09:42 AM	#2
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,060	Not too conservative. Indeed, Dan Newberry's OCW method says 0.7% to not over 1% per step, otherwise you can fail to identify a band of accuracy loads by skipping over the ends of one. Your choice of primer is possibly not the best for the situation. Load some with 215M's or else try TulAmmo or Wolf large rifle magnum primers for comparison (I find these Russian primers to be extraordinarily consistent, but be sure you seat them firmly to get below flush with the head by about 0.005"; that's a number that applies to the Federals, as well, but which they take less effort to seat to). The older formulation spherical propellants in the WC7xxx and WC8xxx series (BL-C(2) is cannister grade WC846) have deterrent coatings that can be difficult to ignite. CCI reformulated their magnum primers in 1989 specifically to address these propellants. A Western Powder's lab tech recently told me more modern deterrent coatings, such as are on their Ramshot line, don't have this ignition issue, but those old military types do. Recently, a fellow on the CMP forums said he took my advice on this and cut group sizes at 500 yards in half by going to CCI 250 primers from CCI 200 primers. One year I shot some Accurate 2520 in .308 and found the groups would not match what I could do with stick powders. I had an M1A that would shoot 0.7 moa with IMR 4895 and Brigadier 3032 and Reloader 12 (the latter two powders are no longer available), but was 1.3 moa with 2520. I was using 210M primers and Remington cases at the time. It didn't occur to try magnum primers, but I did try deburring the vents ("flash holes") and found the group sizes then dropped to match what stick powders did in that gun. The deburring didn't have any apparent affect on the stick powders, apparently just because they light up so much more easily anyway. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle