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Old May 27, 2002, 08:17 AM   #1
pinetree
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Lessons Learned - Accuracy

I've been loading several years. I currently use a Pro2000 for pistols and a Rock Chucker for Rifle. This post is in regard to rifle reloading. I load for a Ruger #1 in 45/70. It will shoot anything well. It is great. My long range rifle is a Rem 700 that I had rebarreled to 30-06AI with a heavy after market stainless barrel. I have never been able to get this to shoot well - until this weekend. I hunt and my shooitng is geared towards usuable hunting loads and acceptable field accuracy. No match bullets and light loads.

My new rules:
1. No matter how new or few times you've shot, measure and trim your cases.
2. Do not rely on powder despencer for accurate loads, I measure each one and add a few grains at a time (will be buying a trickler)
3. The manuals can be a good source. I tried a lighter bullet with the "most accurate powder tested", also happened to be the fastest.
4. Seat the bullet out until it is almost touching the lands.

Results from this weekend - a 1" 3 shot group at 200 yards, (<2" 4shot). I had never shot at 200 yards. I was not using all those clamps and vices I see some people using. I was using a Zeiss 3x9 scope.
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Old May 27, 2002, 08:23 AM   #2
clown714
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what were your components?
that's some good groups.
clown
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Old May 27, 2002, 09:07 AM   #3
Abe Normal
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Pinetree,

My new rules:
2. Do not rely on powder despencer for accurate loads, I measure each one and add a few grains at a time (will be buying a trickler)


I would highly recommend you purchase "Midways Electric Powder Trickler"! I've had one for about two years now and think it's one of the best tools on my reloading bench! The 2 AA batteries seem to last almost for ever and does it ever speed up the loading process.

Just my 2 cents worth,
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Old May 27, 2002, 12:28 PM   #4
pinetree
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I was use 150g Nosler Ballistic Tips over 63g of RL-19 (30-06 Ackley Improved). This is straight from the Nosler book. Brass used was Federal Gold Medal/Match and CCI Large Rifle primers. I have tried 165's with RL-22, groups were 4" plus, very inconsistent. Then again. I didn't trim or hand measure each round.

I also was concentrating on my breathing and letting the barrel rest between shoots. I have an FR8 in 308 that I was plinking at 50 and 100 yards. I brought the target home to hang up on my basement wall. I was having some confidence problems with shooting the gun. Since I shot my 45/70 well, I thought it was the gun, hoped it was the loads, and it was, thank goodness.

tjg
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Old May 27, 2002, 02:50 PM   #5
C.R.Sam
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Quote:
3. The manuals can be a good source. I tried a lighter bullet with the "most accurate powder tested", also happened to be the fastest.
You could also have stumbled onto a velocity/pressure combo that minimized a barrel vibration problem.

Lot of variables involved and no two rifles are exactly alike.

Sam
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Old May 28, 2002, 04:18 PM   #6
Bogie
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The best way to deal with your barrel vibes is to prep all your brass (you figured this out already), seat the bullets using a good seater to just kiss the lands, and then start at the beginning load. Load three foulers, shoot 'em, then load three for the record. Add a half grain of powder, shoot three more. When you see the vertical dispersion shrink, that's a sweet spot for your rifle/barrel. You may have more than one sweet spot. KEEP NOTES.

FWIW, I saw VERY FEW powder tricklers at the Supershoot last week (only one I remember was on a newbie's loading bench). I finished 96th out of approximately 360 shooters.
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Old May 28, 2002, 05:04 PM   #7
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I think that you would want Lyman's Autoscale, which is an electronic scale with a trickler that automatically trickles charge until a LED beam is interrupted by the balance beam.

Too bad it only works for extruded/stick powders. When I last emailed Lyman back in Aug 2001, they said that they are working on one that will work with flake and ball powders, but don't expect it for a year or so.
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