F T/R Competition F-TR Load Heavier projectile

[l115a3]

I currently use 185 LRBT and 185 Hybrid with my competition in F-TR.



My barrel twist was 1:10" finish at 24"

I wanna give a try with heavier projectile like 215 Hybrid.

So, any suggestion for my idea?

What is the minimum freebore for 215 Hybrid?

 

[Down South]

You could use the same reamer that was used for your 185s and just get your gunsmith to use a throating reamer to get the freebore you want. Make a dummy round with a 215 seated where you want it in the neck and your smith can get it where it needs to be. When I built my new rifle i did the same thing, I have two barrels for it. One is throated for the 185/200s and the other barrel is throated for the 230s. Same reamer was used on both, then throating reamer was used for desired freebore as per my dummy rounds.

As for powder for the 215s, you could try a variety, N-150, Varget, IMR 4007, H4350 etc. but if you try H4350 you will need a long drop tube as it will take over 46 gr to get you where you wanna be. I don't know what kinda speed you're gonna get either with a barrel that short with a slow powder like H4350. You might be better off trying Varget or N-150. The burn rate charts all show N-150 close to H4350 but from my testing it is faster than 4350 and a little slower than Varget.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

If H-4350 works but is too bulky, try Ramshot Hunter. The speed is pretty comparable, but the ball kernel shape meters better and settles more densely in the case.

Greg

 

[l115a3]

My current chamber was .343" nk , .098 fb with 1-30

 

[XTR]

There have been a number of threads lately questioning what bullet to use. My answer would be this.

If you are dropping a few points here and there in your matches that are close, and by close I mean just missed 9's (or even 8s if you shoot in a location with really tricky winds). Not solid 9s but the ones that if you had another bullet diameter you'd have caught the line then maybe the heavy bullets will help you; that is all the difference they make. In any case they are going to make at most one or two points a match difference in your score assuming you can get them up fast enough to shoot inside of the 185 Bergers, and that you can handle the increased recoil w/o your accuracy suffering, because that is all they are going to get for you. If you are looking for a competitive edge in the matches you shoot, and you think that 2 points will make a big difference then by all means give them a try, but in the case of the OP a 30 inch barrel would be a much better option than trying to shoot the 215 Berger.

If you have a 24" barrel for the sake of being able to multi purpose your rifle then chambering it for the 215 is going to make shooting anything else other than the 230 Hybrid less than ideal, kind of defeats the purpose.

In general most folks would be better served shooting Hornady 178s or Sierra 175s for about 40% less cost than Bergers until they feel that the extra BC might make a difference for them. I shot the 175SMK all of 2011, and used the 178 for all my matches last yr that weren't giving away hardware for winning.

Another thing to consider is that the 215 is pretty near impossible to find.

I know that in F-TR your NRA classifications are very much dependent on the wind where you shoot, but in general unless you are flirting with a Master classification at 1000 yards, or you think that one or two points per match will make a big difference in you results in the matches that you want to win then I'd stick with the 185s. If you really want to pick up some points get a 30" barrel, the 150 to 200 FPS you'll gain over your 24" will make more points than the 215s ever will.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

In the hands of an experienced shooter who knows their rifle and bullet, and has respectable wind skills; the bullet weight becomes less and less a factor in the scoring process as skill improves. Gear does not make the shooter. Success starts with a basic equipment bottom line, then adds skill; both are required. You can win with 175's if you have the right wind skills. I'm not saying it's easy, but if you can do it once, you can probably do it a lot more times.

The point about being more easily available is a key one. If you can get all you need, then you can also shoot all you need in order to get really good at it. If you want to win a lot, you need to shoot a lot.

Greg

 

[40xs]

XTR, right on point again, as always! Are you going to Butner in Oct. for the N.C. State long range championship?