A Few Newbie Questions

[Fisky]

First of all, I've been reloading since January so I'm pretty green on the process yet. At this point, I've reloaded 2 boxes of 150 Gamekings and 1 box of 155 Scenars, using Varget. I'm loading for a Sako Finnlight .308, 20.25" barrel with 11" twist rate.

My goal is to find 1 bullet, that is relatively cheap, that will make a good paper puncher, good deer round, and decent on coyotes when the 308 is needed over the 22-250. Do you guys have any suggestions on different bullets to try? I want something that will perform sub MOA groups out to 300, and something that will drop a deer in it's tracks out to 4-500 yds, assuming I do my part. About the only brand of bullets I have not researched yet are Hornadays. Thinking about giving one of their bullets a try.

I will add this also. What I did for load building/testing is used my Hornady OAL guage to find my OAL for each of the bullets, and seated them 20 thousandths off the lands. From there all I did was play around with different powder charges. I was not getting the results I wanted, more than likely due to my shooting skills. Anyways, after being frustrated trying to work up a load on my own, I went to Sierra's manual and copied the load they had in there for 150 GK's and Varget. The results were about .5 MOA at 100 and 1.5" groups at 200, 4 shot groups. Maybe I found a bullet/charge combo that'll work for my needs??? My only concern with this load is it's running 2700fps MV and with the low BC, will drift more than I'd like in a long range (long range for me) hunting bullet. Question then is, what is my next stop in "refining" this load?

How do you guys start from scratch to build up loads?

Thanks in advance for any and all info!

Adam

 

[The Mechanic]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Fisky</div><div class="ubbcode-body">First of all, I've been reloading since January so I'm pretty green on the process yet. At this point, I've reloaded 2 boxes of 150 Gamekings and 1 box of 155 Scenars, using Varget. I'm loading for a Sako Finnlight .308, 20.25" barrel with 11" twist rate.

My goal is to find 1 bullet, that is relatively cheap, that will make a good paper puncher, good deer round, and decent on coyotes when the 308 is needed over the 22-250. Do you guys have any suggestions on different bullets to try? I want something that will perform sub MOA groups out to 300, and something that will drop a deer in it's tracks out to 4-500 yds, assuming I do my part. About the only brand of bullets I have not researched yet are Hornadays. Thinking about giving one of their bullets a try.

I will add this also. What I did for load building/testing is used my Hornady OAL guage to find my OAL for each of the bullets, and seated them 20 thousandths off the lands. From there all I did was play around with different powder charges. I was not getting the results I wanted, more than likely due to my shooting skills. Anyways, after being frustrated trying to work up a load on my own, I went to Sierra's manual and copied the load they had in there for 150 GK's and Varget. The results were about .5 MOA at 100 and 1.5" groups at 200, 4 shot groups. Maybe I found a bullet/charge combo that'll work for my needs??? My only concern with this load is it's running 2700fps MV and with the low BC, will drift more than I'd like in a long range (long range for me) hunting bullet. Question then is, what is my next stop in "refining" this load?

How do you guys start from scratch to build up loads?

Thanks in advance for any and all info!

Adam</div></div>

You are asking too much out of one single bullet.

You should go to the reloading depot
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=323517&gonew=1#UNREAD
You need to copy others loads for similar rifles and performance until you are a little less "green" then modify ONE thing at a time in small increments and never go past max loads ever. Just not worth it.

 

[Topstrap]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

For me accuracy is #1 priority, learning to shoot at distance with your most accurate load is 2nd priority. I'm only getting 2675fps with a 139 Lapua in a 260 in an XP100 pistol and have had to learn to read wind to be competitive. Any bullet will be affected by wind and you have to learn to read it no matter what you are shooting. I shoot out to and past 900 yards with it so it looks like you have an accurate load and just need trigger time to see how it shoots in varying wind conditions.

You place your shot where you want it and it'll do the job whether it's poking holes in paper, hitting steel plates or putting down that coyote or deer.

Topstrap

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

Fisky,

Give the Hornady amax bullets a try. I run them for a hunting round a target round. My load is Hornady match (prepped) brass (prep work is just trimming all to OAL case lenght, debur in/out of case mouth, debur inside flash hole) I don't weight the brass or anything just keep them in the lots you get them in. I buy at least 100 of the same lot to work with. Primer is CCI BR2 with 44.5 grains of RL-15 top off with a 178gr amax. It shoots moa groups of 5 shotts out to 500y when I do my part. This load is being shot from a Rem. Ltr 20 barrel with a 12 twist.

When I done my load development I made a few chooses out the gate. Like you I wanted a hunting/target load and I also wanted it to feed from the mag box. I went with the 178gr amax (178 cause the 168's fell apart at about 850y) after reading and seeing some of the pic's of hunting kills with it seems to do a job on deer sized stuff. I also needed a round to make it out to 1000y to shoot at a macth I go to. Then I started at 42.0 grains of RL-15 and worked up in 1/2 grain 10 round lots up to 45gr. The 44.5 grain load shot alot tighter at 100y then the others so I stuck with it. I have not changed my load in two and half years it shoots as good as I can read the wind from 100-1000y. You may want to play with seating depths after you find a load that groups well. MV is not everything!

 

[Jer]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

I read good things about the 178gr Hornady A-Max for just this purpose. Research lead me to find that people not only liked it for accuracy of shooting paper targets but also that it was a useful hunting round. I have done no more than read and buy some materials so I can't speak first hand to either one but can tell you that I bought the 178gr Hornady A-Max for use on targets up to 1,000yds and a side benefit is that I also read that it could be used effectively for hunting as well. This way if I ever decide to use this to hunt I already have a round developed and no need to develop several rounds. Again, take this with a grain of salt since I'm just getting started and have no personal first hand knowledge to speak from. This is more of a suggestion on what to look into.

 

[Fisky]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

Well, I got talked into giving Scenars another chance. I have a little more direction this time as to where to start loading them up. I realize they probably aren't the best deer bullet out there, and if I'm not confident in them when I find a load, I guess I'll load up some Gamekings for the deer hunting. Really, that's a long ways away so it's the least of my concerns at this moment.

I'm going to start with new Remington brass (as opposed to once fired Federal crap I accumilated over time), and CCI BR2 primers. Plan is to find my chamber length by means of the Sharpie method, vs OAL guage, and start with 46gr Varget and play around with seating depth first, than powder charge.

My Hornady experiment is going to have to wait for another day.

If you guys have any pointers to add for the Scenar, fire away. I have read they like to be pushed fast.

Thanks!

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

I have a load for less than 300 yards, (150 grain, Berger flat base hollow point). A load out to 1K (175 Berger non VLD). And a 165 grain Nosler partition for hunting animals over 40 pounds.

If you try to use only one bullet for EVERYTHING, some areas are going to come up lacking.

 

[Jer]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor N TN</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a load for less than 300 yards, (150 grain, Berger flat base hollow point). A load out to 1K (175 Berger non VLD). And a 165 grain Nosler partition for hunting animals over 40 pounds.

If you try to use only one bullet for EVERYTHING, some areas are going to come up lacking. </div></div>

Why does it have to? Why can't you have a round that does all things well? It would make sense that if you can hold tight groups well to 100yds with a heaver weight bullet that it would also buck the wind and do well out to 1,000yds. If that round happen to be some sort of a design made for game then it could do all of the above, right? I haven't shot the 178gr Amax yet (I have 50 test loads I just made that I will test in the morning most likely) but from what I've read it could theoretically do all three things quite well.

 

[Fuzzball]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

"I want something that will perform sub MOA groups out to 300, and something that will drop a deer in it's tracks out to 4-500 yds, assuming I do my part"

My friend, that is a tall order. When you find it, please let the rest of us know what it is! Good luck.

 

[Victor N TN]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Jer</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Victor N TN</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a load for less than 300 yards, (150 grain, Berger flat base hollow point). A load out to 1K (175 Berger non VLD). And a 165 grain Nosler partition for hunting animals over 40 pounds.

If you try to use only one bullet for EVERYTHING, some areas are going to come up lacking. </div></div>

Why does it have to? Why can't you have a round that does all things well? It would make sense that if you can hold tight groups well to 100yds with a heaver weight bullet that it would also buck the wind and do well out to 1,000yds. If that round happen to be some sort of a design made for game then it could do all of the above, right? I haven't shot the 178gr Amax yet (I have 50 test loads I just made that I will test in the morning most likely) but from what I've read it could theoretically do all three things quite well. </div></div>

For shooting paper at ranges less than 300 yards a flat base bullet is more accurate. At longer ranges a boat tail bullet retains it's velocity the best. For larger game a more dependable bullet is one that stays together better. Normal jacketed bullets tend to fragment pretty bad. For game I prefer Nosler Partitions. I got some Barnes hunting bullets near the end of last season. I haven't had the time and opportunity to do range and penetration tests with them. But that day will happen.

 

[Fisky]

Re: A Few Newbie Questions

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Fuzzball</div><div class="ubbcode-body">"I want something that will perform sub MOA groups out to 300, and something that will drop a deer in it's tracks out to 4-500 yds, assuming I do my part"

My friend, that is a tall order. When you find it, please let the rest of us know what it is! Good luck.

</div></div>

Yeah, I think I'm starting to realize that....Well damn it, somebody needs to create a bullet that can perform the above mentioned tasks.

I should have asked the question differently. If you were going to use 1 bullet for both target and medium sized game hunting, what would be your choice?