Craddock 224V owners: need your help...

[Subwrx300]

Hey guys, looking for a couple of guys with Craddock's 224V barrels to help me with some data: what OAL and Ogive measurement do you get for any of the following bullets. Anything bold is more important as its a common bullet for 224V loaders:

• 69 SMK Sierra
• 69 TMK Sierra
• 73 ELDM Hornady
• 75 BTHP Hornady
• 75 ELDM Hornady
• 77 SMK Sierra
• 77 TMK Sierra
• 80 SMK Sierra
• 80 VLD Target Berger
• 88 ELDM Hornady
• 90 SMK Sierra

I am curious about your chamber depth compared to a few others I've tested. IF you can post multiple bullet measurements, please do! Thanks in advance for posting!

 

[C_R_Slacker]

I took base to ogive measurements for 75 eldm and 88 eldm the other day. Can't remember off the top of my head, but I'll get back to you.

 

[C_R_Slacker]

Also, I've been following your load development stuff for valkyrie in the reloading depot. If you have used either of those two bullets, what kind of jump are you finding that works? I've got starline brass, cfe 223, and a plan...i just need time to do some loading.

 

[Subwrx300]

Also, I've been following your load development stuff for valkyrie in the reloading depot. If you have used either of those two bullets, what kind of jump are you finding that works? I've got starline brass, cfe 223, and a plan...i just need time to do some loading.

Well I found that 88s liked to be around .020-.030 and .060-.080 (2.300-2.310 and 2.250-2.270 respectively).

The problem is they seem to be pretty picky until you find the sweet spot (in my rifle it was about .008 wide) and then chasing it. My most recent barrel started at 2.300 until I couldn't keep it at .025 off then I moved back to 2.270 which worked until 2800 rounds.

I'll be retesting known loads in my new barrel (identical to my last Rainier 26" except non fluted this go round) and posting results. Barrel is much stiffer than last one so that should widen my nodes significantly.

My nodes with CFE, 88s at 2.300 were at 25.2-25.4, 25.8-26 and super high node at 26.5 (pretty f'ing hot at 2850fps). Basically, 2690-2720, 2760-2780 and 2840-2850fps.

I'm sure we will find that "chocolate ice cream load" for the valkrie but I don't think we have quite gotten there. I think it will be 25.5ish CFE223 with 88s and 90s but I just stumbled into an H4350 load that shot lights out before the barrel went South. As soon as I get time to put it through paces, I'm going to focus on finding the best load with H4350 to take advantage of the lower temp sensitivity (which is my only gripe with CFE223).

 

[C_R_Slacker]

Paul Craddock sent me this in an email. I can't exactly copy them because I don't have those powders, but it might help get you close.

90smk at 2.26" COL with 24.6gr of Varget
88eld at 2.28" COL with 26.5gr RE17 - (both loads Starline brass Rem 6.5 primers)

 

[C_R_Slacker]

For 88 gr eldm i got 1.779 base to ogive/2.326 coal

For 75 gr eldm i got 1.777 base to ogive/2.307 coal

So for .020" jump, i would need 2.306" where you had 2.310.

I'm running pri mags. Best i could measure was 2.320" but i don't know how long i can actually load without dragging.

 

[Subwrx300]

For 88 gr eldm i got 1.779 base to ogive/2.326 coal

For 75 gr eldm i got 1.777 base to ogive/2.307 coal

So for .020" jump, i would need 2.306" where you had 2.310.

I'm running pri mags. Best i could measure was 2.320" but i don't know how long i can actually load without dragging.

I run PRI's also. I feel my safe limit for OAL is around 2.305 to account for bullet variation.

And thank you for the data.

 

[Eoddave27]

I have a Craddock Precision upper and I have had pretty good results with the 90 SMK and around 26gr of CFE 223. I had even better results with 85gr RDF’s and around 25.5gr of CFE223. I could still get a lot more velocity out of the 85’s but the accuracy just wasn’t there. In general I load everything to 2.25-26. The only bullets I have had issues with are match burners. Due to the taper of the bullet if I load them to 2.25 it literally jams the bullet into the rifling. So much so that the bolt will not go completely in to battery and when I am able to remove the round the bullet gets pulled. I just stopped loading them as everything else I tried shot really well at mag length.