Developing a load in 60 shots, the way it should be! LOL

[diego-ted]

Target one is initial development for the 75gr Amax with Varget powder out of a 24" Savage FCP in 223. I picked the starting load based on Hodgkins recommendations and info gathered here on the hide.


Target two is refining the powder charge based on initial test results. I went with 24.2 based on my interpretation of the OCW for this load.


Lastly seating depth testing. As you can see 5K off the lands is the magic ticket.



Final numbers off the magneto speed were 2825 for velocity and 10 for ES. Only thing left to do is take the load out to 300 and see if the development was a success.

Diego

 

[918v]

Good Job!

What primer did you use?

 

[diego-ted]

Tula! Love them Ruski primers!

 

[AK-Bandit]

Nice work. I was just wondering how many rounds it was going to take to get my OCW dialed in.

 

[diego-ted]

The other side of the coin is, I shot 100 rounds with the Hornady 75gt BTHP and never came up with a workable load! Win some and you lose some.

Diego

 

[biffj]

Who is hodgkins and where is their site?

Frank

 

[diego-ted]

Who is hodgkins and where is their site?

Frank

Sorry hodgdon
Hodgdon Reloading | Home

 

[0311 Hesco]

Op, great write up and congrats on the load!

honest question here:
I am by no means a reloading guru, but I feel like you could be missing a lot of combinations here. I understand that what you came up with is a really great combo and I'm not doubting your method, but what if you were to do a different seating depth with a different powder charge? Would it be possible that you could be missing a better combo? Or, is there not enough difference made with seating depth vs. powder charge initially to warrant the need to go thru all the other combos? Hope you understand what I'm getting at.
Thanks

 

[gstaylorg]

Seating depth is generally "fine tuning" of the load relative to varying the charge weight. If you have some idea of the range of seating depth in which the bullet you're using is likely to shoot well, the best option is to do your initial charge weight testing with the bullet seated in the middle of the seating depth range. That way, you won't be moving the seating depth more than half the total range you want to test once you find the best charge weight.

For many of the tangent ogive bullets we commonly use, it is highly likely that they will shoot well somewhere between 5 and 25 thousandths off the lands, although there can always be exceptions to that. By doing the initial charge weight determination at 15 thousandths off, you really only need to go ~10 thousandths in either direction once you've found the best charge weight for your load. I have yet to develop a load where changing the seating depth a few thousandths one way or the other required any further adjustment of the charge weight.

 

[steve123]

Op, great write up and congrats on the load!

honest question here:
I am by no means a reloading guru, but I feel like you could be missing a lot of combinations here. I understand that what you came up with is a really great combo and I'm not doubting your method, but what if you were to do a different seating depth with a different powder charge? Would it be possible that you could be missing a better combo? Or, is there not enough difference made with seating depth vs. powder charge initially to warrant the need to go thru all the other combos? Hope you understand what I'm getting at.
Thanks

At a certain point a guy is just burning up precious barrel life chasing the utmost accuracy trying all kinds of different combinations of powder primers and bullets to gain the highest accuracy.

Benchrest is a different game where trying to squeeze out another 10th of a inch has some merit but not necessary to our particular style of shooting. The OP has a load that is very accurate, shot out of a Savage no less, and if it were a 6 or 6.5 would easily be capable of winning any major tactical or field course match.

If those were shot off a bipod that makes the best of the groups even more impressive.

 

[Twoboxer]

Nice work. I would have chosen 24.1gr because actual powder charges 24.0-24.2 won't affect accuracy. But 24.3 will.

 

[0311 Hesco]

Thanks for the insight gentlemen.

 

[diego-ted]

Seating depth is generally "fine tuning" of the load relative to varying the charge weight. If you have some idea of the range of seating depth in which the bullet you're using is likely to shoot well, the best option is to do your initial charge weight testing with the bullet seated in the middle of the seating depth range. That way, you won't be moving the seating depth more than half the total range you want to test once you find the best charge weight.

For many of the tangent ogive bullets we commonly use, it is highly likely that they will shoot well somewhere between 5 and 25 thousandths off the lands, although there can always be exceptions to that. By doing the initial charge weight determination at 15 thousandths off, you really only need to go ~10 thousandths in either direction once you've found the best charge weight for your load. I have yet to develop a load where changing the seating depth a few thousandths one way or the other required any further adjustment of the charge weight.

^^^^^^^^^
About says it all!!! LOL

Diego

 

[diego-ted]

This was a typical group at 300, some were a little better some a little worse, this is middle of the road in mild 3-5MPH wind.



Diego

 

[0311 Hesco]

I would be excited to see what a barrel tuner would do now that you have something like that!