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interpreting ladder test with 155 lapua scenars and varget,

toxic

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Minuteman
Jun 8, 2014
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Mansfield, OH
this was fired at 250yds with a 700 sps varmint, with a b&c 2094 and timney 510. i wasnt able to come up with a conclusion for what the accuracy nodes were. so i reloaded them up again at what i knew based on velocity was needed to benefit over 175smks at 1000. which 48.0 was at 2892. so i started there and went from 47.8-48.2 seated at 2.80 and all groups looked the same at about 1.25moa, with 48.2 being just slightly smaller, so then i loaded up a set at 48.2 seated at 2.830 and stayed about the same size. im kind of at a loss as to what to do. my 175 smk load at 43.5gr is .5-.75moa pretty consistently. but i cant get the scenars under 1 inch. i have shot up to 48.6, and just starting to get a slightly sticky bolt.i would prefer to keep it mag length. basically im just looking for advice for good starting point. would like to keep it 2850+.this was done with new lapua brass and federal gm210 primers 14945423550_6a14d83174_o.jpg
 

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Not really experienced with the Ladder test, but doesn't yours indicate 45.0-45.5 and 47.0-47.5 are areas to try?

I've used OCW, and nodes are often thought to be about 3% apart. The two above are ~6% apart, indicating their might have been a node in between not apparent in your results, and might be another up at >48.5 . . . which is perhaps problematic for you.
 
I would test from 47 to 48 in .2 increments.
Reshoot if 2 charges in sequence shoot within 1 moa then split the middle for charge and play with depth.
48 maybe just out of the node.
Mine is at 2850fps basically matching lapua 155 factory load. Mine is with rl15
46.6
After I shot the two best groups I ever have with the factory stuff I had to try and duplicate.
Hope you can get em to work
Sean
 
155 Scenars in Win cases have a Node in the 46.2 range and another node in the 47.8 range (-0.3 for Lapua cases) with Varget.

The step size of 0.5 is simply too big to find the node.
A step size of 0.2 or 0.3 is prefered not to step over a node and miss it.

Question, What would be the COAL in your gun if you seated the 155 Scenar to touch the lands of the barrel?
 
155 Scenars in Win cases have a Node in the 46.2 range and another node in the 47.8 range (-0.3 for Lapua cases) with Varget.

The step size of 0.5 is simply too big to find the node.
A step size of 0.2 or 0.3 is prefered not to step over a node and miss it.

Question, What would be the COAL in your gun if you seated the 155 Scenar to touch the lands of the barrel?
using a comparator i measure about 2.328, to the lands of the barrel
 
I would try a single 10 shot group with 46g and see what happens, its a common load that lots of palma shooters use with several 155's. I think your just hard pressed to get the 155 Lapuas to shoot in that factory barrel with such a long throat. The 175 SMK is a more forgiving bullet then the 155 is going to be so you can seat it deeper and it will take the jump without an issue. At the end of the day some guns shoot better with some bullets. I suspect that if you seat the 155s out so they are closer to the lands they will be almost it not entirely out of the case in that very long factory barrel throat. You should be happy with .5-.75 MOA groups, if they are 10 shots with any factory rifle. You need to check your SD as well as for 1000 yds you need 25fps or less.
 
I think with my 175 smk loads the SD is in the single digits if I remember correctly. I know my average fps is 2620
 
I think your just hard pressed to get the 155 Lapuas to shoot in that factory barrel with such a long throat.

For example: I shoot 155 Scenars in my M40, but my long range load is set at a COAL of 2.943 (-0.015 from the lands) in the 2925-2950 fps range--not magazine length.
My 155 Scenar benchrest load runs 2.820 (magazineable) but is down in the 2625 fps range.
 
155 Scenars in Win cases have a Node in the 46.2 range and another node in the 47.8 range (-0.3 for Lapua cases) with Varget.

The step size of 0.5 is simply too big to find the node.
A step size of 0.2 or 0.3 is prefered not to step over a node and miss it.

Question, What would be the COAL in your gun if you seated the 155 Scenar to touch the lands of the barrel?
I found a good accuracy node with my AX308 using .5gr increments just fine. The orange stickers are 3" and all ladders were 300y using 175gr SMK, 2.800" COL. The powders were Varget, R-15, and IMR-4064.
uploadfromtaptalk1409884471446.jpguploadfromtaptalk1409884484619.jpguploadfromtaptalk1409884496007.jpg
 
Looks like between 44 and 45 to me. Do .2 incriments now. If you can ladder test further than 200 it makes it all more clearer to see... just look at vertical spread... not horizontal...