New Bore Round Count Before Load Development?

[General RE LEE]

I’ve got a new stainless 20” Tikka CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor coming next week. I’ve got 4 charges weights I want to try the 140 grain ELD-M (41.5-42.4 H4350)

I was going to shoot about 80 rounds of factory Hornady match ammo before doing the load development.

How many rounds do you send down a new bore before you start working on a load?

 

[granite wagon]

I usually try to get north of 150 rds on a barrel before I get to serious about development.

I think all barrels are at least a lil bit different ..

I am currently shooting a barrel that started speeding up at around 80ish rounds and didnt really stop speeding up until about 140ish rds.
I loosely developed a load at about 60 rounds and then shot that same load till about 160 rounds just to track the speed up and settle in numbers.

 

[918v]

I’ve got a new stainless 20” Tikka CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor coming next week. I’ve got 4 charges weights I want to try the 140 grain ELD-M (41.5-42.4 H4350)

I was going to shoot about 80 rounds of factory Hornady match ammo before doing the load development.

How many rounds do you send down a new bore before you start working on a load?

Sooo you start your load development at book maximum and go higher?

 

[High Desert duck]

i load 10 rounds at book min plus 1.0 grain. Run a ladder of 10-15 book min to something reasonable, jumping .010 to .030. Go home and load for the speed I want, load it up practice and shoot a local match. That’s about 120 rounds. Barrel is --usually— done speeding up, tweak the load if it’s not good enough. Or do load development from scratch if I’m changing any components. (I sometimes run cheaper bullets during this time because I’m cheap I.e. H109 vs. 110 A-tip)
but I’m only looking for something consistent around .5 MOA.

edited because; spellcheck

 

[The_Steward]

I’ve got a new stainless 20” Tikka CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor coming next week. I’ve got 4 charges weights I want to try the 140 grain ELD-M (41.5-42.4 H4350)

I was going to shoot about 80 rounds of factory Hornady match ammo before doing the load development.

How many rounds do you send down a new bore before you start working on a load?

I will not claim much expertise in the area, but those barrels are cold hammer forged. They shouldn't have much in the way of tooling marks to smooth out (shouldn't have burrs or anything), so IDK that I'd expect a ton of break in with them. Tikka themselves claim they don't need any break-in, FWIW.

Not a strong opinion though, so YMMV. Mine shot pretty great from the beginning.

 

[General RE LEE]

Sooo you start your load development at book maximum and go higher?

41.5 grains H4350 literally used to be printed on the Hornady Match 140 ELD-M box. I’ve shot multiple 6.5 Creedmoor that liked 41.5 grains H4350. I usually start below max on loads but 41.5 grains H4350 for the 140 grain ELD-M and 143 grain ELD-X is very well documented as a proven load.

 

[spife7980]

So then “yes”

 

[918v]

41.5 grains H4350 literally used to be printed on the Hornady Match 140 ELD-M box. I’ve shot multiple 6.5 Creedmoor that liked 41.5 grains H4350. I usually start below max on loads but 41.5 grains H4350 for the 140 grain ELD-M and 143 grain ELD-X is very well documented as a proven load.

Back when it was printed on the box Hornady brass was a lot lighter and had more case volume. These days, when every brand of brass has less capacity, what you’re about to do is stupid.

 

[StaveyIL]

Here’s a box here. I use Hornady brass and load 41.5g under a 140g amax/eld all the time without issue. As a general rule this load shoots lights out.

 

[General RE LEE]

Back when it was printed on the box Hornady brass was a lot lighter and had more case volume. These days, when every brand of brass has less capacity, what you’re about to do is stupid.

I’m sorry your attempt to virtue signal fell kinda flat

 

[918v]

I’m sorry your attempt to virtue signal fell kinda flat

I’m not trying to virtue signal. I’m trying to relay that your proposed plan of action is stupid.

 

[General RE LEE]

I’m not trying to virtue signal. I’m trying to relay that your proposed plan of action is stupid.

 

[spife7980]

I’m sorry your attempt to virtue signal fell kinda flat

That I god you are here to ask dumb ass questions and then chide those who are trying to suggest safety to you.

 

[John Glidewell]

View attachment 8034837Here’s a box here. I use Hornady brass and load 41.5g under a 140g amax/eld all the time without issue. As a general rule this load shoots lights out.

Funny. I remember this as the 41.5 was well over listed max in their 9th edition load manual at the time. Today's 11th edition lists 41.5 as max.

to your original question. I run at least 100 down the tube before I do load work. I also run near the starting charge weight. It has been my experience that running slower seaons / settles the barrel faster.

 

[Scottnoidea]

I'm doing the same thing with a Lithgow LA105 6.5 Creedmoor right now. They also have CHF barrels like the Tikkas. The factory Hornady 147gr ELD-M Match loads were only doing 2525 fps (average) for the first box but after only 40 rounds had sped up to 2618 fps. The last 7 rounds from box no 4 averaged 2623 so I went ahead with my load testing. I settled on 41.5gr of AR2209 (H4350) with the 147s and will do some seating depth tests next week if it isn't raining heavy. Loaded at 2.800" it was grouping around .6MOA so I think it's going to work out okay with some more work. All brass was from the Hornady factory ammo which I'm not impressed with quality wise. Will try some Sako brass later but it has much lower capacity so I'll have to start over again when the time comes.

 

[cas6969]

Like only smoking cigarettes without the warning on the side because they're safer.