I think my "problem" is the powder. I'm going to try h4350 on Saturday and report back. The IMR 4350 is usable though.
I've got a green mountain 1:8, 4 groove I think.
I've got a green mountain 1:8, 4 groove I think.
Norma 130 gr. Golden Target Bullets
- Thread starter Dead Eye Dick
- Start date
Krieger, 4 groove, standard rifling, 1:8 twist.
However I'm not going to state yet that I'm having good results. I have 1K of these bullets on hand as well as 5-6 useable powders, and am going to play around to give them a fair shake.
Tried Varget with the Norma 130s today. Ran out of cold bore shot rounds, so I just used one of my first load. It turned out to be my best group... .292" for the next four, but .67X" or something (can't remember the last digit) once you counted the cold bore. Velocity however was a snail like 2644, with an ES and SD of 25 and 9 respectively.
It went downhill from there. Out of the remaining four initial loads (five shots each), I had another .6, a .8, a .9, and a worst ever 1.3" ES and SD were all in the 25-33 range, and SD was between 8 and 12. Whole Lotta suck.
I'd load up another few groups with this combo if the velocities would have tightened up as charge weight increased, but it was the opposite. I'll leave my Varget for the 123gr Scenars I have on hand and move to another powder to try.
It went downhill from there. Out of the remaining four initial loads (five shots each), I had another .6, a .8, a .9, and a worst ever 1.3" ES and SD were all in the 25-33 range, and SD was between 8 and 12. Whole Lotta suck.
I'd load up another few groups with this combo if the velocities would have tightened up as charge weight increased, but it was the opposite. I'll leave my Varget for the 123gr Scenars I have on hand and move to another powder to try.
Got out with h4350 to do velocity testing yesterday. Had another frustrating experience with the magnetospeed which ended in me loosing 2/3 the data I collected.
Peterson brass
Cci Br4
H4350
130gr Norma GT
Green Mountain 24" 1:8
Tbac dominus
I thought I was starting low (even considering the peterson brass).
From memory
40.5gr, 2825fps
40.7gr, 2850fps
41.5gr, 2890fps
41.7gr, 2910fps
I did .2 gr increments but I just can't remember what was in the middle. 41.5 had the first serious pressure signs, sticky bolt, light swipe, etc..
I've got some N555 that I'd really like to try but I'm not sure if I want to risk it with this chrono again. I'm sure I could get by with one single string of 10.
Peterson brass
Cci Br4
H4350
130gr Norma GT
Green Mountain 24" 1:8
Tbac dominus
I thought I was starting low (even considering the peterson brass).
From memory
40.5gr, 2825fps
40.7gr, 2850fps
41.5gr, 2890fps
41.7gr, 2910fps
I did .2 gr increments but I just can't remember what was in the middle. 41.5 had the first serious pressure signs, sticky bolt, light swipe, etc..
I've got some N555 that I'd really like to try but I'm not sure if I want to risk it with this chrono again. I'm sure I could get by with one single string of 10.
Why not write your data down as you shoot just in case you have an issue? It takes 5 seconds to look at the screen and write it down.
This was the first time out with this chrono. This will be the 3rd V3 to go back. Midway has been great to deal with by the way. They seem to think it's a fluke that I got 3 bad ones in a row and they are cherry picking the next.
Anyway, I just loaded up 40.5 - 43.5gr N555 and I plan to test them after work tomorrow. That's 2x 10 shot strings @ .3gr increments. I'll be writing the results down for sure.
How many shots per string are you doing? I've never had an issue with losing data. Occasionally it won't pick up a shot, but that is usually because of a low battery.
For all three it's been a hardware issue. First was the main enter button was stuck, the second had bad 3.5mm ports so it was always throwing and error and now the third has bad buttons again.
The center one has no tactile click and gets stuck but there may have been an odd software issue with the other two because they wouldn't register until I reset the unit.
Anyway, this isn't a magnetospeed thread. I'll test these loads and do what I can with what I have before having to send this one back.
The center one has no tactile click and gets stuck but there may have been an odd software issue with the other two because they wouldn't register until I reset the unit.
Anyway, this isn't a magnetospeed thread. I'll test these loads and do what I can with what I have before having to send this one back.
Well here's what I've got for N555, seems very similar to H4350 but maybe meters a little better. The curve looks pretty consistent and pressure signs started around 42.9.
Admittedly there was some walnut media dust stuck to lanolin in the case necks... regardless the velocities may help someone searching for a hodgdon alternative.
Edit to add:
Here is a 10 shot string of 40.7gr H4350, accuracy was OK but this was just velocity. I had 2 that dropped low but most landed within 10fps.
Admittedly there was some walnut media dust stuck to lanolin in the case necks... regardless the velocities may help someone searching for a hodgdon alternative.
Edit to add:
Here is a 10 shot string of 40.7gr H4350, accuracy was OK but this was just velocity. I had 2 that dropped low but most landed within 10fps.
Last edited:
Reviving this thread because I got a chance to get out and shoot a little bit after missing 5 weeks due to shoulder surgery (non-firing shoulder).
It was supposed to be a re-test of all the good loads I've found so far for my 6.5x47, plus a bracketing test for the 130gr Norma and H4350 (last group in the charge weight range was my best).
Whole-Lotta suck to start this session off. I had swapped scopes, and even though I used a touch of blue Loctite and torqued to 15in/lb...the ring screws (as in every frigging one of the eight) came loose on me today (did not on previous shooting session...or at least not enough to screw with my groups). My .281" 5-shot 123 Scenar and Reloader 15 re-test ended double grouping right out of the gate. Scratching my head and blaming myself I did that twice more before I took a screwdriver to every screw to check. Couldn't figure out why I went from .2s and .3s to MOA...idiot.
Anyway, after discovering the issue, I generously applied Loctite again and just ham fisted the screws back in in disgust. I still had two groups left to shoot...both were with the 130gr Normas and H4350.
Managed a .327" today (5 shot groups) at my next highest charge, and then a .533", which saw shot #3 go a touch high as my cheap-ass uses a $10 Champion rear bag that doesn't fit my buttstock. Basically my bag settled during the squeeze. Add in my .253" from June, and it looks like I've got about a 4-tenth wide node that provides acceptable accuracy for me.
Please excuse the "POA shift"...my dumbass meant to write POI...point of aim remained the same.
It's a slow load, but I do like the way the ES and SD are tightening up. I'm going to call it good for load development with H4350 with this bullet. There might be another node higher, but this is a fun rifle for me and I'm enjoying the thought of good barrel life with this level of accuracy.
It was supposed to be a re-test of all the good loads I've found so far for my 6.5x47, plus a bracketing test for the 130gr Norma and H4350 (last group in the charge weight range was my best).
Whole-Lotta suck to start this session off. I had swapped scopes, and even though I used a touch of blue Loctite and torqued to 15in/lb...the ring screws (as in every frigging one of the eight) came loose on me today (did not on previous shooting session...or at least not enough to screw with my groups). My .281" 5-shot 123 Scenar and Reloader 15 re-test ended double grouping right out of the gate. Scratching my head and blaming myself I did that twice more before I took a screwdriver to every screw to check. Couldn't figure out why I went from .2s and .3s to MOA...idiot.
Anyway, after discovering the issue, I generously applied Loctite again and just ham fisted the screws back in in disgust. I still had two groups left to shoot...both were with the 130gr Normas and H4350.
Managed a .327" today (5 shot groups) at my next highest charge, and then a .533", which saw shot #3 go a touch high as my cheap-ass uses a $10 Champion rear bag that doesn't fit my buttstock. Basically my bag settled during the squeeze. Add in my .253" from June, and it looks like I've got about a 4-tenth wide node that provides acceptable accuracy for me.
Please excuse the "POA shift"...my dumbass meant to write POI...point of aim remained the same.
It's a slow load, but I do like the way the ES and SD are tightening up. I'm going to call it good for load development with H4350 with this bullet. There might be another node higher, but this is a fun rifle for me and I'm enjoying the thought of good barrel life with this level of accuracy.
^ I split the difference between the 39.3 and 39.5 groups in the above post, and loaded 25 for more testing at distance. Shot 6 rounds today as I'm in a hurry to go sit and wait at my kids' school this afternoon.
I've never taken the 130gr Norma past 100 yet, so I consulted JBM for a quick reference and figured I'd need 1.9 Mil for the distance (I'm probably off on my scope height estimate).
Wind was quartering toward me at 2-3 MPH, pretty mild for out here.
First (cold bore) shot was about 1.5" low right, so I just went up and over .1 and shot five more at the dot I drew on the head in fairly rapid succession.
Turned out to be a 1.37" or ~ .34 MOA group at that distance. I'll take it.
I've got enough to shoot a few more confirmation groups and cold bore map as well.
I'm going to be a wiener now and post this on the 6.5x47 load data page too.
I've never taken the 130gr Norma past 100 yet, so I consulted JBM for a quick reference and figured I'd need 1.9 Mil for the distance (I'm probably off on my scope height estimate).
Wind was quartering toward me at 2-3 MPH, pretty mild for out here.
First (cold bore) shot was about 1.5" low right, so I just went up and over .1 and shot five more at the dot I drew on the head in fairly rapid succession.
Turned out to be a 1.37" or ~ .34 MOA group at that distance. I'll take it.
I've got enough to shoot a few more confirmation groups and cold bore map as well.
I'm going to be a wiener now and post this on the 6.5x47 load data page too.
Put my first 130gr Norma to the test this morning on a coyote. 6.5x47L @ 2,705 FPS muzzle velocity.
'Yote was only about 30 pounds, and he was ~250 yards - give or take 5 yards - as he was standing just behind a pig carcass I left out just for this reason (it is 245 yards from my back porch).
The yote was slightly quartering toward me, and it was facing off with three calves that were curious as to what was going on. I had to thread the shot between two of the calves with about 3 feet of wiggle room on each side.
Bullet hit the meaty portion of the shoulder, and traversed through both lungs, exiting by the back of the offside lung, and pulling part of it out of the exiting hole. The coyote made two circles and ran all of about 8 feet before collapsing.
The entry hole was almost non-existent...it really looked like I shot it with an air rifle. Exit hole was about an inch.
Exit side:
'Yote was only about 30 pounds, and he was ~250 yards - give or take 5 yards - as he was standing just behind a pig carcass I left out just for this reason (it is 245 yards from my back porch).
The yote was slightly quartering toward me, and it was facing off with three calves that were curious as to what was going on. I had to thread the shot between two of the calves with about 3 feet of wiggle room on each side.
Bullet hit the meaty portion of the shoulder, and traversed through both lungs, exiting by the back of the offside lung, and pulling part of it out of the exiting hole. The coyote made two circles and ran all of about 8 feet before collapsing.
The entry hole was almost non-existent...it really looked like I shot it with an air rifle. Exit hole was about an inch.
Exit side:
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