Range Report Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time

[pepperbelly]

I had time today to go test some loads I am trying to work up for my LR308 SASS.
It was windy today, and in our range the wind swirls due to the walls and overhead baffles.
I had a couple of loads with 2 different powders that showed promise.
I need to know if trying this in windy conditions wasted my time or if those loads should get further attention.
Specifically if it is worth ignoring the horizontal errors and concentrate on the loads with the lowest vertical spread.

I had a few flyers that were all me, plus I also noticed near the end that the knob on my bipod had become loose.

I had worked up 4 loads .5gr apart using RL-15 and the same using Varget.

I would have waited for a less windy day, but I had the day off and wanted range time.
Should I start over or use the 2 best groups and load some in .2gr increments above and below those loads?
I will either take pics or scan the targets later.

Jim

 

[Topstrap]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time

Could use a bit more information. Walls and overhead baffles? How far were you shooting? Can't image being that windy to affect it if only 100 yards and it's kinda hard to tell when you get called fliers. Also could there have been some shots that you didn't call a flier but might of been missed that you did something different? Really hard to tell much without some pictures, distance, how well you were prepared with equipment to have your gun properly supported, and also a bit about your skill level to see how well any groups you do get can be evaluated. Never a good idea to rely on data collected on a less than ideal day.

I see by your post count you've been here quite a while but we really don't have a lot of information to go on.

Topstrap

 

[pepperbelly]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time


Sorry Top. I was shooting at 100 yards. My club has overhead baffles that extend the full width of the range- about 75 yards, spaced about every 10-15 yards. We have walls on each side about 20' high made of RR timbers that run 200 yards downrange- full length. There is a 50 yard berm that extends halfway across also. We shoot north to south. Today the wind was out of the South about 20mph gusting to 25mph. I have seen dust devils swirl from behind the 50 yard berm and cross the width of the 100 and 200 yard lanes.
I am just average with a rifle. I am a master class pistol shot but rifles are not my best. I keep trying though.
The flyers I knew about just as soon as I pulled the trigger.
BTW my SASS has a Timney AR-10 trigger. It's good but heavier than I would like for target shooting- 4#.
I wasn't in a hurry but was a little short on time. I didn't shoot with a hot barrel but I also didn't let it cool between shots or strings. I am a little new to precision shooting.

I am hoping that I can work off the loads that show promise and refine the loads to find what it likes.
I am really hoping that with the wind today that my results are not skewed and I need to start over.

Jim

 

[mdavlee]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time

If you got good groups with a load I would go .2 on each side of the load that shot the best. How many rounds are you loading of each one?

 

[pepperbelly]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time


I only loaded 5 rounds of each- total 40 rounds. That was to give me an idea where to concentrate.

 

[pepperbelly]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time


I had a problem today while testing a load. It started not feeding, then the bolt did not move after firing. I could pull the CH to the rear and eject the case then feed a round, but it had become a bolt action.
This evening I took it apart to clean and inspect it. I found powder soot on the barrel and all 3 allen screws that hold the gas block on were loose. I was losing enough gas pressure that the bolt didn't function.

Can a loose gas block have an effect on accuracy, or does it not have any effect at all?

On the plus side I may have found a load. I had trouble riding the sand bags- it kept wanting to jump up and to the side, but I had 3 round almost cloverleaf with 2 others very near.
That was with 41.6gr of RL-15. I had the cycle problem before I could check my Varget loads, but it seems that similar charges of RL-15 and Varget produce similar groups. I will check them Saturday.

 

[Ring]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time

this is how i do it with the least amount of ammo shot///

go to reloading forums... find thread on you cal.

go page by page and search for your bullet

right down everyone's "pet" loads

look at that and you will see patterns...
example.. this is the data for 175gr 308 with varget..

45
44.5
44.5
45
44.4
44.9
42.5
42.5
44
42.5
43.5
44.9
42.2
45
44.3


notice how many people have near the same "best" load?

use those as your starting loads..

or look at "book" max, and start 2gr lower, then load 1 bullet each, .5 appart till you at least 2gr OVER max...

shoot each 1 at a time low to high to find YOUR true max... look for flat primers..

once i know what my max is, 90% of the time you will find you best load with in 2gr of that...

 

[pepperbelly]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time


I think those loads are for a bolt rifle. They seem hot for my SASS.
They are also far above my Sierra book's max. How old is that data? Loads do lose validity after time.

 

[Ring]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time

90% of my loads are way over Sierra ....

like i said...
look at "book" max, and start 2gr lower, then load 1 bullet each, .5 apart till you at least 2gr OVER max...

shoot each 1 at a time low to high to find YOUR true max... look for flat primers.

i have 243wssm loads in a AR that were 3 to 4gr over book max and showed no sign of pressure....

 

[azimutha]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time

Generally, while I don't like load testing on windy days, what you're really looking for is vertical stringing. That's not going to get skewed by wind much. Like Ring, I've found my best accuracy at close to max. I believe that's because .308 just seems to shoot well at or close to compressed. But I've only ever done that out of a bolt gun. You'll always want to make sure you know what max is. Then do no more than 5 loads. I like to space them .3 gr. apart, e.g if max is 45 I'll test 43.8, 44.1, 44.4, 44.7 and 45.

For magazine-loaded rifles, I use different sharpie colors on each load (coloring from tip to ogive). Then load the rounds in order until the mag is full. Fire five rounds (one of each charge), let the barrel cool for a bit and repeat. That way you're firing under the same conditions (basically) and don't need to come off the gun or move it. You can go by color later (ironing the target helps bring out the colors better).

 

[pepperbelly]

Re: Tried testing loads- tell me if I wasted my time


I took it out again today. It really likes 41gr of Varget. .2gr above or below the groups were around 1". At 41 it shot a cloverleaf under 1/2" at 100 meters.
I think I have found my load.