I've got a Gradous 7 WSM that's always been good to me, but now I want to tune my load for a little more velocity IF I can do it without sacrificing accuracy. That's always the trick, right?
Full disclaimer, I built the gun as a light tactical rig so the barrel is cut to 22" without the break. It shoots in the .2s and .3s for five shot groups, which is about as good as I can do. My velocity is right at 2800fps with the Berger 180gr Hybrids over 69.8gr Retumbo in Winchester brass. I'd like to get it up to 2900 to have just a bit more reach. I did a ladder test last week and found that in my gun, the max is really about 71.5gr Retumbo. Those cartridges showed both cratered primers and ejector swipes.
My question is, should I leave well enough alone or try a new powder? I've got some Magpro, but I saw that the VV N570 may be the ticket if the gun shoots well with a hotter load. The worst I could do is waste money on another lb of powder. Does anyone think I've got a good shot of finding a better recipe, or should I just stick with what I've got?
Full disclaimer, I built the gun as a light tactical rig so the barrel is cut to 22" without the break. It shoots in the .2s and .3s for five shot groups, which is about as good as I can do. My velocity is right at 2800fps with the Berger 180gr Hybrids over 69.8gr Retumbo in Winchester brass. I'd like to get it up to 2900 to have just a bit more reach. I did a ladder test last week and found that in my gun, the max is really about 71.5gr Retumbo. Those cartridges showed both cratered primers and ejector swipes.
My question is, should I leave well enough alone or try a new powder? I've got some Magpro, but I saw that the VV N570 may be the ticket if the gun shoots well with a hotter load. The worst I could do is waste money on another lb of powder. Does anyone think I've got a good shot of finding a better recipe, or should I just stick with what I've got?