First time reloading and first time posting to a forum. Take it easy on me.
I've decided to handload some long range hunting 308 rounds for my Bergara Wilderness Ridge. My goal for this ammo is to achieve half MOA, to reach out and hit targets at 1000yds, and to be lethal out to around 600yds although I will probably never shoot at an animal that far. The specs for my setup are a 20" 1-10 twist barrel with a Sandman S mounted up and an internal magazine that restricts my possible OAL. Before I begin with my reloading process, I'd like to say that all the testing is done prone at 100yds with sandbags and a bipod also allowing the barrel adequate time to cool between shots. I make sure that everything on my rifle is torqued to spec prior to testing and my rifle is capable of regular half MOA with quality match factory ammo. So with some of the usual suspects out of the way, let's begin.
Components:
Federal Gold Medal 210M Primers
Lapua Brass
Varget
Hornady ELD-X 178gr
P.S. I have already loaded and shot the first firing of the brass but do to my lack of confidence is the testing procedures I used I decided to trash all of the data I gathered from the first firing.
My reloading process is as follows:
Deprime using universal depriming die
Clean out primer pockets on Frankford Arsenal Work Station
Use super fine steel wool to remove carbon on case necks
Brush out case necks with bronze bore brush
Tumble 2-3 hours in corn cob media
Clean out Redding Type S FL Bushing (.336) die and lube cases with Hornady one shot
Bump shoulders back .002" (All dimensions of sized brass was around +-.001")
Retumble 1 hour
Trim to 2.005" on Frankford Arsenal Work Station
Chamfer and Deburr
Swab out Case mouth
Prime cases to the stop (not necessarily crushing) using a Frankford Arsenal hand primer
Throw powder in RCBS Chargemaster
Seat bullets with Redding Competition seating die
My results so far in my second firing are less than ideal.
I performed a Modified OCW Ladder Test that consisted of loading in .3 grain increments 3 rounds a piece from 41-43.7 grains. Shooting over a chronograph (Caldwell G2) as well as round robin style for groups allowing 2 minutes between shots. The groups I have shot are a train wreck and seem to have no pattern or meaning to me. All groupings from this reloading project have been atrocious ranging from 1"-4". The velocity however pointed to a node at 41.9-42.2 (2450 FPS) and another at 42.5-42.8 (2500 FPS). I stopped at 43.7 grains because in my past testing I had some consecutive hard bolt lifts although I have not experienced that at all since so I loaded another ladder from 41-44.3 grains and again the nodes were the same and I also seemed to have no pressure signs. So next, I chose the lower node and loaded 6 groups of 3 at 42 grains and loaded CBTO of 2.152"-2.122" in .006" increments. The resulting groups were not ideal ranging between 1.4"-2.6" and the velocities ranged from 2451-2528 FPS. I have struggled with this chrono more than anything and getting random velocities as well as missing shots completely although it is always 15 feet away from the muzzle and in the most optimal light I can use. One day I can get 2450 with a particular load and the next day I come out with seemingly identical conditions and I will get +-100 FPS with the same load.
So here are my questions
Is it normal in a bad load to give you velocities that vary so drastically day to day?
Is there a problem in my reloading process causing these poor results?
Is it just that I chose a bad bullet? If so give recommendations for a good long range hunting match grade bullet please.
Sorry for writing a book.. Anything helps, Thanks.
I've decided to handload some long range hunting 308 rounds for my Bergara Wilderness Ridge. My goal for this ammo is to achieve half MOA, to reach out and hit targets at 1000yds, and to be lethal out to around 600yds although I will probably never shoot at an animal that far. The specs for my setup are a 20" 1-10 twist barrel with a Sandman S mounted up and an internal magazine that restricts my possible OAL. Before I begin with my reloading process, I'd like to say that all the testing is done prone at 100yds with sandbags and a bipod also allowing the barrel adequate time to cool between shots. I make sure that everything on my rifle is torqued to spec prior to testing and my rifle is capable of regular half MOA with quality match factory ammo. So with some of the usual suspects out of the way, let's begin.
Components:
Federal Gold Medal 210M Primers
Lapua Brass
Varget
Hornady ELD-X 178gr
P.S. I have already loaded and shot the first firing of the brass but do to my lack of confidence is the testing procedures I used I decided to trash all of the data I gathered from the first firing.
My reloading process is as follows:
Deprime using universal depriming die
Clean out primer pockets on Frankford Arsenal Work Station
Use super fine steel wool to remove carbon on case necks
Brush out case necks with bronze bore brush
Tumble 2-3 hours in corn cob media
Clean out Redding Type S FL Bushing (.336) die and lube cases with Hornady one shot
Bump shoulders back .002" (All dimensions of sized brass was around +-.001")
Retumble 1 hour
Trim to 2.005" on Frankford Arsenal Work Station
Chamfer and Deburr
Swab out Case mouth
Prime cases to the stop (not necessarily crushing) using a Frankford Arsenal hand primer
Throw powder in RCBS Chargemaster
Seat bullets with Redding Competition seating die
My results so far in my second firing are less than ideal.
I performed a Modified OCW Ladder Test that consisted of loading in .3 grain increments 3 rounds a piece from 41-43.7 grains. Shooting over a chronograph (Caldwell G2) as well as round robin style for groups allowing 2 minutes between shots. The groups I have shot are a train wreck and seem to have no pattern or meaning to me. All groupings from this reloading project have been atrocious ranging from 1"-4". The velocity however pointed to a node at 41.9-42.2 (2450 FPS) and another at 42.5-42.8 (2500 FPS). I stopped at 43.7 grains because in my past testing I had some consecutive hard bolt lifts although I have not experienced that at all since so I loaded another ladder from 41-44.3 grains and again the nodes were the same and I also seemed to have no pressure signs. So next, I chose the lower node and loaded 6 groups of 3 at 42 grains and loaded CBTO of 2.152"-2.122" in .006" increments. The resulting groups were not ideal ranging between 1.4"-2.6" and the velocities ranged from 2451-2528 FPS. I have struggled with this chrono more than anything and getting random velocities as well as missing shots completely although it is always 15 feet away from the muzzle and in the most optimal light I can use. One day I can get 2450 with a particular load and the next day I come out with seemingly identical conditions and I will get +-100 FPS with the same load.
So here are my questions
Is it normal in a bad load to give you velocities that vary so drastically day to day?
Is there a problem in my reloading process causing these poor results?
Is it just that I chose a bad bullet? If so give recommendations for a good long range hunting match grade bullet please.
Sorry for writing a book.. Anything helps, Thanks.