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109 LRHT 2.20 Ogive
40.5 gr H4350
CCI 450/ lapua brass
3040 avg / 9 ES / 6 SD pacing myself, 3077 avg / 26 ES / 14 SD running hard and hot.
1/8 groups, if I running it hard groups grow to 1/4 as things get hot.
26 Bartlein 7 twist 4 groove.
I’m jumping about .020 as well. I did the Eric cortina style seating depth ladder and that is where it just ended up landing.I am experimenting with two 6 creed 7.5 twists now. One is a 28" brux on a remington, one is a ruckus with Proof Prefit. I had to back off on the brux on remington to 40 grs flat h4350 (3147fps) behind 109's after it leveled out (compared to 2 other rifles chambered with same reamer, this brux is much faster than the other 2 rifles). The Proof on Ruckus is leveled out at 40.5 H4350 (3054fps) behind the 109. Both jumping .020" My ES is smaller if I add half a grain to both but the groups are smaller/more consistent where I'm at.
That Brux has a tighter bore, .236” versus .237” so much of that speed comes from that. It’s building more pressure with the same load.I am experimenting with two 6 creed 7.5 twists now. One is a 28" brux on a remington, one is a ruckus with Proof Prefit. I had to back off on the brux on remington to 40 grs flat h4350 (3147fps) behind 109's after it leveled out (compared to 2 other rifles chambered with same reamer, this brux is much faster than the other 2 rifles). The Proof on Ruckus is leveled out at 40.5 H4350 (3054fps) behind the 109. Both jumping .020" My ES is smaller if I add half a grain to both but the groups are smaller/more consistent where I'm at.
Good to know. I have a brux on order thinking sometime in October I should have my hands on it. There back log isn’t as bad as Bartlein.That Brux has a tighter bore, .236” versus .237” so much of that speed comes from that. It’s building more pressure with the same load.
Is he using the exact same brass, bullet, primer and powder lots as you? Powder can be a huge variable. I just opened a new jug and it takes about a grain more to get the same speed.My buddy has one built on a Brux same length same chamber same reamer and it’s 80fps slower. Strange..
+1 on this!Is he using the exact same brass, bullet, primer and powder lots as you? Powder can be a huge variable. I just opened a new jug and it takes about a grain more to get the same speed.
update. the Norma recipe has proven as the best in hotter conditions due to better % fill and powder stability. barrel in its best days now, speed at 3050 fps at 80F same SD and ES. 20rnd sample. same lapua brass, CCI 450.settled upon a pussycat load of 38.5 gn of VV N160 in lapua brass, CCI 450, 105 Berger Hybrids, going out at 2865fps SD 1 ES 4 over a sample of 10 rounds.
another recipe I developed just in case I have to change components, that has more or less the same consistency is 42.5 gn of Norma MRP behind 109 Bergers LHRT, 2935 fps SD3 ES 10
both PRS match proven, I'll call 'em good. YMMV as usual, guys...
@ceekay1 I ran my my Creed at Dasherish speeds too. DTACs at 2880. Easy on the barrel, still supersonic way out there, no special mags or spacers needed.
It’s going to be a proprietary powder for both almost certain of that. Last I heard Nosler was the only one using consumer powders. Probably get stinking close with 39 ish grains of h4350.Does anyone happen to know what powder and charge weight Berger 109 LRHT and Hornady 108 ELDM use for their match rounds? They shot so well, I'd just like to duplicate them around that 2950 node and save all the load dev and barrel life and just shoot it at range.
Yeah, I assumed they probably were proprietary but thought it worth asking. I might pull one of the bullets from a factory Berger round and weigh the powder just to see. It would also be worth seeing if they are using a stick or ball powder.It’s going to be a proprietary powder for both almost certain of that. Last I heard Nosler was the only one using consumer powders. Probably get stinking close with 39 ish grains of h4350.
Any thoughts??? Is there even any reason to do a seating depth test at this point?
I'm definitely going to play with seating depth. I chose group #2 & 3 as the focal point and reshot a 5 shot group of those loads 40.0/40.2/40.4 w/ IMR4451 and all the other variables exactly the same - just to see if it was a fluke or if that really was the node. Here are the results:IMO seating depth is more important than powder charge... but I don't look at it like some specific magic number within .001-.003" that is mucho better than everything else.
I see it like a range where the rifle is "happy" with the amount of bullet-jump + speed + bullet... where it shoots consistently well there, and it looks like you're probably in a range that's working.
I'm definitely going to play with seating depth. I chose group #2 & 3 as the focal point and reshot a 5 shot group of those loads 40.0/40.2/40.4 w/ IMR4451 and all the other variables exactly the same - just to see if it was a fluke or if that really was the node. Here are the results:
View attachment 7723085
The previous speeds were right around 2980-3006 fps. But these same loads were ever faster. They shot well and SDs were decent, but they all showed a bit of pressure signs, with the 40.4 piercing one primer. I can't figure out how I picked up 60 fps with all things being the same. The Barrel has about 69 rounds on it so far, so maybe it's that magical "speeding up" of a new barrel after it begins to break in. At least it is shooting to the same POI as before.
Short of cleaning it and trying again..... what would you all suggest as the next step? I'd rather stay away from the pressure issues for barrel life and brass life. So still thinking the high 2900s to right at 3000 seems the sweet spot.
That's all fair points. Thanks.To be honest, I don't really start doing any kind of real load development until I've got ~150rds on a barrel, at the very least 100 down the pipe, or one can end up chasing their tail.
I would just load some up that are "middle of the road" and have fun while you get some more rounds on the gun, and come back to it in a bit. Otherwise, you may be wasting time and energy.
Barrels speeding up when new is a real thing, a fact. It's as simple as: it takes a certain number of metal projectiles flying down it to give it its "final polish" or however you want to look at it. It's not nearly as faith-based as the mythical "nodes" people talk about (which more than likely do not even exist and are more than likely just a product of the "Rorschach test" guys give themselves when doing ladder tests).
With the cartridges reputation as a barre burner I thought I’d post up my throat erosion.
other than a 150 105 hybrids with a mild load of h4831 for break in. It has been IMR 4451 and 110 A-tips at 3075 for the other 600.
@ 250 rounds -.015 — .016 total
@ 500 rounds -.011 — .026 total
@ 750 rounds -.014 —.040 total
this all been hard use in local matches not babying the barrel. Don’t know if that’s good or bad, still shooting well.
How are you measuring the erosion? Like with the Hornady thingy?
I've become a fan of using this, Deep Creek Method:
I kind of wish I had kept track of this sooner, but my barrel is at 1400rds now and still is shooting lights out... jumping a bunch, going slow, and with all those rounds on it now, I'm kind of wondering if it is eroding more slowly..? That's kind of what I've been going for, but like an idiot, I wasn't keeping track doh.