Help, I started some load development with 90 grain eld-x and h4350. The rifle is a criterion remage barrel, 26”, 1:8 twist cut at .109 freebore. It’s once fired lapua brass, small rifle primer, full length sized with a s style Redding bushing with a SAC .269 bushing inside.
I did a jump test first finding the best accuracy with a mild load at .11 and .13 and settled in the middle with .124 with a CBTO of 1.944.
I then tried a ladder test with a magneto speed. I went 1.5 grains below max charge which was 45. So starting at 43.5 I increased by .3 ending at 45. I shot 2 rounds per charge single feeding each round.
So make a long story short I never found the flat spot but had very low es with certain charge weights.
43.5: 3359, 3355 (es 4)
43.8: 3363, 3404 (es 41)
44.1: 3405, 3397 (es 8
44.4: 3422, 3425 (es 3)
44.7: 3443, 3441 (es 2)
45: 3467, 3447 (es 20)
I went with the 44.7 being as it should the lowest es per 2 rounds. It shot an amazing group and had some excellent numbers with the first 10 rounds.
I went back and chronoed 28 rounds after and shot for groups and something has changed. I shot 4 5 shot groups and 1 three shot. 2 of the groups had good es of 16-19. The rest were 44-74.
So I obviously am not in the node? What should I do from here? I’m being as consistent as I can be with the tools I have available. So I don’t think it’s that. The only thing I changed between the 10 rounds too the 28 was I cleaned the carbon out the rifle.
I did a jump test first finding the best accuracy with a mild load at .11 and .13 and settled in the middle with .124 with a CBTO of 1.944.
I then tried a ladder test with a magneto speed. I went 1.5 grains below max charge which was 45. So starting at 43.5 I increased by .3 ending at 45. I shot 2 rounds per charge single feeding each round.
So make a long story short I never found the flat spot but had very low es with certain charge weights.
43.5: 3359, 3355 (es 4)
43.8: 3363, 3404 (es 41)
44.1: 3405, 3397 (es 8
44.4: 3422, 3425 (es 3)
44.7: 3443, 3441 (es 2)
45: 3467, 3447 (es 20)
I went with the 44.7 being as it should the lowest es per 2 rounds. It shot an amazing group and had some excellent numbers with the first 10 rounds.
I went back and chronoed 28 rounds after and shot for groups and something has changed. I shot 4 5 shot groups and 1 three shot. 2 of the groups had good es of 16-19. The rest were 44-74.
So I obviously am not in the node? What should I do from here? I’m being as consistent as I can be with the tools I have available. So I don’t think it’s that. The only thing I changed between the 10 rounds too the 28 was I cleaned the carbon out the rifle.