Range Report 6x47 ladder results...suggestions?

[jaybic]

Hello...hoping to get some Intel on interpretation of 3 ladder tests I shot today out of a new rifle. I shot 105 vld hunting, 107 SMS and 105 hybrids
All h4350 and 205ms. Powder charges from 38.4 to 40.2 for the vlds and the 107s and 38.6 to 40.0 for the hybrids as per the pics included
All shot with the v3 on from a bench
It seems they all show a velocity flat spot around the 39.6 charge but toe the hybrids look best with a bit wider node. Am I interpreting this properly? All thoughts welcome.

 

[jaybic]

all 3 ladders were shot at 600 yards with very little wind. I had a little right dialed in to keep em o the white. each ladder is 10 shots and enclosed in the red pen mark square so as not to confuse shots. Velocities seem a little low but the tube only has 43 rounds on it prior to starting the first ladder at the bottom, middle and top in that order...sorry so wordy but maybe the data maters....thanks again.

 

[jbailey]

I like 5, 6, 7, 8 of the Hybrids. Looking like you have a node there. Maybe take the powder charges that produced 6 and 7 and see what you can do with them.

The SMKs look like a disaster. And unless you are hunting, I don't think messing w/ VLDs makes sense.

Nice work, you collected a lot of data w/o a lot of rds.

 

[Sheldon N]

Looks like your barrel likes the 105 hybrids. I'd say load up 100 rounds at 39.6, shoot and have fun maybe a club match or some practice, then come back and retest the ladder once your barrel has sped up. Right now you're at Dasher speeds with a 6x47, conservative load for sure. There's probably a node up around 3030-3060fps if you want to go faster.

 

[jaybic]

I thought the same thing.....5/6/7/8 look like what I think is a clear node that is a 1/2 grain wide but I wanted to make sure that it was the case...and if you fellas think so, I gives me faith that I am on to something. I also thought it was slow. I have shot the barrels off of several other x47s and never had one start out this slow I guess but most end up around 39.5ish grains at about that 3035-3075 window so yeah, kinda pokey. Hopefully the tube will speed up but til then, I guess I am gonna load some up at 39.6 and 39.7, pick the tighter one at 600ish and seating depth test them. Do you think I should put more rounds on the tube prior to doing that? Is it wasted time and effort to try and tune it before it settles in?

 

[jaybic]

On another note, what advantages does the hybrid have over the vld that might make them not a choice for a PRS application? I have shot the vlds and have had what I think is great luck with them but they seem hard to find sometimes so I am trying to switch my rifles over to hybrids but am just curious as to the pros and cons of each. Thanks again for your time fellas.

 

[spife7980]

On another note, what advantages does the hybrid have over the vld that might make them not a choice for a PRS application? I have shot the vlds and have had what I think is great luck with them but they seem hard to find sometimes so I am trying to switch my rifles over to hybrids but am just curious as to the pros and cons of each. Thanks again for your time fellas.

The vld is a secant design, the hybrid is a well... hybrid of the secant and tanget designs.

The secant design has a pointier nose but if you were to continue the curve of the nose it would extend past where the bearing surface cuts it off. It makes a shaprp transition. Since its sharp its more sensitive to where it actually hits the lands (seating depth).
The tangent design has a nose in which the curve smoothly transitions into the bearing surface. Since its smooth it is less sensitive to where it touches the lands.

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On another note, what advantages does the hybrid have over the vld that might make them not a choice for a PRS application?

As for why they hybrid would not be a good choice? There isnt really one. They are a great choice if you dont mind paying berger prices.

 

[Milo 2.5]

I am not sure after a speed up what will happen, but you also clearly have something with 9, 10. If you are not going to wait till the barrel speeds up, I would test 40.2, 40.4, ad 40.6, with the idea of staying away from 40.2 as this is where your POI changes.

About the hybrid over the vld, you find a seat depth that is satisfactory with a hybrid, you could toast your barrel w/o ever chasing the lands like you will with a vld.

 

[lte82]

Accuracy and consistency (for me) with the 47 is best when you keep them at dasher speeds. You can hot rod it and still shoot good groups, but day in / day out consistency will suffer. And yes, hybrids are the easy button.

 

[Sheldon N]

Watching @lte82 shoot makes me want to build a 6x47.

What speed are you running at these days?

 

[lte82]

Watching @lte82 shoot makes me want to build a 6x47.

What speed are you running at these days?

Lol. Right around 3000 FPS.

 

[jaybic]

I wonder if there is not something to be said about the "day in, day out consistency"....I have had days where the groups are stellar and then days where they are not so much and that is in tubes running about the 3035-3075 mark. One of my first 6x47 tubes was an 8 twist Rock Creek and that sob would spit groups in the .2-.3 range fairly regularly. That tube came off(still shot well at 1900 rds) and I have burned up a pair of Brux 7.5s and currently a McGowan that I won and neither seem as consistent in terms of day to day poi(holding zero poi). I think I just ran up on the next higher node and it grouped well so figured more speed, same accuracy and lost the day in day out consistency. I think I am gonna see if I cant hand around that 3000 fps mark and regain that.

 

[Tucker65]

This is a 500 yard group test trying three different loads. I settled on 39gr. and in my 28" tube my velocity is 3075. For reference the orange circles are 3" diameter.

 

[jbailey]

I settled on 39gr. and in my 28" tube my velocity is 3075.

+1. The 105gr Berger on top of 39.0gr of H4350 is my load too... I'm at 3025fps from a 24" tube.