Help Improving my ES

[SlowMiss6.5]

Background:
Tikka roughtech 6.5cm with atleast 500 shots on factory barrel
Magneto and Caldwell chronograph
H4350
Hornady 143, 147 and VLD 140
Temps: between 30-60 degrees

Long story short I was shooting Hornady brass and was getting ES of about 40, SD of 12. No annealing. Sub MOA 10 shots groups at 100. Hornady brass I was just using standard Lee FL die set to push the should back a few thousands.

Figured if I bought better brass, Peterson, I could shrink my ES. Well atleast with virgin Peterson brass I had no such luck. My ES actually grew slightly to about 51fps and SD to 16 over a 10 shot group. But again sub MOA 10 shot group at 100 yards


I’m about to just run with it as my SD isn’t crazy bad but wanted to see if anyone had suggestions on how to reduce my ES? I did feel some differing seating pressure when using the Peterson virgin brass.

 

[kthomas]

I've never had good luck with Hornady brass. Hornady's consistency isn't the greatest.

I wouldn't give up on the Peterson brass. You will probably get more consistency on the second firing after the brass is formed.

What are you throwing and measuring your powder with?

 

[SlowMiss6.5]

I've never had good luck with Hornady brass. Hornady's consistency isn't the greatest.

I wouldn't give up on the Peterson brass. You will probably get more consistency on the second firing after the brass is formed.

What are you throwing and measuring your powder with?

Appreciate the info

Using a frankford arsenal Intellidropper. When I was searching for pressure 40.2 grains and 40.5 grains produce a speed within 1 fps of each other. So I picked 40.3 grains hoping I could throw a 1/10 grain either way and get the same fps

 

[RegionRat]

Appreciate the info

Using a frankford arsenal Intellidropper. When I was searching for pressure 40.2 grains and 40.5 grains produce a speed within 1 fps of each other. So I picked 40.3 grains hoping I could throw a 1/10 grain either way and get the same fps

The vast majority of the time, when you see the velocity stay the same when you know you increased the powder charge, it is an illusion caused by a small sample and scatter.

If you put enough shots into both of the 40.2 and 40.5 charges, you would find the change in velocity tracks with the charge increase.

In so many words with velocity ladder tests, flat spots tend to be an illusion that evaporates with more shots.

That is not to say the vertical performance will follow your velocity stats, and so the target is where you should focus your study anyway.

For every time someone runs testing and finds no correlation between their velocity stats and their targets, it is worth paying more attention to the target as the priority. The chrono data is your backup safety and an indicator of your quality controls.

To get tighter velocity stats, you must work on all the little details of brass prep and assembly. You will also need to insure the firing pin assembly in the bolt is up to snuff, and that your sizing prep is coordinated with your chamber. My guess is your recipe is not to blame since those components have a good history of getting down to single digit SD values in the right contexts.

So, unless you are a dedicated LR (700 - 1200 yards) shooter, then while you are working on those ES statistics, make sure you are also watching your target stats as the priority.

You may find the gun wants a different speed than the one you picked based on watching the chrono instead of the target (at distance). The velocity stats certainly have to be worked if you are always out past 600 yards, but since the majority of beginners are not there yet, you benefit more from target focus over chronograph while you learn to shoot and load. YMMV

Good Luck and have a blast. It looks to be an above average factory gun, so don't forget to have fun.

 

[BenE]

what primers are you pushing? I agree with getting more consistency on the second firing of the Peterson, new brass is generally .003-.004” below min spec. You won’t see much variation in groups at 100 with a 50 es. To put it into prospective… a 140 eldm going 2750 at 1000 yds has a drop of 294” or 8.4 mils the same bullet going 2700 fps at 1000 has a drop of 308” or 8.7 mils

 

[SlowMiss6.5]

what primers are you pushing? I agree with getting more consistency on the second firing of the Peterson, new brass is generally .003-.004” below min spec. You won’t see much variation in groups at 100 with a 50 es. To put it into prospective… a 140 eldm going 2750 at 1000 yds has a drop of 294” or 8.4 mils the same bullet going 2700 fps at 1000 has a drop of 308” or 8.7 mils

Fed 210M

And if you sight the rifle in for the middle of the ES you would have +- 7” from POI.

But ideally I’m trying to improve my long range skills 800-1000 yards. Have been proficient with Hornady factory ammo out to 600. Its ES was similar to my reloads. The tricky thing with the ES is when I hit low or miss low at say 800 yards, how do I know if that was me or just one of the slow loads?

 

[RegionRat]

The tricky thing with the ES is when I hit low or miss low at say 800 yards, how do I know if that was me or just one of the slow loads?

If you are working out at those distances and holding better than 95% at 600, then it means you are not a beginner.

Do the target study on paper or Shotmarker to see if your vertical correlates to your velocity.

On an eTarget, this is trivial work since each shot is numbered for you. To run target tests at 600 yards or more with paper, things get a little tricky when it comes to tracking each shot.

Let's say you have that under control, then you will have data that either shows all the slow ones go out the bottom, or you won't.

In general, you want a waterline where the majority of the errors are from wind and not vertical. And that takes some work, but don't give up.

What is your vertical spread at 600 yards with the load you showed above at ES of 40 fps?