Multiply loads per rifle

[Blackwater]

Wasn't sure how to title the thread. I'm wondering if you can have multiply loads that your rifle likes. Say you load 155gr and it rocks. Can your rifle like 175gr, 185gr also? Or is it a 1 load per rifle? I guess what I'm getting at is say that 155gr load you load is a tack driver at 600 yards, but you want to push the larger grain bullets to 1000 and would load for that reason.

 

[Big Z]

Just keep a record of what works with any bullet you wanna roll, and rock on. I run a couple/few different bullets in my rifles. Some bullets being cheaper for generalized plinking and varmint hunting, or some better for hunting and some for toying in long range shooting.

 

[EMorr]

I'm sure somewhere out there someone has a go to load for a rifle and that is all they use in that rifle but I doubt that that is the norm. I have many combinations for both of my rifles. Load for as many different situations and circumstances you will shoot in and as your budget will allow, that's my philosophy. For me more than half the fun of reloading is tinkering and having multiple choices at my disposal even if my goals remain the same.

 

[timelinex]

Honestly speaking, I think it depends on what your looking for. A 'great load' can mean many different things to different people. If your looking for .5moa accuracy, I would think you can find that with most bullets/powder with the right tuning. However when you start pushing the accuracy limits of your equipment, that's when you really new to find what your rifle likes.

I have stuck to using the most 'popular' combinations for all my calibers , bc I know as long as I do the proper load development , I should end up finding a load that eill produce satisfactory results. On the other hand, bench rest competitors have to fine tune to find the perfect combination to stay competitive. I have all factory barrels, so I know not to expect better than 1/2 moa. In sure that doing much more extensive testing, I can get a bit better. However for me it would be a waste of time an I would probably burn out my 338 barrel shortly after finding it.

 

[seanh]

absolutely, you can have many loads that work for a gun but there will always be one that it likes best at a particular range. For the factory 700P I had, the rifle liked some crappy Chek 147grn stuff for under 300 yard plinking, it was great. But it really liked the 168grn loads, 175 SMK's and 185 VLD's...hated the 155's.

Pick a bullet you want for a particular need and work a load up for it. When you do this, do a ladder test. Ladder testing is the a great way of finding what node your barrel likes for that particular bullet/velocity. Keep a log book of what works, what doesn't. Remember, ladder testing is done in the 200-300 yard distance, not 100 yards. Also, ladder testing isn't shooting group shooting...you'll fine tune groups later.

 

[JGorski]

Wasn't sure how to title the thread. I'm wondering if you can have multiply loads that your rifle likes. Say you load 155gr and it rocks. Can your rifle like 175gr, 185gr also? Or is it a 1 load per rifle? I guess what I'm getting at is say that 155gr load you load is a tack driver at 600 yards, but you want to push the larger grain bullets to 1000 and would load for that reason.

Indeed, my 708 likes a couple different loads, both my 308s like 3 or 4 different loads, especially my SPSS, my 06 shoots everything very well. It sounds like you have a 308, load it up with some 168 & 178 AMAXs and go shootin'. My SPSS shoots the 168s 1/2moa out to 300, 4.7" group at 600 last August.

 

[cmh2007]

it certainly can, as said before, keep track of which loads the gun likes and which it doesn't, also keep track of the stats for that load so you have your dope correct

 

[bornhunter04]

ive got a couple loads for mine and am working on a couple more with differant bullets. the nice thing is you have options for when certain components might be hard to find.

 

[NoFail]

Yeah pretty much what everybody sais here. I have 168 SMK's, 168 Amax's, 178 Amax's, 168 Nolser silver tips (custom comps), 180 Nosler Balistic tips. I run 4 different powders & 4 different primers too. It's my only high powered rifle so I have a lot of fun with it and its a semi auto.

Mine is .308 with 1 in 10" twist. I haven't tried anything lighter than 168 grain bullets. I wonder if I was running 155's they would just go so fast and burn out my barrel.

 

[Blackwater]

Thanks for the reply guys. Some feedback on my part probably wouldn've helped. It will be .308, running a Brux barrel with 1:10 twist. I've been reading up on reloading here and some say the 155gr is to small for 1:10 but others have had really good luck with it. I know to get to 1000 yards I'll need 175gr or higher and thats fine. I was thinking of using 155gr for close up precision shooting.

 

[waste_knot]

Here this will help you keep track of all the parameters that affect the accuracy of the load and the dimension that are critical to your rifle.
You can down load the zip file with PDF's and fill it in on the computer and save each under a diff name.
Chamber dimension map
Cartridge dimension map
Ammo Box lables.

 

[cmh2007]

the 155 works great for all round, expecially the burger, barnes, or lapua bullets. I shoot my lapua 155's at 1k just fine

 

[Deadshot2]

I have about 5 loads for my 5-R that are what I consider really good. All sub moa. I have only ONE load that I would call superb. It matches the characteristics of the rifle best. The twist rate and throating on my rifle favors a 175 gr bullet traveling around 2550 fps. This load, again in MY rifle, consistently gives me nice small groups measuring less than .200" at 100 yards on any good day. Similar performance at greater distances with group sizes in the 1/4 MOA range. The rest are all .5 MOA average performers. The only reason I even bothered developing loads for the other bullet types and weights was to be able to shoot anything that was available to me. That's proving rather valuable today where one has to take what they get for bullets if they want to shoot.

 

[nashlaw]

I have 6-250 I just started playing with and it likes 70g up to 105 g Sierras. My .308s all do well with the 155s regardless of their twist and one rifle drives 175 SMKs into sub- half moa.

I like versatility for lean times like these. I have 8lbs of BLC2 that puts 155s into way under an inch. It has came in handy