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Smokn Ladder Test

ColoYooper

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Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 7, 2010
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Hey all, I thought I'd share with you my Ladder-Test results. I've done a ton of Ladder-Tests but never one that was this cut and dry. I just recently put together a 300wm with a BigHorn Tactical action, Mark Chanlynn palma contour barrel, Manners T5-A stock, Jewell trigger, and a Muscle Brake. I decided to see if I could find a recipe for the Berger 230gr Hybrid Target bullets seated 0.073" off the lands...this is as long as I could seat them and still get them in the DBM. I know Berger makes the Hybrid Tactical bullets for this purpose but like everything else these days, I couldn't get my paws on any. So I loaded up 50 bullets consisting of 2 sighters, and (4) Ladder-Tests of (12) bullets each. I choose to increment in (12) steps of 0.4 grains of H1000 from 68.0grains to 72.4grains for Test1, Then decrement the same range in (12) steps for Test2. Let the gun cool for an hour and repeat with (12) incrementing, and then (12) decrementing. I fired each round through a chronograph and verified that EACH shot varied by ~12fps from the previous shot. There were no leaps of knowledge that I acquired in Incrementing/Decrementing or in repeating the tests...but I was able to clearly identify the 71.4grain "sweet" mid-point load in each of the tests. I've attached a photo of Test2 where I shoot loads #15-#26 in decreasing powder charges. To be honest while the other tests were VERY EASY to interpret, none were as cut and dry as the included photo...Note: I shot these at the Colorado Rifle Club at the 600yard bench on the High Power Range with very windy conditions. So there is some horizontal stringing but the Vertical stringing is within 0.75" at 600yards! Hopefully, I'll remain this optimistic! NOTE2: The photo is laying on its side to better fit your screen. The load amounts and velocities that are written on the target are the mid-load and mid-velocity for that group. Anyway, for those of you who are new to the Ladder-Test...THIS IS WHAT IT IS SUPPOSE TO LOOK LIKE :) although this is the first time I've ever seen it. ps this is equivalent to a sub 0.1" (5) shot group at 100 yards!
 

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that worked out well. if your still on the climb to get your top pressure
i would guess your next node will be very close to 72.8 then 74.2.
i recently did a ocw test and roughly every 1.3-1.4 was a node in mine
and yours seems to be close to that also. keep us posted.
 
I thought I'd share these results...I went straight from the Ladder test with the 71.4 grain load to the Colorado Rifle Club 1000yard Benchrest heavy gun competition. NOTE: This is a "light" tactical rifle vs unlimited weight bench cannons with at least 1 current World Record holder and several National Champions...
 

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What was the spread of charges that you used to get that 4 shot group with the X, and what made you settle on 71.4 grains?
 
Shot Charge Velocity
#16 72.0 2716
#17 71.6 2705
#18 71.2 2698
#19 70.8 2685

So, I chose the mid point between #17 and #18 of 71.4 grains and 2700fps. What the ladder test finds...if you are lucky...is the node where faster bullets exit the barrel as it is at the bottom of it's harmonic ring, and the slower bullets exit at the top of the harmonic ring. This hopefully will result in nice tight group with little vertical separation. So as conditions change and the bullets have varying speeds, they are "automagically" corrected by the harmonic ring.
 
I thought I'd share these results...I went straight from the Ladder test with the 71.4 grain load to the Colorado Rifle Club 1000yard Benchrest heavy gun competition. NOTE: This is a "light" tactical rifle vs unlimited weight bench cannons with at least 1 current World Record holder and several National Champions...

Awesome and Congrats!

Those 230's are such a great bullet aren't they.

Here's a 5 shot group with my 30-375R with 230 hybrids going 2940 fps at 970Y. I did my ladder at 300Y. The node was easy to see because 4 shots made a ragged hole about the size of a nickel.


Oh, let's see some pics of your rifle!
 
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Shot Charge Velocity
#16 72.0 2716
#17 71.6 2705
#18 71.2 2698
#19 70.8 2685

So, I chose the mid point between #17 and #18 of 71.4 grains and 2700fps. What the ladder test finds...if you are lucky...is the node where faster bullets exit the barrel as it is at the bottom of it's harmonic ring, and the slower bullets exit at the top of the harmonic ring. This hopefully will result in nice tight group with little vertical separation. So as conditions change and the bullets have varying speeds, they are "automagically" corrected by the harmonic ring.

i thought you where after the faster bullets at the top of the harmonic ring? i'm a little confused.
good job at the match btw.