Started working up a load for my latest Tikka. The rifle started as a T3 Lite 270 that I picked up from Euro Optics on close out. It has a 26" lite varmint Bartlein 1-7" barrel that was profiled, chambered in 22BR, and threaded by D2 Precision. I bought a lot of the parts for this build used here on the Hide as I was trying to keep the cost down.
I shot 20 rounds Friday evening as the weather was supposed to turn bad on Saturday. I am using H4895, Lapua brass, Tula primers, and 88gr ELDM bullets.
I shot five each at 26.8, 27.1, 27.4, and 27.7, all .020" off the lands.
26.8 averaged 3004 fps and had a SD of 3. Started showing some ejector marks on one of the 27.4 and all of the 27.7 loads.
First 5 shots, fired suppressed.
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Not spectacular, but I was rushing as it was getting dark.
Loaded up 50 or so more so I could shoot a ladder around the 26.8 load on Saturday. I also loaded 15 pulled bullets at 26.8 to use as sighters and to make sure I was on clean paper for a ladder. They were in rough shape as I didn't have the VLD stem for my dies when I loaded these. The collet puller mangled them too.
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I shot 5 each of 26.7, 26.8, 26.9, and 27.0 with a brake and the Magneto Speed at 100 yards. Mirage was terrible and it was sunny and 33 degrees, so my 1" dots were dancing 1/4-1/2 mil thru the scope.
I put on a clean sheet of paper with two 3" dots and walked the target out to 402 yards. I dialed for elevation and fired 3 shots. Clouds had rolled in and wind was from my 8:00 at 8-13 mph. It looked like I hit the 3" dot, so I dialed .5 mil left and fired 3 more. Saw holes so I moved to the lower dot and fired my sharpie colored ladder. I was surprised when I went to retrieve my target.
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I think I found my load, just need to mangle some more bullets so they shoot this good every time! If I had seen the two 3 shot groups, I wouldn't have shot the ladder. Also figured out to not use red and purple on the same ladder. Too hard to tell apart. The 26.8 load had 1.23" vertical at 402 yards on the ladder.
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I used a .223 MDT mag on friday and single loaded. Two 12 round metal MDT mags with binder plates showed up Saturday, so I put a modified Primal Rights kit in one and used it. I can fit 13 rounds in it. The rifle weighs 18lbs 8oz with a full mag, the brake, and the bipod.