HV 308test

Took the 308 to the range today. About 48 degrees @6000ft.

Trying to get some decent accuracy at velocities above 2500fps. Had one group that did pretty good, but what suprised me, is that is was not the 30 XCB boolit, but the HM2 311-160 boolit. Sized .313" in Laupua once-fired cases, WWLR primers (might try mag next time) and Ramshot Hunter Powder. Gun was something I put together. Started out as a 6mm br FT-R Savage rifle that I ended up getting a used Model 12 308 barrel and installing on the rifle.

Only had 10 rounds or each type of boolit. First to be shot was the HM2 311-160 boolit. First shot, cold barrel, was at top of target, next three shots were in a diagonal from 7 O'clock to 1 O' clock and next five were between the outer twomost shots, for a total of 8 shots. Last shot was over the Chrony @2,656 fps.

What was suprising was that the XCB boolit had three shots into a 7" vertical dispersion, and all others I tried, the gun hated. So didn't shoot all of the others.

Pic of the HM2 group and there might be two of the XCB there too in the circle to the left

A word on the alloy. Will have to get my notes to be exact, but it is roughly 92pb/4.1sb/3.6sn/.12as/.18cu/.02ag. Boolits coated in thinned LLA (1-10 lla/mineral spirits), then let dry, then lubed normally in my Star

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ps31fa11b6.jpg

A gun likes what it likes

Have you found any effect of the elevation on how your guns shoot? The air has to be rather thin up there.

Only in the drop. Bit less up here just because of the less dense air.

Pretty impressive for that speed with your HM2 boolit. Especially that 5 shot cluster. If a tweak or two takes care of some of the vertical, your gonna have a WOW load! Keep it going!

I am going to try a magnum primer with that powder and see if things change. I know it made all the difference with my 375 H&H Ruger #1 and 4759, by going to a mag primer. Might help as its even colder here now. Not sure how often I will make it to the range this winter as the wind can really blow out there. Think I might try the NOE 311-155 boolit, as its close to the HM2 boolit, and maybe some 314-155 also. If I could get the upper three in that group to move down, or the lower three to move up a bit, it might really end up shooting very well indeed. I think the barrel has a 1-12 twist. Boolits are pretty hard, probably in the 28 bhn range. I sent a fellow some boolits made with an alloy that had about 1% less tin and antimony in it, and he said they were in the 25 range. gotta play with Bens new liquid lube too. So many variables to try.

Rockrat, you may have much better luck using a lube that's up to the task you're asking of it. You are WAY past what I've found to be the useful limit of LLA-type lubes.

If the circumstances that brought me to and through your town quite frequently a few weeks ago had been different, I would have contacted you and maybe brought along some goodies for your project. The Stone House has one of the best Reuben sandwiches west of New Jersey, I intend to eat there again next time I'm in the area. and Black Canyon is always good for a canned hunt. We own a house to the south of you a bit and try to vacation there every year or so, I'll contact you next time I'm in the vicinity if you're up for it, maybe I'll bring one of my rifles along if they're still legal there next year.

Gear

Sounds good to me.
Actually, I need to add that I coated the boolits with a much thinned LLA, but I let them dry, then I size/gas check/lube as normal. The lube is a blend of 5 other lubes

My experience has been that when you put some horsepower behind it, the calcium salts in Alox tend to really build up in a barrel. Sometimes it normalizes after a bit, and sometimes not. Shots walking up or down the paper can mean several things, and inconsistencies in lube friction is a big one.

Do you know anything about the range about a mile south of Ridgway? I've been meaning to check them out.

Gear

rockrat i'm no fan of alox in MY rifle but i made some of Ben's new liquid lube and have a few 358009's tumbled with it over Ben's Red to try anyway. Ben's already tested it for 2 years lol so i've gotta try it. This will be a known accurate load to test it with.
Haven't shot any yet as i banged some ribs up the other day but i think i can stand the recoil now.
I will say it does dry fast and non sticky and locks the lube in the grooves very well. I mainly hope it will get me a bit more speed from my plain base version of the same boolit without leading. Ben really seems to believe in it for his bore riders and he shoots a lot of plain base, so we shall see how it does in "Ol Contrary"...my 35 whelen. Deer gun season is here in Ms., so that's gonna cut into my shooting time through Jan. and 2 weeks into Feb. But we will "GETTER DONE" somehow. Good luck with yours...looks like your on to something there.

Don't forget that Ben shoots most of his loads in the 1400 to 1900 fps window. His lubes work very well in that window. Get outside that velocity window and it may not work as well.

Rockrat,

Great job there. Thanks for posting. Please keep us updated.

Dave

Gear, no I don't. I am a member of our local club and will gladly take you to our outdoor range to shoot, if that is your wish. Kind of proud of it, we have done alot of work on it the last few years. We are hoping to add to the range and get 1000 yds +, but will just have to see what happens

sgt. mike-- it is a mix of Caranuba red, bac, voodo lube, lyman moly and lbt soft. In about a 1 to 1 of each.

I like a little synthetic, a bit of moly and a certain consistency. Use to shoot lyman orange magic, lbt soft and spg in a blend, but can't leave things along, have to piddle with mixes and see what happens. Never know when you might come across the perfect recipie. Have shot some small groups with this stuff, just haven't played much with this high of velocities.

I am not surprised by the HM-2 molds success.