Ladder test of 2015 going (10) rounds each; 29.0g-30.0g-31.0g-32.0g & 33.0gOriginally Posted by DeanWinchester
Seated at 2.595 rifling engraves but extraction is easy to extract.
Going to take some time to fire all of those. In this summer heat, once that barrel is hot, it isn't going to cool very quickly. Better take plenty of ice water and some good reading while you wait on that barrel to cool.
Ben
I shoot early on Sunday mornings. One round every three minutes usually keeps things cool.
Ill bring other toys to keep me occupied. Actually I just traded for a nagant revolver. That'll keep me busy.
Dean, I missed your posts on earlier work with the .308. Would you mind stating what rifle you are using?
Rule 303
sorry..22 gr of 2400, 50 yds., 175 gr Accurate Mold bore rider out of lino/range scrap, al gas check, loaded to 2.76" OAL. All boolits weighed in at 183 gr. with lube and check, loaded in LC brass, using LEE collet die, slight factory crimp. 90 degrees and a slight RH wind.
I am having cataract surgery and have to get this back out to the range to try and duplicate this. Hopefully in a month or so if it cools down at all. Today was 105F.
22inch 10 twist Weatherby Vanguard II (Howa 1500)
UPDATE
Well, no change.
Similar groupings, no consistency.
Best (5) round group was .900 @ 50 yards for 29.0g of 2015. Next (5) shots of same load was 1.625
Working up a ladder from 29.0-33.0g groups ranged from .900 up to 3.5 inches.
Terrible.
SO, maybe there's something wrong with the rifle, or the shooter even! I brought along a box Hornady TAP 168g factory loads and shot (5) - Four round groups. I didn't even let the rifle cool. It was pretty dang hot by the end of this 20 rounds.
The (5) four round groups at 50 yards were
.600, .500, .81, .55 & .63
That's what I've been looking for and it tell me it's strictly MY loads, not my shooting or the rifle.
It is becoming apparent to me this rifle will be on a copper condom diet.I have 150 boolits left cast from water cooled Lyman #2 from this LBT mold. I'm going to try those with 4064, 4198 and 3031. It's the only powder I have. IF they don't shoot somewhere close to an inch, Casting for the .308 is over. I have my limits for patience. I have some dacron so I'm going to try a little filler with the 4064 loads.
I'm glad it's not the rifle itself. That's worth something.
try IMR3031 FIRST and 4064 last would be my only suggestion.
How about letting us know how you are preparing your brass and the whole loading sequence. Maybe someone can offer up some suggestions on what you are doing. What neck expander? how are you seating them? Are you sorting the bullets for weight? What lube? Alloy?
Well, I started with a pile of FC brass, all fired from this rifle. I weighed each one until i had (50) pcs 176.0g-177.9g.
I start with a Lee collet die that, with the current mandrel, gives me about .0015-.002 neck tension on a .311 boolit. I use a Lee flaring die to VERY gently open the mouth. Primer pockets uniformed, I seat a Win large rifle primer and charge, all charges have been hand weighed. Seat the boolit, check for run out and lead shaving. Haven't seen a problem with either. Then I use a Lee factory crimp die to close the flared end until the case mouth measures .340 which is about .002 under what a once fired case measures.
My gun range runs 30 minute relays between hot and clear. I manage 10 rounds per relay, about every three minutes so the barrel stays cool in this ridiculous TN heat. I bring a light recoiling pistol to keep me occupied between shots.
Current boolits are water dropped Lyman #2 alloy sized .311 and lubed with LBT Blue Soft. I was limited on the amount of bullets I could cast, I only had a couple of bars from Rotometals. The boolit weight ranged from 149.9-151.2 SO I just run them as is. I know weight variances can make a difference but I just don't beleive thats enough difference to matter at 50 yards.
Ive never seen a hint of fouling or leading. The bore stays very clean. The stupid things just won't fly straight. SOMETHING is upsetting the boolit because the damn thing fits. AND it fits GOOD. Not jump, no freebore, no empty space in the throat. No boolit below the case neck. All but the tip is supported, I'd say, 80% of the boolit is supported. There's no good reason it won't shoot better. Even if the groupings weren't as good as I like, its the inconsistency that's pissing me off. A given load will shoot 5 rounds into 3/4 of an inch one time, the next time it's liable to 2.5 inches.
The factory jacketed stuff was EXTREMELY consistent. Granted I only had 20 rounds to run, but next trip out I'm taking some more jacketed loads that have an inch of dust on them, under my bench.
Last edited by DeanWinchester; 07-27-2014 at 05:51 PM.
dean: Try some bore riders.
Did you chronograph your cast load? I suspect that if you did, you would find it to be running somewhere in the 2100-2200fps range. I think this is too fast for your cast load. I would recommend that you drop your load to the 26-27grain range and try again. This should put you somewhere in the 1800-2000fps range where I suspect you will be more stable. Just my two cents.
I've tried several. They all sucked, in .308 anyway. Worked well in 30/30, 35 Rem, & 300BLK.
I too would recommend trying 28, 27 and 26gr.
If you try IMR3031 start with 28gr and go up from there.
I've run loads down to 8 or 9 grains of Unique. Speed isn't the issue here, I don't think so anyway. Veral agreed it wasn't an issue either. Not with everything the way I have it. Lube is right, hardness is right, fit is right, something else is NOT right.
Stop crimping the loads for one thing. Lower your seating die to just touch the case mouth. Seat your bullets in two steps. Seat half way then rotate them 1/2 turn then final seat.
One more vote for 3031 first and start light. Start at 25 or 26 and try small groups. Each group 1 grain more than the previous.
You have gas checks on these cast bullets? Did you change checks, or how your putting them on?
I don't crimp anything.
Your using a LFC die. Don't use it at all.
That has no effect on anything that I can see. It's not like a pistol FCD where it can size the boolit down. All the collet is doing is closing the flare I made. It's not putting any more tension on the boolit than rest of the neck. In fact, probably less than the rest of the neck.
I tried not flaring, shaved lead don't work none too good though. I can go back to an Mdie but it's not necessary. I have the right neck ID already and it's a lot slower for nothing.
The frustration shows in your comments.
Sorry it isn't working out for you,
Ben
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