Browning BLR 358 was giving me fits

[Ramjet-SS]

I have tired about every load combination you can think of. I went Scout Scope and conventional scope receiver mounted tried Hornady, Sierra, Barnes, Nosler you name it powder and primer combos I tried them. I had fliers and the accuracy was inconsistent in fact it was horrible. I thought about bedding the front forearm and a miriad of other fixes I thought forearm might be loose or the bolt for the sling was hitting the barrel then I though the take down was loose and causing me issues but in the end [smilie=b:[smilie=b:and I was about to trade this thing off............................until this morning I had cast some RCBS 200 Grain 358 FP GC last weekend so I sized some up and loaded them over 26.0 grains of SR 4759 with a BR-2 primer. The alloy was plumbers lead 3 parts and to 1 part lino. I setup the chronograph and shot 5 shots at the target without any scope adjustment.

well guess what? I gotta lead lover. My average velocity was 1978 FPS with low standard deviation.

[wch]

Ya' gotta' love it when a plan comes together!

[waksupi]

Gee, if you would have asked, I could have TOLD you you have to shoot lead in them! [smilie=l:

[Ramjet-SS]

Well think of the frustration you would have saved me ............ oh and money on jacketed bullets powder and primers.:bigsmyl2:

[EDG]

All those jacketed bullets just ironed out the the rough spots in the bore.

[Ramjet-SS]

That's for sure. Plenty of them shot the cast again today just awesome accuracy. I am looking forward to testing these in hillbilly test media. Elk better look out this fall.

[Lefty SRH]

Have you slugged your barrel? I'm curious to see the bore and groove dimensions.

[Ramjet-SS]

I have not yet but this was first chance today and this gun will have the forearm glass bedded. Groups once it settles after it heats up. Shot one OK then once it heat up shots shift hard right. Took the forearm off and they put 4 spots of epoxy and two,little in the hanger. None of which are the same size or spot. So I will full length glass bed the forearm that should settle things down. I know the gun is capable just wandering and in examining the way they hang that forearm in the gun it is no wonder.

[starnbar]

That is still a good group and when you get done it should be one ragged hole good shooting.

[Ramjet-SS]

Yea but that was after the barrel was hot I had shot some jacketed bullets the group shifted to the right when I shot the cast yes they grouped well. I wrote the shift off to jacketed vs cast. But today shot all cast first shot in the bull the rest 6" to the right good group but 6" to the right of the first cold barrel shot. But it can be corrected had a Ruger Number 1 same darn thing got the forearm contact consistent and wella.

Forearm spotty contact with very light barrel is the issue. Easy to correct....I hope. :grin:

[EOD3]

So, how does it shoot when you back the target off to 25 yards? :bigsmyl2:

[Ramjet-SS]

More to the right.

[Ramjet-SS]

Glass bedded the forearm and the jacketed bullets have settled down no more roaming after shot one. I am going to order a good heavy for caliber WFN mold for the 358 that drops them at .360 then start working up the loads.