***LADDER TEST DONE NOW WHAT***

[dwa]

HERE IS THE LADDER TEST I DID TODAY @ 100 YARDS(ALL I COULD SHOOT SINCE 200 WAS DOWN). COULD USE A LITTLE HELP TRANSLATING IT. I REALLY DONT UNDERSTAND THE ALL OF THE 49 GRAINS JUST ODD. I HAD GOOD REST IN THE LEAD SLED AND TOOK MY TIME. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT MY SHOOTING WAS GOOD NEVER HAD A SHOT THAT FELT BAD. THE WIND WAS GUSTING THE WEATHER SAID 10 BUT FELT HARDER.


http://i483.photobucket.com/albums/rr194/nosightsneeded/Mobile%20Uploads/Photo0675.jpg

[geargrinder]

I'm far from being an expert at interpreting ladders, but it looks like you have a pretty good node at 50-51 grains.

It's interesting at the POI change between 49.7g and 50.0g.

How was the brass at the upper end loads? Flattened primers or sticky bolt? Were you letting the barrel cool?

I'd do it again at 200y with just the upper end loads. Say from 49.5g and up until you get pressure signs.

Since I a hunting guy, I really like it when the hotter loads give the best groups.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Looks to me like 47 to 48.9 looks good as well as 50 to 51 but if it was me, I would work with the lower charge. That way you'll have a little wiggle room if it starts getting hot. Work with the tightest group. Make only "one" change at a time. Seating depth, powder charge. See if you can tighten those groups up.

[earl39]

Geargrinder and Mikie have given you a good starting point. About the only thing i can add is on a ladder you are really only looking at vertical unless you are trying to adjust for the wind and then you can mess up the test by holding off or changing scope settings. In other words don't worry too much about the bullet drift to start with and just work with the loads that show the least vertical. Some of the horizontal could be wind and some could be seating depth. When everything is nice and still and you are doing your part with a good load seating depth will correct horizontal MOST of the time.

Gary

[dwa]

thanks. I am looking for a hunting load and what yall are saying is just what i thought.

[Cover Dog]

This should help.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/long-range-load-development/

[dwa]

as far as seeing signs of pressure problems there wasn't any. nosler says 50 grains is max.

[geargrinder]

Not that I recommend this to anyone, but I like to explore loads over listed max. I prefer to have a feeling of what the max load is and find the next lower accuracy node.

[dwa]

I dont either thats whY went up very slow looking for any reason to stop. none were given. Iam not going any futher because the 50.7 and 51 look really good.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

IMHO, the "disadvantage" of building loads at or real close to max is if you build loads at say 50* then the weather jumps to 90*, you can run into pressure problems. Off the bench you could probably deal with it but in a hunting situation, that could spell trouble. Find your upper accuracy node and know where it is then find your lower node and work it till you can't get anymore out of it.

[pdog06]

Shoot the same test at 200 yards and see if you get similar results. You may just find that at farther distances a different charge will shine. If you find that the 47-49 and the 50-51 are still your best performers then you can now concentrate on just those ranges.

Just remember you only fired 1 shot from each charge, so you really dont know how well that charge will group till you try it. But that is where your seating depth will help you tighten that up.

It just seems weird it would climb the ladder like that and then the 50-51 gr charge would be so much lower vertically then the 49.7gr charge.

I would definately be shooting some groups with that 50-51 range though just to see how they group.

[dwa]

Thanks, guys. this is my deer round and it was 87 in the shade alot hotter in the direct sun Iam going to keep shooting this during the summerwith the temps reaching 100 on a daily basis. I will continue to look for pressure signs. BUT, it being a deer round it will be fired during the winter and shouldnt cause pressure problems right?

[geargrinder]

IMHO, the "disadvantage" of building loads at or real close to max is if you build loads at say 50* then the weather jumps to 90*, you can run into pressure problems. Off the bench you could probably deal with it but in a hunting situation, that could spell trouble. Find your upper accuracy node and know where it is then find your lower node and work it till you can't get anymore out of it.


His target said it was 87* during his test. I don't know where he lives or what he is hunting but I assumed it would be cooler than that when hunting.

[dwa]

HOW MANY OF YALL CRIMP?

[earl39]

HOW MANY OF YALL CRIMP?


Only for auto loaders.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

I don't even crimp for my M1A, Mini 14 or my AR. But, I might add, I resize for all my gas guns "full length" every time so there's lots of neck tension. Never had a problem except runnung out of loaded ammo. ::)

[dwa]

OK THATS WHAT I THOUGHT.

[GaCop]

Ditto on crimp. I don't do it for my ARs and get 1" groups with a 16" carbine. The rounds feed and function just fine.

[racinready300ex]

It may not hurt to play with crimp, I know bechrest shooters that have seen improvment with some of there guns by crimping.

P.S. I don't crimp

[lal357]

i use the lee factory crimp die but only crimp enough to hold the bullet in both my ar and bolt guess i could skip it for the bolt and see what it does thanks for getting me thinking some.