Back for advice round 2

[71velle]

I and ready to start the next phase of load development. Round on thread http://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?54609-First-test-loads-now-what

Shooting a 223 model 11
loading with varget powder
68 grain hpbt

I want to start playing with seating depth. I measured the chamber and came up with an overall length with the bullet I will be using of 2.283. The loads I have been shooting have a length of 2.250. Looking for a plan of how to load the test loads.

Any help, experiences or advice would be great.

[alltherage]

Id start .005 off rifling and reduce by .010 each batch

[WV1951]

If you start near the lands, start with light loads. I can't get anywhere near to max charge if close to the lands. When I back off .050 or more, I can move up a bit in charge weight. YMMV

[Texas10]

It's been my experience that Hornadays shoot better jumped a bit in the 223. I prefer to start say, .020 or .025 off and shoot 3. Then .005 closer and shoot 3, and continue to work your way up to touching, or even into the lands .005 or .010. Check each round for pressure, particularly if you're close to max load as you work your way forward. I log each shot in my shooting notes, and measure groups for overall spread, approx center of group and distance and direction from Point of Aim.

If you really want to get anal, number your loads like this; YYMMDD-X (year, month, day) and where X is a variation in the basic load as per above where -1 is say .025 off, -2 is .020 off etc. That way you can enter these into a spread sheet and they will organize themselves properly. include bullet mfg and wt (in the first column), lot number if you want, powder, grains, brass, target results, group size, anything you can imagine. You can color high light groups under .5 moa for instance.

Once you've populate a spread sheet with 20 or 30 entires, a clearer pattern starts to develop. Bullet weights are the first sort, then load info.

Example; Today I loaded two variations on a load. I numbered the first one 170319-1 as .020 off the lands, and 170319-2 as .010 off the lands, and all the load information was logged into my 243 loading logbook, so I can go back and re-visit anything in the future. When I've shot that load, I log the results, date of shoot, target numbers, etc in the log book. This makes it easy to go back and forth between the spread sheet, log book and targets I've saved from each shoot.

Keep a spread sheet for each gun, and separate log book for loading. Targets can go in one box sorted by date.

Include on your target all load info, meteorological conditions such as wind relative direction, speed, gusts, sky cover, temperature, date, gun, shooter, groups size, velocity info if using a chrono, so it's all there at a glance. I print targets on a copier using heavy (110 lb) bond, AKA card stock. Make masters and run off copies before leaving for the range. A series of targets like you have on a 8 1/2 X 11 sheet is fine for load development at 100 yds, and two targets per sheet at 200, one at 300 for example.

Let your imagination run wild!

[71velle]

The loads I have been shooting are .033 of the lands. I would feel more comfortable moving a little closer with each test load and not less that about .010. Is moving closer each test load .005 till Im about .010 off the lands a good test interval? If I do that it would be 6 different loads to test. Is that best or spread the interval out and have fewer test loads at first and use the data to make a second round of testing?

[m12lrs]

The loads I have been shooting are .033 of the lands. I would feel more comfortable moving a little closer with each test load and not less that about .010. Is moving closer each test load .005 till Im about .010 off the lands a good test interval? If I do that it would be 6 different loads to test. Is that best or spread the interval out and have fewer test loads at first and use the data to make a second round of testing?


Found.quite.a few at 0.120 off the lands. Good luck

[71velle]

Found.quite.a few at 0.120 off the lands. Good luck

do you mean 12 thousands? If I went .120 off it would be 87 thousands shorter than factory ammo

[m12lrs]

From just before the.ogive disapears into the neck of the brass to when the bullet is jammed .020 into the lands.