300 yard ladder test 260 AI

I completed a ladder test with my Criterion 28 inch 260AI barrel today. I started at 46 grains of H4831 SC and worked in .3 grain increments up to 48.1 grains with 140gr amax bullets.. The shots were all at 300 yards, shot from prone. I think I found an accuracy node. The small group is 0.5625 inches center to center. So roughly .187 MOA. I was using a pen to color in on an identical target where all the hits were, but I got confused with the tight cluster of 4. I pulled the last shot with 48.1 grains pretty bad, but it didn't matter. The vertical with the 46.3 and 46.6 was nice but the poi was so far from the others I am not going to try that charge at all. I am going to load up 47.5grs and play with seating depth.

The Rifle
[img width=600 height=450]http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/xx279/Justin_Verville/DSC04841.jpg[/img]

The Target
[img width=600 height=450]http://i763.photobucket.com/albums/xx279/Justin_Verville/DSC04840.jpg[/img]

Thats a four shot group? .187 is fantastic man! Way to shoot. Your target is a bit like deciphering chinese but I can see the group.........300 yards on that one huh? Very nice indeed.

I am fighting myself about buying/ not buying a Criterion. I want a new rifle but I don't need a new rifle. I just built one with a McGowen and it is a great barrel, but what I am seeing and hearing about the Criterion's makes me want to try one out and see if I can improve on what I have. I have a great 6.5 Swede, she's a shooter and a joy to shoot. But...........I'm really liking the Berger .284, 180 gn booollets that they have and would love to launch those suckers out past 1200 yards and see what they will do. But.........Criterion doesn't make a .280AI or a .284 Win. AI or a 7mm Mag yet. We will have to apply ample pressure on the Jimster.........

Great shooting......again.!!!

L.H. Clark

Sinarms can do you a 280AI or 284. Devin made me a 280AI barrel that was a bughole shooter. Not to take anything away from the Criterions, I have one in 6.5 Lapua and it too is a shooter.

What kind of velocities are you getting?

I have no idea what type of velocities that I am getting. I am estimating around 2850 or so using JBM. I have a match on the tenth so hopefully it performs.

Clocked some of my loads today. 47.5g of 4831sc with 140Amax's just off the lands ran and average of 2860. This was out of my new Criterion 28" 260ai barrel.

i know you guys are in a different league then me, but i'd like to have the ability to do that at 100-200 yds. let alone 300. good work. keep at it.

Nice Shooting.
How much of a performance gain do you see over a regular 260 by going with the ai? What's barrel life like?

I don't think you see a huge performance gain. At max probably about 150-160 fps more tops. I really like how stable the shoulder. Barrel life should be good if you don't load max to 2950 or so. I am using 47.5gr of 4831sc out of a 28 inch so 2850fps or so. Should be good for 2000 rounds or so, however, fclass is brutal on barrels.

Jvw,

Where are you ending up on seating depth? I loaded some 140 amax at 2.900",2.880" and 2.870" toady over 4831sc was getting an avg. of 2930 but didn't like the ES on any of them. Also ran some 120hpbt's over 42g of MR2000 at 3000fps these seemed to group better,but after getting home I noticed my scope had slid back about .250" so I got to try all over again.