Range trip #3 with 6BR. Post bedding.

I guess I'm going to have to disregard the info from my first two range trips since the first was with a bipod, and the second trip was prior to bedding. Still haven't found that sweet spot yet. I do think the bedding helped with consistancy. I'm getting 5 shot groups at a fuzz under .75". I want to knock atleast another .25" off somehow. All testing is with Varget and 107 SMK's. I think it is time for me to try a different powder, but I want to keep working on the 107 SMK's because I have a few hundred of them. Going to try some Re15 and H4895.

Top two groups are 29.8g Varget, 107 SMK with a .010 jam.
Middle two are 30g with a .010 jam.
Bottom left is 30g with a .015 jam.

The barrel was clean, and I fired two foulers. Seems like it may need about 5 foulers before it really settles down.
[img width=337 height=450]http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h270/dm2596/groups3.jpg[/img]

1. If it is a factory barrel try shooting it dirty. 95% of the factory Savage barrels I shot have shot there best groups when they had 10 or 20 rounds down the tube.

2. Don't expect stellar groups at 100 yards with the bullets you are using. A VLD bullet doesn't fully stabilize until after 200 yards. Try a more appropriate 100 yard bullet like a 70 gr SMK.

3. Are you shooting over wind flags? if you not you need a set, because tiring to figure out what is going on without them is like driving a race car without a tachometer. They don't have to be complicated, just a few sticks with surveyors tape on them works well. I would put out 4 flags for 100 yards.

4. What I see is a lot of vertical, Pay close attention to recoil, and trigger management. Most Factory 6br barrels are very long. (The 12 benchrest I had had a 30 in tube.) The longer barrel makes the gun nose heavy, and they will lift out of the rear bags. I found the shooting free recoil is impossible, because of this. The rifle needs pined hard to the rest with your shoulder, and I would place my non trigger hand on top of the back of the stock to hold it down into the bags. The longer barrels also have a tendency to exaggerate recoil problems, because it takes longer for the bullet to exit the barrel, and as the gun is recoiling the muzzle is lifting.

Thanks for the input.

It's a 28" McGowen.

I'm not shooting in any wind. I go to the range, which is basically in a a narrow valley, early in the morning before there is any wind, and before the sun comes up over the ridge. 200yds is not an option at the moment. I think my trigger pull is good. I've been holding the rifle fairly firm to my shoulder, but I could try to hold the forend down a little firmer. I'm going to try some H4895 the next time I go out.

Question - can seating depth change group size my .25"?

There is several things that attribute to vertical. Too much cheek pressure is one that some overlook. Seating depth can change group size, by a .25 at 100 yards I'm not sure on. It doesn't hurt to try.

Every 6br l have shot,shot it's best with a very
light hold...just food for thought...
Jon D.

I have to agree with 82boy. I am new to the 6BR game and spent considerable time developing a load and learning at 100 yards. I finally had a nice load so I moved out to 300 and 600 yards. My 100 yard loads opened up considerably at those ranges. I found that 105 lapua's were far superior to the 105 Brger VLD's at 100 and just the opposite at 300 and 600 yards. I wasted lots of powder and lead screwing around at 100 yards.

Are you FL sizing your brass? If not, I highly recommend to do so.

As I posted on your first range trip, I would stick with the powder, look's like your best charge is 29.8-30.0, and try different seating depth's. On every powder I've tried I found by experimenting with seating depth's found me a good group load.

I'm going to keep working on it. I dont' think .7" groups are acceptable from a select match barrel. Lots of guys are getting VLD bullets under .5" at 100yds. I loaded up some H4895 and if that don't work, I'll try Re15. If that don't work, I'll try some Berger VLD, and the 105 amax. I'm going to keep the seating depth constant at .025 jump until I find a .5" load, and then I will mess with the seating depth.

What kind of scope again ??

Your setup will shoot tighter at 100 yards than what you are showing.

Try my old load sometime before you get too frustrated.
105 Scenars over 29gr of H4895.
Expensive bullets though.

In my barrel the Scenars shot a good bit tighter than the SMKs.
I jammed mine .015 but your barrel might be different.

That was on a Choate Ultimate Varminter stock, Free recoil, on a front rest.

I also don't always buy long VLD bulelts dont stabilize until 200-300 yards.
It makes sense but its just not always true.

I had a 7 twist 223 that shot 90 gr Berger VLDs 1/4"-3/8" at 100 yards.

Oddly it shot 52 grain amaxes and 90 gr bergers the tightest.
Everything else was slightly more open.
In almost every rifle I have owned, Berger VLDs and Scenars have always shot tighter than
SMKs.

Scope is a new 6.5x20 Vortex Viper. Really nice piece of glass for the money.

Greatings all 1st post but i thought i needed to ad to this.

MDM
The advice that has been given here is all good, I have a savage Model12 in 6Br and like you could not get what i thought was acceptable groups at 100mtr using 107smk's and AR2208 (Varget) .6 to .7 was about the best with 29.5gr and a 5tho jam. After reading on here and another forum i set a target out at 300mts (328 yards) and shot the same load 3 x 5 shot groups that went .179 .195 and .170.
What i and others are trying to tell you is this bullet doesnt seem to start working until you get out a bit and if you want to shoot bugholes at 100 use a different bullet.

Cheer's Swift

Scope shouldn't be a problem.

Good advice on moving the target out.

Like above move it out to 300 yards, double check the parallax,
use your best form and see what happens. You might just shoot a sub 1" group.

I have the same barrel as you got, and mine loves 30-30.5gr Varget. I usually shoot 87gr vmax with that load @ .015" jump and it shoots 1/4" groups, but will shoot the same charge with 105amax very well also.

I would stick with the Varget. I havent seen a 6br yet that didnt like Varget, and alot of people will say if you cant get it to shoot Varget then it wont shoot. Just do some reading over at 6mmbr.com..

On some groups it looks like you almost have two seperate groups(3 and 2). Id pay alot of attention to your cheekweld, trigger pull, and hold the gun the same every time. I try to not even put my other hand on it and just let it recoil.

Is the bench real sturdy? Reason I ask is at my range there are a couple benches(wooden) that wobble and are unlevel. It drives me nuts if I get there and have to shoot off them.

What possum1 said was the same thing I was thinking when I typed my first reply. I don't own a 6BR put I know what they can do with Varget and your rifle should not be any different.

I have had a Benchrest 6BR for a year now and like you it has been some what of a struggle. At a 100 yds. my best success has been with Varget, 80 grn Berger, .005" jump and a Rifle Basix target trigger. All of these really had large impacts on group sizes, this configuration will shoot cloverleafs most of the time.
Good luck

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MDM

I'm not shooting in any wind.

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I would say your fooling yourself, and with any type of flag you will never know.

stock LRPV 1 -8 tw 6br...this load shot so good @ 100m..that i never tried anything else...Lapua brass..rem. 71/2 primer..31.8 gr varget..Berger fbhp...just off the lands..i got the load off 6mm br & it's a winner

All of the advice has been good here, but I'd like to add that you be very careful to adjust your parallax. Sometimes it is very hard to adjust with some scopes. If you have a slight bit of parallax you are not aiming at the same place every time. My rifle has shot a 5 shot group at 100 yds. as small as .084" and has shot quite a few in the low .3"s at 200 yds. I have been shooting Berger 105 gr. VLD Hunting Match Quality to get these groups.

"Aim small miss small", ;D

joseph

I'm anal about parallax. The 100yd mark on the Viper is dead on for my eyes for zero parallax. I've got some rounds loaded with H4895. I started at 28g and moved up to 29.5, in .3g increments. Going to go to the range bright and early tomorrow. I might pick up some RE15 today to try as well. Lots of guys recommend Re15 over at 6mmbr.com.

MDM,

I don't shoot SMK's in 6MM, but when I tried shooting them jammed in a 7mm-08, I couldn't get them to work. Both the 130's and 150's shot better jumped than jammed. And they are probably the least consistent bullet I've shot from a weight and bearing surface standpoint, which will have an effect if you jam them. If you want to stick with the SMK's, I'd try backing around 15 thou off the lands and focus on concentricity......but they are still SMK's, and you can use up alot of barrel life trying to get them to shoot like benchrest bullets (which they aren't).

For larger-for-caliber 6mm, I'm getting good results shooting 105Amax's jammed in a .243 Win. They are pretty uniform for a "cheap" bullet. The 105 Bergers shoot lights-out also, but way more expensive.
Elkbane

I know this post is old, but Did you try jumping them? My mcgowen likes 30.5 varget, wolf srm, jumpped .015", with 107 smk's.

I have a Lothar Walther, 1 in 8 twist, stainless 6mm BR barrel, 28". I can't get consistent results at 100 yards with the 107 SMK no matter what I do. Try the Hornady and Berger bullets, your results will most likely be better and the A-Max bullets are a lot cheaper than the Sierras.