model 40 at the range

took the old model 40 to the range this weekend. this rifle is almost boring accuracy-wise. i'm not complaining, im just saying i don't have to tinker with it nearly as much as my other rifles.

i had a couple new handloads i wanted to try out. started at 50 yds. im using lil' gun powder with all of these, small pistol primers, remington brass. the only thing i'm changing is the bullet and the powder charge. seem to get the same results at max charge and at 1 g. below max. certainly haven't ever had high pressure signs with this powder.

anyway, here's how the 33 g. speer TNT (apparently hornet-specific) bullets group:

[img width=600 height=450]http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i258/n8dawg6/IMG_0904.jpg[/img]

next tried some 40 g. sierra varminter softpoints (again, purportedly hornet-specific):

[img width=600 height=450]http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i258/n8dawg6/IMG_0901.jpg[/img]

not even keeping up with how many times i shoot, it just makes a ragged hole. next are the 40 g. hornady v-max bullets:

[img width=600 height=450]http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i258/n8dawg6/IMG_0903.jpg[/img]

and here are the 40 g. vmaxes at 100 yds:

[img width=600 height=450]http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i258/n8dawg6/IMG_0902.jpg[/img]

interestingly group size doesnt open up much at that range.

anyway, i think the v-maxes shoot the best, and the TNT's slightly edge out the sierra's. but they all shoot well, and the TNT's and sierra's shoot basically to the same POA.

curiously, the v-maxes seem to wear out cases more quickly. they make the hornet neck brass stretch a little. and i get a LOT of split necks using those bullets. i would say 75% of them are split after 2 loadings. no such problems with the sierra or TNT ammo. curious?