Finally....Range Day

Finally, a day without subfreezing temps and 40+ mph gusts! So, I took three of the four Savages, to the range.
More and more, I find myself shooting match bullets - Amaxes and SMK's. This was my first experience with the Speer 145 BTHP Match. The results were, for the most part, not impressive. IMR4895 is the only one which shot decently. I am not sure if I pulled the one flyer or if I'd just cleaned the barrel and forgot to shoot a fouler. So, I'll need to try a repeat on this load. The other two groups, with this bullet, were too bad to post (Varget and H414).

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8356/8...46463aee_c.jpg
Spr145match_imr4350_Jan-19-2013 by beartooth91, on Flickr

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8358/8...4183f191_c.jpg
Spr145match_imr4895_19-Jan-2013 by beartooth91, on Flickr

I'm very early on the barrel break-in, for my new '06. I have a total of twelve shots through the rifle. Since I'm cleaning every 3 shots; I'm not really trying much for load development. Still, this next group, while not great, shows the rifle and/or load may have potential. It was fired from a clean barrel and with new, un-fire-formed brass.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8470/8...70eda53c_c.jpg
Hdy168amax_rl15_19-Jan-2013 by beartooth91, on Flickr

The .223 turned in a good day. I did a repeat of four different powder combinations, with the Hdy 52 AMax. In the past, I've seated these with a .020" jump. This time, they were seated at the lands. The H-Benchmark load isn't anything to write home about....
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8072/8...c5ed3b96_c.jpg
Hdy_52AMAX_benchmark_Jan-19-2013 by beartooth91, on Flickr
...But, H335 and IMR4895 are....
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8...ea884a1f_c.jpg
Hdy_52AMAX_h335_Jan-19-2013 by beartooth91, on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8355/8...6f7d4e4f_c.jpg
Hdy_52AMAX_imr4895_Jan-19-2013 by beartooth91, on Flickr

IMR4895 was not originally in my top five choices of powder. I finally bought a can, for the .223. But, I continue to be amazed how well this old powder shoots in a variety of cartridges. It shoots very well in my .243 and it was once a match load for the 30-'06 and .308.

What I would give for a good range day. I've been out of town for work for 2 weeks with a brand new savage .260 sitting at the house ready to be shot. You've got some promising loads going there. How did you decide on those charges? Have you worked up previously?

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Originally Posted by david8989

What I would give for a good range day. I've been out of town for work for 2 weeks with a brand new savage .260 sitting at the house ready to be shot. You've got some promising loads going there. How did you decide on those charges? Have you worked up previously?

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The .223 / 52 AMax loads are repeats. They shot well with 4895 and H335 with the bullet seated .020 jump. But, they shoot a touch better seated at the lands.
For the 7mm-08; I wanted to try the Speer 145 BTHP match. I just picked the top powders out of my Lee manual. But, so far, am not impressed. I'll have to try some other powders.
As for the '06, I haven't started any load development as I'm still fire forming and breaking in the barrel. So, I'm trying to use up two powders that have never shot well in any of my other Savages - H380 and RL-15. But, maybe there's potential for RL-15 in the '06.....?

All of the above are min loads per my Lee manual or Hornady manual. I'm trying these AMaxes at (.223) or close ('06) to the lands, so, I'm checking for pressure. (And haven't seen any.)

You, sir, are lucky. Where I am (seems like the arctic circle) it's been well below 0c for some time now (-28c as I sit here). If that's not bad enough, there's over a foot and a half of snow at the range. Sure wish I could get out.

EDIT: last time I was out, it was -20c and there was only 10" of snow at the range.

The only thing I hate about H4895 is the size of the grains. 1 or 2 grain variance per charge makes a difference and it takes a lot of time to trickle each load to get it exact. My Hornady lock and load powder measure has a hard time metering that stuff consistently. It would have been better it they had cut the grains half of the current length.

Disappointed with my initial lack of success with the Speer 7mm 145 BTHP Match bullets; I loaded some more up and took the 7mm-08 back out to the range, this afternoon. On the previous trip, the IMR4895 load shot well with the exception of the lone flyer, so, I repeated the load. Here's today's group, three shots:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8500/8...5564abcd_c.jpg
Spr145match_25-Jan-13_1_1024 by beartooth91, on Flickr
I tried some other powders, kinda in the range of IMR4895. The next load was with IMR4064:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8094/8...47350364_c.jpg
Spr145match_25-Jan-13_2_1024 by beartooth91, on Flickr
Not, great, but, may have potential. I'll probably try this again with incremental higher charges.
Next up was Reloder 15, a powder I've tried in my other Savages and never had a good result; today's 3 shot group:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8353/8...ed108a2b_c.jpg
Spr145match_25-Jan-13_3_1024 by beartooth91, on Flickr
Wow! Maybe Reloder 15 does shoot well in something!
Finally, I tried some H380, another powder I've never had shoot well in anything:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8332/8...9583bd73_c.jpg
Spr145match_25-Jan-13_4_1024 by beartooth91, on Flickr
So, on this one - which was my last group of the afternoon - I put shots 1 & 2 side by side. I see this, and did a bit more dry-firing practice than I normally do. I shoot #3 and it prints below. So, I decided to shoot a fourth and it goes into the shots 1 & 2 hole! So, I need to repeat this one again. Maybe there is a use for H380......

**** good shootin...Finely warmed up some here as well...Heading to the range soon with my 308
to do some more testing with the 168 gr Sierra MK's Tried the Hornady 168's yesterday with good
results at 100 yards...So I am going to try the SMK's today with the same powder carch and OAL...
Need to see which one is going to group the best...John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by acemisser

**** good shootin...Finely warmed up some here as well...Heading to the range soon with my 308
to do some more testing with the 168 gr Sierra MK's Tried the Hornady 168's yesterday with good
results at 100 yards...So I am going to try the SMK's today with the same powder carch and OAL...
Need to see which one is going to group the best...John

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On my "to do" list--I'll be looking forward to your results.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thermaler

On my "to do" list--I'll be looking forward to your results.

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if your refering to my results I can say from what I shot today,that the Hornady bullets were a lot
more accurate with the same powder load and O.A.L I was using IMR 4895 and Varget powders.
only at 100 yards..The Hornady were in 5 shot groups close to 3/4 inch....The Sierra's were in 5
shot groups more like 1 1/2 inch....But I usualy do the test over again to see how consistent it is..:fencing:

nice shootin' I'd like to know more about the .223 you were shooting. got a pic? I'm assuming these were 100 yard groups?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by acemisser

if your refering to my results I can say from what I shot today,that the Hornady bullets were a lot
more accurate with the same powder load and O.A.L I was using IMR 4895 and Varget powders.
only at 100 yards..The Hornady were in 5 shot groups close to 3/4 inch....The Sierra's were in 5
shot groups more like 1 1/2 inch....But I usualy do the test over again to see how consistent it is..:fencing:

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I'm not sure I understand; do mean you loaded the same type and weight of powder for each different type of bullet? What Hornady bullet were you using? I just did some 308 loads: berger 168 vld, nosler 180 accubond, barnes 168 ttsx and hornady 165 sst. These are preliminary "ladder" loads which I'll use to select final powder combinations.

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Originally Posted by ShowMeShooter

nice shootin' I'd like to know more about the .223 you were shooting. got a pic? I'm assuming these were 100 yard groups?

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Yes, these were all 100 yd groups.
The .223 is a Savage 16 FHVSS. I believe that's how its labeled on the box. As the pics show, its an accustock, fluted, stainless, med-heavy barrel, made exclusively for Cabelas. I believe its also chambered in 22-250 and .308. I bought it new, last May. Last month, I got rid of the Bushnell Banner and it now has a Nikon Prostaff 4-12x BDC on it.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8083/8...3db29fec_z.jpg
_MG_2001 by beartooth91, on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8516/8...3f7d6ebe_z.jpg
_MG_2004 by beartooth91, on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8365/8...0ffb0435_z.jpg
_MG_2005 by beartooth91, on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8335/8...75f6cc6a_z.jpg
_MG_2008 by beartooth91, on Flickr
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8232/8...13d2c98b_z.jpg
_MG_2011 by beartooth91, on Flickr

very nice, it's a shooter for sure!! thanks for the quick response....:thumb:

Is that a DBM? I like it!

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Originally Posted by ShowMeShooter

very nice, it's a shooter for sure!! thanks for the quick response....:thumb:

Is that a DBM? I like it!

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Hinged floorplate. Thank goodness they don't make it in a .243! I've had enough trouble not going back and getting a 22-250! A .243 would push me over the edge! (I have an accustock sporter .243, which shoots almost as well - several groups under 3/8". One day, I'll rebarrel it with a varmint barrel.)

rebarrel the .243? or this rifle? if you rebarrel this rifle I call dibs on that barrel before it's worn out...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShowMeShooter

rebarrel the .243? or this rifle? if you rebarrel this rifle I call dibs on that barrel before it's worn out...

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Yeah....I meant the .243.
Both my other accustock sporters shoot almost as well. (See the 7mm-08 groups from my second trip, above.) But, even with my Lead Sled, I find the two sporters very slightly more sensitive to my cheek pulses than the heavy barreled .223. I also spend a bit more time letting the sporter barrels cool between shots.
Interestingly enough, I have another Cabelas exclusive - a Savage 111, 30-'06, with a grey laminate stock. This is my only non-accustock rifle. I'm still early in the barrel break in, so, I haven't started working up loads for it. I'll be interested to see how it shoots. I notice it is unusually stable, on the rest, for a sporter. I'm not sure if its the 24" barrel or the laminate stock. It seems to be about as cheek pulse resistant, on the Lead Sled, as the heavy barrel .223 is.

nice, I see these Savages are as addicting as 10/22's used to be for me. I had 13 of them at one time.

I guess I'll be looking for a blued Savage heavy varmint barrel for my Stevens....:thumb:

Hey Beartooth, I saw a listing for one of these and was curious about them. An old Cabela’s exclusive it looks like? Did they have detachable magazines?

Found 1 in 308, seems like a great feature set for a good price. Per usual with Savage.

Thanks,

Isacpotatoes


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