Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 30

Thread: Should I Start Load Development At Min or Optimun (Near Max)

  1. #1
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428

    Should I Start Load Development At Min or Optimun (Near Max)


    Just a quick question. I took my 6.5-284 barrel off the receiver (RH) and installed it on a different receiver (LH). Do I need to start load development over or can I just keep using same loads? Headspace did change a little as in less. Thanks. Dan

  2. #2
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    108
    I would work them up again. You may have some baselines to work from with your old loads, but the headspace change will make things different.

  3. #3
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    I think your right. Thank you.

  4. #4
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Minnesota
    Posts
    799
    I usually start in the middle to save on powder. Always good to start again though when there is a change.
    Savage 10 FCP-SR 308, 300BO PCS

  5. #5
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    Well I did start lower, 55 grs of retumbo and rem 9.5 mag primers. It was not good. Immediately there were pressure signs. One thing to note was, by accident, my old load of 3000fps with 140 vld's is 3158 now! Don't ask me how I know.
    I will tare it back down and start over once I get my new bolt head.

  6. #6
    Team Savage GaCop's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Warner Robins, Ga
    Age
    77
    Posts
    5,014
    Quote Originally Posted by bearcatrp View Post
    I usually start in the middle to save on powder. Always good to start again though when there is a change.
    +1
    Vietnam Vet, Jun 66 - Dec 67

  7. #7
    Basic Member scope eye's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Sebring FL
    Posts
    2,795
    Just Start Over Max and work your way down from there, It works flawlessly and lets face it you are going to end up there eventually. So why waist time Barrel life and reloading components.








    Just kidding
    Bobs your uncle
    RUMs are like woman in Stiletto heals, you know they are going to put you in the poor house, but that has never stopped anyone from pursuing them.

  8. #8
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    vero beach fl. / driftwood pa.
    Age
    74
    Posts
    3,529
    Quote Originally Posted by chukarmandoo View Post
    Well I did start lower, 55 grs of retumbo and rem 9.5 mag primers. It was not good. Immediately there were pressure signs. One thing to note was, by accident, my old load of 3000fps with 140 vld's is 3158 now! Don't ask me how I know.
    I will tare it back down and start over once I get my new bolt head.
    Why cant we ask how you know that?
    Not to say you didnt experience pressure signs, but a 158 FPS velocity increase would be hard to do by just changing actions imop.
    What roll does the action play in velocity anyway? I never knew there was any, so id really like to know.

  9. #9
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    PA || SC
    Posts
    560
    Quote Originally Posted by yobuck View Post
    What roll does the action play in velocity anyway? I never knew there was any, so id really like to know.
    I have to think that it's caused more so by the difference in headspace than the action itself.
    [I]"In the end, run what 'ya brung because it's better than nothing and don't give two ****s what some interwebs chat board guy says about your rig."[/I]

  10. #10
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    1,248
    ^ Yes. He did say he made the headspace less, or tighter. ^

  11. #11
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    OK, Got the rifle all put back together last night and hopefully I did a better job this time. I took extensive care this time installing the barrel and made sure everything checked out.
    It now, for sure, has a tighter headspace. The reloads I've been using will NOT chamber in the gun. Which I think is a good thing?
    My buddy has a custom gun and a few months ago we worked up a load for it and man its a shooter! Never showed any signs of over pressure and went over 3100 with the 140 vld's but the groups started to open up a little. ended up at 3050 fps with bullets touching at 100 yds. I tried to chamber one of my rounds in it and it wouldn't go. This got me questioning how my rifle was setup.
    Doing a lot of measuring and checking factory ammo against mine and measuring my go-guage I've come to realize that I was .012 to big, and getting ejector swipes before book max loads. I will start over with load work and thanks fellas for your input. Will be working with Retumbo and RL26 behind the 140 vld's.
    Last edited by chukarmandoo; 02-05-2016 at 01:16 PM.

  12. #12
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    Well after all the work on the rifle and starting over with load development I'm still having huge issues. At below max loads(3 grs. Below book max) things go bad! At 56.5 popped a primer, heavy bolt lift. Fired another round, popped a primer and blew the extractor!
    Now I wondering if the action and the bolt are bad! Timing is the worst of all of the savage rifles I have. This is a used rifle built sometime after 1975 but probably not much.Thinking right now of pulling the barrel off and just cutting the action up! How would I know if it is bad? At this point I'd be afraid to sell it.
    Another question is, how much clearance should there be from the front of the bolt lugs to the face of the barrel? Also, can the bolt face be cut to deep into the bolt head?

  13. #13
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    vero beach fl. / driftwood pa.
    Age
    74
    Posts
    3,529
    Quote Originally Posted by chukarmandoo View Post
    Well after all the work on the rifle and starting over with load development I'm still having huge issues. At below max loads(3 grs. Below book max) things go bad! At 56.5 popped a primer, heavy bolt lift. Fired another round, popped a primer and blew the extractor!
    Now I wondering if the action and the bolt are bad! Timing is the worst of all of the savage rifles I have. This is a used rifle built sometime after 1975 but probably not much.Thinking right now of pulling the barrel off and just cutting the action up! How would I know if it is bad? At this point I'd be afraid to sell it.
    Another question is, how much clearance should there be from the front of the bolt lugs to the face of the barrel? Also, can the bolt face be cut to deep into the bolt head?
    My advise would be stop right now and find yourself a good gunsmith to check the gun out.

  14. #14
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    Well I think I'll reinstall the barrel back on the action that I originally put it on and red tag this action and cut my losses. Thanks

  15. #15
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Posts
    2,879
    I think I would set it back up to check head space again. Every barrel I've install I tighten it to the go gauge, then back off a hair and check with the no go. Then I re-insert the go tighten the nut (30ft lbs) and re-inspect with both gauges. It's been flawless every time. with 308Win, 243 Win, and 6.5-06 regardless of the receiver the barrel went on. I even shared the same loads and brass with the barrel/action without resizing with no issues. Both on Savage actions (10, 116, and Axis) and the Mausingfield I run now.

  16. #16
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    MN
    Posts
    806
    <~ Accepting red tagged actions for proper disposal :-)

    J/K but sounds like the actions fine just needs some love.

  17. #17
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    Quote Originally Posted by LoneWolf View Post
    I think I would set it back up to check head space again. Every barrel I've install I tighten it to the go gauge, then back off a hair and check with the no go. Then I re-insert the go tighten the nut (30ft lbs) and re-inspect with both gauges. It's been flawless every time. with 308Win, 243 Win, and 6.5-06 regardless of the receiver the barrel went on. I even shared the same loads and brass with the barrel/action without resizing with no issues. Both on Savage actions (10, 116, and Axis) and the Mausingfield I run now.
    I haven't used a no-guage. Used tape on go-gauge after the barrel was tightened down and everything checked out. I annealed the cases, resized them, checked shoulder length, 1.814 to datum line. Go-guage datum measures 1.818. Fired cases measure 1.818 to 1.820 when things went bad. I did take special care installing the barrel. Checked the COAL with bullets touching and they are now over .010 longer due to ware (over 500 rounds). Fired cases have 3 or 4 reloads on them and looked fine. No shiny areas near the web etc.

  18. #18
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    Quote Originally Posted by sixonetonoffun View Post
    <~ Accepting red tagged actions for proper disposal :-)

    J/K but sounds like the actions fine just needs some love.
    Yes, to having it checked later or destroyed.

  19. #19
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    The funny thing is $500 or less and I could buy a whole new rifle and just use the action and sell the rest.
    Not worth the headache or injury in the long run.

  20. #20
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Elizabethtown,Pa
    Age
    75
    Posts
    1,313
    Quote Originally Posted by chukarmandoo View Post
    I haven't used a no-guage. Used tape on go-gauge after the barrel was tightened down and everything checked out. I annealed the cases, resized them, checked shoulder length, 1.814 to datum line. Go-guage datum measures 1.818. Fired cases measure 1.818 to 1.820 when things went bad. I did take special care installing the barrel. Checked the COAL with bullets touching and they are now over .010 longer due to ware (over 500 rounds). Fired cases have 3 or 4 reloads on them and looked fine. No shiny areas near the web etc.
    Just a WAG but have you checked for a carbon ring a 1/2" to 1-1/2" ahead of the chamber in the bore?

    Bill
    Each morning eat a live green toad, it will be the worst thing you'll have face all day.

  21. #21
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    Quote Originally Posted by BillPa View Post
    Just a WAG but have you checked for a carbon ring a 1/2" to 1-1/2" ahead of the chamber in the bore?

    Bill
    Bill I haven't really checked this out. The barrel is a Shilen and have not had any indications of high pressure when it was on the other action. I just cleaned it before I put it on this action and never felt any difference in the bore and there is hardly ever copper. I looked through the barrel when it was off just to see what the throat and leads looked like.
    I'll check again when I pull the barrel. Thanks

    When I look in the two actions at the lug engagements"?" there is a noticeable difference as far as machine work goes. The bolt head looked worse and I was able to get a different one.
    Just think someone screwed this one up or by messing with it. Oh well.

  22. #22
    Basic Member Robinhood's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    South Texas
    Age
    66
    Posts
    7,789
    Forgive my ignorance but what kind of damage to the action would increase pressure?.

    Twisted...Nope. Out of alignment or bent.....Nope. Stripped action screw.....Nope bent trigger hanger...Nope. Head space .......Can you close the bolt?(yes/no) ..... Nope/Hmmmm. Wrong powder or powder mixed on accident.....Yep. Powder scale issue....Yep. Brass issue or damage to the barrel........??????
    See where I'm going?
    The Dunning-Kruger effect is alive and well.

  23. #23
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    south arkansas
    Age
    65
    Posts
    1,292
    Quote Originally Posted by Robinhood View Post
    . Wrong powder or powder mixed on accident.....Yep. Powder scale issue....Yep. Brass issue or damage to the barrel........??????
    See where I'm going?
    These seem to be the most likely issues
    "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 (New King James Version)

  24. #24
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portlandia, Or.
    Posts
    428
    Well thanks everyone. Replied to everyone's comments but the site didn't let me post and I lost it. It was long not going to retype it.

  25. #25
    Basic Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    21
    Sounds like your bullet may be jamming into the lands. That will cause excessive pressure issues. Remove your extractor/ejector and see if a dummmy load will jam itself in the chamber. Your OAL may be too much for your headspacing.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Load development
    By coffeediver in forum Ammunition & Reloading
    Replies: 16
    Last Post: 06-05-2017, 11:23 AM
  2. Load development 101
    By Texas10 in forum Ammunition & Reloading
    Replies: 18
    Last Post: 08-11-2016, 09:51 AM
  3. Hi everybody & load development
    By Silvercrow1 in forum Ammunition & Reloading
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 01-23-2016, 10:15 PM
  4. done with load development for my .308....
    By dacaur in forum Ammunition & Reloading
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 09-29-2011, 07:24 PM
  5. Load development for .300 Win Mag
    By dsculley in forum Ammunition & Reloading
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 07-08-2010, 10:11 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •