Hi All! I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted! My health has been very poor during 2015; that and a job with a long commute kept me from reloading, shooting and posting here. 2016, Lord willing, seems to be brighter- I got laid off (in this case a good thing, and a new job on the horizon- tentative offer today), health has been increasingly better- new Dr. aggressively treating; and between Saturday and today...LOAD DEVELOPMENT!

DISCLAIMER- these are my loads for my gun. PLEASE be careful and follow powder and bullet manufacturers' data. BE SAFE! and...HAVE A GREAT TIME!

I LOVE MY SAVAGES and will seriously not have another rifle. My old model (early 90's 110 LA, .223, Boyd's stock, pillared by me, Nikon MilDot scope) Savage is a 1:14 twist and remarkably, I've been able to create loads for up to and including 55 Gn. bullets. My go-to powder is Winchester 748, BUT yesterday I loaded using IMR 8208 XBR behind 55 Gn. Hornady VMAX bullets. Loads between 23.8 Gn. IMR 8208 and 24.6 Gn.; Remington 71/2 BR primers, LC 7 &11 brass trimmed to 1.750. COAL 2.250 +/- .002. To the range today and set up at 100 yards.

30 degrees F, 68% humidity, variable winds 3-5 MPH right to left, intermittent, though. Tripod and sandbags for rear.

I was impressed by this powder; ALL loads, from 23.8 to 24.6 increasing by .2 Gn., shot well; the worst was just under 1" at 100 yards.

The best was 24.4 Gn. IMR 8208, which rendered a 3 shot .2010" group-essentially 1 small ragged hole.

My best with Winchester 748 to date, using 50 Gn VMAX was 3 rounds at .0650" (!).

Last Saturday shooting Speer 55 Gn. TNT yielded a three shot group @ 100 yds. of .1950". I loaded for these bullets 14 months ago and had not shot until last Sat.! I'm concerned about the Speer loads because that best group used 27.0 Gn. of Win 748. NO OTHER powder or bullet manufacturer comes close to the max loads Speer publicizes. The max listed for this bullet, according to SPEER, is 28.0 Gn. Win 748. No signs of pressure problems but I'll only be using that load in cold weather, if at all!

I'll post pics over the next day or so. It's a great gun and several of you folks guided me in building it up to what it is today.

I'm SO glad to be back shooting and posting here. You have all been so kind in helping me get started and I thank you all! It is a privilege to be here with you!

Brian