Joined
·
1,021 Posts
As youall may or may not know I just recently got into reloading. I have noticed some of you guys posting on results of different bullets, loads, and the such for different callibers.
I thought in my search for a hunting round to use in my .270 for the upcomeing deer season, I might help some other up and comeing reloaders by testing different powders.
All the following loads were used useing once fired Remington brass all trimmed a length of 2.54. Were debured and chamfered, and all primer pocket's were cleaned. And were tumbled to a like new shine. CCI 200 primers were used.
The following loads were built with Nosler 130 grain Ballistic tip bullets seated to an OAL of 3.3 which set the bullet .010 of the lands in my Ruger M77 MII rifle from which all were tested in. This is a factory rifle, no trigger job, glass bedding, nothing. The best grouping I ever got from the gun useing my former hunting round of 130 grain Remington core-lock's was 1 1/2"@100yd's. It is scoped with a Nikon Busmasters 4.5-14x40 on factory Ruger rings. I am by far no marks man, but with a good rest I am capable of 1/2" groups at 100. On the day I did this testing I has a sligh cross wind gusting up to 5 MPH. so groups could have been better if not for that. All groups were three shot groups. I waited for the barrel to cool inbetween groups to simulate a proper hunting cenario.
The first powder used was IMR 4831
51.4 grains yeilded a 1 5/8 group, recoil wasn't bad. neither was the muzzle report.
53.2 grains yeilded a bit less accuracy.
Neither round showed sighns of pressure.
H4831SC yeilded the best results, no pressure sighns. low recoil. and resonable muzzle report.
55.0 grains showed up at 1 1/4" group
57.0 grains was a bit better at a little under 7/8"
RL22 performed horribly for me, recoil was ruff, loud muzzle report. and poor groupings.
55.0 grains led to shots on and off the tagret.
57.0 grains showed shighs of high pressure. and groupings weren't any better.
8208XBR Wasn't much better. had an odd muzzle report. groupings weren't good. and with even light loads showed sighns of high pressure.
43.0 grains grouped at 2.25" the third round fired split the neck of the case. testing with this powder come to an abrupt hault.
The next round was built useing the same prepared cases, but used a 130 grain Hornady SP seated to a OAL of 3.16.
Trailboss was selected useing a recipe from Hodgdons loading manual.
11.0 grains gave a advertised velocity of +/-1300fps. It gave me a grouping of 2" at 100. and shot 9" low to the rounds used earlier. It was also pushed by the wind.
I then moved the target closer to 50 yards and got a 1" group at about 3-4" low. This round gives a muzzle report of a .22 mag. My dad even asked why I was shooting his .22 mag. lol! This round would be good for youth when hunting in locations where shots won't be over 50 yards. Or the neighbors cat. LOL!
I have since tested the round of 57.0 grains of H4831SC and got a 1 inch group with 2 rounds nearly touching. This is the round I have selected to hunt with. I may tinker a bit with seating depth. But for a hunting round I think it will suffice.
This test was to show how much of a difference powders make in your guns. But the results I found may not be your findings. Alot of this has to do with barrel length and bullet seating depth. And it is worth experimenting with. But under no circumstances should the begining reloader use these loads without consulting a reloading manual and checking for proper bullet seating depth for their gun!
I thought in my search for a hunting round to use in my .270 for the upcomeing deer season, I might help some other up and comeing reloaders by testing different powders.
All the following loads were used useing once fired Remington brass all trimmed a length of 2.54. Were debured and chamfered, and all primer pocket's were cleaned. And were tumbled to a like new shine. CCI 200 primers were used.
The following loads were built with Nosler 130 grain Ballistic tip bullets seated to an OAL of 3.3 which set the bullet .010 of the lands in my Ruger M77 MII rifle from which all were tested in. This is a factory rifle, no trigger job, glass bedding, nothing. The best grouping I ever got from the gun useing my former hunting round of 130 grain Remington core-lock's was 1 1/2"@100yd's. It is scoped with a Nikon Busmasters 4.5-14x40 on factory Ruger rings. I am by far no marks man, but with a good rest I am capable of 1/2" groups at 100. On the day I did this testing I has a sligh cross wind gusting up to 5 MPH. so groups could have been better if not for that. All groups were three shot groups. I waited for the barrel to cool inbetween groups to simulate a proper hunting cenario.
The first powder used was IMR 4831
51.4 grains yeilded a 1 5/8 group, recoil wasn't bad. neither was the muzzle report.
53.2 grains yeilded a bit less accuracy.
Neither round showed sighns of pressure.
H4831SC yeilded the best results, no pressure sighns. low recoil. and resonable muzzle report.
55.0 grains showed up at 1 1/4" group
57.0 grains was a bit better at a little under 7/8"
RL22 performed horribly for me, recoil was ruff, loud muzzle report. and poor groupings.
55.0 grains led to shots on and off the tagret.
57.0 grains showed shighs of high pressure. and groupings weren't any better.
8208XBR Wasn't much better. had an odd muzzle report. groupings weren't good. and with even light loads showed sighns of high pressure.
43.0 grains grouped at 2.25" the third round fired split the neck of the case. testing with this powder come to an abrupt hault.
The next round was built useing the same prepared cases, but used a 130 grain Hornady SP seated to a OAL of 3.16.
Trailboss was selected useing a recipe from Hodgdons loading manual.
11.0 grains gave a advertised velocity of +/-1300fps. It gave me a grouping of 2" at 100. and shot 9" low to the rounds used earlier. It was also pushed by the wind.
I then moved the target closer to 50 yards and got a 1" group at about 3-4" low. This round gives a muzzle report of a .22 mag. My dad even asked why I was shooting his .22 mag. lol! This round would be good for youth when hunting in locations where shots won't be over 50 yards. Or the neighbors cat. LOL!
I have since tested the round of 57.0 grains of H4831SC and got a 1 inch group with 2 rounds nearly touching. This is the round I have selected to hunt with. I may tinker a bit with seating depth. But for a hunting round I think it will suffice.
This test was to show how much of a difference powders make in your guns. But the results I found may not be your findings. Alot of this has to do with barrel length and bullet seating depth. And it is worth experimenting with. But under no circumstances should the begining reloader use these loads without consulting a reloading manual and checking for proper bullet seating depth for their gun!
