All my shooting and reloading prior to 6.5 Grendel was good enough to insure consistency and accuracy to 100y...really never had anyplace to shoot farther, or need, let alone time with work.
Since my foray into 6.5Grendel and making a point to get involved with long range shooting and competitions, I know my reloading has got to be spot on.
Every day, I read here, and do more research as time permits.
I never heard of OCW vs Ladder testing until someone posted here, and I get the logic behind it (actual ladder testing - turns out I was doing OCW all the while), providing one is a good enough shot not to botch a shot and skew your results.
So....I tried the proper way to do a ladder load test in .3gr increments of AA2230, AA2520, and CFE,
Hornady Once fired brass
Sized -.003 bump on shoulder
Neck tension only with a .288 bushing
Trimmed at 1.515
COAL at 2.265
CCI BR primers
Hornady ELD 123gr
Rifle is a PF Upper - 18" Barlitien barrel.
Shots taken at 200 yards. Results are inconclusive.
Aside from my observed drift with loads up and right as the powder charge goes up, 2230 and 2520, disregarding left/right all the holes are stacked one on top of the other in a string in a seemingly random order for all 3.
From my OCW 5 round shooting, there were no distinct "nodes". In fact the only nodes that I have seen were from my Moscow Match testing, and there were 2 distinct nodes. One on the bottom velocity end, and one at the top that was flattening primers, but avg velocities on a .3gr increment were within 2 FPS (I gotta say I am in love with those groups too).
Some of the MOA numbers below I tweaked a little to remove a single outlier that would take a sub .75 MOA and push it out to over 1.10.
The only good velocity node that I am seeing is at the 2450ish for CFE. Am I wrong to try to push the powders that I have selected to be on par with Hornady 123 ELD? I can't believe that I am not getting any for 2230 or 2520.
Suggestions, advice...anything? Right now I am loading 2230 (I have 24# of it from my 5.56 days) at 27.4gr based on groups size and 2470ish velocity.
Since my foray into 6.5Grendel and making a point to get involved with long range shooting and competitions, I know my reloading has got to be spot on.
Every day, I read here, and do more research as time permits.
I never heard of OCW vs Ladder testing until someone posted here, and I get the logic behind it (actual ladder testing - turns out I was doing OCW all the while), providing one is a good enough shot not to botch a shot and skew your results.
So....I tried the proper way to do a ladder load test in .3gr increments of AA2230, AA2520, and CFE,
Hornady Once fired brass
Sized -.003 bump on shoulder
Neck tension only with a .288 bushing
Trimmed at 1.515
COAL at 2.265
CCI BR primers
Hornady ELD 123gr
Rifle is a PF Upper - 18" Barlitien barrel.
Shots taken at 200 yards. Results are inconclusive.
Aside from my observed drift with loads up and right as the powder charge goes up, 2230 and 2520, disregarding left/right all the holes are stacked one on top of the other in a string in a seemingly random order for all 3.
From my OCW 5 round shooting, there were no distinct "nodes". In fact the only nodes that I have seen were from my Moscow Match testing, and there were 2 distinct nodes. One on the bottom velocity end, and one at the top that was flattening primers, but avg velocities on a .3gr increment were within 2 FPS (I gotta say I am in love with those groups too).
Some of the MOA numbers below I tweaked a little to remove a single outlier that would take a sub .75 MOA and push it out to over 1.10.
Charge | Average FPS | SD | ES | MOA | +/- |
CFE | |||||
28.4 | 2271 | 25.4 | 56 | .665 | |
28.7 | 2286 | 17.1 | 41 | .635 | 15 |
29.0 | 2311 | 9.4 | 21 | .722 | 25 |
29.3 | 2409 | 7 | 19 | .929 | 98 Pressure spike? |
29.6 | 2420 | 18 | 47 | 1.039 | 11 |
29.9 | 2429 | 16 | 20 | .918 | 9 |
30.2 | 2443 | 13 | 36 | .723 | 14 |
30.5 | 2450 | 20 | 49 | .650 | 7 |
30.8 | 2480 | 7.5 | 17 | 1.308 | 30 |
31.1 | 2519 | 12.1 | 32 | 1.225 | 39 Spooky compressed |
2230 | |||||
26.2 | 2333 | 14.3 | 36 | .765 | |
26.5 | 2353 | 8.8 | 22 | .622 | 20 |
26.8 | 2389 | 17.9 | 46 | .598 | 36 |
27.1 | 2435 | 8.3 | 23 | .878 | 46 |
27.4 MAX | 2472 | 13.8 | 38 | .431 | 37 |
27.7 HOT | 2499 | 12 | 32 | 1.204 | 27 |
2520 | |||||
28.1 | 2339 | 17.6 | 46 | 1.259 | |
28.4 | 2366 | 7 | 14 | 1.065 | 27 |
28.7 | 2379 | 8 | 16 | 1.079 | 13 |
29 | 2430 | 6.6 | 18 | .988 | 51 |
29.3 | 2450 | 3.4 | 9 | .864 | 20 |
29.6 MAX | 2480 | 7 | 23 | .845 | 30 |
29.9 HOT | 2506 | 7 | 16 | .783 | 26 |
The only good velocity node that I am seeing is at the 2450ish for CFE. Am I wrong to try to push the powders that I have selected to be on par with Hornady 123 ELD? I can't believe that I am not getting any for 2230 or 2520.
Suggestions, advice...anything? Right now I am loading 2230 (I have 24# of it from my 5.56 days) at 27.4gr based on groups size and 2470ish velocity.
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