First Crack at Load Development

[jevan23]

First off happy Canada Day everyone! I spent the morning out at the range punching paper with my savage to see how my groups were with varying powder loads. Thought I'd share my results, not sure if these are decent results for my setup as this is only my 2nd batch of handloads (first batch was to make sure they went bang)

The rifle's a Savage Model 11 Trophy Hunter in 223 with a Falcon Optics 5.5-25x50mm FFP scope and a Boyds laminate stock. I was shooting at 100 yards from the bench with a Caldwell bi-pod and a sand bag at the rear. My reloads were 69gr SMK, Lapua brass, CCI 400 primers with the bullets seated about 20 thou off the lands and I varied the Varget powder from 23.6gr to 25.6gr in 0.2gr increments. I took 5 shots at each different powder load, and noted the spread of both the 5 shot groups and the best 3 of 5. 23.8, 24.2 and 25.2 look promising..

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[silverfoxdj]

I'd say something around 24.1 will be the sweet spot.. YMMV

 

[rl4930]

I would do an ocw test and try and chronograph your loads to see how consistent you are.

 

[jevan23]

I would do an ocw test and try and chronograph your loads to see how consistent you are.

Alright! I'll give the OCW test a try around 24.2 and another around 25.4, the groups .2gr above and below those seem to land in the same general area of the targets.

 

[hometownhero]

Why are you only counting 3 of the 5 shots?

 

[H4831]

There is no use wasting another shot, in trying to adjust the ammunition, in an attempt to improve the group size.
The rifle is walking the bullets. Your last group is about six inches higher than the first group.
This gives every indication that your rifle is badly in need of bedding.
The rifle should be properly bedded and not walking the bullets, before there is any use in adjusting the loads.

 

[Shooter ----/]

If your shooting all these loads just for the sake of shooting, have fun!

 

[chrismc]

Nice workup! If it were me, I would load 10 each at 24.1, 24.2, 24.3 and see which works best - shoot 2 each 5 rounders. I would also stretch it to 200 or 300 if you can.
Yeah, bed it too.
One of my rifles fav 223 loads is 24.2 Var with 69SMK

 

[rl4930]

Try an ocw test for fun, then bed the action and see how much it improves. Bedding is pretty easy.

 

[jevan23]

There is no use wasting another shot, in trying to adjust the ammunition, in an attempt to improve the group size.
The rifle is walking the bullets. Your last group is about six inches higher than the first group.
This gives every indication that your rifle is badly in need of bedding.
The rifle should be properly bedded and not walking the bullets, before there is any use in adjusting the loads.

Thanks, but I don't think its the rifles fault for the shots steadily going up the target, I think its the higher velocity of the bigger loads. I shot these targets 'round-robin' style, and tried to shoot slowly so the barrel didn't get too hot.

 

[jevan23]

Nice workup! If it were me, I would load 10 each at 24.1, 24.2, 24.3 and see which works best - shoot 2 each 5 rounders. I would also stretch it to 200 or 300 if you can.
Yeah, bed it too.
One of my rifles fav 223 loads is 24.2 Var with 69SMK

Thanks! I'll have to play around with loads in that range, 24.2 of Varget got my tightest group too. Right now I just have access to the 200 yard range at Selkirk.

Oh and bedding the rifle is on my to-do list, got the supplies, just have to sit down and do it.

 

[mark222]

Thanks, but I don't think its the rifles fault for the shots steadily going up the target, I think its the higher velocity of the bigger loads. I shot these targets 'round-robin' style, and tried to shoot slowly so the barrel didn't get too hot.

Agreed, I've seen my poi climb as loads increased as well.

 

[rl4930]

That much of a difference at 100 yards is likely a bedding issue or a moving scope. Could also be your position.

 

[litledab]

I'd also shoot off front and rear bags during load work up takes out a little more of the human error factor

 

[jevan23]

I'd also shoot off front and rear bags during load work up takes out a little more of the human error factor

OK, i'll give it a try using my range bag instead of the bi-pod, see if it helps at all

 

[Doors of Perception]

Try putting your bipod on a sand bag. I use the 50lps bags of playsand from home depot. Shooting benches and other hard surface cause bad vibrations to reflect back into your rig. This will change the resonant frequency of your rig. Load development is done to find a node or when the barrel has zero vibration at the exact moment when the bullet exits the barrel. Precision shooting should be done in the prone position with the bi pod planted in dirt or grass. For comfort, I develop loads off a bench with two sand bags - the playsand under the bipod and a mini sand bag (trouser leg partially filled with sand) under the but (then double check in the prone position). I squeeze the but bag with my left hand to put the reticle on target this eliminates a lot of user error like muscle tremors, heart beat etc. A chronograph is also useful to find the minimum spread of muzzle velocity which is useful for longer distance shots.

 

[legi0n]

I found the 75 grain Hornady Match HPBT bullet to shoot best in my trophy hunter (H322 powder).
But each rifle is different.

edit: my rifle has so much freebore I can't jam a bullet into the lands.

 

[captainmike]

I would do an ocw test and try and chronograph your loads to see how consistent you are.

excuse my ignorance but what is an OCW test

thanks
mike

 

[Shooter ----/]

excuse my ignorance but what is an OCW test

thanks
mike

h t t p://optimalchargeweight.embarqspace.com

Remove spaces.

 

[captainmike]

Thanks for the link
Mike