cannot MOA at 200 Yards, need assistance.

dfraser

dfraser

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Hi all,

I don't know what is happening, but I just cannot hit MOA at 200, they are all over the paper. Barely keep MOA at 100 yards. been like this for the last 3 trips to the range, approx 75 shots. Cannot even get MOA with Hornady Manual starting load with Reloader25 (96.8Grains) and Hornady SST 225gr. This is for my 338-378 Weatherby Magnum, with an aftermarket massive muzzle brake to control muzzle rise. Scope is Sightron SIII 8-32x56.

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Regards
 
Since you are starting off with a "starting load" and not getting the results that you are looking for, you will need to increase the load to see what works best. With such a big case I would start off by going up .5 gr at a time. When the groups start to shrink find the load that works the best then play around with .2 +/- each way to see if that makes a difference.
 
Starting load doesn't mean anything other than a staring load, it is no guarantee of accuracy. Perhaps a ladder test or an OCW test going up in half grain increments to confirm a good load is in order. Your rifle may not like those bullets either. Is the Hubble telescope you have on there good, although if your results are consistent and moa is nearly achievable at 100 id lean too it being fine and more so the shooter imo. Groups should roughly double in size, thats pretty short range for anything that dramatic ballistic wise to happen. 338-378, 75 rounds, flinching a bit perhaps?
 
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dfraser said:
Hi all,

I don't know what is happening, but I just cannot hit MOA at 200, they are all over the paper. Barely keep MOA at 100 yards. been like this for the last 3 trips to the range, approx 75 shots. Cannot even get MOA with Hornady Manual starting load with Reloader25 (96.8Grains) and Hornady SST 225gr. This is for my 338-378 Weatherby Magnum, with an aftermarket massive muzzle brake to control muzzle rise. Scope is Sightron SIII 8-32x5



Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Regards
Click to expand...
https://load-data.nosler.com/load-data/338-378-weatherby-magnum/
 
That's a large case, consider full grain jumps in your ladder instead of 0.5 grains. Start at 98, you know 96.8 is no good, and go up from there. Start at 97.5 if you want to do .5 gr jumps. What's the max load listed? What's your listed speed at max in the manual? If you want to try a different powder you can also look at Retumbo.
 
Did you check to see if the bullet will fully engrave in the lands BEFORE it leaves the case neck?

I would want a min of 1/8" of bearing surface still in the case neck when it fully engraves. If not, consider a longer bullet... more bearing surface not necessarily pointier nose.

If it engraves fine, the work up a load and the barrel will do what it will do.

If not engraving, sub 1.5 MOA would be typical and that is what WBY used to offer as their accuracy guarantee.

Jerry
 
...you have to work up a load

...start at the starting load...load 3...move up .5 grains...load 3...go all the way to max always in 3's...as you load set them in a reloading box mark with masking tape on the outside front of the box...go to the range...shoot all of the loads at different targets...label the targets...

...that's just the start...

...you will likely find a few loads that are MOA...

...go back home and load the good loads in 5...

...go back to the range and shoot these...

...you will find the best load for that powder and bullet...

...you will need to repeat this procedure for each powder and bullet combo you try...

...there is no such thing as just putting powder into a case and capping it off with any bullet and getting MOA except by pure luck...

...all the best...
 
Just putting it out there, have you check the basics. All screws, action, bases, rings, etc. Check the scope its self? Is something wrong inside it? Who installed tbe brake? Did the rifle shoot before the brake was installed? It might not be a reloading issue.
 
dfraser said:
Hi all,

I don't know what is happening, but I just cannot hit MOA at 200, they are all over the paper. Barely keep MOA at 100 yards. been like this for the last 3 trips to the range, approx 75 shots. Cannot even get MOA with Hornady Manual starting load with Reloader25 (96.8Grains) and Hornady SST 225gr. This is for my 338-378 Weatherby Magnum, with an aftermarket massive muzzle brake to control muzzle rise. Scope is Sightron SIII 8-32x56.

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Regards
Click to expand...

You have not provided nearly enough information to give you a real answer.
Since we know nothing about you and your abilities I apologize if some of the following questions offend you or just seem stupid but you'd be surprised by the answers I get sometimes which all of a sudden explains why someone is having problems.

-Have you ever shot 1 moa or better before with any rifle?
-Has this rifle shot 1 moa or better in the past? If so what ammo were you using?
-If you have shot this rifle 1 moa or better in the past what have you changed since then? muzzle brake? scope? ammo?
-Have you actually done any load development or are you just expecting anything you throw together to shoot well because it's a handload?
-What are you using for brass and what are you doing for brass prep? I hope you are at least using brass that's all the same brand.
-What are you using for a rifle rest when you are shooting? bipod? sandbags? backpack? tree stump? standing?
-How much coffee had you been drinking before heading to the range?
-Have you been loading for years or is this the first rifle you've tried loading for?

If you're still having issues after hunting season send me a PM, I live just North of Edmonton and have a private range in my back yard. My reloading bench is a few steps from my shooting range so developing a load is fairly quick, you can come out with your reloading supplies and I can help you through development.
Sorry I can't help sooner but hunting season is not a good time for me to get anything done outside of shooting deer and geese.
 
dfraser said:
Hi all,

I don't know what is happening, but I just cannot hit MOA at 200, they are all over the paper. Barely keep MOA at 100 yards. been like this for the last 3 trips to the range, approx 75 shots. Cannot even get MOA with Hornady Manual starting load with Reloader25 (96.8Grains) and Hornady SST 225gr. This is for my 338-378 Weatherby Magnum, with an aftermarket massive muzzle brake to control muzzle rise. Scope is Sightron SIII 8-32x56.

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Regards
Click to expand...

Assuming you are not flinching, here is what I use to do for my long range shooting days, 300+ yards and 900 meter at CFB Borden, but not necessary in this order: Choose my bullet and weight each one and sorted. Choose my powder and buy a few pounds of the same lot and mix them up. Choose my primers and buy a few bricks of the same lot. Choose my brass and use from the same batch and trim all to same length.

Once I get my chosen components together now is time to test and fine tune, not in this particular order: powder weight for tightest group, determine if it'll be full length sizing or just neck sizing... my pet load was just neck sizing but then I fine tuned that as well... how much neck sizing. Now it's seating depth... my pet load was having the bullet ogive was just touching the lands.

There are other factors involving your rifle itself and google is your friend on accurizing your rifle. Reloading equipment is important was well, eg: some prefer digital scale while others prefer the balance beam instead I use both the the beam as my primary and the digital for checking every fifth round.

Chasing groups is not for the faint of heart and requires patience and near OCD personality.

Good Luck.
 
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