Developing a Load

Norm99

Norm99

CGN Regular
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Newfoundland
Been to the range once with my .358win trying out some loads. As I worked up from the minimum load, my 3 shot grouping got better, but the third shot always seemed to fly a bit. I was wondering, how long do you guys wait between shots? I was thinking I might not be waiting long enough. At 46G of H4895, I was getting two sub inch shots on the first two shots, but the third one always went 3 inches away. This happened twice. Max load, by the way was 48G. The gun performed best at 46.

As well, how many shots do you try, before you clean your rifle? With 3 instead of 5 shot (or even more?) groups, I'm still firing quite a number of rounds. Just wondering if I'm rushing it too much. It's back there again today or tomorrow to try more of the 46g to see if I can get a good grouping.
 
With a savage 99, there's not much to check, except the forearm, and that's snug. If it needed to be loosened, I'm thinking the first two shots wouldn't have been so good.
 
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Absolute concentration on the shot you're taking and nothing else is essential. The rest you're using is important too.
 
Make sure you aren't changing anything - take the same time to center the reticle, do your breathing and everything else you did on the first shot. Usually it comes from the shooter when it's a flyer. Are you positive that you aren't getting impatient after the first few shots?
 
No, not impatience. Of course, it could be human error because I'm not using a bench rest, just the railing to rest the barrel. I was out to the range again yesterday with same results. On THREE different groupings, the third shot is the flyer. Check out the picture. All in all, that's not too bad, but if I could get the third shot, she'll be pretty sweet. One suggestiion I received is to seat the bullet deeper, a little at a time, until she pulls together. I'll try this next week.
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Norm99 said:
I'm not using a bench rest, just the railing to rest the barrel.
Click to expand...


Norm are resting the barrel on a rest, or the stock forend? Because resting the barrel on anything will dramatically change your POI. Also, if you gun has a light contour hunting barrel, it will heat up very fast. I have a Remington 700 SPS in 30-06 with a light barrel and at 100 yrds I can have two shots just about touch each other, and the third shot can be 2" or 3" away. Last fall I started experimenting with Winchester 760 powder and I started to get some consistant grouping, so I looking forward to getting up to the range again very soon.
 
I should have phrased that as resting on forearm, not barrel. In fact, just in front of the swivel, so I got a good tight grip against the rail. The grids on the target are 1". The shots away from the middle are the two flyers - third shots in each case. As I said, still pretty good, but be great to get three together.
 
It sure shoots great until that 3rd shot. :)

It sounds like it might be heat related alright, something contacting the barrel or receiver that causes too much pressure when the metal expands with heat.

Have you tried shooting more than 3 round groups? If it is heat related the groups should continue to put out flyers with the additional shots. If the shots come back to the poi of the first two then something else would be causing it.
 
Check under forearm, maybe dirt etc contacting barrel when warm causing pressure on barrel. Maybe upward pressure on tip of forearm will help. A couple layers of business card thickness paper between barrel and forearm , tighten down as usual and try. If that works a little accuglass will fix. Just ideas might help.
 
My 99 (308 Win) does the same thing if I rush shots. It seems it doesn't matter how close together the first two shots are, the third (and so on) seem to be all over the damn place.

I find I have a tendency to fire off the 99 faster than my bolt action, just a force of habit I guess. Recently I have been taking my time between shots and things seem much more consistant, yet still not as tight as your first two shots (I cannot blame the gun for that).

The short barrel 99 I have seems to get hot real fast and thats all I could think of.


Good luck.
 
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