I am going to insert at this point, a copy of a thread I started about a week ago on the General Firearms thread. I think it is appropriate to this conversation. Here is a copy of that post.
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I've said on these posts (a few times!) about me buying a Husqvarna 30-06, in December 1949. That rifle has travelled with me and shot more game, than any other rifle I have, or had. It has been on many trips in the mountains, with the roughest of terrain and weather encountered, that one is likely to come across. Days of being soaked, every day. One of its virtues is its light weight, for a sporting rifle with a 24" barrel. The outside diameter of the barrel at the muzzle is very little over ½ inch.
As of late it has been in semi-retirement, so yesterday I took a look at it. Didn't like the look of the barrel support on the front end of the stock. So, sanded it all out, put down some J-B Weld, wrapped one ply of Saran wrap around the barrel and put it together. I tightened the back screw and tightened the front screw, except for quarter of a turn.
Today I took it apart, took out the Saran wrap and tightened the screws full up. I estimated it took about 5 or 6 pounds to pull the barrel from the stock, which was exactly what I wanted, so went to the shooting range.
When I started to reload about 46 years ago, my very first loadings were for that same 30-06. The load was straight out of the Norma GunBugs Guide, 50 grains of Norma 203 and their 180 grain pointed, semi-boattail nickel coloured bullet. I used that load exclusively, until I could no longer get Norma 203 powder. I once chronographed the load and it made the 2700 fps, just like the Norma book said it would.
For the reintroduction of the rifle into the shooting world I was able to get a can of N203. I still had some of the same type Norma bullets, so I re-constructed my old load. I took one sighter, and adjusted the scope, which by the way, is a 4x, Bushnell Scopechief of about fifty years of age.
At the range I was trying to squeeze all the shots I could get onto my target squares, so my 30-06 group got a bit mixed into a poor group of the 45-70. Tried out a light load of LilGun in the 45-70, and it wasn't good. I circled the 45 holes before I shot the 30-06. I am not one to let the barrel cool between shots. With a properly bedded, good barrel on a rifle, it shouldn't be neccessary. Also, I am a fairly fast shooter at the bench, not wasting time with too long of an aim. I loaded the magazine with five of my loads, sat down and shot them off.
Here is my group at 100 metres. That figures out to about .85 MOA.
I would expect similar performance from any factory load of similar weight from the major ammunition companies, as there was certainly nothing special about the load I put together, loading with a powder measure, into run of the mill, at least once, fired brass.
