I took my new to me Sporter XTR to the range tonight. I sat up till 11:00 last night working up six different loads, five shots a piece in half grain increments of IMR 3031 powder and Hornady 165 grain flat base soft points.
Starting with a squeaky clean barrel, I started with ten sight in loads, and got the point of impact two inches above center at a hundred yards for my starting point. My first batch consisted of 40.0 grains of IMR 3031. It sent five shots into this:
The next two targets showed somthing interesting. They were 40.5 and 41.0 grains, and if you'll notice the first three shots clustered, while not great, into a good enough group. The last two shots spread it out, but look at the shot placement, they are almost identical pattern wise.
After that, I decided the barrel was heating up after the third shot, and fired the last of my groups with three shots a peice and I came up with this sweetheart.
That's 42.0 grains of powder. Center to center, that's an inch and more than good enough for me. My point of impact weas rising with each load, and these printed above my target on another sheet of paper. I had another load past that, and it sent them flying every which way. I still find targets two and three fascinating though, and I need to experiment with target one to see if the three shots touching were a fluke, or if it really likes that load. I don't remember if the three first shots were the touching ones, so I'll play more. But for now I'm satisfied with target five and the MOA group.
Starting with a squeaky clean barrel, I started with ten sight in loads, and got the point of impact two inches above center at a hundred yards for my starting point. My first batch consisted of 40.0 grains of IMR 3031. It sent five shots into this:
The next two targets showed somthing interesting. They were 40.5 and 41.0 grains, and if you'll notice the first three shots clustered, while not great, into a good enough group. The last two shots spread it out, but look at the shot placement, they are almost identical pattern wise.
After that, I decided the barrel was heating up after the third shot, and fired the last of my groups with three shots a peice and I came up with this sweetheart.
That's 42.0 grains of powder. Center to center, that's an inch and more than good enough for me. My point of impact weas rising with each load, and these printed above my target on another sheet of paper. I had another load past that, and it sent them flying every which way. I still find targets two and three fascinating though, and I need to experiment with target one to see if the three shots touching were a fluke, or if it really likes that load. I don't remember if the three first shots were the touching ones, so I'll play more. But for now I'm satisfied with target five and the MOA group.
