Please suggest which load to pick

[bjazz]

Hello everybody
This is my second post coz usually I can find all the help just by searching but this time I need suggestion from experienced reloaders and long range shooters.

I got Savage 110 in 338 lapua, bedded action, rest is factory. I'm looking for a load for it. I'm using following components
Lapua brass(ones fired and then fireformed in my gun)
Retumbo
Federal 215
Berger 300 grain OTM
Coal 3.770(barely fits mag)

I did two ladder tests at 200 meters(max range available at the time), just to eliminate shooter error. Both were almost identical(I guess I'm consistently bad shooter). I used Hogdon's website for load data, started at 86 grains upto 94 grains in half grain increment.
Here's pic of one target, this is second one and I didn't bother shooting any lower than 88.5 coz I wanna stay above 2700fps. Also first few shots were not read by chrony


I found two nodes, one around 89.5 to 90.5 (according to my crappy chrony- 2730 ish) and second around 92.5(just over 2800). I got minor ejector swipe at 93 grains, slight heavy bolt at 93.5 grains, that's where I stopped.
Here are some pics of primers
90.5 grains

92.5 grains


I also measured case head expansion just for another indicator(I do understand that it's not that great of an indicator), at 92.5 I got half thou (0.0005") where as 90.5 had almost none.
I tried shooting some groups as well, 92.5 was .455" vertical at 200(.75" horizontal), maybe I got lucky twice in a row. 90.3 to 90.5 were a hair over 1" vertical and about same horizontal at 200 again.

My question and concern is which node should I fine tune? Accuracy is phenomenal at 92.5 but velocity numbers(not sure if I trust chrony) case head expansion, primer cratering (pls look at pics above)and only one grain to heavy bolt tells me that pressure is getting up there? Do you guys think that pressure is excessive or could it be that longer COAL is helping in lowering pressure? (Hogdon listed COAL is 3.600") Now is it ok to run it at those pressures? I'm not concerned about barrel life but I am concerned about safety.

What do you guys suggest? Which node would you pick?

Thanks in advance. Let me know if you need anymore info?

 

[bjazz]

Anybody??

 

[sunray]

Hi. I'd suggest you reshoot on separate targets. Makes it easier to see the groups. Never liked this 'ladder' idea myself.
Any load under 94.0 will be safe. A half thou isn't worth worrying about.

 

[ultimate_monkey]

6/7/8 is the area you want to work in, as it seems to be the "widest" node to work in that we know... now for a few points as im on my phone

federal primers are soft, i wouldnt use the slightl cratering as any sort of indication if you notice, while there is a bit of primer flattening, you still have fairly round corners... i used them in my 308, they crater from start load up to max. CCI doesn't at all..


with the 92.5 but maybe try dropping down .1/2 grains, the 338lm is a big case and bullet, it may keep you within the accuracy node, but bring down the pressure enough that you have no concerns shootin it.. its the aread for the high node if both ladders shot the same. but the fact that #3 is so far off, to me says its a very small node and might be hard to really tune


suggestion, work in the 678 area for every day shootin, you really wanna push out, go to the high node... if u can get good accuracy with a bt less powder, and youre not always shooting 1200+ then dont worry about velocity to much



sorry its quick and