WHAT THE!?!?! I Need Help!!!!
- Thread starter Crazy.kayaker
- Start date
- Location
- Coquitlam, BC
Aside from the scale/powder charge being the obvious suspect, perhaps it may have something to do with seating depth? Do you have a caliper to check for consistent seating depths on your loads? Inconsistent OAL may have an adverse effect on accuracy, though 4-6"...?
It's something to check on, for sure. You need calipers to proceed.
It's something to check on, for sure. You need calipers to proceed.
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
select a few different bullets to experiment with
- Location
- Van. Is. B.C.
M88 groupings
Does the brass show signs of pressure on any of your reloads and did you check the brass length before you loaded them? If you are using brass that is beyond the max trim length you may have some that are causing higher pressure therefore blowing your groups apart. I worked up a load for my brothers M88 and found his rifle did not like higher pressures, most of the "mid" loads in my manuals are it's "max".
270 totheend
Does the brass show signs of pressure on any of your reloads and did you check the brass length before you loaded them? If you are using brass that is beyond the max trim length you may have some that are causing higher pressure therefore blowing your groups apart. I worked up a load for my brothers M88 and found his rifle did not like higher pressures, most of the "mid" loads in my manuals are it's "max".
270 totheend
....mine alwyas sticks in places and i pour wayy too much powder into it then it jsut drops to the bottom all the sudden.....only Lee product i don't like....Ben - You're using it wrong. All scales of this type are very sensitive, and will fall the same way. The way I use it is with the Lee powder measure. I dial in the powder measure using the scale, and then use the scale to check the powder measure. That way your checking to ensure that your process repeats. For example, some powders dont meter very well, you'll find out very qwuickly this way.
I've gotten to the point where I only check every third round with the scale.
I've gotten to the point where I only check every third round with the scale.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The problem with the Lee Powder scale is that it never returns to the same weight reading with the same weight. If you put a powder charge or a check weight on this scale and bump it 10 times, you will get 8 different readings. I was very discouraged by this because by rights the Lee scale should be the most accurate of all of them as its beam only weighs 100 grs rather than the more common 500.
Just out of curiosity pull your seating die apart. Since you say factory rounds are good but reloads not, maybe there's a piece of crud stuck in the nose of the seating die loading all bullets out of alignment?
Boomer - I experienced the same problem with the Lee scale until I started to tap the pan on the table before weighing - this evenly distributes the charge in the pan. I guess if they made the pan with longer arms, this "center of gravity" the issue would diminish.
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
Sorry got mixed up and lost track of this thread so in reply.
I have a digital caliper that I got on sale cheap to use for measuring and most of my brass is about .001 or .002 below overall length for brass and same with the seated bullet all just under max OAL. I inspect my brass after the first cleaning then again after resizing then one last time after I've trimmed it to length just before I reprime and pour the powder load. I also pulled the seating die apart and the alignment cone is clean no crud or any major wear marks on it. Looks and feels like plastic. I also have a powder trickler I use to top off the powder on the scale I usually throw it a good 1 grain light for just this reason. Tested my scale and it holds it's balance as long as I don't take the arm off the pivot but I can take the bucket (what ever it's called that holds the powder) off and return it with it reading the same. I've been wanting a digital scale but the price tag is prohibitive for me at this time. I've started pulling the loads and been keeping the powder seperate in the old container. Went through 1 full varget and IMR 4895. Only pulled a few loads so far but the ones I've tested the powder load is consistant with what I have it marked as. I'm at my wits end as to why it looks like a shotgun shot the target.
As for the people that keep blaiming the scope or the mounting job. I fired Factory loads and the Hand loads on the same trip and the factory loads worked perfectly the hand loads were messed up so unless there is a rare evil magic scope fairy the messes with scopes only when shooting hand loads it's not the optics or how they were mounted but rather the loads I made up.
CK
I have a digital caliper that I got on sale cheap to use for measuring and most of my brass is about .001 or .002 below overall length for brass and same with the seated bullet all just under max OAL. I inspect my brass after the first cleaning then again after resizing then one last time after I've trimmed it to length just before I reprime and pour the powder load. I also pulled the seating die apart and the alignment cone is clean no crud or any major wear marks on it. Looks and feels like plastic. I also have a powder trickler I use to top off the powder on the scale I usually throw it a good 1 grain light for just this reason. Tested my scale and it holds it's balance as long as I don't take the arm off the pivot but I can take the bucket (what ever it's called that holds the powder) off and return it with it reading the same. I've been wanting a digital scale but the price tag is prohibitive for me at this time. I've started pulling the loads and been keeping the powder seperate in the old container. Went through 1 full varget and IMR 4895. Only pulled a few loads so far but the ones I've tested the powder load is consistant with what I have it marked as. I'm at my wits end as to why it looks like a shotgun shot the target.
As for the people that keep blaiming the scope or the mounting job. I fired Factory loads and the Hand loads on the same trip and the factory loads worked perfectly the hand loads were messed up so unless there is a rare evil magic scope fairy the messes with scopes only when shooting hand loads it's not the optics or how they were mounted but rather the loads I made up.
CK
from what i've read most of the replys should assume that there is no scope and just iron sights.i sense some frusstration when all im reading is :
Message 1 : scope is working fine I would like some help
Message 2 : yo man u ever check out your scope man
Message 3 : checked over scope and scope not problem
Message 4 : hey there ... maybe check out your scope
Message 5 : scope is your problem
Message 6 : ya i have a 300 win mag... probably your scope
Etc
Etc
Etc
just my 2 cents worth
Message 1 : scope is working fine I would like some help
Message 2 : yo man u ever check out your scope man
Message 3 : checked over scope and scope not problem
Message 4 : hey there ... maybe check out your scope
Message 5 : scope is your problem
Message 6 : ya i have a 300 win mag... probably your scope
Etc
Etc
Etc
just my 2 cents worth
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
After I zeroed the scope and fired a test group at 100 yards with factory loads to confirm, I then recapped the dials and then proceded to test loads. WHY would I mess with the scope after I had it zeroed with a load I KNOW WORKS. Seriously if your just gonna blaim the scope or mount job don't post IT'S NOT THE SCOPE!!
Well - Sounds like reloading is not your bag, and we're useless at trying to diagnose your multitude of problems! Take up shuffleboard - seriously.
BTW - Your post # 16 suggests you were diddling with the scope un-necessarily, at least once.
BTW - Your post # 16 suggests you were diddling with the scope un-necessarily, at least once.
Last edited:
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
We eliminated everything but the quality of the powder it would seem. I'm gonna remake some with a different tub of powder and pray that works. As for getting two powder types that don't work right, if you knew my luck with stuff you wouldn't find it unbelievable.
RiverOtter
Member
- Location
- British Columbia
How was the wind on test day?
I would also back off on the cleaning regime, until groups open up. I've got an older 270 that I used to clean faithfully(+/- 20 rounds) and it would faithfully group 1 1/2". Quit cleaning until necessary, and now that same gun groups 3/4 - 1" without fail. Assuming calm conditions of course, which is what you want to do testing in anyway.
If you have a known/proven quantity, like the factory rounds you mentioned, start your test session with them and move onto your handloads. 6" groups are pretty radical, especially from a gun you say groups at 0.5". I don't even get groups that big during ladder testing, and they have powder charges that range over 5 grains or more....
I think that is the reason that a lot of posters are pointing to your scope/mounts.
I would also back off on the cleaning regime, until groups open up. I've got an older 270 that I used to clean faithfully(+/- 20 rounds) and it would faithfully group 1 1/2". Quit cleaning until necessary, and now that same gun groups 3/4 - 1" without fail. Assuming calm conditions of course, which is what you want to do testing in anyway.
If you have a known/proven quantity, like the factory rounds you mentioned, start your test session with them and move onto your handloads. 6" groups are pretty radical, especially from a gun you say groups at 0.5". I don't even get groups that big during ladder testing, and they have powder charges that range over 5 grains or more....
I think that is the reason that a lot of posters are pointing to your scope/mounts.
Have someone else reload a few basic rounds on their equipment & with-out fiddling or adjusting anything see how they group. At least that will eliminate your reloading skills & equipment or narrow the problem down to just that!
