What did you do today in the world of reloading?
- Thread starter Moonpie
- Start date
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OK, I figured as much the way your post read, but I thought I'd ask. I guess I should check those pages, so it's on me.
Still working on trying to find a hunting load for my Christiansen MPR in .308. Maybe I’m spoiled by loading 6.5 creedmoor and 6mm creedmoor the last couple years, but .308 is killing me! I should be happy with MOA, and maybe I would be, if I could get it consistently, but as soon as I find a load that looks promising, I’ll load up 15-20 and shoot some groups, and end up with a 1.5”-2” average. Loaded up some 178 ELD-X over Varget, and seated them long (about .025 off the lands) hoping to see some improvement.
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Well, here’s the good and the bad. The good? Shot my best 5 shot group I think I’ve ever had. Shooting Berger 115 VLD hunting bullets out of my 6 creedmoor, 5 shot group measured just over .2”. It could have been an 8 shot group, because after I shot the 5, I thought maybe I was seeing things, and had actually been missing the target completely. Took 3 shots on the target under it and stacked those 3 in damn near the same hole again! Decided that load was ok, and moved on to my nemesis, the .308. Seating depth did nothing to shrink my groups. Shot 2 five shot groups, average of both was just over 1”. Numbers were great. 178 ELDX out of a 16” barrel had an average velocity of 2483 for 10 shots, with an extreme spread of 12.5 and an SD of 3.8. Think I’m just going to accept that 1” groups are what this rifle wants to shoot right now. I sure had higher hopes for this rifle, but not sure what else I can do.
Lonesome Dove
A man of vision but with no mission.
Why are you dead set on heavy bullets?
If you haven't already try some standard 150s and see what happens.
If you haven't already try some standard 150s and see what happens.
When I first got the rifle I took it to their range to test some factory loads, and the only round that produced a sub moa group was the Federal Match using the 175 SMK. I really thought my best shot at a really accurate hunting load was gonna be with the 178 ELDX, so I ordered 300. But I was just setting on the porch, and thinking the same thing, about going with something lighter. Gonna go through my .30 cal bullets and see what I have on hand. I know I have some tried and true 150 Interlocks and some older copper GMX bullets in 165 grain, I think.
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The first .308 I built was based on a Mauser action, got a Douglas barrel, optima trigger and put it all together in a nice Choate stock. Got a few boxes of factory ammo in weights from 150-180 gn offerings from Federal, Winchester & Remington.
I tried all the heavier stuff first and was very disappointed with the results. Looked like shotgun patterns instead of grouping.
I was about to give up on it when I tried the 150 grain corelokt stuff and was surprised to see a really nice group. Next I tried a handload using a 150 gn Nosler BT & Varget, put the first 3 shots into the same hole.
Even though the barrel is a 1&10 twist it just doesn’t like anything over 165 gn, it shoots those with Varget about an inch and a half or more.
But I’ve not run across anything in Texas or Arizona I couldn’t zap drt with a 150 grain bullet outta it.
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Polkwright
Active Member
I've been shooting my .41 lately. I have some 800-X that I don't know what to do with. I loaded ten test rounds with 7.0gr 800-X and a 215gr LSWC this morning while waiting on somebody before I could go to the range. I think I can burn this stuff up this way. I'll take the blame for the high one, I was shooting off-hand. 800-X is discontinued. I've got almost two pounds.
It is an easy-shooting load much like my standard load with Universal. My problem with Universal is that it's hard to get, and may be gone. I have some CFE Pistol to try. Plus I'm curious about W244. Cabelas has W244 and it's cheaper than everything else. Plus I have a lot of W231/HP38 and 7.0gr of W231 seems to be a popular load. I'll find something.
I'm starting to think the .41 is like the .38 Special. Pretty much any reasonable load shoots well.
It is an easy-shooting load much like my standard load with Universal. My problem with Universal is that it's hard to get, and may be gone. I have some CFE Pistol to try. Plus I'm curious about W244. Cabelas has W244 and it's cheaper than everything else. Plus I have a lot of W231/HP38 and 7.0gr of W231 seems to be a popular load. I'll find something.
I'm starting to think the .41 is like the .38 Special. Pretty much any reasonable load shoots well.
Over the weekend, cast ~300 217 GR 25:1 32 caliber bullets, sized 300 new-to-me 32 Miller Short cases, primed and powdered 100 of them, and pan lubed 100 of the bullets. All set for this weekend's schuetzen match. Also have some 32-40 cases prepped and bullets for that rifle, just in case.
I had a huge plastic coffee can of 6.5 creedmoor brass that was ready for refills, so I annealed and tumbled it. Hoping to have a couple hours this week to get it resized and prepped. Also loaded up some 168 grain ELD-M with Varget for my .308. Wasn’t having a lot of success with the 178’s, so I’m hoping these might group better. At some point I’m going to have to move my reloading supplies and setup to the garage. My daughter and her husband are moving back to Texas, and are gonna stay with us for a couple months until they can find a place. I’ve been spoiled for so long to be able to reload in a nice air conditioned room, so I’m not looking forward to have to go out to the garage now!
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