Got my load on...6XC update

B

BigBamBoo

Guest
Well I have a 1000yrd match coming up this weekend so I have been at the range almost every day working on load development for the 6XC bench rifle.

I found two loads (about a grain apart) that looked really good. So I then started playing with bullet seating depth. Starting will the bullet "jammed" in the lands and working my way down .010" per 5 shot load.

I ended up with this load as my keeper (see pic of FIVE shot group @ 100yrds.)...ended up liking to be seated .010" in the lands. Going down another .010" opened the group up t0 3/4"...VERY sensitive to seating depth. The next steps under that closed the groups up a bit but still not as good as this load.

Load info:

Norma brass neck sized (.267 bushing)
39.5gns of H4350 powder
115gn DTAC bullets
Wolf LR primers
2.200" ogive length

Take care,Stan



 
Stan, it looks real good, you should give them guys something to think about. Good luck to you all at the next match. Ron Tilley
 
Thanks Ron.
I will let you know how I do. I placed 4th in the last 600yrd match, but my buddy Jason shooting this rifle came in 2nd. And that was with loads I slapped together just so I could shoot and they were grouping about twice the size of this group.

So I know the rifle shoots....now comes the part were I have to do my part and make the rifle look good. :)

Take care,Stan
 
Wow - thats great

Nice group.

What kind of barrel do you have - and do you know what velocity you are running?

I have a 6XC with a Broughton barrel and it gave me fits. When I first got it I was getting excellent groups with 39.0 grains of H4350 using a 107 grain Sierra barely touching the lands. I was running around 2950 fps.

After shooting a few hundred rounds the groups got looser and looser. I finally figured out that I had to reduce the charge to tighten up the groups. Now I am down to 36.5 grains of H4350 with excellent accuracy. When i checked velocity recently with this load it was at 2985fps.

Hopefully my load wont keep changing.

Strange.

Thanks-

Dirk
 
Stan, are you trying to scare me?:rolleyes: Not yet.;) I also want to see it at 300.:D
 
Hi Dirk.
It is a Krieger. I have about 270 rounds through it right now. So I will keep an eye on things and see what happens.

I was planning on shooting 300yrds yesterday, but the wind was blowing pretty good so I decided on not doing any 300yrd groups. One nice thing about the wind was it kept the mirage down :rolleyes:

Take care,Stan




DirkTejan said:
Nice group.

What kind of barrel do you have - and do you know what velocity you are running?

I have a 6XC with a Broughton barrel and it gave me fits. When I first got it I was getting excellent groups with 39.0 grains of H4350 using a 107 grain Sierra barely touching the lands. I was running around 2950 fps.

After shooting a few hundred rounds the groups got looser and looser. I finally figured out that I had to reduce the charge to tighten up the groups. Now I am down to 36.5 grains of H4350 with excellent accuracy. When i checked velocity recently with this load it was at 2985fps.

Hopefully my load wont keep changing.

Strange.

Thanks-

Dirk
Click to expand...
 
jvh156 said:
Stan, are you trying to scare me?:rolleyes: Not yet.;) I also want to see it at 300.:D
Click to expand...

Just loan me your rifle again Joe so I can shoot with it in the 1000yrd.....if it happens twice in a row we will know it aint no accident!

Are you shooting this Sat. in the 1k?

Take care,Stan
 
I'm planning on being there with Connor. I just hope the fires up north don't ruin my weekend.
 
BigBamBoo said:
Hi Dirk.
It is a Krieger. I have about 270 rounds through it right now. So I will keep an eye on things and see what happens.

I was planning on shooting 300yrds yesterday, but the wind was blowing pretty good so I decided on not doing any 300yrd groups. One nice thing about the wind was it kept the mirage down :rolleyes:

Take care,Stan
Click to expand...


Thanks!
 
I ended up with this load as my keeper (see pic of FIVE shot group @ 100yrds.)...ended up liking to be seated .010" in the lands. Going down another .010" opened the group up t0 3/4"...VERY sensitive to seating depth. The next steps under that closed the groups up a bit but still not as good as this load.
Click to expand...

Couple of things -- not terribly important, but the group looks like it has at least a half a bullet of vertical. OK, half of .243 is .1215, not .107 I'd say the group *looks* more like a flat .200. It is hard to tell with the calipers covering up things. You really need a reticle device to compare your groups to other reported groups.

Still a very nice group for a long-range rifle.

But only 1 group. When I think I have *the* load, I shoot a couple of 10-shot groups, or a 20-shot group. Count every shot. Call your mistakes or count the results. I can't tell you the number of times I've had a nice 5-shot group where that load didn't agg all that well.

Which brings up the second point. If your rifle/load is very sensitive to seating depth, watch that. First of all, make sure that whatever seating die you are using picks up the bullet near the ogive/body point, or you seating depth (amount of bullet jam) may vary with the overall length of the bullet. Within reason, the bullet OAL isn't very important unless your die seats from the tip of the bullet, in which case, you can get varying degrees of rifling engagement.

And if you start getting groups opening up in competition, you may want to find a load/seating depth that is a little more forgiving. A lot of us have that T-shirt, too.
 
Thanks for all the input....just got back from the 1000yrd shoot. I did not place....very "switchy" windy day today.

The good news is I did win smallest group....shooting a 3.923" five shot group. The other two groups were around 6".

Overall I am very pleased with the rifle and the load.

Take care,Stan
 
Couple of things -- not terribly important, but the group looks like it has at least a half a bullet of vertical. OK, half of .243 is .1215, not .107 I'd say the group *looks* more like a flat .200. It is hard to tell with the calipers covering up things. You really need a reticle device to compare your groups to other reported groups.


Stan, you measured it, and shot more groups to boot! I'd say the gun performed well today as well, comments like above give me something to laugh about, keep it up, you are doing well. Ron Tilley
 
tillroot1 said:
Couple of things -- not terribly important, but the group looks like it has at least a half a bullet of vertical. OK, half of .243 is .1215, not .107 I'd say the group *looks* more like a flat .200. It is hard to tell with the calipers covering up things. You really need a reticle device to compare your groups to other reported groups.


Stan, you measured it, and shot more groups to boot! I'd say the gun performed well today as well, comments like above give me something to laugh about, keep it up, you are doing well. Ron Tilley
Click to expand...

Ron,

Legit point Charles made. There is no way that group is even close to the number reported there in the pic. It is valid if the gentleman wants to report groups size that it reflect an accurate measurement. I see 2 measurement errors in the picture as it is posted, and that is assuming the device has been calibrated lately.

If you want to post pics and claim group sizes, at least do it correctly and accurately.

The group is nice, no doubt, but not what is claimed.

FWIW,


Jeff in OH
 
Explain yourself Jeff in OH.

It looks as if he shorted the group size a little with the calpiers, but look at the angle of the photo. It is possible that the caliper is positioned correctly if the photo was taken from directly above.

Assuming the group was measured correctly, and the calipers are calibrated, he had the math right. Overall group of .350...subtract half the bullet diameter for each side ( which is the whole diameter ), and you get .107 for the center to center group size.

I just got up after going to a party last night, maybe I'm missing something ?

---------------------Jeff
 
Jeez, guys.

I didn't figure he was trying to improve the tale. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I've been known to put my hands a bit farther apart or closer together, depending on whether it was a fish or shooting story.

But when someone show pictures, I figure they're after accurate information.

If you shoot short-range benchrest, you are probably familiar with looking through the scope after the group is done, and trying to figure what it will measure. It usually looks smaller through the scope. In your early days of competition, you can get a trifle disappointed when the target is measured & hung.

There are a number of reasons for this -- hard to see the edges of a bullet hole; hard to judge how much "white" is involved in the actual hole. So you learn to judge from the shape. If two shots are just touching, it is caliber size. If it is a half-a-bullet large, is is half caliber size. If it is just a little bit bigger than one but not the second, you split the difference.

With practice, you can usually come pretty close, when looking through the scope, to the actual measurement. Hardest for me is when it is real big. (Hardest, but sadly for me, not all that uncommon.)

So I figure when someone posts a picture, they're trying to put their rifle's/loads capability up against the field. If they're measuring wrong, they're gonna make the wrong decisions.

Same with the comment on "fussy" loads. I remember working up a load for a 6 Ackley that could shoot lights out. Problem was, when anything changed, it shot big. I shot is for four matches with that load, got one relay win and a bunch of middle of-the-packs. Went back & found a load that could be counted on, and that rifle started winning relays consistently.

FWIW
 
What I do, which may not be 100% correct but closer than posted:

(1) A 6mm bullet does NOT make a 6mm hole in paper.

(2) Measuring to the "edge of tear" is not reliable at all. Measuring to edge of black is much better. Best is getting the device Charles mentioned.

After deciding to report accurate measurements, you shoot a single hole, measure edge of black to edge of black and subtract that from your overall edge of black to edge of black measurement for the group.


Don't particularly give a rats a$$ about this gun or this group but going back to the basics of the Internet, if you post a pic be ready to defend it.
 
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Wow...you guys area riot. And I guess the circles you travel in is filled with liars and cheats. Think you need to find some new friends.

Anyways...not that I feel I need to defend myself,or targets...or picture taking ability (or lack of)...but here are a couple with the calipers zeroed and then a new, closer shot of the target taken from above and I think I am actually measuring a bit wide...not even squeezing the last bit to get right on the black...so take it for what it is worth or don't. The rifle..and loads...shoot better then I can exploit from it and that is all that matters to me.


Hey Ron...we missed you. Had a great turn out...ended up shooting four relay's. And outside of the wind....it did not get too hot and mirage was not that bad. Stay in touch.

Take care,Stan





 
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