Load developement

P

P.Ericson

Member
Given that the useful "peak" precision in a 6ppc barrel might be as low as 6-800rounds before they start falling off, how do you awoid wasting alot of rounds thru the barrel during intitial load development? I have begun just loading 56clicks of n133 into the case, and then playing with seating depth. Then maybe, going up and down half a click.

How do you do? Do you shoot a ladder over a large range of powder weights, or do you focus on a particular node( say 28,5-29,2 or 30.0-30.5)? How about seating depths?

You guys wouldn´t belive how much we are paying for barrels in this part of the world:mad:. Finding good loads quickly saves some barrel life that can be used for practice instead...

Regards,
Peter Ericson
 
My way

Peter, being new myself I have listened intently to the shooters who have done much more tuning than I. One of the ideas that impressed me was starting with the bullet in the lands therefore you only have one way to move the bullet.I know you can go into the lands more but if you go .020" in then you still only have one to go.
I try to shoot on a calm day and use the 25 bulls on a page, from Sinclair, for my target.
I then start at about 28.5 grs of N-133 and go up accordingly at .1 gr or what ever you might choose, depending upon the temperature.
When and if you get two shots to touch you can use that powder charge and come off the lands .005" at a time with that load to see if it will get to a mothball.
I put on a new Kreiger barrel Sunday and in 9 bulls (18 shots) I had my setup.
You will need appropriate tools like a dial caliper and the gizzy to measure your seating depth. Use new fireformed brass, etc.
Centerfire
 
Load development

One of the shooters in our club has 3,500 rounds on his barrel.
He won 2 trophys with it last year . It's a Hart barrel.
He keeps the throat lapped with iosso and keeps setting the bullet out farther into the lands as they wear. Others are setting barrels back after only 500 or so rounds. It's a big question for me too.
 
Peter,
A lot of this boils down to the bullets.Good sensible bullets will shoot in the rifling at multiple seating depths and with multiple powder charges.Fussy finicky wizz bangers will only shoot at one seating depth and one powder charge.What bullets do you have ?
From your previous experience( your last barrel) you must have discovered personality traits in regard to seating depth and powder charge. If X bullet likes .005 off jam in a 14 Krieger with 29.2-133 it will most likely like that load again in your new 14 Krieger.so just go right there and make subtle adjustments.
If you don't have a clue what the new barrel is gonna like run the "short program" at it.That's what I usually do so I don't have to cover the same ground twice with a barrel.
"Nader short program" What do you really want from a barrel ? I want a bullet that shoots into the rifling and does so with 53,54,55 of 133( for you butt heads with pet peeves that's 28.7,29.2,29.7 gr).You need to find jam and just touch( usually about .025 back from jam) Load up 54 cl Shoot a fouler and 4 shot groups Jam,.005 off,.010off,.015 off,.020off and just touch. Thats 25 rds. you should have a pretty good picture of whats working( this is really more a bullet thing than a barrel thing).Clean the barrel. Take the best seating depth and run 53,54,55,56 at it. thats 17 rds with a fouler,take the best powder charge seating depth and tweak the seating depth +/- .003 Now your total round expenditure is at 50 and you should be pretty zeroed in on your base tune.
If your gun doesn't show you anything you are shooting the wrong bullets.
Joel
 
The topic was ment to be more like a discussion, than a "help" thread. It´s always nice to hear how other people are doing things.

Often, I kind of find myself trying loads waaay to much. After all thoose loads, I most often end up right at the same place as my previus barrels liked:eek:
 
Sorry for the "help"
Let me work the discussion angle.
So, It's a beautiful springtime day in the finger lakes,The "wiley old Tom Turkeys are strutting around for the females in front of the 300 yd berm and so I'm thinkin of like decapitating them with my ppc but I figure they're not so wiley, so I let em slide. Better to blow the heads off dandelions than to have to gut a 20 lb bird and explain to the DEC 'what in the hell I
'm doing shooting a turkey three weeks before season with an inappropriate firearm. Do you have turkeys in Sweden or just meatballs ?
Anyway ,I'm thinkin "what would it be like if the only firearm available to everybody in the world was a 6 ppc ? There would be a lot more Grizzly bear "head shootin" goin on, don't ya think? Police would dump those 9mm pistols and move at least 100yds away from perpetrators just to make things sporting and all the bird hunters would wait for the birds to land before letting them " have it". So what's for dinner ? You know these pizza places really are runnin a racket,$20 for a little dough and some sauce and then you gotta tip the driver ? Now ,Ramen noodles,there's a deal,15 cents and some frozen mixed vegetables and "Voila", dinner is served.
 
All my load development starts with an Audette ladder test at 200yds. Never ends there but it is a quick way to find where that particular set of components wants to shoot.
Pizza costs me $27.00 delivered.:mad:
 
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In my experience

P.Ericson said:
Given that the useful "peak" precision in a 6ppc barrel might be as low as 6-800rounds before they start falling off, how do you awoid wasting alot of rounds thru the barrel during intitial load development? I have begun just loading 56clicks of n133 into the case, and then playing with seating depth. Then maybe, going up and down half a click.

How do you do? Do you shoot a ladder over a large range of powder weights, or do you focus on a particular node( say 28,5-29,2 or 30.0-30.5)? How about seating depths?

You guys wouldn´t belive how much we are paying for barrels in this part of the world:mad:. Finding good loads quickly saves some barrel life that can be used for practice instead...

Regards,
Peter Ericson
Click to expand...



A whole lot depends on what any given barrel with give one. Not all barrels are made equal nor do they give predictable results.

It has been much publasized in the past that a certain TOP shooter chambers 12 barrels annually hoping to find three good ones using a given load known to work in a "good" barrel. This is probably a good way to proceed. Likely a barrel that will shoot a given load well will be very forgiving.
 
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Audette Ladder

jo191145 said:
All my load development starts with an Audette ladder test at 200yds. Never ends there but it is a quick way to find where that particular set of components wants to shoot.
Pizza costs me $27.00 delivered.:mad:
Click to expand...

Can you please explain what an Audette ladder is, and how it is used?

Thanks
 
Pete Wass said:
A whole lot depends on what any given barrel with give one. Not all barrels are made equal nor do they give predictable results.

It has been much publasized in the past that a certain TOP shooter chambers 12 barrels annually hoping to find three god ones using a given load known to work in a "good" barrel. This is probably a good way to proceed. Likely a barrel that will shoot a given load well will be very forgiving.
Click to expand...

Someone said a certain shooter takes 6 barrels to the Super Shoot.
He told me maybe 3.
That certain shooter(or maybe another) knows with in 25 rounds if that barrel will shoot.
Another shooter at last years Super Shoot. Arrived day before with new barrel. Had no idea if it would shoot. He won a couple of trophies.
 
a REALLY good barrel is going to generally let you know pretty darn fast that it's gonna shoot. If you have trouble finding a load at first, than chances are it's just a pedestrian barrel. Plus, just depending on what combination of bullets/barrel/powder that a certain shooter uses, if they keep their equipment consistent, they more than likely have a certain pet load or at least area of a load that generally shoots. For example, I have used the same lot of powder for 7 years, and I know where it's going to shoot if its going to shoot. If I have trouble getting it tuned, 95% chance I don't keep that barrel. Just a thought

Matthew S Keller
 
Nader -

FWIW, my Harrells Premium measure only kicks out 26.9 gr. of 133 at 53 clicks. So, yes, I do appreciate seeing load info listed as grains/weight instead of so-many clicks.....Don
 
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