MY 7mm Barrel SUCKS!!!

[jackie schmidt]

I finally got my 284 reamer last week, chambered up the 30 inch 1-9 Krieger, and me and Ed went up to Walker County today to test at 400 yards.

This Rifle shot really good two week ends ago with the 6BR barrel, so I figured all I would have to do is sighter her in, tune her up, and shoot some good groups.

It didn't happen. Shooting 4831 and the 180 Berger Hybrids, I tried velocity ranges from 2750 to 2950, on the lands, off the lands, free recoil, holding the Rifle. The best groups I could shoot at 400 were in the 1 1/2 inch range. Sometimes it would just shoot big 2 1/2 inch blobs.

This as in some really readable conditions with my 5 flag set.

This thing seems wayyyyy to wind sensitive. All of the BC that bullet is supposed to have didn't mean squat. If I can't see what pushes a bullet 2 inches over, I can't compete with it in the Clay Bird Matches.

I shot around 80 rounds today,

The tuner was no help.

I'm going to get a can of H1000 and try again, maybe when it isn't so cold. I also need a .308 bushing, the neck tension seemed really light, meassuring at .002 tight.

It's not a lot of fun freezing your butt off with a gun that won't shoot.

 

[alinwa]

what's it do at 100?

 

[jackie schmidt]

what's it do at 100?

I don't know.

I suppose I need to shoot, and tune it, at 200 to see if the accuracy potential is even there.

 

[alinwa]

I'm excited to see you applying your brand of innovative thinking to a long range project...really jazzed about this.

FOR ME, the VLD stuff shoots wind just like a ppc at 100yds....and at 200....and....

then it starts to get different,

really different.

Welcome!

al

 

[alinwa]

And if it don't shoot DOTS at 100, it ain't gonna get any better!

 

[JerrySharrett]

And if it don't shoot DOTS at 100, it ain't gonna get any better!

Exactly.

Try 4895 in the 284 case. And try another, quality, bullet. Going to H1000 might be too slow.
4895 has always been the powder of choice in National Match loadings, or was?

What barrel twist and length, and whose brass?

.

 

[jim1K]

H 4350....... jim

 

[Kookie]

Check your neck clearance. The .284 Winchester seems to like 0.004 to 0.005 total neck clearance.

H4831sc, H4350, and RL17 are the most popular powders. A lot of guys run 2800 to 2850 velocity.

Hope you get it worked out.

 

[bill larson]

.284

I would look at barrel with borescope...... if barrel looks good try a different scope..... if no help......talk with the barrel mfg. most will stand behind a bad barrel......
I`ve used 7mm barrels from 3 diff. mfg`s.... not all cut rifled..... and 31" x straight 1.250"...... different barrels and all would shoot .25 moa. for around 1200 rnds.with H4831 and 180 Bergers or smk`s...... un mep platted or re-pointed bullets..... velocities from 2850-3050
Never had a bucky acting one..... although I have had bad barrels in other calibers...... all were bad material with pitts...... I believe from steel mfg.
sorry for your problems.....
good luck...
bill larson

 

[R.G. Robinett]

Jackie, for bullets of the length you're using, the 1:9" twist is a little lacking - they need about 1:8" to, "put them to sleep" and maximize the BC and precision potential. I've done a little work on this because of the disappointing results a couple of my pals were experiencing with multiple barrels from all the "good" sources. I tried PMing you, but that appears to have failed - check your e-mail. RG

 

[jackie schmidt]

Check your neck clearance. The .284 Winchester seems to like 0.004 to 0.005 total neck clearance.

H4831sc, H4350, and RL17 are the most popular powders. A lot of guys run 2800 to 2850 velocity.

Hope you get it worked out.

That's a good point.

After I did all of the research, had my reamer ground, set everything up for .002 neck clearance in a loaded round, I read that many shooters have found that big 7's like more neck clearance.

This is a .313 neck, when you neck the 6.5 284 Lapua up to 7mm, there is about .002 to turn off to achieve a loaded round dimension of .311.

I designed this 7mm around one bullet, the Berger 180 Hybrid. I did this because enough notable shooters stated that this bullet is a winner. High BC combined with great accuracy potential.

My thinking is the ONLY reason to build a larger caliber in shooting matches under 600 yards is to take advantage of the very high BC potential. This is particularly true when the Range allows you to set up Windflags, just like at 100-200-300 yard Matches.

At Walker County, they shoot 2 inch Claybirds at 400 yards. Larry allows Windflags. I have made large flags specifically to shoot these matches, so you can see them quite well out at 350 yards. When I shot my 6BR barrel on this Rifle 3 weeks ago, in a tough condition, it performed very well, using 30.6 grns of Varget behind the 108 Berger Match at 2850 FPS out of a 1-8 twist 4 groove Krieger. The conditions were pretty tough. A reversal was good for at least 5 inches. But by reading the flags, and paying attention, I never shot a group over 1 1/2 inches. Here are the last two groups I shot.

http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18727&stc=1&d=1481473202

That is the kind of accuracy I was looking for out of the 7mm. It's not even in the same ball park at this time.

 

[jackie schmidt]

Exactly.

Try 4895 in the 284 case. And try another, quality, bullet. Going to H1000 might be too slow.
4895 has always been the powder of choice in National Match loadings, or was?

What barrel twist and length, and whose brass?

.

Jerry, I talked to some very notable long range shooters before building this project.

The Reamer is ground to shoot necked up Lapua 6.5/284 brass, .313 neck. The barrel is a 1-9 Kieger in Heavy Varmint taper. Bullets are Berger 180 Hybrids, which seems to be the bullet of choice among sussessful Long Range Shooters. As for powder, Reloader 17 and H4831 SC seem to be the powders of choice.

As far as I know, I did things right with this combination, not trying to re-invent the wheel. Velocity is right where it should be, primers look great, (I tried 3 different primers), extraction is flawless, everything looks great.

Except my 6BR barrel will out shoot it at 400 yards.

My next step will be to turn some more off the necks, giving it a .0035 to .004 loaded round clearance. I will machine up a couple of neck bushings in .306 and .307. It's worth a try.

The .002 clearance I am running now looks, by Benchrest standards, to be just right. The picture shows that nice "sine wave" pattern we all look for, and the wall thickness is dead on .0134.

http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18728&stc=1&d=1481475094

http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18729&stc=1&d=1481475210

 

[jackie schmidt]

Jackie, for bullets of the length you're using, the 1:9" twist is a little lacking - they need about 1:8" to, "put them to sleep" and maximize the BC and precision potential. I've done a little work on this because of the disappointing results a couple of my pals were experiencing with multiple barrels from all the "good" sources. I tried PMing you, but that appears to have failed - check your e-mail. RG

Randy, that is my big fear. It was pretty cold yesterday, (by Houston standards), it never got above 41 degrees. Also, Ed wasn't having much luck with his 7mm, which is a Ackley improved based on the 6.5x55 Lapua case. He is shooting a barrel block Rifle with a straight 1 1/4 diameter barrel.

We did notice that all of our bullet holes did not look as nice and round as we are used to seeing.

I could try some lighter, and shorter bullets. But the only reason I even did this combination up was to play the BC game. When the BC drops down into the "500" range, so to speak, it's not much better than the 108 6mm at 2850.

 

[R.G. Robinett]

Randy, that is my big fear. It was pretty cold yesterday, (by Houston standards), it never got above 41 degrees. Also, Ed wasn't having much luck with his 7mm, which is a Ackley improved based on the 6.5x55 Lapua case. He is shooting a barrel block Rifle with a straight 1 1/4 diameter barrel.

We did notice that all of our bullet holes did not look as nice and round as we are used to seeing.

I could try some lighter, and shorter bullets. But the only reason I even did this combination up was to play the BC game. When the BC drops down into the "500" range, so to speak, it's not much better than the 108 6mm at 2850.

Right on regarding shorter/lighter - I understand - there is another, "way to skin the cat". Check the e-mail I sent you - don't want to turn this into a commercial. RG

 

[JerrySharrett]

This is after the fact, but wouldn't the 6.5/284 have offered a better selection of efficient long range bullets?

I know this is not apples-to-apples but a 6.5/284 I did recently, just yesterday, dropped an NW Kansas coyote at a ranged 765 yards with a 123 grain Hornady SST from a 1:8.5 Bartlein.


.

 

[jackie schmidt]

This is after the fact, but wouldn't the 6.5/284 have offered a better selection of efficient long range bullets?

I know this is not apples-to-apples but a 6.5/284 I did recently, just yesterday, dropped an NW Kansas coyote at a ranged 765 yards with a 123 grain Hornady SST from a 1:8.5 Bartlein.


.

Jerry, in the past couple of years, the 7mm has become very popular in long range shooting, in both F-Class and Benchrest.

 

[JerrySharrett]

Jerry, in the past couple of years, the 7mm has become very popular in long range shooting, in both F-Class and Benchrest.

I remember in the 1980's the 7mm had the best selection of high BC bullets but doesn't the 6.5 do most of the long range winning now? Just asking, I haven't shot any 600 yard Benchrest in the last 2 years.

.

 

[Matt P]

Jackie
The 9 twist shouldn't be a problem, I've chambered 100's for customers and never had a problem, I'd open up the neck clearance and try some 180VLD's, in my experience the VLD"s are much easier to live with than the Hybrids. A common load in this part of the world is around 50 grns of 2209 (H4350) and VLD's jammed 10-15, should give 2750-2800 with great accuracy.
Matt P

 

[alinwa]

Jackie
The 9 twist shouldn't be a problem, I've chambered 100's for customers and never had a problem, I'd open up the neck clearance and try some 180VLD's, in my experience the VLD"s are much easier to live with than the Hybrids. A common load in this part of the world is around 50 grns of 2209 (H4350) and VLD's jammed 10-15, should give 2750-2800 with great accuracy.
Matt P

Yeahhh but it's a known fact that those VLD bullets fly better upside down.......

 

[jackie schmidt]

I made it to Tomball today to try this beast at 200 yards after a not so satisfying outing at 400.

I had a great day to shoot, mid 70's, overcast, quartering tail winds at about 5mph.

I tried every combo amaginable, took the 180 Bergers from 2750 FPS to 2900+with the 4831 SC. Tried into the lands, on the lands, jumping, .......it's locked into about a .5 agging capability.

Take a close look at the target. The holes are not round. And darn near 30 caliber in diameter.I do not think this particular 1-9 barrel is stabilizing these bullets all the way. The sighter really shows it. That is one shot.

After spending most of the day trying to get the 180's to tighten up, I pulled out some 168 Berger Match.
Settling on 58 grns of 4831 at an average of 2960 FPS, (a 15 FPS total spread over 10 shots), I worked with the seating dept and tuner and got it shooting honest .500 groups at 200. The two shown are the last two. One was shot in about 5 mph quartering L-R the lower one straight away at about the same wind speed. The groups moved exactly with the condition. My aim point was the intersection of the lines.

I was going to try 4350, but I forgot it. When we go to 400 yards again, I will bring some. But that 4831 load looks real promising with the 168's

http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18786&stc=1&d=1482810545


http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18790&stc=1&d=1482812787

http://benchrest.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18787&stc=1&d=1482810731