I've been working with a 30/06 trying to get it to shoot to my satisfaction. I initially tried 180 grain bullets. Getting 1 to 1.5 MOA at 100 yards was pretty easy with a variety of powders but I don't consider that degree of precision all that good.

I decided to try lighter bullets over Varget and got this group. Of course, one 3 shot group doesn't tell the whole story but it's either a somewhat promising load or pretty incredible luck.

That's some fine shooting Grumpy.
I hope you can repeat it on your next range trip.

Quit yer complainin!!!

You do know that you can never shoot it for group again, don't you. Put that one on the wall and forever call your rifle as a .04 shooter. I have an .08 shooter myself.




Von Gruff.

Grumulkin,

Stick with it, you got it headed your way.

I picked up a VERY ragged second or possibly even fifth hand Sako simply for the action as the rest of it looks so pitiful. After getting it home, and it sitting around for a few weeks I decided to clean the barrel and at least give it a try. Well after literally two full days of cleaning and almost a full bag of Pro Shot patches half a bottle of solution, including multiple swabbings with Sweets, and JB Compound, I finally got clean patches out of the thing.

So just for kicks, the following afternoon after work, the wife and I headed to our club range, and on the way I hit the closest Academy for a box of the cheapest Winchester 100gr bullets they had.

I pinned up the target, bore sighted the rifle on one someone had left, then shot the following 5 shot group,


Well it sat in the safe for a year or so and I got an almost new stock from a friend, so I mounted the iron in it, and did a quick work up using some Nolser Solid Base 100grs, and Hybrid 100V, at which time I noted it needed a bit of wood removed from the side of the channel where it rubs as it heats. The bottom left two groups were my final loads with two different primers,


The final test, was presenting it to the grandson as his new rifle and him using it to take out a nice hog this past December.


The barrel still looks atrocious where some previous owner had the sights removed, but we have talked it over and decided we could live with it as long as it keep shooting. After all it's a hunting rifle now for sure.

I would give some IMR or H4350 a try also in that '06. I have always had some very fine loads come from it. Not that your at all hurting for improvement, but it might be a good back up load.

That's a nice looking rifle, grandson and pig. That 5 shot group is also quite impressive it's just too bad those fantastic groups don't always persist.

I've tried a bunch of powders in it including H4350 with 180 gr. Remington Core-Lokts and the best I was able to do fairly consistently was 1 to 1.5 inches. Maybe it's the bullets; I'll probably try some other 180 grainers from my inventory.

I think though that it's going to do better with 165/168 grain bullets with its 1:10 twist. I shot it again today with the same load as above and got a 5 shot group measuring 0.959 inches. Interestingly, it printed in two discrete areas (3 very close together and two kissing) so I'm going to try different primers. I would be OK with consistent 0.75 inch groups, pretty happy with 0.5 inch 5 shot groups and ecstatic if they were smaller than that.

that's beautiful!!! where did you find load data for varget for the 30.06?

quote:

Originally posted by Grumulkin:
I've been working with a 30/06 trying to get it to shoot to my satisfaction. I initially tried 180 grain bullets. Getting 1 to 1.5 MOA at 100 yards was pretty easy with a variety of powders but I don't consider that degree of precision all that good.

I decided to try lighter bullets over Varget and got this group. Of course, one 3 shot group doesn't tell the whole story but it's either a somewhat promising load or pretty incredible luck.

Hodgdon's website has lots of loading data for Varget and the 30-06.

quote:

Originally posted by Von Gruff:
You do know that you can never shoot it for group again, don't you. Put that one on the wall and forever call your rifle as a .04 shooter. I have an .08 shooter myself.




Von Gruff.

Very true, you can never shoot it again.

quote:

Originally posted by gunsrgood:
that's beautiful!!! where did you find load data for varget for the 30.06?

In addition to those sources mentioned, the Hornady, Lee and, I believe the Nosler manual have Varget loads.

I have another 30/06 Encore barrel; blued and 24 inches long that shoots 168 grain bullets quite well with Varget. The funny thing is that loads worked up for that barrel were pretty mediocre in the 28 inch Pro Hunter barrel. Go figure.