Hey everyone, I justed wanted to thank you all for all the help you've given me- from what press to buy, to how to build my bench, powders, bullets, etc. I don't think I could have done it without your help as I am a very busy med student. Well on to the good stuff. I loaded up 60 rounds for my .30-06 a couple of months ago, and to my shame this was the first time I have been able to get away to the rifle range since then. Well, I used winchester bulk bullets and varget in win. brass. I tried multiple seating depths and loads. I have two I'm going to fiddle with; both shot a hair under 1.5" at 100yds shooting off a duffel bag stuffed with laundry in an old Rem 700 that has seen its share of use. This is plenty good for what I plan to do with it, but I am curious how much accuracy I can squeeze out of the old girl.

Well, thank you all again for the advice and help you have given me. I don't know anyone who reloads and only a few that shoot as I came from a non-shooting family. Without your help I don't know how I would have gotten into this hobby.

Carl

I think most modern guns are capable of shooting moa or better, some just need more tinkering than others.

I agree that I can probably get down to at least a moa. It wasn't really the best day to go and try out my loads. It was a bit windy with the wind at almost a perfect 90 degree angle to the range. To make it worse, it was gusting a bit too, but I'm so busy in a very gun un-friendly city with no ranges close(at least that you don't need a membership for) so I can't be choosy when I have the oppurtunity to go pop a few off. Most of the deviation in the placement was lateral. I hope this was a result of the wind. I was tempted to stop after three shots on the one grouping because at that point it looked like it would have been a .7 or so inch group (one nice big hole and a little one right next to it) and would have looked nice on my wall. I also really wish I had the funds for a decent benchrest, but alas the saga of the poor student continues. I would absolutely love to get down to moa and really look forward to the tinkering it will take to get there.

On a side note, does Varget burn dirty? The brass was a little dirtier than what I was used to with factory loads. Is this just due to dirtier burning or is there some other issue here?

Thanks again,
Carl

Anvil, tinker around with some different bullets and powder. I usually don't start messing with seating depth until I find a load that shoots quite well. Seating depth, in my opinion, should be used as a fine tuning method. The goal is to change one variable at a time (i.e. just bullet, or just powder, or just seating depth, etc.) so you can see what that specific change does to your groups. You'll drive youself nuts trying to figure out what to do to make your rifle shoot its best if you are changing 2 or 3 variables at a time.
Check out this website: Load Your Own
It gives plenty of loads that others have had success with. I usually use it as a starting point to get ideas about what powders and bullets shoot well with a particular caliber. However, use it as a guide, not gospel.

Sounds like you did pretty well given your conditions. Jethro is right about the seating depth. Find your best charge with a common seating depth, then play take that next step.

Also, do not underestimate the wind. I have had the "good" fortune of shooting in a very windy place (west texas) and even a 5-10 mile per hour wind can make a big difference, especially if the wind is inconsistent. I simple wind flag may help.

I have loaded Varget in several different calibers, but not 30-06. In my experience it is pretty clean burning, but your complaint about it being dirty is not the first time I have heard that. Were your loads on the warm end, mild end, or in the middle? The individual whom complained before was loading light loads.

Good Luck in your studies. Best regards

As you are getting ready for your next range session I would work on one item that may well be as important as ANY of the loading components . . . Your rest!
Sand or brown pea gravel (try your big name chain building store) tied up in sections of the legs of old pants will be so much more stable and reduce one of the great variables in bench shooting.
two pair of pants will yield the minimum of 4 and that should do you for most any bench shooting situation.

LouisB

Just an opinion of course, an we know about them.

Hey guys - thanks for all your input. I m saving up for a rest, but don't know when I'll get there hopefully this summer. The old pants are a good idea and I have plenty sitting around since I got fat at the cessation of the collegiate football career. Jeffeosso and Gadolinium, the loads that burnt dirty were lightly to mid range loaded. I started at min. listed loads and worked up. The loads from min. load to 46.3gr pushing 150gr bullet burned dirty. The loads higher than that burned significantly cleaner.

Thanks for the input I was worried I had screwed up,
Carl