Unlike Frank's post below (I know how it feels all too often), I was fortunate to have a very good day at the range yesterday. I went to sight-in my new rifle (SS Rem 700 w/24" 5-R Milspec bbl, McMillian piller bed stock, Harris bipod, Warne mounts/rings, and cheap but servicable BSA 6-24x40 scope) and chrono some loads at my favorite range (Sacramento Valley Shooting Center [Folsom Shooting Club] near Ione, CA).

So I do some sighters to get on paper and ensure the chrono is working. The loads I was checking were my first attempt and true "handloading" v. mere "reloading". I followed some but not enough of the advice I read here and elsewhere regarding case prep ("mistakes" = used mixed headstamp, on balance scale made three batches of heavy/mid/light, ignored flash-holes, etc) and thought I took enough care in the other parts of the process. I was using some 25-year old Nosler Match 150's and 165's bullets that my brother had stockpiled. Anyway, as you can probably guess, I had mediocre results (okay...over 2 MOA). I know this doesn't sound like a good day yet.

Okay, so I'm slightly frustrated, telling myself that with the new Winchester and Lapua cases I just bought, I'm really going to take my time in prepping them, and try some of the successful loads you all have posted on this forum. Then of course, I start having second thoughts about the $1000 steel and fiberglass tool on the bench, and recall horror stories about some rifles just not being good shooters. I feel a knot in my gut.

Then I remember that I'd brought along a box of Federal Gold Match 175's (the weight this barrel is supposedly designed/tuned for). I had bought these with the thought of establishing a baseline - something to compare my handloads to - to remove my loading skills (or lack of) from the equasion. I clean the bore in preparation.

"Bang" X 5. Hey, that group looks good. No, it looks really good. I pull the target and scrounge around for a ruler. Looks like 5/8"...that's very good for me and the rifles I've owned up to now.

So, my shoulder is sore, I know I have a long way to go in developing my handloading skills, and my buddy with a .308 sporter is going to get a "present" of 40 reloads to practice with...

But I know the rifle has great potential if I do my part. That inspires me to focus on developing my skills as a handloader and shooter.

It was a VERY GOOD day at the range...

5-R,

Benchresters follow a few rules in their quest for the ultimate in accuracy, and case prep is one of the first (hehehe-we'll drag you down into the abyss with the rest of us). Mismatched cases and such, which may not really mean too much in a regular old "hunting rifle" that may not be capable of better than MOA in the first place, are a definite no-no when trying to make tiny little groups.

It sounds like you have the engine to shoot those little groups, now you have to feed it properly. Weighing/sorting cases, primer pocket uniforming, flash hole cleanup, trimming to length, etc.., are about mandatory to eliminate variables, even if only in your mind, when going after THE BEST accuracy your rifle is capable of.

If you go down to the "Benchrest and Target Shooting" forum, guys in there will give you great advice. All the aggravation will be worth it when you start seeing those 1/4" groups.

R-WEST

I've developed an excellent .308 win 175 grain Matchking load, and it has worked to the tune of 1/2 MOA in all of the tactical rifles we've tried it in so far.

Look in the handloading section at www.snipershide.com and you'll see the results of many of the shooters who have tried this recipe. Several folks are now using this recipe exclusively in their long range applications. My guess is that your rifle will shoot it just as well. It is a max load, so to be safe you will want to check 2, and then 1 grain(s) under this charge with a couple of foulers before continuing. Look for pressure signs, of course. No one has yet reported any signs of excess pressure with this recipe to date.

Here it is:

175 grain Sierra Matchking
45.0 grains of Varget (Hodgdon)
CCI BR primer (don't substitute any other primer)
Lapua or Winchester case (I notice you have both, so you're good to go there).

Use an OAL as long as your rifle's magazine will allow. If your groups don't come in at or below 3/4 MOA, begin shortening the OAL in .010" increments to tune the load to the barrel's harmonic whip.

You'll find this load pert near impossible to beat ...

Dan Newberry
green 788

(Edited) Desregard previous questions, got info from the link.
Thanks, Bill

[ 10-22-2002, 19:19: Message edited by: Bill M ]

Thanks for the replies...very encouraging. I prepped 100 Win. case tonight (I'm saving the Lapua's for when I have the process down). FL sized, trimmed, chamfered. I will separate by weight tomorrow and prime. I have a Lee Collet Die Set en route to use once the initial firing fits the cases to the chamber. Probably will use some old Nosler Match 150's or 165's for the first round...then on to the new Sierra 175's for the second firing of the cases.

Thank you for your comments.

I had fun today. I introduced a non shooting friend to the shooting world. I bought a Ruger 10/22 and invited my friend to come over and shoot with me. He informed me that he hadn't the first clue about guns nor did he own one. We went to the dirt mound in the back, and after shooting for a little while I offered to let him shoot. After a learning session, I let him fire a few shots. The result was instantaneous, He was in love. He told me that if he had realized before how much fun it was he would have started shooting earlier. Another thing we did after we shot was to go to a store and buy him a 22. To top it all off, he let his wife shoot(another non shooter) the result was the same, she loved it too. My wife and I are so excited, our friends asked if we could get together and shoot some more. It is always nice to QT with my wife, but It will be really nice to have our friends there with us. It was a really great day at the range, two non shooters turned into shooters!

I had a similer experience with my kids a few years ago. They had come out shooting with me (handguns at an indoor range, and .22 rifles out in the sticks) a few times since they were really little (like about 4 or 5 years old), but I'd not been really active in the shooting world for a while due to work, etc. So I took them to try .22 silhouettes at the huge range in my area...and they really loved it.

Thank goodness I had enough .22 rifles for all four of them (or they'd have rioted). And they're really good shots! I had to reload fast to have an opportunity to knock some silhouettes over myself! During her first day of silhouettes, my middle daughter turned to me and stated, "I like this better than going to the beach!" (...and she's a kayaker and surfer!)

We now go every few weeks, and they are fine marksmen/women. In fact, my eldest aspires to be a Marine Sniper.