Posted this before but loaded up some today for deer season coming up. Winchester Model 70 in 243. Accuracy has always been 1.5 to 2 inch groups with this rifle, except for this load.
Quarter inch groups with this load in that rifle.
Seated just shy of the lands.

Win Mag primers, 44 grains of H 414, 105 grain Speer SP, winchester brass.

Chronographed it also and varified the 3250 out of a 24inch barrel. Rifle is early 1990s vintage.

As usual for the Vampire critics, and the self appointed morality police: work up and Blahblahblah ( translated, used your head)./

Good luck if it works for you.

seafire, WEAR EYE PROTECTION!!! You're only 5 grains over maximum but probably shouldn't worry!! The 1/4 inch groups were probably right also! That's where 2 or 3 of the PIECES hit the target...rest of them flew off into oblivion!! BE CAREFUL!!! GHD

GHD,

Actually in a Hodgdon Manual, that load is only one grain over their posted max. I believe it is either Hodgdon 25 or 26. It is out by my reload bench. Accuracy between their posted max and one grain over, proved to be worth the extra grain. This is my open country load in a Winchester Model 70 with 24 inch barrel. Season starts this Saturday, but since I am not hunting in open country on this outing, my load is a 105 grain Speer loaded to about 2700 fps. I load up and down, depending on the terrain and environment. I practice what I preach, ( since I handload,) Why does everyone need a 500 yd load to take a 50 yd deer??

From experience I know you are a shooter, instead of one of our resident ArmChair experts, so I respect your input. You have told of taking ground hogs at 600 yds, plus haven't you?


Of course that is why most of serious reloaders have quite a few manuals and get the newer ones as soon as they come out, even tho we have the last 2 or 3 from the same source.
I do wear eye protection as I won't even shoot a BB gun without that. I wear glasses, so I always have some sort of eye protection on anyway.

Noslers Reload manual 3 listed their 100 grain partition to 3250 fps with IMR 7828 ( 47.5 grains) in their subsequent manuals they lowered that to 45.5 grains. I have also used the 47.5 grains with the 105 grain bullets for years with no problems or failures.

[ 10-02-2003, 06:44: Message edited by: seafire/ B17G ]

seafire,
Your 30/30 (220gr) loads and this one seem really fast in comparison to any published data I've seen. I believe in your observations that no pressure signs are evident etc etc so is it possible your chronograph is reading fast? Have you ever checked your chronograph against another? Just interested...
Thanks...
Con

Con,

Guys are quick to question the chronograph. I did worry about it when I first got it and sent in back to the factory. They told me it was fine.

An aquaintance drops by the range at time when I am there with his Oehler. We both compare loads thru each others chronograph, because people have told him the same thing about some of his loads. They both pretty much agree with each other all the time.

I know it is working right because it also rates some velocities a lot slower than listed in the manuals with other loads. Factory spec claims are a different story.

A 7 x 57 I had was reading low compared to manual listed ballistics. I finally discovered that it has a long throat. I now seat bullets out until they are just short of the lands, instead of to the cannelure on the bullet. Not only did the velocities come up on the chronograph, they now exceed those listed in the manual, some by 200 fps.

Most of my rifles, I have the chamber reamed out so that a bullet fills the magazine length. This allows better accuracy most times, and increased velocity with less pressure, since the bullet is not seated as deep, or allows me to load a Little Hotter, than listed in the manual.

Like anyone using his head, I work these loads up to that level,instead of just starting at factory max, and then see how far I can push it.

I have seen some rifles, that pop primers before they ever get to reload manual listed maxes. I do this to know the parameters on each rifle, both high and low.

I shoot much more downloaded ammo than up loaded.
Going out hunting tomorrow, and will be in a river bottom in the middle of a forest. I am taking a 7 x 57 loaded with a 154 grain Hornady Round Nose ( love Round Nose bullets) seated until the cartridge is 80.80 mm long. It has 33 grains of RL 7 giving it a velocity of about 2400 fps. It is a good accurate 250 yd load. If we wander out to open country over the weekend, I also have a 260 Remington in the truck with a 105 grain SSP Nosler Partition, loaded to 3350 fps with 43.5 grains of IMR 4064.

I like to match the rifle and load to the game and environment I am hunting in.

Thanks for the observation tho.
G'dday Mate!

Thanks seafire,
Much appreciated.
Con