New rifle, first round set up
- Thread starter 19dsniper
- Start date
CanAm Defender helps a lot with rifle weight. 
I haven't read this whole thread, so I am probably asking something that was covered. How was the load developed in these rifles that can't seem to get better than a couple moa? We have done hundreds of load developments and there has been a handful of difficult rifles and a few that simply would not shoot anything. They were bad rifles or needed repair.
Just to put it out there. I rarely crimp. I start with a standard 2 thou neck tension. After initial brass prep I load a one shot one charge ladder to find pressure. Once I find pressure then I will back off enough to be comfortable. Most of the time we have a solid sub moa load in less than 15 shots. If it takes more shots than that it because we try other powders to see if there is more vel on the table. Some rifles will like one powder better than another or one primer better than another. The vast majority of rifles shoot a ladder that increases 200-300 fps pretty close to moa.
I would like to see a pic of the ladder target with vel and charge data for each shot. That might answer some questions.
Just to put it out there. I rarely crimp. I start with a standard 2 thou neck tension. After initial brass prep I load a one shot one charge ladder to find pressure. Once I find pressure then I will back off enough to be comfortable. Most of the time we have a solid sub moa load in less than 15 shots. If it takes more shots than that it because we try other powders to see if there is more vel on the table. Some rifles will like one powder better than another or one primer better than another. The vast majority of rifles shoot a ladder that increases 200-300 fps pretty close to moa.
I would like to see a pic of the ladder target with vel and charge data for each shot. That might answer some questions.
Sorry everyone, I hope im not reviving my own dead thread. If im breaking the rules, let me know and i will start a new thread.
The hunt went successfully. My son ended up using my Tikka T3x superlite in 6.5CM with 143 ELDX and 41.5 gr. of H4350. He ended up taking 2 deer. The first he put a perfect heart/lung shot on that ended up leaving an exit hole about the size of a golf ball. The deer immediately jumped up in the air and i could see blood gushing out as it came to the ground. Once back on the ground it made it about 4 steps and piled up. His second one was a headshot and it didn't move. Just a bang/flop right where it stood.
On mine i ended up using my ultralite and the hammer bullets. 1 round fired, landed right where i was aiming. I kept thinking about how a number of people on here recommended keeping it off bone and going into the crease. So i intentionally aimed for a heard/lung shot as well. I put a good shot on my deer and it ran off. Made it about 50 yards before piling up in the brush. Upon cleaning the deer we saw that it was a good heart/lung shot. The insides were jello, less than the ELDX but still jello. The exit was much smaller. Just large enough for me to fit my thumb into. The broken ribs on the exit were razor sharp.
Now that i am back i have been working like crazy and making up for missed hours from that trip. So im sorry that i have not been back on for a while.
Now that season is over, i plan on starting over again with no rush on a load. As it is right now, i still have not cleaned the rifle, so you guys share you opinions on what you think i should do.
I will get a count of my remaining projectiles, and if need by maybe buy 15 more. Im not buying another 100 till i figure something out.
I can back the crimp off, as Steve Davis recommends and start with a clean target. Load and shoot a ladder. What distance? I will go down and mark each round fired. Should i do this with my MagnetoSpeed attached for velocity, or leave it off with it being such a light barrel?
Yall tell me what you think and as i have time, i will go down and test it. I would also like to test some factory loads and also some other handloads with either my 130 Sierra TMK or my 120, 130, 140 ELDM or 143 ELDX.
The hunt went successfully. My son ended up using my Tikka T3x superlite in 6.5CM with 143 ELDX and 41.5 gr. of H4350. He ended up taking 2 deer. The first he put a perfect heart/lung shot on that ended up leaving an exit hole about the size of a golf ball. The deer immediately jumped up in the air and i could see blood gushing out as it came to the ground. Once back on the ground it made it about 4 steps and piled up. His second one was a headshot and it didn't move. Just a bang/flop right where it stood.
On mine i ended up using my ultralite and the hammer bullets. 1 round fired, landed right where i was aiming. I kept thinking about how a number of people on here recommended keeping it off bone and going into the crease. So i intentionally aimed for a heard/lung shot as well. I put a good shot on my deer and it ran off. Made it about 50 yards before piling up in the brush. Upon cleaning the deer we saw that it was a good heart/lung shot. The insides were jello, less than the ELDX but still jello. The exit was much smaller. Just large enough for me to fit my thumb into. The broken ribs on the exit were razor sharp.
Now that i am back i have been working like crazy and making up for missed hours from that trip. So im sorry that i have not been back on for a while.
Now that season is over, i plan on starting over again with no rush on a load. As it is right now, i still have not cleaned the rifle, so you guys share you opinions on what you think i should do.
I will get a count of my remaining projectiles, and if need by maybe buy 15 more. Im not buying another 100 till i figure something out.
I can back the crimp off, as Steve Davis recommends and start with a clean target. Load and shoot a ladder. What distance? I will go down and mark each round fired. Should i do this with my MagnetoSpeed attached for velocity, or leave it off with it being such a light barrel?
Yall tell me what you think and as i have time, i will go down and test it. I would also like to test some factory loads and also some other handloads with either my 130 Sierra TMK or my 120, 130, 140 ELDM or 143 ELDX.
@19dsniper , Welcome back, and glad you had a good trip!
OK. Let's start over.
I'm a firm believer in crimping, but I have a couple of wildcats that Lee doesn't make FCDs for - so I've got 2 calibers that I shoot uncrimped. Both are capable of 0.3-.05 groups uncrimped with .002 neck interference (tension). Both were taken to pressure (ejector mark), then dropped back 1 grain.
Maybe your rifle is an anomaly? We already talked about fore end pressure for a "noodle" barreled rifle. You may want to check this - or, you may just need to change bullet weights. As stated previously, I've had 2 barrels that absolutely would not shoot a particular weight Hammer - yet they shot another weight very well? Goofy I know, but it has happened.
Jump does not seem to materially bother Hammers. Keep increasing your jump if the bullet doesn't want to shoot. I know this reduces powder capacity - and the CM is stingy on space - but jumps of up to .200+ are not out of reason (or farther!)
Don't waste bullets or components.
If your rifle doesn't like the 125HHTs, go to another bullet. If not an HHT, the Hunters work very well and are still my personal favorite.
Keep us posted. This kind of stuff is intriguing-and a head scratcher for sure!
OK. Let's start over.
I'm a firm believer in crimping, but I have a couple of wildcats that Lee doesn't make FCDs for - so I've got 2 calibers that I shoot uncrimped. Both are capable of 0.3-.05 groups uncrimped with .002 neck interference (tension). Both were taken to pressure (ejector mark), then dropped back 1 grain.
Maybe your rifle is an anomaly? We already talked about fore end pressure for a "noodle" barreled rifle. You may want to check this - or, you may just need to change bullet weights. As stated previously, I've had 2 barrels that absolutely would not shoot a particular weight Hammer - yet they shot another weight very well? Goofy I know, but it has happened.
Jump does not seem to materially bother Hammers. Keep increasing your jump if the bullet doesn't want to shoot. I know this reduces powder capacity - and the CM is stingy on space - but jumps of up to .200+ are not out of reason (or farther!)
Don't waste bullets or components.
If your rifle doesn't like the 125HHTs, go to another bullet. If not an HHT, the Hunters work very well and are still my personal favorite.
Keep us posted. This kind of stuff is intriguing-and a head scratcher for sure!