I usually go in .2gn increments. It's a bit more work but I usually won't have to do a second round of test loads. Just my 2 cents...Originally Posted by ROB
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I usually go in .2gn increments. It's a bit more work but I usually won't have to do a second round of test loads. Just my 2 cents...
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Finally did this yesterday and found a couple loads to try a bit more on as I do prelims with 3 shot groups and then go to 5 to confirm. Found a couple of 5/8" groups at 200yds and 1 group 1/2" at 200yds. That is enough for error on my part so I'll do all three, narrow it down to one load and then do velocity checking to get the BDC correct in the scope. I'm actually adding a forth that is between the 2 at 5/8's since they were only .2 grains apart and most likely the best is between them. Finger is 1/2" group.
That being said, I was doing some loads with 2 different barrels and one barrel is incredibly more accurate than the other. Sometimes you get what you pay for as one is a 700.00 upper and the other is 219.00 upper. If you can swing it get a White Oak Armament varmint barrel in 1:12 and 24". It is rare for anything to shoot over 1MOA. Yesterday on 10 loads all were under with Benchmark. The other barrel all were over but two with CFE223 and it is a 20" 1:8 barrel and not a WOA barrel but I did find one load that did go 9/16" at 200yds and one just squeaked in at 1MOA. Upper center target is the 20" barrel 9/16" group of 3.
I've also tried the velocity way to find the node for loading and have not had much success and went back to the old full ladder of 3 each.
I normally shoot only 40 grain loads with my 24" barrel but all this talk about the 50's, had to try them and glad I did. Can always use another load that will shoot around 1/2" at 200yds if I do my part and hopefully buck the wind a little better. That is my nemesis.
Last edited by 72Camaro; 01-01-2019 at 11:10 AM.
“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” -John Maxwell
We have a Stag Varminter (#6) with 1:8 that performs like that with the 50Zs/TAC. Heavy, stiff, quality barrels get the job done. And in 2017 I shared a ridge on an Eastern MT ranch with a guy shooting his favorite prairie dog rifle and taking pot shots at 500+ yards with it. The wind was kicking his butt and the rancher told me later the guy had been an Olympic contending shooter. Winds never exceeded 15mph, but weren't steady so NObody could predict them. And we were firing across a depression and into a hillside, vegetation changing color 3x in 500yds. (We didn't have a chance.) Worst case, we'd have winds blowing on our right cheek and bending the grass the opposite direction on the opposite hillside. Crap shoot. We were lucky to kick dirt in their faces.
72Camaro sounds familiar and Graham is fairly close...were you an SGN guy? WaGuns.ORG?
Since max load is ~ 25gr, I'd go with the smaller increment - thus starting 10% below max is a super simple workup. Since it's lighter than published maximum, I'll offer that my Remingtons and Mossberg both shot hlf inch grps with 25gr TAC under 50Zs and that was my std .223 load for 5 years. One Remington still shot 1" grps (sufficient to hit most p-dogs out to 300yds) after 14,000 of these loads.
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Thank you. I think I’ll work up in .2. I have enough brass and pills for them. Bonus: I get to shoot more at the range. Shit part is that I shoot all my rifles to 200 yards. I WALK down range after every group. Good way to lose the holiday fat. Lol.
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Yeah, .223 holes are tough to see at 200yds. Used to have property near Bend, have fond memories of coyote hunts out near Wagontire. :>)
Nice! I hunt coyote near Brothers and Hampton. Out near Fredericks Butte. You used to live in Bend, you come out this way anymore?
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Didn't live there, just had property in Deschutes Co. Had an uncle and cousin in Cove, NE corner. I really like it there. Did a couple forays into the sticks outside Imnaha. Lots of elk, mulies, bear and rattlers.
Good water bubbling out of active springs... was great country to hike and hunt in when I was fit to.
Don't get down nearly often enough since I started pursuing prairie dogs in MT but I just got my Oregon Hunter's Ed certificate so I MUST be planning to return, right? Malheur Nat'l Forest (desolate!), Burns, Hines area and The Steens in SE corner pull at me. I just don't have time to do it all.
I hunt Malheur every year with a couple buddy’s that have been hunting it for 30 years. Buck hunt last year was shit. Saw a few elk, of course. Will probably put in for elk there this year. Hard winter a couple years ago really hurt buck numbers. Tons of doe though. Mostly hunted around Pine Ck. area.
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Talked to a warden there years ago who described coyote predation as #1 concern after weather - hunting mule deer in packs and getting good at it.
I doubt that has changed since.
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