30-06 Project testing started.

[STIHL]

I finally got some rounds loaded, and fired 3 test shots the other night to make sure I was good. Every rig seemed good and I loaded up 20 rounds with 8 grains of bullseye. 10 PB 315 clones, 5 311467, and 5 311???. So I went down to the range today on the 4 wheeler stuck a target up at 50 yards and shot my initial groups with 15 rounds.

Group one, shots 1-2-3 were looking real good, then 4 and 5 shifted right about an inch. I thought ok just the barrel fouling in after being cleaned. No big deal. Waited a few minutes and tried the 311-467, and I’m not impressed with this powder charge, going to change it up a little, but I’d rather shoot it at a higher velocity anyway. I loaded it just for comparison more than anything. I decided to shoot a couple 315 at @ 10 inch gong at 100, made two good hits and came back to 50 to finish off the 10 round string. I had hoped it would do a little better, but in reality I just hoped I could keep them on paper. Now back to the bench to load up another batch and get serious with the load tests.

Thank you to everyone who has given me their opinions and help on getting going on this project, I truly appreciate it. Stay tuned more to come over the next few weeks.

8 grains Beye sized .311

2nd picture was my initial 3 at 25 yards, I keep forgetting to take the pictures with my phone turned the right way to post.

 

[Spindrift]

Nice!
I have no experience with Bullseye, since I mostly have access to European powders here in Norway. But maybe 8 grs is a little much for your PB bullets? Based on listed burn speed, I would try 7-7,5grs. But I might be wrong, of course.
Have fun, and please keep us posted!

 

[STIHL]

@Spindrift I am open to all suggestions and will definitely back down to the 7- 7.5 range and try there. It’s always hard to decide which way to go after the initial tests on a jacketed load, but I know jacketed better than cast. I’m learning this cast rifle stuff and getting serious about it, and making this rifle shoot with a range of boolits.

I think to give this bullets the full chance I’m going to start at 7 go 7.2-7.4-7.6, etc up to the max of 9 gr. That May be a little tight on the charge variation, but if I shoot it over the chronograph it will at least show me how bullseye behaves in a large case.

As a side note, my Venture had one of the worst triggers I have ever pulled when I bought the rifle. I normally don’t fuss over a trigger I just use it or adjust it to my preference if adjustable. This is based off memory, but I’m wanting to say the trigger was about 5-6 pound, but had this horrible catch about midway through the pull right before the break. It was so bad I couldn’t deal with it. So I pulled it apart and inspected the trigger, it had burrs in several places that didn’t need to be there. After a couple hours and some 600 grit wet sanding I got the trigger smoothed out and polished the sear face, and remove the burr on the sear edge. After all said and done it now breaks at a nice consistent 2.5-3 lbs. (I have a cheap wheeler trigger scale) it’s close but not exact, and I can get consistent .5 pound variations. In about every trigger I’ve pulled with it. That simple trigger job made this rifle pleasant to shoot.

 

[fiver]

here's a tip.
when the next slower powder group shows a start load, that's a good place to stop with the faster group.
for instance if unique shows start at 8.
stop before that point with the bulls-eye & red-dot stuff.
what you'll do is end up riding a pressure window,, only with more gas volume, a gentler launch, and a little more velocity at each step down in burn speed.

 

[todd]

good groups.

you ought to try some Unique too.

i was shooting some paper at 50 yards with 444 Marlin (TC Encore and 23" MGM barrel) and 250gr Penta HP over Unique. the left group is what i use, about a 1 - 1 1/4" at 50 yards.

i had a TC Venture in 25-06. i killed a couple of deer with it and then i got bored and sold it. the trigger was set at 4 lbs and it was clean and crisp.

 

[STIHL]

I plan on using some unique as well, just started with bullseye because it was faster. @fiver as always you have presented and interesting point. Now time to do a little more digging.

The only thing I’m not 100% confident in is my projectiles. These noses are wonky due to the pins not being adjusted properly, so weight is varying about 3grains. Naked. Who knows after the PC I didn’t bother weight sorting because they are not great, but figured it would get me started. I may need to get my pins adjusted and make another run with it one night this week. Probably need to remove that variable. I will shoot the others up after I find my sweet spot and shoot steel with them.
Normally my boolits run pretty much plus or minus .5 grains out of my good ones when the mold is right, just aggravated I didn’t see it before I started.

So after I write all the above the thought comes up of “well if you don’t try you will never know”. May as well go ahead with a load development and see if my good ones will shoot tighter than my best charge with the wonky bullets after I shoot the wonky bullets.

 

[fiver]

chuckle you got a lot of stuff to play with.
make a good batch of bullets,,, let them sit for a month or so.
move your stuff around and see what happens, then put the good stuff in it's place and see what you get.

 

[STIHL]

You ain’t never lied, I have got more stuff to do than I have the time to do it with. One of these days I’ll get some stuff done and free up that time, to move some of these other projects to the front of the line. My job keeps me busy when I’m home, but when I’m gone……. I was gone 16 weeks last year, out of the country a couple times, that makes it even worse, and every week I’m gone just puts me further behind. It’s life, one day It will change.

Problem is my mind is still going 102 and I have a phone and time to look at stuff while sitting in a hotel room, that’s when my balance in my bank account plummets.

 

[fiver]

hear you there.
i was devastated when LaQuinta mailed me a notice that i had sumthin million points towards free hotel rooms and they were all gonna expire in a month.
i had to return to work for a 3 week stint, so couldn't even use them before they expired.
i had enough points to live in one of their units for over a month anywhere i wanted.

 

[STIHL]

I know that feeling well, between Hilton and IHG (Holiday inn). I have enough to go for a while, 20 nights at least, and I use them pretty regularly when we take personal trips. I only stay gone most of the time Monday through Friday, unless it is a big project and I may be gone 7-8-10 days. The Jet lag wears me out, and driving does it just as bad or worse, so when I get home my Saturdays are usually spent recuperating and very little gets done. But anyway...... Unless something major comes up this afternoon, I am going to load my workups tonight with the plain bases and transition to unique at some point during that process, and them adjust my pins in the mold to be as close to perfect as I can get. That 30 X magnifer i bought is coming in handy for this type of job.