AR-10 and Cast

[Winelover]

Friday the 13th...... did some load testing with the AR and Reloader 15.

This was my best target @100 yards with NOE's 160 grain 311414 SP bullet. Ten shots in 2 MOA....9 were in 1 1/2"......just can't seem to get that one to fall in with the rest of the group. IIRC it was the 6th. shot.

 

[Brad]

I wouldn't complain about that too much.
What kind of velocity?

When I see that knd of group, either horizontal or vertical, I figure I am close to a good place. Now tweek things and see what happens.

 

[quicksylver]

Looks good to me....I will have to put the "Friday the 13th" in my "why it didn't shoot" book...thanks..Dan

P.S.....that horizontal stringing might be improved by a better rest....just saying...bring that under control and you would have a super, super group...

 

[fiver]

if it's consistent, switch primers.
it'd be hard to complain about that with any type of rifle.

 

[Ian]

Not too shabby. If one or two flyers in ten is a consistent pattern, try a different bullet lube.

 

[Rick]

P.S.....that horizontal stringing might be improved by a better rest....just saying...bring that under control and you would have a super, super group...

This could be very sound advice. Might be tough to implement, took quite some time to convince John that grouping from the bench requires a solid bench. He has a heavy cast iron front rest, we need to convince him to start using it.

.

 

[quicksylver]

This could be very sound advice. Might be tough to implement, took quite some time to convince John that grouping from the bench requires a solid bench. He has a heavy cast iron front rest, we need to convince him to start using it.

.

Rick some things just take time....., or you could take his gun and his bench and shoot a better group that he did I bet that will get his attention

 

[Rick]

John shot pretty respectable groups using nothing but a tripod for a front rest. Finally after much discussion we built a nice solid bench on his 100 yard range and I took my heavy iron front rest over there but he doesn't like carrying it out to the bench. Maybe with some encouragement he will see the light and we can see what kind of groups he is really capable of.

.

 

[Winelover]

Did I mention that it's a carbine and the trigger is between 6 1/4 and 7#'s on my RCBS gauge. That being said, I have shot consistent one hole groups with J-words, off a camera tripod as a front rest......shoulder as rear rest.

Didn't measure the velocity....Rick and I haven't figured out how to get consistent readings from the Lab-Radar. We're pretty sure it's "sighting error"......issue compounded by the fact that the berm is slightly down hill. Last outing at 30 grains of RL-15 we were getting @ 1700 fps so I'm gonna guess in the neighborhood of 1750 fps.

Might have to try magnum primers.

Speaking of lube......I'm using Carnuba Red in the star and sizing to .31180 with Lathesmith's die. I am trying two different lubing options....lube just in the lube groove and lube in the area right above the Gator gas check. Have to be careful, though...I have occasionally blown off the gas check.

 

[fiver]

that's a lot of lube either way.

 

[Ian]

And pretty good results for a bullet that nowhere near fits the throat shape.

 

[quicksylver]

I agree with Fiver...for that bullet and those lube grooves I would go with something softer....like Ben's Red....that's what I am using in my 308 winy...got excellent results so far...

I do like CR for certain bullets regardless of velocities. ....it works exceptionally well in all four flavors of my 299s...or any bullet with FEW THIN SHALLOW lube grooves like a 299...anything else and I will get lube fliers..
It will raise holy hell with a Loverine....

I might try it again using fewer grooves and suplimenting the rest with BLL....

 

[Brad]

You need a hermetically sealed, humidity controlled storage facility at the bench. Shouldn't be hard to run wire underground from the house.

And siting errors with a chronograph? Did Rick try resting it on the bench?

 

[quicksylver]

And siting errors with a chronograph? Did Rick try resting it on the bench?[/QUOTe

I was going to Google that...

 

[Brad]

Sitting, sighting, close enough.

Damn iPad causes me grief. I don't need help looking like an idiot.

 

[Winelover]

The Lab-Radar unit has a shallow V-groove at the top of unit that is used for "sighting in" the target. The discussions on CB forum recommend everything from a soda straw to a carpenters triangle to improve it's deficiencies. Throw in the fact that our bench top is dead level but the ground is sloped, increases the amount of "sighting" error.

When the Lab- Radar is mounted on their base plate mount, the lowest possible table top mount, the muzzle of the AR is only about a third of the way off the bottom of the unit. Recommended is half way up.........problem is if I raise the front rest, I also have to raise the rear and then I'm in an uncomfortable shooting position that not conducive to good groups. The top of bench should have been angled to compensate for the slope.

 

[Winelover]

Use to use a soft lube, NRA 50-50 equivalent, for handgun bullets. Didn't care for having to store them from toughing each other. Not going that route, again. Rick, did extensive lube testing in silhouette handgun loads. IIRC, the lube changes had very little effect on accuracy.

 

[Winelover]

You need a hermetically sealed, humidity controlled storage facility at the bench. Shouldn't be hard to run wire underground from the house.

For, what?

Unless for the wine!

 

[Rick]

Use sand bags for the rear to as high as you need it. If the bench is then too low for you simply add whatever cement blocks to the floor that you need for correct height. It's all adjustable.

 

[Ian]

Use to use a soft lube, NRA 50-50 equivalent, for handgun bullets. Didn't care for having to store them from toughing each other. Not going that route, again. Rick, did extensive lube testing in silhouette handgun loads. IIRC, the lube changes had very little effect on accuracy.

This is not a handgun. It's a .30-caliber, gas-operated battle rifle. Not even in the same universe as Rick's revolvers. If the handling properties of lubricated bullets is more important than consistent grouping, that is a choice you have to make. The fact is, for what you're doing here, the lube is too hard, to adhesive, and the grooves hold way too much to be ideal. If you were pushing on out to 2500 fps with that bullet, the lube you're using would work a whole lot better. I'm pretty impressed that you've gotten that bullet/lube/load combo to work as well as you have, I would have lost money on it doing better than 2" and only one flyer out of ten. Not bad at all, really, we're just offering a little experienced advice that might help you fine-tune if you desire.