Follow up on the Cryofreezing/Accuracy post...

n/a

Well, I feel like an idiot! I loaded up the wrong load. I used 42.5 grains of RL-22 (which was the book best), but my rifle's best load for that powder and bullet was (and still is) 42 grains of powder. I'm still getting 3/8" gorups with this load. Still looking for a way to cut them down some, but it does not look like I'm going to be able too...I'm going to try seating into the lands now to see if this may help.

One new question, when pushing over max published loads, what incriments do you guys usually go up in??? .2 gr??? I'm seeing some increased accuracy with one particular powder, the hotter it gets. Right now I'm at a max load, but I think I can push it up a little higher and it may possibly give me some tigher groups. I was just wondering how much you guys go up at a time??? Thanks!!![:)]

Eric
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JustC

In a mid sized to magnum case I use .3gr, a small case like 222 or 223, I use .2gr and in the big stuff I use .4gr increments.

Only your rifle can tell you what is truly a max load. If the brass shows no ejector marks, no flattened primers, no stiff bolt lift, etc, then you are not at a max in your rifle. Remember, book max has a lawyer factor built in. When sticky bolt lift shows up, you are at or higher than 70,000psi, so you are already quite a bit too hot.

if you are going to try to get into the lands for stabilization effect or better burn characteristics, I would start at around .005" in and run the ladder again. For VLD's I understand that .010" in is the benchmark.

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

nononsense

Eric,

I'm glad that you found the problem with your reloads rather than the rifle. Congratulations!

Justin covered the loading beyond what the books recommend. I can only add my admonishment to watch for signs of pressure very carefully. I use everything that I can to help determine when I need to stop and that usually includes a chronograph at least. Most of the time I use a Model 43 Ballistic Lab from Oehler to gather as much information as I can.

Go slow, work up carefully.

Best.

JustC

I could not agree more with nononsense about the chronograph. It can and will save you money, and health issues. Sometimes I have seen pressure signs appear wayyyyyy too late in the load ladder and the cases were trashed in 1x firing. They showed NO signs of danger, but when running them across the chronograph, the truth was plain as day. If you ain't got one,...get one[;)]

why chase the game when the bullet can get em from here?....
Got Balistics?

Ray B

With large capacity cases and slow powders I increase the loads at 1 grain at a time- BUT I shoot a group of 3 to 5 cases 10 times each, at least 30 shots with the load for the 3 cases, 50 for the 5 cases. If the cases don't last the ten shots, particularly if the primer pocket starts getting loose, then the max is considered reached with the load 2 grains lighter.