What am I doing wrong?

[ASP785]

I set my chronograph at 15' from the muzzle. I believe most manufacturer's recommend 10' +. As long as you do it the same distance every time, it isn't a big deal. I can't get Varget to meter very accurately through my powder measures. I use an RCBS chargemaster so that eliminates that problem. Your problem could be cartridge runout, inconsistent thrown charge weights, shooter etc...We are all guessing at your problem until we can get some more data. That's one thing about reloading is that you need to be very methodical or else you are changing too many variables at once. Then you are just going to get lucky if you find something that works. One other thing, I don't use the expander ball in my reloads. I take it out completely. If you are not lubing properly it can actually jerk the shoulder out and is a contributor to bullet runout. The most accurate ball powder I have shot with the 77 grn bullets is AA2520. You can see how a 77 grn Nosler and AA2520 performed in my rifle below.

https://www.okshooters.com/showthre...k-Armament-Barrel-VLTOR-A5&highlight=vltor+a5

 

[Maverick1911]

I set my chronograph at 15' from the muzzle. I believe most manufacturer's recommend 10' +. As long as you do it the same distance every time, it isn't a big deal. I can't get Varget to meter very accurately through my powder measures. I use an RCBS chargemaster so that eliminates that problem. Your problem could be cartridge runout, inconsistent thrown charge weights, shooter etc...We are all guessing at your problem until we can get some more data. That's one thing about reloading is that you need to be very methodical or else you are changing too many variables at once. Then you are just going to get lucky if you find something that works. One other thing, I don't use the expander ball in my reloads. I take it out completely. If you are not lubing properly it can actually jerk the shoulder out and is a contributor to bullet runout. The most accurate ball powder I have shot with the 77 grn bullets is AA2520. You can see how a 77 grn Nosler and AA2520 performed in my rifle below.

https://www.okshooters.com/showthre...k-Armament-Barrel-VLTOR-A5&highlight=vltor+a5

That's some good shooting! I think I am going to need to get a chronograph and start there...but what is confusing to me is that if you are using good reload practices and getting the same powder drop, etc...will there be any difference between using h335 to any other powder? In other words...whatever the speed is, assuming they are all close, why does it matter what the actual velocity is? Faster better? I understand why it makes sense that the speeds should all be close but assuming the powder is made well and bullet is properly pieced together....shouldnt the speeds be close anyway? Just wondering how to interpret the data I end up getting....

 

[JCW355]

Have you tried different bullets? Some shoot better than others. I know I put at least 5 different bullets thru my 7mm. Experimenting can get expensive but you hope you get lucky and find that best bullet before you spend a lot.

 

[Blitzfike]

I have a 1in7 twist AR that absolutely won't shoot the Radway green bullets with any accuracy at all. If I go to the 77 grain or heavier it tightens up very well. When I get back into the bullet making mode this winter, I am going to set my dies up for heavier bullets, probably in the 90 to 95 grain area if I can get enough of the CCI fired 22 cases to let me make the heavier bullet jackets. Standard 22lr brass works out to about 60 grains max when I use them for the jackets. I guess I could buy some commercial jackets, but that would negate the whole idea of making them from scrap. My 57 grain bullets are more accurate out of my bolt rifle than any I can buy.

 

[swampratt]

No matter the amount of powder or the weight of bullet you will have an OCW for a rifle that bullet and powder
Optimum Charge Weight.
Now some bullets just stay stable in certain barrels , or should i say more stable.

Accuracy nodes need to be found.
Some reading on accuracy nodes and OCW will enlighten you into an entire new realm of reloading.

The idea as i have interpreted it.
You send a sound wave or harmonic through or around the barrel when you light off a round.
This disrupts the barrel causing flexing or a whipping motion.
At one point in all of this the wave will reach the end of the barrel and at a point the end of the barrel is extremely stable
like being in the eye of the storm the barrel end is pointing in the same direction every time.

You need the bullet to leave the barrel at this small moment in time and all of your rounds will print in a pattern that does not look like random fliers everywhere.

You can have many loads that have a small spread in velocity but if they leave the barrel when it is in a bad harmonic the barrel could be point in many different dirrections and your groups will be crap.

This will not be noticed too much at 100 yards stretch it to 200 and you will now begin to see the light.

I quit testing loads at 100 yards I have loads that print .376" at 100 but open to 4-12" at 200
Then other loads that print .8" at 100 and print .880" at 200.

OCW, accuracy node and harmonics or whatever else you like to call them..
Why one load works better than another.
That is my take on the subject..have fun with that

 

[Blitzfike]

OCW is why some of the tension barrels (those with an outer sleeve holding the barrel under tension) works as well as it does. Would be very interesting if someone with a high speed camera and strobe could show the motion as it fires.

 

[Hoov]

You haven't mentioned how the rounds shoot through your other guns.

 

[Blitzfike]

Better than in the 1-7 twist, but still not as good as the good old 55gr fmj and nowhere as good as my home made bullets.

 

[Maverick1911]

I think I need to start picking up some 77 grain pills...and maybe heavier. I don't want to go past oal for magazine loading....above 80grains? I am going to have to start testing some different powders and charges in my spare time!

 

[dennishoddy]

I wa thinking the heavier bullet but was hoping that wasn't necessary being I only wanted to load 1 round for my ar's. The others are just carbines.....but could that be the issue?

This is the issue. Heavier bullets work best in the 1-7, lighter bullets work best in the 1-9.



The only difference is if you would use a longer bullet like the Barnes solid copper, then you run into other issues like OAL, etc.