OK, I spent this weekend prepping some ammo for 300 Win Mag and I finally took out my rebarreled Savage 112 300 Win Mag with the fresh Krieger barrel. I'd previously broke it in w/ 50 rounds of non-prepped ammo, using Krieger's recommended break in regimen.
Brass was WW virgin, prepped as follows:
1. Necks rounded w/ RCBS sizer w/ .305" expander plug
2. Trimmed to 2.610" on RCBS power trimmer w/ 3 way cutter
3. Necks expanded on Redding sizer to .3065" (so they would fit my Hart neck turner)
4. Necks turned on R W Hart neck turner to OD of .3335
5. Primer pockets uniformed using Redding tool
6. Flash hole uniformed and deburred using Lyman tool
7. Hand primed w/ RCBS hand primer
8. Powder weighed on RCBS electronic scale w/ auto dispenser
9. Bullets seated w/ Redding competition seating die
Cases are not weight sorted yet - figured I'd fireform and process once fired, then sort them out by weight. I'll be using a .335 bushing when reloading to set internal neck diameter of .307 (.001 neck tension).
Loaded 220 grain Sierra Match Kings.
Shot (4) 5 shot groups at 100 yards (with incrementing powder charge), each group was one ragged hole. By then I'd tested up to .2 gr below max load for H4831SC (69.5 gr).
I stepped it out to 300 yards. Shot (6) 5 shot groups at 300 yards w/ the 69.5gr lot, avg was 2.75" with best being 1.95".
Hoping that once I get the rust shaken loose, and the cases are fireformed, and weight sorted, I can find a powder / velocity the rifle likes a little better. Was hoping for sub 1.5" - but I'm a bit rusty, and those factory fresh cases had some dents and dings on them...
(Wish I could spring for a batch of Norma brass, got a couple boxes of that for 308 and was 100% impressed with the brass quality... but they want a testicle and an arm these days).
Brass was WW virgin, prepped as follows:
1. Necks rounded w/ RCBS sizer w/ .305" expander plug
2. Trimmed to 2.610" on RCBS power trimmer w/ 3 way cutter
3. Necks expanded on Redding sizer to .3065" (so they would fit my Hart neck turner)
4. Necks turned on R W Hart neck turner to OD of .3335
5. Primer pockets uniformed using Redding tool
6. Flash hole uniformed and deburred using Lyman tool
7. Hand primed w/ RCBS hand primer
8. Powder weighed on RCBS electronic scale w/ auto dispenser
9. Bullets seated w/ Redding competition seating die
Cases are not weight sorted yet - figured I'd fireform and process once fired, then sort them out by weight. I'll be using a .335 bushing when reloading to set internal neck diameter of .307 (.001 neck tension).
Loaded 220 grain Sierra Match Kings.
Shot (4) 5 shot groups at 100 yards (with incrementing powder charge), each group was one ragged hole. By then I'd tested up to .2 gr below max load for H4831SC (69.5 gr).
I stepped it out to 300 yards. Shot (6) 5 shot groups at 300 yards w/ the 69.5gr lot, avg was 2.75" with best being 1.95".
Hoping that once I get the rust shaken loose, and the cases are fireformed, and weight sorted, I can find a powder / velocity the rifle likes a little better. Was hoping for sub 1.5" - but I'm a bit rusty, and those factory fresh cases had some dents and dings on them...
(Wish I could spring for a batch of Norma brass, got a couple boxes of that for 308 and was 100% impressed with the brass quality... but they want a testicle and an arm these days).