I think my gun hates me.

[grubbylabs]

In search of that perfect combination has cost me a lot of powder and bullets. I loaded up about 250 rounds for this weekend.

I had high hopes that I would find a good load with some Hornady 150 grain interlocks and some BLC-2. I guess it did ok I got under 1" at 100 yards, but honestly I was hoping for a little better.

And no surprise the best performer of the the day was IMR 4064 with a 175 grain SMK. Of course it works really well since 4064 is about impossible to load with on a progressive.

I also tried some Hornady HPBT over some Varget. They also show some promise. But I now have just under a pound of that left.

All in all it was a fun day but I was really hoping to find a good combo with the BLC-2. After all it's going to take a lot of time to keep a semi auto 308 fead.

 

[nastynatesfish]

Need more info on your set up to figure how to help. My shots 175s pretty well right from the start of load developememt

 

[Dave P]

Progressive?? Are you are blaster or a Rifleman?

Load slow and carefully; shoot slow and accurately. One at a time.

Real men only use stick powder in their accurate rifles.

 

[BoltLover]

Have you ever considered H380 for your 308. It's a great metering spherical powder. I have great success with it my remington 308 (bolt action). Same results you got with 4064 only at 200 yards. As I said this is a bolt action with neck sized casings. H380 meters so well that I would even use it progressively if I loaded that way. I should mention I have not found published data for H380 but it is listed on stevespages.

 

[John C]

You can easily load stick powders on a progressive press. Check out the JDS Quickmeasure. It works great.

 

[grubbylabs]

I think I will be able to dial in the BLC-2 a little better. I only loaded 6 rounds in 1/2 grain increments. And I was happy with it until I shot a group with 4064 that was well under an 1".

For plinking I think the BLC-2 will be OK. Next I will try some WC-844 and see how it goes.

 

[blarby]

I had high hopes that I would find a good load with some Hornady 150 grain interlocks and some BLC-2. I guess it did ok I got under 1" at 100 yards, but honestly I was hoping for a little better.

Grubby, *** are you looking for / complaining about ?

Thats a production class bullet, with a volume based powder.

 

[grubbylabs]

Blarby I want perfection without effort.

The circled group is the BLC-2 the other group is 4064

 

[blarby]

Planning on hunting oreo cookies again ?

If you take the flyer out, its really not a bad group. If that single flyer pops up in every single group, I doubt its the powder....but anything is possible.

Blarby I want perfection without effort.

So do I, but I settled for an earth woman

 

[grubbylabs]

I can't imagine that flyer is not a product of my supreme shooting skills

after all what good is a trigger if you can't give it a good jerk once in a while

 

[Comrade Mike]

Load slowly and shoot slowly.

 

[blarby]

True.

 

[Mohave-Tec]

My thinker and focuser go to pot at about 50 rounds when doing serious load development.

 

[grubbylabs]

I actually did better the more I shot. I did however finally decide that I probably need a shooting coach. I am self taught and there for probably have lots of bad habits to work through. And loads to learn.

 

[788Ham]

You're not any different than the rest of us then. Likes been said earlier, slow down.

 

[KingM]

If that's a hunting rifle it isn't bad. Are you bragging with sarcasm?

 

[grubbylabs]

No it's not bad, I just want better. I figure if a 400 dollar rifle can shoot clover leaves @ a 100 yards a 1400 dollar rifle should be able to as well.

I was hoping that the 150 grain Hornaday's with the BLC-2 would shoot as well as the 175g SMK's did with the IMR 4064. They perform OK for can and paper killers I suppose, but why be satisfied with good enough. Might as well shoot factory ammo then.

 

[bob4]

Not sure how you shoot, a rest ,bag off your arm but there is always the human factor that has to take some of the blame.

 

[Comrade Mike]

Try using a rear rest as well. When I'm shooting purely to test hand loads I use a front and a rear rest to eliminate as much play as possible

 

[grubbylabs]

I am using a MTM plastic rest that fully supports the rifle. I use this one since it is meant for rifles with a magazine.

 

[Comrade Mike]

I tend to stay away from plastic rests and stick with good ole fashioned sand bags. In my experience plastic rests like to jump around under the force of recoil because there is very little weight to them. Some people weigh them down with sandbags, I just cut out the middle man entirely.