new .30-06 load suggestions please

[tlend]

I read an article on Savage Firearms that went on and on about how good they are "out of the box" and I developed newfound interest in my 110FP in 30-06. Several years back I replaced the stock and had the trigger tuned, I shot it a bit and then put it in my safe for whatever reason. Anyway, I pulled 'er out and ran a few patches down the bore and now I'm ready to see what it can do!

I don't have an OAL gauge, so I did the dummy round method which showed a max length (in my rifle) of 3.346" with 178gr Hdy A-max (which is the bullet I'm using at the moment). So I have a couple of questions.

If I sit the bullet right up against the lands, I get a pressure spike (right?). Based on this belief, I figure I'll start pretty conservative with 45gr of IMR 4064 with CCI large rifle magnum primers. I know there are lots of good powders and bullets, but I've got 8lbs of this stuff and plenty of bullets, so bear with me.

Another question is, as far as load development goes, should I work on the charge/velocity first and then adjust the seating depth? Or should I try and find a sweet spot first and then adjust the powder charge? Or.. will that sweet spot change based on the charge? What do you do when you are developing a load? My goal is to try and really get this thing to shoot MOA or better. Any tips are appreciated and thanks in advance!

 

[35 Whelen]

It's always been my practice to seat the bullet either in, or very close to the rifling. I never seat bullets more than .020" or so off the rifing. This enhances accuracy, at least in theory, because the bullet doesn't have to make a "jump" to the rifling and is better aligned with the bore when it enters the barrel.
You won't get a pressure spike if the bullets are touching the rifling. In fact, think of it this way: The further out of the case a bullet is seated, the more capacity or space there is in the case. This in and of itself will lower pressures even if only a very small amount. I've experienced this firsthand with a couple of military bolt actions I've been shooting for many years. They have very long throats and bullets can, and are seated abnormally long. These particular rifles require more powder to achieve a given velocity than like chambered rifles with shorter throat. I've verified this many time with a chronograph.
So, as far as load development is concerned, I would stick with one o.a.l. and piddle with powder charges. If you don't achieve satisfactory results, then adjust the o.a.l. 4064 should be a great powder for the '06.

Good luck,
35W

 

[USSR]

Tlend,

I always use OAL (actually case base to bullet ogive) as the starting point, and then play with charge weight. I make sure that my cartridges measure at least .010" less than what the OAL Gauge measurement is, as I have found even the best match bullets will sometimes have variations in ogives of up to .010". BTW, the 178gr Amax is a very good bullet to work with.

Don

 

[243winxb]

I find a seating depth (col) for the bullet. Not into the rifling. I like the base (full diameter) of the bullet at the neck shoulder junction, if possible. Then work up the powder charge. The best group gets shot again to see if the accuracy can be repeated. If it looks good, then i play with the bullets seating depth.

 

[ranger335v]

"If I sit the bullet right up against the lands, I get a pressure spike (right?). "

Well, true but misleading. The timeressure curve is always a "spike" no matter where you seat.

Seating against the lands of a rifle increases the resistance to movement, that increases the pressure requird to get a bullet started. Backing off the lands decreases the required start pressure and also allows the bullet to get a running start before hitting the lands, it's on momentum helps it engrave into the lands.

Few factory sporter rifles shoot their best at or into the lands, that's a BR technique best used with some very specialized rifles and it works (for them) due to a reason much different than "common knowledge" presents it to be. Most sporters get best accuracy from 20 thou to as much and five times that much from the rifling, depending on the bullet and load.

I find it good to start 20 thou off and develop my charge. Then I experiment with seating by moving in both ways by 5 thou steps until groups start to open up. Best seating has a window, often running 10 -15 thou wide, in which small differences mean nothing to accuracy. Seating in the middle of the window makes my ammo much less prone to unexplained "flyers."

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I figure I'll start pretty conservative with 45gr of IMR 4064 with CCI large rifle magnum primers.

IMO there's no reason to use a Magnum primer with IMR4064 especially with a small charge of powder like 45gr.

Another question is, as far as load development goes, should I work on the charge/velocity first and then adjust the seating depth? Or should I try and find a sweet spot first and then adjust the powder charge?

I would find the best powder charge first and play with the OAL for possible additional accuracy after that.

 

[tlend]

Thank you all for replying. I'll start seating .0015 off the lands and play with it from there. +1 to the magnum primer info archangel, it's another one of those " I have lots so I'm gonna use it " things. I'll post results if I get anything that's not overly embarrassing.

 

[Ifishsum]

I agree with ArchAngel, I wouldn't worry about it until I've already found a load combination that shows accuracy. I just make sure I'm at least .015-.020 off the lands for my test loads; when I've found a particular load that shows promise I'll load up another 20-25 to verify. Once that's done I might try some variations in seating depth.

 

[rcmodel]

IMO there's no reason to use a Magnum primer with IMR4064

+1
I'd almost bet you will get better accuracy in your 30-06 with standard primers when using 4064 powder.

rc