Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Another Montana that won't shoot

280 ackley 2 groups .2 grains different one .450 and one .674
Don't know how to remedy this LOL

2 groups is not enough to make the kind of decision inferred.
Shoot 10 groups with each load and average the results for each powder charge.

By the way, Great groups and off to a great start.

Nice shooting, but the difference in group size is not because of 0.2grains.

Try a number of 5-shot groups, and find out if it's repeatable.

I knew I would open a can of worms with this
Over 60 rds down the tube and it's repeatable, if it's not I haven't done my part.
Find a weapons sweet spot in its harmonics and 4,5,10 shot groups don't do any thing but exaggerate your own inability to
shoot. If I were to post a 10 shot group that a quarter would cover people would deny it was 10 shots. We all will throw one out at times, why blame it on the rifle when it's a very good chance it's the jerk behind the trigger's fault
Don't know why people can't just say that any rifle can be a shooter. Even a Kimber Montana.

And by the way .2 grains can make a difference. Just like .005 in seating depth can as well.
Have a nice day!
Steve

You're right about 0.005" in seating depth, but I'm not sure how you even measure 2/100 of a grain without a lab balance.

I'm having a better than nice day and 0.2 difference in a case the size of a .280AI means nothing. 0.02 even less.

I also like Kimbers more than a little.

Hope your day is going as good as mine.

Thx for calling my attention to the.02 grains fat finger typo and your right. But the other post showed .2 grains so I would think I wasn't that stupid.
Other than that my comments stand

Didn't say you were stupid. Just wrong.

Addition: Your cases all the exact same volume?

Actually yes but if .2 don't make any difference.
Case volume , neck tension,run out, and uniform primer pockets are irrelevant also

Your a Southern fellow. Give Kenny Jarret a call and see what he says. He knows more than a little about the .280AI.

I'm gonna agree with Battue. Fill two primered cases with water (or powder) and it is possible to find .2 difference in volume.

I'm gonna agree with you about the number of shots in a group. I know, I've heard all the arguments, but with a sporter weight rifle, if it will consistently (and I mean all the time, every day) put three in less than an inch, I figure it good to go. They are not benchrest rifles, and very seldom in the field will one get even a third shot at game, much less a fourth or fifth. The Montana is an extremely light rifle with a light whippy barrel. Three shot groups, if the same POI and of consistent size, tell you all you need to know about a hunting rifle........my opinion, and it counts for me.

I can't even walk in the man's shadow. But his pet load used to be 63.5 gr of n165 for the .280 ackley. I may be going out on a limb but after he did load development for a certain rifle I really doubt if he would say you could go up or down .2 of a grain from his recipe with no effect on group size.
Of course we all have opinions

How about 2 grains?

I was doing some load testing at 300 yards late this afternoon comparing four different powder charges. Twenty shots, four groups of five each.

If I take the best three shots of the two bad groups, then the groups sizes for all four groups are pretty comparable. If I take all five shots for all four groups then it's immediately clear which are the good groups.

Na, can't be.

And years ago, Jarrett told me at 100yards with a .280AI +/- 0.5gr is no big deal in the .280AI and the thrower I was using would beat that easily.

May I take a guess and say bench rest barrel?

I've laid down a ten shot, half moa group with thrown charges of Lincoln Log IMR3031. Rest assured however that those cartridges were all straight.

Just so some don't overlook the fine print.

It was resting on a bench when I shot it....