Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Ladder - Anything useful here?

Gave this a try. Curious if I should have learned anything, or not, and where to go next? Would appreciate constructive advice or GFYs. Second target kinda looks like a bust to me - or is it? Lacking a great spotter, I used colored Sharpies on the bullets and made enough trips to to the target to be absolutely confident on recording the hits.

IMR4451, 129ABLR, CCI 200, Hornady brass multi-X that was collet neck sized, 6.5 Creedmoor, Kimber Moontuna with brake... COL 2.77" and a bunch of jump. It is not a precision rifle IMO nor am I a precision shooter. Fired prone, bipod, rear bag, 12X SWFA. No chrono used.

First batch shot a couple days ago. Note: the two 42.0 sighters, lower right, were not at same aiming point as the 41.8 nearby and had different primers and fouler brass.
41.0, 41.4, 41.8, 42.2, 42.6, 43.0, 43.4, 43.8
Then wind came up and it was a bust - I tried some 42.0-43.0 at 670M.



Second day. (Did I choose the right ones from the first day?)
42.0 to 44.0 by .2gr increments and fired at 580M again, fairly calm but felt better sticking at 580M. Anything useful here?

Let me ask, what exactly were you looking for in this? Three consecutive loads with minimal verticle dispersion? Typically this is done at 200 yards rather than the ranges you are using, as it allows the results to be easier to discern. Also how did you shoot the ladder? Round robin? Let the barrel cool inbetween or not? Give me some more info and maybe we can help ya.

Coming back and looking. I will explore between 42.8 and 43.6. Any further comments? RC? GSSP?

42.8-43.6 is exactly where you should explore. How much jump to the lands? Are you at magazine length or can you get closer?

I'm not seeing it.
Ladder tests like that are the reason I switched to OCW testing.

Cueing RingMan....

Thanks 805. I did not notice it right off earlier when I first posted, but that looks like the spot.

It's a comfortable fit in the magazine. I'll do a bit more checking before putting the number out because it's such a large number. LOL

Wondering if it's time for groups or try another run and try to narrow it down a bit more? Input is appreciated.

Id load groups of 42.7,43.0,43.3,43.6 and see what happens.
Have you tried any other bullets? 130vld/140vld?

805, Thanks again for the input. Just worked with the Nosler 140CCs using my regular methods at 100 yards and got a load that did .9" average for 11 3-shot trifectas. I am not too much into barrel cooling time. Oh, shot a couple charges with the 143 ELD-X too, but, they went double what the 129 ABLR did so have gone this way. Just trying it out.

What do you want me to see here?

Just saying, but the margin of error at 200 versus however far you were shooting is much lesser, aiming point is definite and easy to duplicate, you can see from shot to shot with a high power scope, reduces range time, wind and other environmental factors are minimized, and is plenty far enough to see elevation changes, ect ect but i dont know anything.

That's quite obvious....

Boomer... Sent you another PM.

I've heard 400 yards is better than 200 yards. What brought you to use 200 yards? With the scopes I use I can see bullet hole at 400 yards.

For phucqk's sake 200 yards is not the answer...

For the record. The Nosler 129 AccuBond Long Range reaches the lands at 2.901" COL in my Moontuna. Mag box is standard Kimber 84M, about 2.825".

Jump with adequate magbox clearance is substantial.

I've seen loads with the long range accubonds jumped .0120 and shooting very well.
I'd load and shoot your groups and see what happens.
Also maybe load a few of your 140CC load and see what it does at longer range!

I shoot a 6.5 Creed with 140 and 130 bergers with H4350.

My buddy got a 6.5 creed and couldn't find any 4350 so he bought a can of 4451. I was thinking what the hell is this?

We loaded up a few and the charges mirrored 4350 for speed and accuracy.

So, around 42.5 with a 140 and around 43.5 with a 130 are my normal loads.

You should be good with a 129 right around 43.5 +/- .2 grains.

I don't like ladders but if you shoot them they should be as far as you can shoot, just like you did here.

I also think your gaps are too big at .4 grains. Maybe try again at .2 intervals in something this small. I usually do .3 or .4 when I'm in the 60-80 grain range.

Also, try a seating depth test first.

Charge a few cases with a light powder charge like 39 grains. Then seat bullets at jump .010, .040, .070 and .100 or start at mag length and shorten them by .030, .060, .090, .120

Shoot these at 100 yards to find the best seating depth.

Then load your charges at 42.8, 43, 43.2, 43.4, 43.6, 43.8
Fire those either at long range for a ladder or load three of each and fire them slowly at 100 yards, keeping the barrel cool. After this you will have a load.

Thin barrels typically have small nodes and need to stay cool in my experience, but they can be very accurate.

I'm not seeing good nodes Like you should.

Did you use new or annealed brass... when brass gets hard I see spreads like that.

They were annealed but fired a couple times since. Dammed little runout on the cases and loaded rounds, collet neck sized and seated with a Hornady seater. Next set will have been fired once since annealing. After some off-thread discussions, I am going to shoot it over again, from about 42.6 and up with extra care holding the vertical and see. Likely at the 580M(634Y) as its a good spot. And then proceed accordingly. No hurry, just waiting for things to align with calm winds.

Interesting and I like that I'm not jumping off into one direction or another based upon a couple 100Y groups.

Appreciate the inputs.