Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters same powder charge, 3 different bullets.....same POI....

So i found this out this weekend while messing with a Remington 700 5r in 308..........powder charge was 45.5 grains of varget, with a cci 200 large rifle primer, lapua brass and the bullets were a 155 scenar, 165 Berger VLD and 180 nosler ballistic tip. Groups for all loads were acceptable, with the 180 nosler being the worst right at 1 inch(5shot group). I have seen it a few times with bullets of similar weigt, but not sure I have ever seen it with this wide of a range. Thoughts or did I just lucky and find a unicorn?

I had an 06 that shot 150, 165, 180 and 200 grain bullets to the same point of aim at 100 yards.

bryguy,

In my experience that happens more frequently as the barrel contour gets thicker, and with relatively mild cartridges for their caliber.

But it also happens frequently with New Ultra Light Arms rifles, apparently because Melvin's sophisticated synthetic stocks dampen barrel vibrations considearbly. The very first of his rifles I had an opportunity to test was a Model 28 in .300 Winchester Magnum, weighing 7 pounds scoped with a 24-inch, #2 contour Douglas barrel. It would do the same thing you're describing with 150-165 grain bullets, and in fact I once fired a 9-shot group with 165's, 180's and 200's that all went into an inch.

I’ve tried different brand bullets of the same weight. Didn’t change much at a hundred at all.

I think we are seeing this more and more with modern rifles, and I believe a lot has to do with the bedding. It also doesn't hurt that CNC machining produces receivers that are pretty much blueprinted right out of the box. Many of the new inexpensive Savages and Ruger American Rifles, T/C Compasses, Bergaras, etc., shoot consistently with a variety of loads. Back in the "good old days" we used to hope and pray we would find just one load that a particular rifle "likes" with a group of maybe 1.5 inches. Under one inch was something to write home about. I well remember laddering loads to find that one primer and powder charge combo that would keep my chosen bullets in a tight little group. We also spent hours tinkering with floating/bedding barrels to achieve consistent harmonics in barrel vibration. My friends and I really liked Remingtons because the cylindrical receiver and simple lug made it easier to tune up.

I have a Remington Custom Shop Model 7 with a laminated Mannlicher stock. I'm not sure what they did to it, but it shoots several brands of factory ammo into the same 1.5" group. It'll stay under an inch if I stick with a single load. It's a 7mm-08, so there isn't much variation in bullet weight.

So if that rifle was built in the 20th century, it well may be a unicorn, or maybe someone has already tuned it to peak performance.

I did pull it out of the old remington B&C stock that it came with and dropped it in a Magpul hunter stock and glass bedded the recoil lug and tang of the receiver. I purchased the gun used, and I have no clue what the previous owner had done to the gun. All I know is that is will flat out shoot. My son took it and went 10 for 10 at 500 yds off an iffy rest with a 10mph crosswind on a 10 inch steel gong......I know that aint all that great to the sooper dooper snipers we have here, but it was an impressive feat given what he was working with and that hes only 15....so yeah i was impressed.........

You also have a 15 year old son who really knows how to shoot! I would be more proud of that than the rifle....just sayin'...

that boy probably shoots more rounds of center-fire, 22lr and pistol then many of the armchair jockeys do here..........its how we spend our Saturdays........and you are correct, I am proud of him, for so much more then his ability to shoot a rifle or pistol..............

When we came to Alaska in 1965 my Dad had a Remington made Springfield 03A3 ought six for me to use. He restocked it, crowned the barrel at 22" and fixed the bolt so I could use and old Weaver with a post reticle in 2.5-5 power and had to remove the turret cover to change the power setting. I think I left it on 4 power. I used 150 grain factory Silvertips on the caribou and 220 grain factory Silvertips on the moose and never changed the zero on the scope when switching loads. I was a head of my time and did not know it!

I never gave it much thought and the old rifle and loads killed well. Shots were usually under 100 yards and there were lots of moose and caribou then.

In my experience any rifle that does what the OP described is kinda special. The one I have that will do it consistently is my .17 Rem. Everything to the same POA regardless of weight or brand.



Travis

Take that gun with you to the grave.
I have two who perform similar to OPs report.
Both R77s. One in 270 and one rebarreled in 284 Win.
Probably only room for the 270 with me in a casket.
Tim

I've had several of Mr. Forbes rifles and agreed that the stock and all the quality parts put together well factor in.....I think the full length bedding is the biggest factor related to the stock. I don't do extended load work up, I usually try a known load and if it's good I'm good. I do often try different bullets and of course change the charge weight to match the bullet. I have to be careful doing this with Mr. Forbes rifles at 100 yards because as often as not everything is in one group...you have to mark the first group or it's all one.