Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters The loads are accurate but slow, should I care?

The loads are accurate but slow, should I care?

I mainly shoot hand loads but decided on trying a few �factory� loads in my Tikka 25-06 just to see how well it shot them. The most accurate was Nosler�s �Custom� 25-06 100 gr. eTip. I shot several three shot groups with each easily covered with a quarter, but when I strapped on my Magneto Speed chronograph the ammo averaged was only 2850 fps, while the box claims 3200! I was surprised they were 350 fps slower!

I am using a new �Magneto Speed� chrony that up to now has given �expected� results with all my other guns. I would add I punched 2850 into my ballistic calculator and with a little turret twisting I easily steel hit out to 500 yards. So are the Noslers over rated? do I have a slow Tikka?

thanks

No way I would be satisfied giving up that much speed. First though, I'd check it another day and maybe also shoot some known loads to check for chrono accuracy that day.

Check some other loads and see how they do. Tiikas usually have some freebore and its not uncommon to see them 75fps slower than guns that don't have it. Then again even the new REMs are showing up w/plenty of freebore.
Re the etips...they are a tough bullet I wouldn't want to be impacting game under 2000fps...chart em out and see if they'd really be good for long range.
W/muzzle velocity at 2900 you dnt need premium bullets.

Not a gun writer here.
Is your Tikka slow with your hand loads??
I hand load for everything I shoot.
While going thru the transition from purchased ammo to hand loads, I did a lot of chronographing. I found a lot of slow factory ammo--especially "Premium" ammo as compared to mfr claims and my hand loads.
I also found a couple hot ones that I could not match.
Basically I shoot what is accurate. Adjust poi for drop appropriate for the load.
jmho
Tim

Crank up some handloads and see if you can get to 3100 or better with equal groups. Otherwise take those factory loads and go kill stiff.

Of course there's always the saying, "A slow hit if better than a fast miss."

May as well have a roberts?

THe only thing to me, will it do what you want it to, even if its throttled back? Some rounds we download on purpose. One of my 243s is an example, to keep the shots quieter arouund the deer lease. But I know I"m limited to say 200 yards and under then with that round.... instead of good to go to 400-500 yards.

Yep.

Then actually shoot this load at various ranges and see how it performs.

Closer to my handloaded 250 Savage, still a killer. But I'm only burning about 35 grains of powder to do it.

Excellent reply. Unless the OP is really stretching the distance it should be a non-issue.

Interested in hearing what your handloads chronograph at too.

You're gonna use ETip Custom loads to clang steel?

I'd check Nosler's site and see what the min speed is for proper expansion of that projectile then reference your chart again to see if it'll work for you.

I am pretty sure I wouldn't care for a monometal starting that low myself. If it were a BT we were talkin, I'd say what others have said... roll with it...

Of course if it appears your rifle likes that projectile you could always buy some and load em hotter?

How much have you used the Magneto Speed?

I've chronographed quite a few Nosler factory loads and they've always been pretty close to advertised velocities.

You could be killing all sorts of four legged game for the next fifty years and not be able to tell the difference. Heck lots of guys do just that!

sometimes im glad i dont own a chronograph.

My experience with Nosler load is that they are pretty stiff for factory stuff.

I'd re-chrono sometime before abandoning the load.

Sometimes very true. Thems chronys are a double edged sword. Cloudy, sunny or half /half days make you say What The #*!!.
Always take stated fps with a grain of salt. But I agree 350 fps is on the extreme side. Shoot some premium 22s thru it to get a yardstick idea.

Shoot those loads at 300 yards, or even 400 with a 2" high POI at 100 and see what happens....my chronograph has about 2" of dust on it.

Old Willys, any info to share on the speed your handloads achieve?

The original question can only be answered by you.

I bought a Rem SS Mt rifle in 1992 after I got into the real world. I really liked that rifle, learned to reload with it, ran many rounds through the barrel. I always loaded for accuracy and went hunting. Had to guess at velocity.

Well, I finally bought a chronograph in the late 90's and was disappointed to learn that all my loads that were close to max, were running 150-200fps slower that they should have been.

Then I got to thinking, so what. I had killed piles of game with those loads. The rifle has since been rebarreled due to being shot out. It now runs bullets in the velocity range that a 270 should.

The last few years, I use the chronograph to verify that velocities are in the range they should be. I go out and shoot my loads to see where the impact is at extended ranges.