.260 Remington BlueDot Range Report - 06/29/08
I've used BlueDot in a variety of firearms for decades, from the .45-70 down to the .223 and .25-20. But I never used it in a highpower bottlenecked big game rifle. After reading Seafire's report and load data, I decided to give it a go in my M700 VLS, chambered to .260 Remington.
The rifle wears an old Bausch and Lomb 6x24 Target scope (made back when the B&L name meant top quality) and is pillar bedded in the factory laminated wood. Other than a trigger job the rifle is pretty much stock. With its favorite loads (100 BT and 120 MK) it will agg around .6 moa out to 300 yards. But it is summer in Texas and full-house loads heat the barrel up fast, slowing the rate of fire and extending rage time waiting for the barrel to cool - in 90-degree heat. I needed an alternative load for practice.
I loaded 40 cases with 100-grain BTips and BlueDot, stepping up in one grain increments from 19.0 grains to 22.0 grains - ten cases with each load. WLR primers lit them off, and the Noslers were about 0.02" off the lands. The range was sparsley populated, the wind was variable under 4 mph and the temperature was 92F. I set up the front rest and bag and started shooting 5-shot groups @ 100 yards.
Making a long story short, groups were good (around moa) until I reached 22.0 grains, when they turned great. The two 5-shot groups averaged 0.645 moa and were reasonably round in shape. I was very happy with this, and next time out I'll try 1/2 grain above and below 22.0 grains to fine tune the load. What a great result, and safe too (the 22.0 grain load had expansion ring measurements below that of published loads with "normal" powders).
Thanks Seafire!
One of the BlueDot groups - 0.669".
.
The rifle wears an old Bausch and Lomb 6x24 Target scope (made back when the B&L name meant top quality) and is pillar bedded in the factory laminated wood. Other than a trigger job the rifle is pretty much stock. With its favorite loads (100 BT and 120 MK) it will agg around .6 moa out to 300 yards. But it is summer in Texas and full-house loads heat the barrel up fast, slowing the rate of fire and extending rage time waiting for the barrel to cool - in 90-degree heat. I needed an alternative load for practice.
I loaded 40 cases with 100-grain BTips and BlueDot, stepping up in one grain increments from 19.0 grains to 22.0 grains - ten cases with each load. WLR primers lit them off, and the Noslers were about 0.02" off the lands. The range was sparsley populated, the wind was variable under 4 mph and the temperature was 92F. I set up the front rest and bag and started shooting 5-shot groups @ 100 yards.
Making a long story short, groups were good (around moa) until I reached 22.0 grains, when they turned great. The two 5-shot groups averaged 0.645 moa and were reasonably round in shape. I was very happy with this, and next time out I'll try 1/2 grain above and below 22.0 grains to fine tune the load. What a great result, and safe too (the 22.0 grain load had expansion ring measurements below that of published loads with "normal" powders).
Thanks Seafire!
One of the BlueDot groups - 0.669".
.