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I load by OCW method. OBT is often thought to explain why OCW works so well, but that may or may not be the case.

Concerning your sized brass precision issues, it is lamentably common for full-length sizer dies to pull case necks off center or off axis, creating concentricity or runout troubles.

Last edited by MZ5; 09/25/18.
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Omid Offline OP
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Thank you MZ5. Here are the results of testing the above loads at the shooting range. The standard COAL and the short COAL seem to produce identical results laugh. The long COAL produced higher velocity (I was expecting slightly lower!) and a poor group. I am not sure why this happens but a plausible explanation is that the bullets are now touching the lands.

There is also an interesting "structure" in the 5-shot groups in series A and C. Any explanation for that? confused laugh

PS. I adjusted the scope for windage after Series A. Series B, C and D are shot after the adjustment.


[Linked Image]


[Linked Image]

Last edited by Omid; 09/26/18.
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Once you've zero'd your charge weight, OAL is good for fine-tuning to the tightest groups, if you're using the OCW approach. Relatively small OAL changes will often change the shape of groups even when you're pretty well on the OCW. Same basic thing happens using OBT as your underlying method. Then again, shooting 5, 5-shot groups often changes the shape or 'structure' of the groups, too. (-;

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Omid Offline OP
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Hello all and happy Friday!

Getting ready for another test. This time I have
  • separated my fired brass according to the rifle it was fired in
  • only neck-sized the fired brass
  • used Redding type-S (with bushing) dies for neck sizing
  • tested my brass for weight and have removed cases which were more than 1 grain away from the nominal weight


In addition, I am also preparing a set of 40 rounds using new brass. 10 of these I have neck-sized and the rest are being loaded as they come from the factory without any preparation. This should help determine if neck sizing new brass has any real effect.

Finally, I have also bought a Sinclair neck-wall thickness tool and I am experimenting with it.

smile


[Linked Image]

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Omid Offline OP
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Hello again,

I went to the shooting range last week to test my most resent loads. It was a very windy day (maybe 20 mph or stronger head winds and corss winds). After arriving at the range I realized that I had forgotten to bring my Lab Radar and the 300 Win Mag loads I had made!! So I ended up testing some loads in my Heym 7mm Magnum rifle and my new Blaser R8 in 9.3X62 with no information on velocity.

To my surprise, the 9.3X62 bullets all hit near the bullseye and made very good groups despite the strong wind. Now, how should we choose the best load from these groups? Is it correct to ignore the horizontal desperation (i.e. attribute it to wind) and only judge the groups by their vertical dispersion?

wink

-Omid

Blaser R8 in Caliber 9.3X62 with 24" heavy safari barrel:

[Linked Image]


100 Yard Groups (51 to 54 grain N540, Lapua Naturalis 250 grain bullet, Caliber 9.3X62):

[Linked Image]

200 Yard Group (56 grain N540)

[Linked Image]

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Omid Offline OP
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Hello?!! wink Nobody has any opinion on which group in the above targets is the best group? laugh They were shot in very windy conditions. To compensate for wind, should we ignore the horizontal desperation and only look at vertical dispersion?


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Omid, if it were me, looking at your targets, I'd run with your 56 grain load. Your group is a little larger than MOA but pretty danged close. Can't imagine you wouldn't do real well with it zero'ed up at 200 yards. All of your 100 yard groups are really about the same to me honestly, I'd almost have to see the same loads shot on top of those current ones to see any difference in them. All being the same, I'd run the highest charge and go hunting!


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Omid Offline OP
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Originally Posted by beretzs
Omid, if it were me, looking at your targets, I'd run with your 56 grain load. Your group is a little larger than MOA but pretty danged close. Can't imagine you wouldn't do real well with it zero'ed up at 200 yards. All of your 100 yard groups are really about the same to me honestly, I'd almost have to see the same loads shot on top of those current ones to see any difference in them. All being the same, I'd run the highest charge and go hunting!



Thank you for your quick reply. I was thinking same thing (choosing the 56 grain load) as it showed good performance at longer range. Unfortunately I didn't have my LabRadar to measure velocities but from the 200Y drop and based on Quickload estimates, this load should be about ~2400 f/s. The Vhitavuori manual shows up to 58.5 grain of N540 so it should be safe too (also verified by quick load).

I am pleasantly supersized by how well this rifle shot my first test loads! I think it is related to two things: a) the quality of the barrel b) the thumb-hole stock and its ergonomic advantage.

Love this rifle and caliber! laugh

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Omid Offline OP
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Wild boar shot with 250 grain Lapua Naturalis bullet fired from my 9.3X62 Blaser rifle. The bullet went completely through both shoulders and was not found.

laugh

[Linked Image]

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Omid Offline OP
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Hello all,

Here are two test groups I shot using the Blaser 9.3X62 rifle just prior to hunting. The targets were at 100 Yard and the day was sunny and calm. The left target was shot with a round which had a charge of 52 grain of N540. The right target shows the group from the load with 56 grain of N540. Both loads shoot very well. Velocity for the milder load is ~2200 f/s. The other load reaches to near 2400 f/s. cool

[Linked Image]

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I think you’ve got a pair of winners Omid. Great shooting load!


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Omid Offline OP
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Thank you! It was as you'd predicted before: both loads shoot great. I might experiment a bit more (+1 grain on the top load and -1 grain on the lower speed load) with slightly reduced COAL just for aesthetic reasons. No other changes or load development is necessary.

* * *
The performance of 9.3X62 is so impressive that it has inspired me to look at 9.3X64 as well. This caliber is less popular than 9.3X62 but seems a great all-around caliber. Anybody here on the forum shoots 9.3X64?

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Buddy runs a x64 and does well with BC moose, bear and deer using the 250 Accubond at 2800. It’s a beast really.


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Omid Offline OP
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Interesting! 9.3X62 is already very powerful and quite capable with the 250 grain Lapua bullets going 2200 to 2400 f/s. I checked QuickLoad and it looks like 9.3X64 can produce ~2700 f/s with this same bullet! This is a lot of power and the trajectory will be same or better than a 30-06

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Omid Offline OP
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Hello all,

Here are some new test results in Caliber 8X68S:

Case: RWS, Once Fired, FL-Sized and Trimmed
Powder: N560
Primer: Federal 215 match
Bullet: Lapua Naturalis 180 Grain

Charge Weights: 76 grain (top left), 76.5 grain (top right), 77 grain (center), 77.5 grain (bottom left) and 78 grain (bottom right)

It is seen from the target that the 77 grain charge (velocity about 3050 f/s) is optimal. I am very happy to see this but I have two questions:

a) Is it normal to see as much change in POI and group size just by changing 0.5 grain in powder charge? Note that changing the charge has changed both POI and group size not just group size.

b) This rifle has a pressure point underneath the barrel just about two inches before the for-end tip. The barrel is otherwise free-floating. But on close observation I noticed that the barrel gap on the right side is less than the gap on the left side so a dollar bill slips under the barrel with difficulty if inserted from the right side but goes in easily if inserted from the left side of the barrel channel. Can it be that when the barrel was heated, the fore-end somehow touched the barrel and made POI go higher and left as seen in some test groups?

Looking forward to hearing your thougths,

-Omid

[Linked Image]




[Linked Image]

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Omid Offline OP
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Hello everyone,


Here are some new test results for Caliber 9.3X62 using a new Swarovski scope: My optimal load of 56 grain of N540 powder + 250 grain Lapua Naturalis bullet performed very well again. This load shoots sub-MOA at 100 yards and I could repeatedly hit a 300-Y disk with it once my scopes BDC turret was set to the per-calculated 300Y mark. This mark provides about 7 MOA of elevation adjustment over the 100 Y zero. However, the 400Y mark which I had set to about 11 MOA seemed to be excessive. The rifle shot over the target at 400Y.

The test results were very satisfying. I don't think I will ever really need to shoot anything at 400Y with this rifle so calibrating the scope's turret up to 300Y is enough. No need to waist any more precious hand-load ammo

laugh

The Blaser R8 Rifle:

[Linked Image]



Effect of setting the BDC Turret to 300Y and 400Y marks (target is at 100 Yard):

[Linked Image]


Last edited by Omid; 04/23/19.
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