Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Making a Rifle Shoot a Bullet

I’m not sure if this is a fix, but factory barrels often like only one bullet weight best, however lapped custom barrels tend to shoot all weights well.

Maybe have the barrel checked by a smith that knows how to lap a barrel, and have them lap it if it’s got any tight spots, or is rough and it may make it shoot more like a custom lapped barrel.

You didn't say Rev, but if you are talking about the 154 gr Hornady in the 7x57...welcome to the club. I tried and tried, would become discouraged, doubting my rifle and my ability, I would go back to a 160 gr by any other maker, and shoot a 5 shot near moa group. I just gave up.

160-grain Partitions.

I think you just answered the question I was going to ask about powder charges. Find the velocity node first, then start adjusting the seating depth, correct?

Yep, that's the cartridge.

I should add: and 175-grain Hornady RN IL.

Sinclair is my choice and I use a TruAngle tool to correct runout.

http://www.trutool-equipment.com/

I set mine up on a board, easier to store and handy to use.

DF


Edited to add, I got a Tee Nut at ACE Hdw. to attach TruAngle tool to a board. Works great, drill a hole, easy to do.

What powder(s) and have you tried a slightly faster one for the 154?

DF

Hunter and Big Game. I haven't tried 4350 yet, but plan to.

Dang right, I have, and it/they will, have a pre-64 FWT 243 that WAS a cantankerous little b-tch, it did NOT want to shoot the 100gr Partition, after three powders and a couple different col settings, it's happily living in my gun safe firing those partitions at 2952 fps over a charge of imr-4350 powder.

RevMike,

I've had luck with this exact delima in the past, especially with cup and core bullets.

For me, the trick is to load a wide variety of powders, with a good range of burn rates.

Also very your powder types, stick vs. spherical, and primer choices, something hot, something cold, as well.

Don't do a full workup with anything. Start with about 5 powders at minimum loads and max usable OAL, and if something shows promise, go from there.

Of course, Mono's are a totally different process.

Monos different? you can say that again, have seated those deep and drove em hard enough to loosen primer pockets, only to find that's where they shot the best!

I’ve written about this episode before here but I’ll repeat myself in this case. I love anything Nosler...it’s my preferred choice. I found a beautiful Pre 64 70 in 270 a few years back and couldn’t wait to see what she would do, as every Pre 64 has shot lights out for me. Flawless bore, glass beaded well, a good, proven, Leupold scope on it.

She shot like crap with all he usual & customary 270 loads appropriate for their 140 grain bullet. She “two grouped” or shot improved cylinder with every load combination, seating depth, etc. Runout was fine. Rebedded it three times, tried three good scopes.

I was about to trade her off, but on a whim tried H-4831 with a 140 grain VLD and a 140 grain Sierra Game Changer. H-4831 was one of the powders tried earlier to no avail. With no attention to seating depth, I just seated em a smidge longer than factory. Bam! Both loads shot right at two tenths of an inch at 100! I repeated the loads and they shot itty bitty tight clusters once again. I snuck in some 140 grain BT’s into the mix to see what would happen and she snarled back at me again, two grouping @ about 2 1/2”.

I talked with my favorite accuracy gunsmith and he said they run into that occasionally....it’s not uncommon. He thinks a contributing factor could be the leade angle in the individual rifle’s chamber, but added that wouldn’t be the reason every time. Some rifles just don’t like some bullets I suppose. I just use the FIDO principle...forget it and drive on.

Yep, jump'em and crank'em....

They tend to work well pushed pretty hard...

And if you think you're jumping them enough, increase the jump...

Let the target do the talking...

DF

I have had pretty good luck with 154 gr RN Hornady with 4320 in my 93 mauser. The old mausers were long throated for the 175 gr rn bullets. Your gun has been telling you that with the 160 npt's and 175 gr hornady take the hint. Play with your seating depth till you get what you want. Check your run out. God will forgive your errors. MB

LOL, damn right DF!

I've read they've discontinued 4320. That's too bad, as it's a good powder.

I'd check the burn rate charts for those pretty close to 4320.

DF

This chidt isnt hard or complicated. If I "let the target do the talking", which I do, it would say, you arent using a whole bunch of me, but you sure are tearing the fu ck out of my orange dot!!!!! To answer the op, hornady bullets are and have always been easy to get to shoot well. Keep trying

Mart, Great response. You are a seasoned Alaskan hunter who understands practical accuracy. The bat sht-crazy obsession for accuracy gets old.

Point at a jug of powder, a certain weight bullet that is proper to your rate of rifling twist, load them up and go hunting.

.030 off the lands n grooves is some cliche, parroted bullsht. It doesnt apply to wvery caliber.

Less chamber pressure, especially above 30 cal, if you seat them a little deeper into the case.

I had a box of defective hornady 200 grain 35 cal interlok. Some were softpoints, some were fmj's. Hornady never offered fmj's in that caliber at that weight.

They were very inaccurate. I saved the fmj's for wolf and fox, since they hit same poi. The soft points were used for moose.

Surrounded by a few thousand hornady brass and reloading bullets, none of it is precise stuff. But neither are my bugger cockeyed 77's (ruger hawkeye 77).

I'll bitch about it, but later in the week, use them for hunting. The severe shortages have changed me!

Accuracy wise in descending order of importance. (Aside from shooting the bullet you want that is.. )

the 3-4 B’s

Barrel (bore, rifling, chambering & ammo)
Bedding
Bolt (and trigger)
Behind the butt (the person shooting knowing how to hold the gun & support the rifle & themself)


No body shoots good with a Bad barrel, or bedding, some folks can shoot with a heavy trigger others can’t...
If you are a real ELR nut then getting your heart to slow and or stop for a couple of seconds really helps.