Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Next step in shrinking group size

Had a couple of new powders to try in my .270 wby with 140 accubonds. One was rl26. This was my 5 shot group with 70 grains.

I didn't try other loads with 26. I've never done a ladder test. I guess I'm not starting at the start.
I get similar groups with imr 7828 and 130 np with rl19.

This is with a 3.25 oal. I tried going longer with the 7828 loads (67-70 grains shoot about the same). Maybe it's as well as the rifle and I together can shoot. Is this good enough for stretching it out to 7 or 8 hundred? I've shot at 500 and held about the same moa. I like the one hole groups I see on here and wonder what my first next step should be. I use standard ribs fl dies. Just bought a concentricity gauge but haven't used it yet.



I'd appreciate any advice on a next step with either 7828 or rl26. I'll try to answer if there are other factors or info needed. Thanks in advance.

C’mon folks, lets get this party started,

Free bump.

Its double grouping. I'd reduce the OAL. Accubonds seem to want to be off the lands a bit. Seems odd though, as I'd think it would have a Linda Lovelace throat. How far off the lands are you running these loads? I see an OAL, but no reference to how far off.. You say you just bought a concentricity gauge. I'd also suggest you use it to set up your seating die for minimal run out. Should help a bit. Your group size isn't horrible, but the double grouping is what would concern me.

Are you using wind flags?

Could probably at least another half-dozen factors that affect 100-yard group size.

Thank you, John. 😉

Good shootin' -Al

Yep. It was a little thunderstormy yesterday, but wind was not horrible when I shot the top group with rl26. I tried to time my shots when the flags were hanging limp.

I fired 3 consecutive shots gave it about 5 minutes and fired the last 2. The other groups were shot on another day and I don't remember the conditions. I posted them just to show that is consistently the way it/ I shoot.

I shot another group yesterday with rl23, after the 26 group. They basically strung in a line just under 2 inches

.
This is another group from another day. I don't know if I pulled the flier or it was the rifle or load.
The trouble is there are so many variables, I don't know what I should tweak first.

I don't have a good rear bag, I've just used a jacket or rolled up towel. I've used a Harris bipod and a Caldwell tackdriver bag with about equal results.

Thanks again for thoughts. Maybe the pursuit of perfection is gonna drive me to alcohol. I always considered it good enough until I spent time on this site.

Any more I pick a load and set a couple different OAL at 0.04 apart. Nearly always find a winner.

Rick,

What scope and rifle?

Thanks bsa, I will definitely be putting the gauge in practice. I'm just getting started in a sense. The rifle is a 700 action with a lilja barrel, McMillan stock, so the freebore may not be standard. I bought this rifle back in 2001 from a custom shop. Some weatherby factory ammo is too hot and I get a stiff bolt. However, some of the best groups I've ever shot were with factory 130 particians. With my handloads the 130s are just a tad better on average than the accubonds, but I'd like to use the accubonds for the better coefficient.

I'm kind of ashamed to admit, but I don't know the distance to lands. I've tried using a marker to color a bullet and feed it barely seated in a case to measure, but kind of screwed it up and got frustrated. I guess I should buy a tool if I'm going down this road.

Hey Jordan,

Just posted about the rife. Scope is currently a tract Toric 2.5-10. I've had other scopes on it, but averaged the same group size.

Yep, this is correct. The 110 AB definitely likes jump. I would seat deeper as suggested. Both of mine and a friends 25.06 like those bullets at least 50 thou jump.

Sounds like a nice setup. Is the barrel floated, or does it have a pressure pad, etc.?

It is floated, no pressure pad. But if I really squeeze I can make the forend contact the barrel.

Rick, if factory ammo is too hot, there's little-to-no freebore.

On the R26 load, you just put a single load of 70gr through it, is that correct? What is the book max with that bullet/powder combo?

How many layers of printer paper or dollar bills can you easily slide between forend and barrel? Floated all the way to the receiver, or with the barrel shank bedded?

You can roughly check throat length by seating a bullet long, colouring the bullet ogive with a black sharpie, and trying lightly to chamber. If it chambers, check for rifling marks on the bullet. If none, seat longer. If you see rifling marks or you can’t chamber the dummy round, seat deeper. Keep going until you just barely see rifling marks in the black colouring, and you have a rough COAL to lands.

That is correct. I recognize not the best load development strategy. Nosler doesn't list 26 on their site or books that I have. The alliant site just showed one load at 70.9 grains for the 140 accubond. Doesn't specify min or max.

I also forgot to ask if there is a load that the rifle shoots consistently really well.

This is about the best I've been able to with the 130 particians and 69 grains of rl19. It seems to shoot these particians best, but for sake of coefficients I'd like to squeeze the accubonds.

It is floated all the way to the receiver. I haven't tried stacking paper. I can see about that when I get home. I'll try the measurements again too.