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

Flew over whose head?

I worked on getting some seating depth measurements last evening to see where I’m at. When I get a chance to load some again, I’ll be seating incrementally deeper and see what happens. Thanks though….

Rickshaw, have read your posts on shrinking group size, and would like to suggest you pull up a You Tube video on "Proper hand placement for Shooting". I have been doing this and shrank my groups by taking this guys advice. When placing your hand on the stock and just before pressing the bang button, release your hand and finger and if the scope cross hairs move off target, you start all over again. Continue this till you get the cross hairs not moving off target at all, press trigger and bullet will hit where you aimed. Takes some practice but after few shots you will see your groups tighten up. This guy gives some good points on shooting and helps shrinking those groups.

For the distance you want to shoot, I’d go with a heavier, higher BC bullet than a 130gr.

I’d be looking at 145/150 gr. There are even heavier weight .277 bullets, but unless you are fast twisted, then they may not be an option.

The 145 ELD-X or 150 SST/NBT would be good places to start.

Your powder choices seem spot on, but you’re going need to work up a few difference charge weights to shrink those groups. I personally start at 0.010” off the lands, and run 3 shots in increments of 0.5 gr. I usually find something sub MOA within 2gr /150 fps of max.

My most accurate loads in my 300 Win, 300 Weatherby and 7mm RM all with RE 26. I’d play around with that powder for a while. The loads in these three mentioned cartridges all are near but not maximum pressure and all are using partitions.

I don’t have a 270 Weatherby darn it.

The other powder that my 300 Win likes and is a close second on accuracy is H1000 and 180 grain Partitions.

I would wait to touch that sand paper till you had a good rear bag and did some testing with your bench set up and a few of your other rifles I’ve seen many examples of groups like yours that shrank when the rifle got shot by the next guy who was a practiced “bench” shooter with the stuff for gun support they liked.
It’s hard to get those great pictures of perfect groups and we all want to fix the rifle first. But fixing our technique is usually a more productive path

Eggzackly. Had a friend (F-18 pilot, so it’s hard to tell him anything) who insisted on setting up his “rest” in the hood of his truck parked sideways @ 100 yards. No rifle ever shot good enough to suit him of course. “Let’s build you an honest to goodness BENCH and I’ll lend you my front and rear rests. You’ll see a profound difference I bet.”

Short story long, he now has legit bench rests at 100, 200, ->>>600 yards and is now finding any groups over one moa worth bitching about. Finally got him to listen but it took over a year.

You can tell a fighter pilot but you can’t tell him much 😁. Especially F-18 guys.😮

I can’t tell him a damn thing. Fun guy to hunt with though. Obviously intelligent as hell, way over my pay grade, but still a fun guy to be with. Love listening to his stories of the old days flying off his carrier.

Got another close friend that flew F-15’s over there. He’ll listen to me for some reason.

I have mentioned many times, in various places, about testing free-floating by inserting a thin spacer between the front end of the receiver and the stock, just behind the recoil lug. A thin plastic bread-bag "tie" makes a perfect shim for such a test--and unlike gradually sanding the barrel channel usually REALLY floats the barrel. Have seen group diameter cut at least in half with this simple trick, which also isn't permanent, so doesn't harm the "original condition" of older rifles.

But whatever....

Got a Colt Sauer 270 I’m trying that trick on this weekend. Has the speed bumps up front and want to find out if the thin barrel might take favorably to being floated. Stolen bread bag tie earlier today.

Thanks for the reminder, John. Indeed I’ve read that a few times. Sorry if you get disgusted with neophytic ineptitude.

Good afternoon sir,

I've read thru and just want to point out a couple things............

Having an exact measurement off the lands means nothing! Finding a seating depth that your combo likes does! I'm assuming you have an idea where the lands are just not an exact location? If I'm within 20thou of the lands as a starting point I'm good! I could be 10 off or I could be 20 off it doesn't matter in the end as long as I'm not jammed into the lands to start with

It was pointed out that when double grouping occurs seat deeper period! I agree with that statement! When I'm double grouping I seat 10 thou deeper than go in 3 thou increments. If I'm not double grouping just go in 3 thou increments. Seating nodes can be as close as 6 thou apart so if you make a big move you may skip over some great seating nodes.

Your load was double grouping so seating 10 thou deeper and than going in 3 thou increments could easily clean it right up.

The load looked promising to me! I've seen rifles go from your groups to one hole with what I've mentioned above

Just my 02 and good luck with your shooting


Trystan