Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors shooting a .303 with a worn muzzle

Will those 180 grain bullets open up reliably on big game at .303 Savage speeds?

Update on the loading: loaded some starting loads several weeks ago and shot some tin cans, OK but windy and cold so I waited until recently to take time to shoot some slightly stiffer loads.

29 grains IMR 4895, Jamison .303 Savage brass. I loaded a few with Hornady .308 dia., 170 grain and a few with Sierra .308 dia., 170 grain. I have been putting out a target at 50 yards to start with lately until I figure a few things out with sights and such on new guns, and then move out to 100. I started with five of the Hornady bullet loads and shot all over the paper (and off the paper). Shot a couple of the Sierra bullet loads into the same paper and holes were only an inch or so apart.
Went to a new sheet and shot two more Hornady loads into that one, again not good. Then shot three of the Sierra loads and was respectable. I should have taken a pic of the first target but I remembered to on the second one:



Here's the cartridges side by side; Hornady 170 on the left and Sierra 170 on the right:



A few weeks later I loaded some 180 gr. Sierra RN bullets with IMR 4895, BL-C(2) and Reloader 15. I thought the heavier bullet might work for me but groups at fifty yards were still 5-6". I don't have any faster powder right now to try. I also loaded up some Sierra 170gr. bullets again with good results and also shot three of my old factory 190 gr. Silvertips. Both shot OK. Winchester Silvertip on the left and Sierra 170 gr. on the right.



Today was another gorgeous day to be alive and outside here as the sun is high and warm. I just added the tang peep I bought from oldotter and was excited to try it out. Went to the range with my latest load attempts. I moved up 1 grain on the powder to a load of 31.5 grains BL-C(2), WLR primer and Sierra 170 gr. bullet. The last two times I've loaded I also switched to a COL of 2.53". No crimp. I also went a little higher elevation at the tang sight. 50 yards was good:


Figured the sights were close enough and went out to 100 yards:


Left target was 2 7/8". The one target on the right was pretty good; 1 1/8". I must have been holding a little different for the elevation I guess. 4" bull isn't real big out there.

I think I'm close with my load. I had visions of much worse accuracy than this before I started. Here's an example of the muzzle wear I mentioned in the original post. The bullet (Sierra 180 gr. RN in picture) measures just under .308" with my cheap calipers.


[img]http://i1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee419/hurint/loads6_zpsec9e1bbf.jpg[/img]


So, just wanted to give an update!