I'm trying to work up an accurate load in my Model 700 but this bullet will barely do 2 MOA on a good day. I've only tried Varget and RL-17 thus far.

This rifle hovers reliably around MOA with several factory loads and a couple of 180-grain handloads. It's reliably sub-MOA with the Barnes 150-grain TTSX factory load, with 165-grain Partitions over 46 grains of Varget, and with 180-grain Accubonds over 45 grains of Varget.

Then I load it with the Hornady 180 BT and it's back to 2 MOA again.

Thoughts?


Okie John

Don't load the Hornady 180s for it, if you have good loads with other bullets that provide the same performance.

I like this bullet in my .30/06 as it will reliably stay under MOA and has been used on big game up to Red Stag.
In the .30/06 I load 60gn of IMR 4350 and Fed 210's for groups between .638" and .951"
In the .308 Winchester, it also shot very well with my initial testing using 44gn of Varget and CCI 200 primers for 2593fps in my LR308 and grouped .374" at 50 yards where as the '06 loads were shot at 100 yards. I still have to test out at the longer ranges with the LR308.

What cartridge?

Given the cited charges it looks like a 308 Winchester.

Ive had the same experience. I'd also add that this bullet also shoots very well in my 308 Norma mag and my 300WBY. The op just needs to find the right combo of powder and oal. By the way, how far off the lands is he running them?

BSA,
I do not measure this distance. Tried it on a few rifles once I learned it was fashionable, but it provided no value once another rifle of the same chambering is used, so dropped it cold and reverted to setting OAL by the shape of the group which is decades proven to be a superior method as it takes into account the "current" bullet shape you are working with where manufacturers sometimes retool and slight changes occur in bearing surface and ogive shape from batch to batch.

308 Winchester. Sorry I forgot to mention that.


Okie John

It's a Remington 700 with a factory barrel, so it has a ton of freebore. I can seat any bullet well beyond mag length and not run into the lands.


Okie John

Well your kind of screwed if you want to hunt with the magazine full.

IMR 4064 has worked well for me with .308W. Hodgdon's site allows for 45 grains max load with a 180 which would be too stout of a load for my rifles. I found 44 to work dandy at times with a 165 grain SST. That long freebore doesn't sound helpful for accuracy. Might want to do a set back rechamber job.

It reliably groups around 3/4 of an inch in my 30-06 when loaded over 54 g of Winchester 760 and a CCI 200 primer. Try some 760, I’ve found it pretty accurate in my rifles.

Your barrel may not like those bullets period. I would move on to a different bullet.
GreggH

Me too

A person needs to know where the bullet is at in relation to the lands. If you do not know and check this, you are a dumb azz. As for the bullets he's using, generally they like to be ran closer to the lands. I will start at .020" off and go from there. Accuracy will generally suffer, the deeper into the case you go with these Hornady BTSP interlocks. If it were a TTSX or LRX, it would be a different story, so in essence, you need to read my first sentence...

The OP stated he can’t get to the lands at mag length so knowing the distance off the lands is irrelevant.
To the OP. Start at mag length and work back in .006” increments.

The first answer on a thread is often the best, and this one is no exception.

Stick with what is working and don't mess with the 180 Hornady.

Try a flat based bullet. I have some rifles that just won’t shoot boattails but they do fine with the flat based version of the same brand.

Had one and have one currently that prefers a flat base.

I usually try the FB first. They work for my needs/hunting area and style just fine.