Recent content by SuperBruce

How much steel did you have left? I imagine a 338 cal would have a thicker barrel than the 30-06. My barrel diameter is 0.576" at the muzzle (22") and and 0.608" at ~18", meaning I'd need to do 9/16-24 (and have very little to no shoulder) or 1/2-28 threading on a 30 cal which appears controversial.

Thanks @MagnumManiac, that's exactly the info I'm looking for. I'm not interested in messing around with feeding issues, feed ramps, etc, so I'll probably stick with 30-06 or maybe go to 270 Win. Or, as dirty as the thought feels, maybe just sell it. Thanks again, I really do appreciate it.

I have a Ruger M77 MkII chambered in 30-06 sitting idle because I now prefer to hunt with a suppressor. I'm trying to figure out what to do with it and am considering rebarreling to a shorter barrel (19 or 20") in a profile that can be threaded. If I'm rebarreling, 280 AI seems like a great...

You didn't say what speed you were at but I imagine you're in the ballpark of your 2700-2750 fps goal. With groups like that and your stated goals I probably wouldn't change a thing.

It's a bergara b-14 ridge. It's been a few years since I determined the max COL but iirc it's not the action itself but the internal magazine that is what forces the short COL's.

I tried the the jump ladder. I was able to get a 7 shot group down to 0.7 MOA if you throw out the worst shot (so best 6). With all 7 it's 1.2 MOA. Interestingly, the best 6 is two very distinct clusters stacked right atop one another. I think that is likely good enough for a practice round...

Thank you! This is the article here: https://www.rifleshootermag.com/editorial/5-shot-group-shapes/454958 It's too bad the article doesn't reveal why pressure would lead to double groups. Regardless, I suppose it's possible that I'm over pressure but if so probably not by much. The Alliant data...

That's the plan, roughly. I made a batch of rounds as long as the mag allows and will take my hand-press with me to the range and shorten by 0.003" increments until I find something or run out of ammo.

Thank you. And thanks everyone for the tips. I still haven't gotten out to test seating depth but if that's not it then it's probably just not a good bullet-barrel combo. This rifle, while not the best, can consistently print small(er, it's not a match rifle by any means) groups in my hands...

To make it easier to pack around with a suppressor.

Unfortunately that's not it: this rifle likes 175 SMK's. I'm sure a better barrel would do it though: it's amazing how much difference a premium barrel can make. I do check each cartridges CBTO and they're all very close, within 1 thousandth of one another. The one or two that end up a little...

Thanks for all the feedback re barrel getting hot. Unfortunately, that's unlikely to be it. It's not always the last shot and I can shoot consistent 4 round (or more) groups without fliers using other loads. I'm going to try messing with the jump and if that doesn't solve it move on. The sad...

It's the size of my groups if I fire 4 shot groups. ;) Joking aside, it's a pretty consistent pattern of a tight cluster and 1 much further out (I've shot maybe 8 groups like this so far, I loaded up a bunch of these). However, I'll admit it certainly could be the intrinsic group size for this...

I have what seems like a good load developed using 178 ELDM bullets with TS 15.5 in Lapua brass but I'm experiencing odd fliers. SD is ~10 fps over a large number of loads and velocity is averaging 2590 fps. On average, out of 4 shot groups (odd number but it's how many my internal mag holds so...

Wow, that's faster than my 20" WSM will shoot Normas factory 150 BT ammo.