HELP WITH LADDER/OCW

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FishnSinkerSlinger

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Sep 20, 2010
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I just got a savage 12ft/r in .223. I'm working with Hornaday 80g ELD-M bullets, Varget powder, cci primers. This is my first attempt at a ladder/ocw and only have 100yd range to do it. I took 8 fowlers then fired one round of each charge, left to right, then right to left, then back left to right. Bullets are set .003 off jam, haven't done seating depth test yet. Any thoughts or advice?
 
Wasting your time at 100 for that test. Ladder tests are for elevation differences, usually done at 300 minimum, but best at 600.
Shoot groups of 5 and see where the cluster prints. What stands out to me is that 2 shots are close and then they move away, this may be bedding, but unless you test beyond 200, it is just noise at this point.

Cheers.
 
Interestingly
MagnumManiac said:
Wasting your time at 100 for that test. Ladder tests are for elevation differences, usually done at 300 minimum, but best at 600.
Shoot groups of 5 and see where the cluster prints. What stands out to me is that 2 shots are close and then they move away, this may be bedding, but unless you test beyond 200, it is just noise at this point.

Cheers.
Click to expand...
 
MagnumManiac said:
Wasting your time at 100 for that test. Ladder tests are for elevation differences, usually done at 300 minimum, but best at 600.
Shoot groups of 5 and see where the cluster prints. What stands out to me is that 2 shots are close and then they move away, this may be bedding, but unless you test beyond 200, it is just noise at this point.

Cheers.
Click to expand...
Interestingly enough, all the lower shots were the first ones, next 2 seemed to all go higher. Maybe I need more than 8 foulers?
 
I would consider what you did an Optimal Charge Weight test. The thing to look for in the results is when two or three different powder charge weights result in the point of impact being in the same general location. From your test that looks like 24.1 - 24.3 and 25.1- 25.3. If you didn't sense any trouble with too much pressure I would load at 25.2 and change seating depth with 3-shot groups.
 
I guess I read this differently….

I would shoot 10 at 23.7, 24.3, 25.1…..24.9 looks good, but it is at the edge of a vertical change, so I would ignore it.

All are about the same group size, but elevation changes 3-4 times.
 
FishnSinkerSlinger said:
Interestingly enough, all the lower shots were the first ones, next 2 seemed to all go higher. Maybe I need more than 8 foulers?
Click to expand...
It could be, it is a Savage. I should think you would notice this as you were fouling. How fast were you shooting? Seems odd that after your fourteenth shot, the impacts "magically" and consistently shift what appears to be .75-1"upward.

As Magnum said, maybe a bedding shift due to increased recoil of the charges? Check your bedding and action screw torque.

My personal experiences with Savage is that the barrels have extremely rough surface finishes in the rifling, but dang they shoot!
 

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