131 Blackjack bullet experiences

[Dollarhyde]

The .257 131 Blackjack is OK for accuracy.

Last weekend, getting my final zero before pronghorn season.

200 yards, 9 shots total.
1st was right (pointing it out). Moved .1MIL left. Shot two more. Waited 30 minutes, shot 3 more. Waited another 30 minutes and shot 3 more. Dropped one of the 8 out of the group, making it about .5" group (.24MOA), but I will take it. 25SST @ 3225fps suppressed.
View attachment 206769

That's really impressive for a hunting rifle. What's the rifle look like?

 

[Dollarhyde]

Tagging in. Ok, tell us about the Blackbird 257. I built one of your 25/284s and Love it!

It's a no-belt no double-radius shoulder solution for guys that want to run 257 WBY speeds but want more ideal brass geometry.

This link shows the initial COAL, BTO, and other considerations in the early stages of the project.

Reamers will arrive in September and dies will be machined and shipped as soon as the reamers arrive.

257 BLACKBIRD (250-7 Blaser) for 131 ACE (0.340 G7 @ 3400-3500+ fps)

Gentlemen, I have had quite a few customers want to run 257 WBY speeds but not run double-radius brass. The results of 257 WBY have been excellent with the 131 ACE but I understand their concerns and want to accommodate. In this case capacity the easy options are 257-264 Win Mag (perhaps...

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[lancetkenyon]

That's really impressive for a hunting rifle. What's the rifle look like?

The one on the left. Kind of a skewed photo, had to use the wide angle to stay behind the firing line but get them in. The next two in line are my two 6.5SSs. Then a pair of 28 Noslers I was working on.

 

[gerpwaller]

Lungs were jelly on 3 different deer from 100 - 450 with a 25-06 AI going 3195. All 3 were dead before they hit the ground. Pass throughs on all 3. Has been very deadly on pigs also. All pigs are ear hole shots no matter the distance. I did have a problem finding a good load with the Black Jacks. I thought I had a finnicky barrel, but after about 250 rounds it finally settled in and some of the charges that were 2 MOA are .75 MOA or better now that the barrel is good and worn in. I was about to completely give up on the Black Jacks but was too hard headed. Every charge I tried with the 115 Berger was MOA or better. I love the Black Jacks now that the gun shoots them. I was ready to rebarrel and change to the 25 Creedmoor if I couldn't get the 25-06 barrel to shoot.

 

[gerpwaller]

What load did you settle on for your 25-06 Ai? I'm working on one myself. My initial ladder test showed Lott's of promise with H1000 with 4 out of 9 loads producing 3 round groups of 1/2 inch or better at 100 yards but when I took the best group of those and did 4 separate 5 round groups they all opened up to 1-2". That was 59.5 gr of H1000 with Lapua brass. MV was a modest 3050 FPS measured with a lab radar. SD of 15. How much jump are you loading for, what powder, weight and MV are you getting? It's driving me nuts that the load isn't working out yet.

Cheers,



Gary

 

[JARHEAD1371]

I was really impressed with the 131 with my aoudad a couple weeks ago. The shot was right at 300 yds. First had a quarter sized entrance, no exit. That shot would have been enough but I hit him again quartering away. That shot was .25 entrance but over 2" exit. Devastating performance.

 

[willfrye027]

Anybody got 100 or so they could spare? I'm in the middle of load work up and running low..and they're backordered. Willing to pay a premium

 

[flyinstroke]

I finally settled on Retumbo. .03 Jump and have a half MOA load verified out to 1000. I 4 groups at 1000 yards averaged .59 MOA so I left it alone. Getting right at 3200 FPS with an SD of 9. I will have to look up the powder charge. That hasn't made it into my notes on my phone yet. It is definitely on the hotter end of the spectrum. I also had luck fireforming with RL 25. Worst group was a shade over 1 MOA. Just would not go fast enough for me.

 

[gerpwaller]

I finally settled on Retumbo. .03 Jump and have a half MOA load verified out to 1000. I 4 groups at 1000 yards averaged .59 MOA so I left it alone. Getting right at 3200 FPS with an SD of 9. I will have to look up the powder charge. That hasn't made it into my notes on my phone yet. It is definitely on the hotter end of the spectrum. I also had luck fireforming with RL 25. Worst group was a shade over 1 MOA. Just would not go fast enough for me.

That's great. I've got to double check what my current jump is at. When I did my ladder test the best group was 59.5 gr of H1000 (I've got 8lbs of it so I'm hoping I can find a good load) and it was a tight cloverleaf. But I've done 4 different 5 round groups with it since and it's been all over the place. I'm using fireformed lapua brass and I've built the rifle on a Tikka T3 action. I tested it without bedding the action first but I think I will bed it before continuing development just to take out as many possible variables as I can. I'll try and load a few for a 0.030" jump and see how that goes. Thanks

 

[rockwallraider]

From 100 yds with 131
Out of a 25sst.

 

[JARHEAD1371]

I believe I'm jumping them .018 with H1000 out of my SST.

 

[dworrel]

They have been excellent on game - whitetail, pigs, and elk from 100-670 yds out of a 25 sst, 25 cm, and 25-06. Only a bull elk at 200 yds went 10 yds. Everything else DRT.