philipbrousseau
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30-06 Load Development
- Thread starter Jor1034
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
The great thing about reloading is that there isn't necessarily one load that will shoot well in every rifle. The fun is combining different components in a search for what your rifle shoots well.
Using quality components will save you time, barrel life and money. Invest in a decent chronograph, you'll need it.
When I first started reloading I bought a few different varieties of quality factory ammunition with a known bullet such as a Nosler Ballistic Tips, or Hornady SST, ect. to get an idea of if my rifle would shoot OK and what it shot best. Keep a basic log of how each shoots. Take good measurements as to the length of the loaded ammo, bullet type, velocity, brass weight. Save the brass from what shoots best. Buy that particular loading manual, read it, then read it again. Over the years you will accumulate several.
Don't try to re-invent the wheel, especially when you are starting out. If your rifle shoots a particular ammunition well start by trying to replicate that ammunition. Take your time, use quality components and equipment, work up from minimum suggested charges and most importantly have a good time with it and share what you learn with others as best as you can.
Using quality components will save you time, barrel life and money. Invest in a decent chronograph, you'll need it.
When I first started reloading I bought a few different varieties of quality factory ammunition with a known bullet such as a Nosler Ballistic Tips, or Hornady SST, ect. to get an idea of if my rifle would shoot OK and what it shot best. Keep a basic log of how each shoots. Take good measurements as to the length of the loaded ammo, bullet type, velocity, brass weight. Save the brass from what shoots best. Buy that particular loading manual, read it, then read it again. Over the years you will accumulate several.
Don't try to re-invent the wheel, especially when you are starting out. If your rifle shoots a particular ammunition well start by trying to replicate that ammunition. Take your time, use quality components and equipment, work up from minimum suggested charges and most importantly have a good time with it and share what you learn with others as best as you can.
Thank you for the information! I have a magnetospeed chronograph. Are there any good?
What do you thing about Berger bullets? Could I use these instead of Barnes?
Factory tikka T3 lite 30-06 with Nikon Prostaff 3x9x50! I clean the barrel after every time I go to the range or finish hunting season. I would say around 250 rounds down the barrel.
Magnetospeed is a good piece of equipment. It will serve you very well
Oldschool280
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- Jan 22, 2016
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- 616
Nosler load data is free online and a nice source for safe info. Echoing others, try the sierra's. They seem to be the most forgiving, plentiful, affordable and have a steller reputation for accuracy. Most of my rifles shoot the matchking and gameking accurate enough to bughole. I cut my handloading teeth on them, and develop most first trip to the range loads with an unfamiliar rifle with them. Bullet weights and twist rate come into play, but most 06's are set up to throw 140's to 200's. I like the 165 gameking with an h-335 load for my garand, and that same load shoots 1/4" groups in my rem 760 believe it or not. One thing i learned the hard way was just how much bullet jump can affect certain rifles and have little effect on others. I had a rifle recrowned and didnt have to, it just liked a ton of jump.have fun be safe.
SMK1000plus
Well-Known Member
You still haven't answered the question, "What accuracy are you getting with QUALITY factory ammunition?"
I suggest that you pick up at least two 20 round boxes of Federal Gold Medal Match 30-06 with the168gr Sierra Match King (SMK) bullets to establish a baseline accuracy. You say that you have fired @ 250 round of various ammunition through the rifle. You should clean the copper from the barrel BEFORE you try to establish your baseline. Use the first box of 20 FGMM 30-06 168gr SMK cartridges to re-season the barrel and the second box to fire 4 sets of 5 round groups to set the baseline. Do not use your best group as the baseline but, use the average of all 4 groups!
You will want to repeat this process with several other brands of PREMIUM 30-06 cartridges and seeing as you seem to have a preference for the 168gr Barnes bullet, I suggest one of these sets be Barnes Vor-TX 30-06 with the 168gr TTSX or 175gr LRX bullet. Remember to remove the copper fouling again between each change of brand of cartridge, and use the first box of ammunition to re-season the barrel before testing the accuracy of that brand/bullet weight. Also, let the barrel cool consistently between each shot and between each group. I use 30 seconds between each shot and 10 minutes between each group but, that is just me.
Once you have the baseline accuracy for YOUR rifle setup, you will know the minimum accuracy to expect from your handloads...
I suggest that you pick up at least two 20 round boxes of Federal Gold Medal Match 30-06 with the168gr Sierra Match King (SMK) bullets to establish a baseline accuracy. You say that you have fired @ 250 round of various ammunition through the rifle. You should clean the copper from the barrel BEFORE you try to establish your baseline. Use the first box of 20 FGMM 30-06 168gr SMK cartridges to re-season the barrel and the second box to fire 4 sets of 5 round groups to set the baseline. Do not use your best group as the baseline but, use the average of all 4 groups!
You will want to repeat this process with several other brands of PREMIUM 30-06 cartridges and seeing as you seem to have a preference for the 168gr Barnes bullet, I suggest one of these sets be Barnes Vor-TX 30-06 with the 168gr TTSX or 175gr LRX bullet. Remember to remove the copper fouling again between each change of brand of cartridge, and use the first box of ammunition to re-season the barrel before testing the accuracy of that brand/bullet weight. Also, let the barrel cool consistently between each shot and between each group. I use 30 seconds between each shot and 10 minutes between each group but, that is just me.
Once you have the baseline accuracy for YOUR rifle setup, you will know the minimum accuracy to expect from your handloads...
jjmp
Well-Known Member
Yes you can shoot the Berger bullets, I was trying to keep it simple for you cause your learning , some bullets are more technical then others , this you'll learn as you progress , lots to lern ,cause your a newbie. That's where the reading comes in , thks !
Ok perfect! Thank you!
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
If I have it correctly you're going from 1.5"+ groups with your best factory ammo- to 2.5"+ with your hand loads. Consistency seems elusive.
From literally the ground up review your shooting set up if bench is it sturdy enough, if prone with bipod is it comfortable. Some one else touched on this a bit deeper, but a serious look at technique is always a good idea. Someone watching, or even shooting the rifle could reveal much. At this point I'd trade a target you can carry in your wallet, for solid 2" performance each time out. Dry firing may also reveal much. Especially in the follow through segment of the shot.
You seem to be cleaning regularly-hopefully effectively, check all screws etc.
Lots of good bullets out there, all with their proponents. I think (I'm not there) for now go old school simple. Goal consistent 100 yard 3 shot groups. You don't need top line bullets for this. In fact some of the plain jane round nose 180 grains will serve just fine, Hornady, Sierra, Speer won't matter. Decent bearing surface, a profile that doesn't sweat bullet jump. Forget max load, use your magneto speed to monitor variations, and look for consistency, and a moderate load. No mysteries left in the .30-06, lots of good powders, plain H4831, and the SC variant work fine, so do the 4350's just make sure you're aware there is a difference between the H, and IMR.
It's a light weight rifle, go slow, pause between shots to think about what went right, targets don't lie, have fun.
Give that another couple hundred rounds, and if it's not better, could be a rifle, or scope issue.
From literally the ground up review your shooting set up if bench is it sturdy enough, if prone with bipod is it comfortable. Some one else touched on this a bit deeper, but a serious look at technique is always a good idea. Someone watching, or even shooting the rifle could reveal much. At this point I'd trade a target you can carry in your wallet, for solid 2" performance each time out. Dry firing may also reveal much. Especially in the follow through segment of the shot.
You seem to be cleaning regularly-hopefully effectively, check all screws etc.
Lots of good bullets out there, all with their proponents. I think (I'm not there) for now go old school simple. Goal consistent 100 yard 3 shot groups. You don't need top line bullets for this. In fact some of the plain jane round nose 180 grains will serve just fine, Hornady, Sierra, Speer won't matter. Decent bearing surface, a profile that doesn't sweat bullet jump. Forget max load, use your magneto speed to monitor variations, and look for consistency, and a moderate load. No mysteries left in the .30-06, lots of good powders, plain H4831, and the SC variant work fine, so do the 4350's just make sure you're aware there is a difference between the H, and IMR.
It's a light weight rifle, go slow, pause between shots to think about what went right, targets don't lie, have fun.
Give that another couple hundred rounds, and if it's not better, could be a rifle, or scope issue.
ericbc7
Well-Known Member
Tikka garantees sub MOA with quality factory ammunition. If the best groups your getting are 1.5 inches center to center then you may be able to have the rifle serviced or replaced under warranty.
