Accurate load falls apart after 100

[RockyMtnMT]

You may be onto something with the bullet. Fast rifles ate tough on bullets and it could be showing up down range.

 

[Grizz1148]

This happened to me this morning!! I shot my 28 Nosler and got a sub MOA group at a 100 yds.... stepped it out to 400 and got stupid groups. Everything the same, thinking something went wrong I went back in and but made a duplicate sub MOA grouping.

Thinking it was shooter error I shot my other rifles and made sub MOA groups at 100 and at 400 yds. But they were shooting Berger's, Cutting Edge and Matrix bullets only the Hornady 162 ELDX gave me problems. I will load more tonight and double check all measurements and weights to eliminate things.

Here below are my groups... the 1st group is the 100 yd group and the other pic is 4 shots at 400 yds (circled) and the 3rd Group has only 3 shots (not circled) before I stopped frustrated. The other rifles and bullet combinations worked as expected. This got me messed up in my head... what could be my problem?!?! I wouldn't rule out shooter error but why not with the other rifles?

This is what I'm going through. Driving me nuts. I loaded more of each and hope to test again tomorrow. I shot .4 inch groups at 50 yds with a 22 while the barrel cooled so I'm assuming my shooting wasn't the issue. Plus I've never seen this before. Hopefully I'll get back out tomorrow. This is killin me

 

[B-LOT Banga]

Be sure and post your results. My jury is way out on the CA rifles. My sample is small but not good. Seems everyone on the net shoots bench rest groups with theirs.

You got me double thinking purchasing a beautiful Christensen Ridgeline in 6.5 PRC!!! I've heard both good and bad but yes everyone here are claiming SUB .5 MOA ... I have a rifle being made right now but I'm impatient the reason for drooling over that Ridgeline every night!! Maybe I should just wait for my rifle to be finished

 

[Grizz1148]

You got me double thinking purchasing a beautiful Christensen Ridgeline in 6.5 PRC!!! I've heard both good and bad but yes everyone here are claiming SUB .5 MOA ... I have a rifle being made right now but I'm impatient the reason for drooling over that Ridgeline every night!! Maybe I should just wait for my rifle to be finished

I love this traverse. Stock is great. Just found it a little finicky on loads. My 338 is very accurate

 

[Grizz1148]

You may be onto something with the bullet. Fast rifles ate tough on bullets and it could be showing up down range.

I'll have to test all 3 cause the atips shot extremely well out to 800. Haven't had a chance to take it out farther yet.

 

[yorke-1]

I had a 22-250 that did this with one specific load. The load was 29.7gr H322 with a 52gr Berger FB jammed .015". This was the load I shot in local BR matches and it was sub .2" ( with a lot of sub .15" groups) for 5 shots at 100 yards as long as I shot it well. At 200 yards it was nearly .7 MOA! If I had the load tuned well for 200 yards my 100 yard groups opened up by 50%. I actually used two different loads for 100 and 200 yard matches. I've never had another gun which was this picky, but I typically do my testing at 200-300 yards now to eliminate the 100 yard trophy groups only to be disappointed by groups farther out.

 

[Grizz1148]

Complet

I had a 22-250 that did this with one specific load. The load was 29.7gr H322 with a 52gr Berger FB jammed .015". This was the load I shot in local BR matches and it was sub .2" ( with a lot of sub .15" groups) for 5 shots at 100 yards as long as I shot it well. At 200 yards it was nearly .7 MOA! If I had the load tuned well for 200 yards my 100 yard groups opened up by 50%. I actually used two different loads for 100 and 200 yard matches. I've never had another gun which was this picky, but I typically do my testing at 200-300 yards now to eliminate the 100 yard trophy groups only to be disappointed by groups farther out.

Completely agree. In this particular case the smks consistently shot under 1/2 moa so those aren't trophy groups. I don't get it

 

[ATH]

As an addendum I will say this is why I do ladder load development at 300 yards on a calm day and never just 100, if it's a longer range rifle 100 is just not far enough. But I understand many people don't have a 300 yard range out their back door.

 

[L.Sherm]

That's the odd thing, vertical and horizontal were poor. Basically a 4 inch box pattern. I could understand if it was one or the other but not both. It's killing me that I can't go back and test it again right now lol.

I would try a primer change and see the difference, then tweak seating depth.

 

[Laelkhunter]

Just spitballing here and trying to help, but did you examine the holes closely at the distant targets? Are the holes oval or oblong in shape and not perfectly round? Could be the bullet doesn't work well with the barrel twist, and the bullets are starting to yaw or wobble which might cause them to leave an oblong hole in the target. If you shot them at a longer distance, they might even tumble and go through the target sideways (if they hit the target at all). Can't really tell, but the three holes in the upper left of the target look a little oblong to me, unless it is just a ragged hole due to the target not being flush against the backboard.

 

[B-LOT Banga]

Just spitballing here and trying to help, but did you examine the holes closely at the distant targets? Are the holes oval or oblong in shape and not perfectly round? Could be the bullet doesn't work well with the barrel twist, and the bullets are starting to yaw or wobble which might cause them to leave an oblong hole in the target. If you shot them at a longer distance, they might even tumble and go through the target sideways (if they hit the target at all). Can't really tell, but the three holes in the upper left of the target look a little oblong to me, unless it is just a ragged hole due to the target not being flush against the backboard.

Yes the targets got wet first thing this morning and it was taped on a wet particle board that was swollen with water from last nights big rain. It was very loose and exploded when the billets hit the target. Not an ideal situation. Last weekend I had them stapled to a 1/4 cardboard and it was perfect holes just a tad bit tighter. This weekend was supposed to be a "zero @ 200" instead I have a massive headache. Thank you for your reply, I will keep an eye out for that. I'm always willing to learn !!

 

[Will Gray]

Scope/parallax issue?

 

[Daves762]

Years ago I was loading the 210 Berger VLD for a 300 WSM with 1/10 twist. At 100 yds I had one hole 5 shot group. The first chance I had to take the rifle out to distance revealed terrible grouping at longer ranges. I didn't have the patients to mess with changing primers, reworking up the load, or any other remedies. I was already loading up where it was showing high pressure signs on the brass. I assumed it was lack of velocity caused the bullets to destabilize. Not really sure. But combining this problem with the "too long for magazine" and cost of the bullets I just switched bullets. We already know from Horandy's dopler radar testing that plastic ballistic tips melt after longer flight times. So I don't waste my time on anything other than the ELDX as it's tip is designed to mitigate this problem.

 

[waveslayer]

I would look at two things.. 1) parallax could be your issue at distance and mirage.

2) have someone else shoot the rifle with your loads and see if they get the same results.

I think its shooter error mostly. But it could be your ES and SD as well. What are those numbers
Anything above a 10 in SD is not a good load