Bullet choice when reloading?

[RangerBrad]

Hey fellas, I will be loading for 25-06 project I recently got out of the shop. When you are building a round for a new rifle do you chose the bullet (say 115 gr berger then build the powder load and seating depth around it or do you need to try several makers and weights? Thank's, Brad

 

[WildRose]

Hey fellas, I will be loading for 25-06 project I recently got out of the shop. When you are building a round for a new rifle do you chose the bullet (say 115 gr berger then build the powder load and seating depth around it or do you need to try several makers and weights? Thank's, Brad

I always try several and see what bullet/weight works best for my purposes and then tune the load to fit it.

 

[RangerBrad]

So do you buy store bought ammo of diffrent brands (hsm berger 115gr, hornady superformance 117 sst, winchester 120 gr super x) find which one shoots best then build around that bullet weight? Seems that if you built loads around those diffrent bullets you may end up with alot of bullets you would never use?

What got me thinking about this was I just went to the range today and shot several rounds from several diffrent manufactures. Some groups were barley ok while others were horrible sometimes out of the same box. I thought to myself that all that shooting was telling me nothing because these same bullets may act completely diffrently with diffrent seatings and at diffrent velocities, that what I really needed to do was pick a high bc bullet then work on charge and seating depth but as you just stated I've often heard that you need to pick the bullet that works best in your rifle but thought they were always talking about buying manufactured rounds for folks that don't reload. Thank's, Brad

 

[WildRose]

So do you buy store bought ammo of diffrent brands (hsm berger 115gr, hornady superformance 117 sst, winchester 120 gr super x) find which one shoots best then build around that bullet weight? Seems that if you built loads around those diffrent bullets you may end up with alot of bullets you would never use?

Yes. Premium ammo, with high BC bullets that are also available for reloading. Sometimes you get lucky and find one right off. Sometimes it's pretty frustrating.

What got me thinking about this was I just went to the range today and shot several rounds from several diffrent manufactures. Some groups were barley ok while others were horrible sometimes out of the same box. I thought to myself that all that shooting was telling me nothing because these same bullets may act completely diffrently with diffrent seatings and at diffrent velocities, that what I really needed to do was pick a high bc bullet then work on charge and seating depth but as you just stated I've often heard that you need to pick the bullet that works best in your rifle but thought they were always talking about buying manufactured rounds for folks that don't reload. Thank's, Brad

With a brand new barrel nothing may work very well until you get completely through the break in process and be sure you follow the manufacturers break in recommendations to the letter.

Till you get through the break in process you might want to just run some of the cheapest stuff you can find and simply don't expect anything fantastic. It might save some money and aggravation.

 

[Korhil78]

Hey fellas, I will be loading for 25-06 project I recently got out of the shop. When you are building a round for a new rifle do you chose the bullet (say 115 gr berger then build the powder load and seating depth around it or do you need to try several makers and weights? Thank's, Brad

If I really want to try out a bullet and make it work, I will research everyones luck with the 25-06, 115 gr berger and what powders they were using. I will compare those findings with the reloading manuals and see what they came up with. After doing that, I will start my loads based on my findings of the powders used that worked well. I will try about 3 different powders based on what i found from the above research.

You might look at the thread I started about a week ago if the 25-06, 115 gr berger is what you want to reload. People have had good luck with Retumbo but I found my best load with H4831SC.

The thread is titled: 115 gr Berger VLD load for my 25-06

 

[WildRose]

If I really want to try out a bullet and make it work, I will research everyones luck with the 25-06, 115 gr berger and what powders they were using. I will compare those findings with the reloading manuals and see what they came up with. After doing that, I will start my loads based on my findings of the powders used that worked well. I will try about 3 different powders based on what i found from the above research.

You might look at the thread I started about a week ago if the 25-06, 115 gr berger is what you want to reload. People have had good luck with Retumbo but I found my best load with H4831SC.

The thread is titled: 115 gr Berger VLD load for my 25-06

Good point. This board is a great resource.

 

[Korhil78]

I am sure either way will work. I have just never reloaded based off of factory load findings. I am kinda dumb when it comes to factory loads because I have never had much faith in them. I have never found a factory load that shot well in any of my rifles (I know that many have though). I was always under the assumption that all the big ammo producers did was find a powder that would allow them to pack as much powder into a case as they could that would give them the most velocity and stay under SAAMI specs and as long as they got 1 to 2 in groups that they were good to go. I may be wrong.

Wild Rose,

I read your other posts about the factory scirrocos and the accuracy that you get with them. I have never tried them but am glad that you get good accuracy out of them. I was just wondering though, why do you use the factory loading if you can reload with the same components and save some money. I know you shoot enough to make it into a savings?

 

[RangerBrad]

I'm sure yal are right about the break in. My shooting was spot on but the groups wern't very good and as I said they varied alot even from the same ammo. The first time I took it out the Hornady 117 gr sst did 1moa while the HSM berger 115 gr did 2 moa. today was just oposite and even worse I may shoot 5 rounds and have 1 moa, let the barrel cool and take 5 more shots of the same ammo and get 2 moa but, I've only shot 40 rounds through it but I wouldn't have thought it would shoot this bad but, when I got it from the smith I screwed down my weaver mounts put my old simmons pro50 in the rings and eyeball leveled it up and tightened everything down. This scope's ridden this rifle for 13 years and has always been a shooter. Figured that would be plenty to find a group. Anyway, back to my thought on this round.

My thought is to take the best of both worlds, using the superformance powder from the Hornady round and the high bc berger bullet from the HSM round, play with grains of powder and oal and hopfully will find something great.

Even the 1 moa groups aren't going to be good enough to suite me. I'm going to have to tighten this way up.



My new NF NXS, mount and rings should arrive the 3rd of Oct. with these properly installed, cartridge worked up and barrel broke maybe things will be ok, if not it's back to the gunsmith.

I know this was a long rant, Sorry. Thank's, Brad

 

[Korhil78]

Not a rant, just questions that you had to get off of your shoulders. I have a winchester M70 that I had Dan Pedersen put a barrel on. I couldn't get it to shoot ANYTHING. I tried Accubonds, Barnes and Ballistic Tips and even different weights in the three. Tried many, many powders but nothing worked. So, I just sent it back to him to let him look at it. The only thing that he didn't put on was the stock. So I am having him take a look at it too and re-bed it. Hopefully when I get it back, it will shoot. It can be very frustrating, I know. A lot of money get spent on the gun and then more on the reloading and it can become very bothersome to the mind when it still wont shoot.

 

[WildRose]

I'm sure yal are right about the break in. My shooting was spot on but the groups wern't very good and as I said they varied alot even from the same ammo. The first time I took it out the Hornady 117 gr sst did 1moa while the HSM berger 115 gr did 2 moa. today was just oposite and even worse I may shoot 5 rounds and have 1 moa, let the barrel cool and take 5 more shots of the same ammo and get 2 moa but, I've only shot 40 rounds through it but I wouldn't have thought it would shoot this bad but, when I got it from the smith I screwed down my weaver mounts put my old simmons pro50 in the rings and eyeball leveled it up and tightened everything down. This scope's ridden this rifle for 13 years and has always been a shooter. Figured that would be plenty to find a group. Anyway, back to my thought on this round.

My thought is to take the best of both worlds, using the superformance powder from the Hornady round and the high bc berger bullet from the HSM round, play with grains of powder and oal and hopfully will find something great.

Even the 1 moa groups aren't going to be good enough to suite me. I'm going to have to tighten this way up.



My new NF NXS, mount and rings should arrive the 3rd of Oct. with these properly installed, cartridge worked up and barrel broke maybe things will be ok, if not it's back to the gunsmith.

I know this was a long rant, Sorry. Thank's, Brad

Quit shooting 5 rnd groups to start with.

Shoot three's.

Next, if you want the best groups you need to let it cool down between each shot, not after each group.

Keep in mind till you get a hundred rounds down the pipe it's liable to be a bit inconsistent anyhow.

 

[RangerBrad]

Thank's fellas, I appreciate your time. Brad

 

[daerhldgs2]

i believe the Hornady 120 gr. hollow point is a overlooked big game bullet. I have used it for years in my 25:06 and 257 Robts ackley improved and 250-3000 imp. with 100% satisfaction. This bullet shoots accurately and flat out kills, and the tip doesn't deform in the mag.

 

[budlight]

I had never owned a .243 So I read up on what people were using. I decided that it would take a 9 1/4:1 twist and 26 inch barrel to shoot the heavier bullets.

You don't want information over load. So you buy a few hundred new cases, one type of primer and one type of bullet.

You then buy slower powders to achive near filled cases. Then you do the chrono time to find the speed you want with exceptable case life. I load 3 rounds of powder weight and increase it in .4 grain increments. find the speed you desire with the closest avg. speed. Some powders can shoot a bullet within 10 - 15 fps. with ten shots, Very important for ballistic charts.


Then with new everything it is off to the bench rest and you then look at seating depth. I arrived with three different powders all at 3200 fps and I varied the seating depth for accuracy at 200 yards. At near one inch I called it good for 10 shot groups right on the X

Then I needed a lighter Varmint round and I zeroed in on a bullet wieght.

So I end up with only two bullet weights and the best powder for each.

The biggest thing is keep everything consistant and the fewest variables.

With smaller cals. like your 25 a lead sled to take out human error are a good thing.

 

[WildRose]

I am sure either way will work. I have just never reloaded based off of factory load findings. I am kinda dumb when it comes to factory loads because I have never had much faith in them. I have never found a factory load that shot well in any of my rifles (I know that many have though). I was always under the assumption that all the big ammo producers did was find a powder that would allow them to pack as much powder into a case as they could that would give them the most velocity and stay under SAAMI specs and as long as they got 1 to 2 in groups that they were good to go. I may be wrong.

Wild Rose,

I read your other posts about the factory scirrocos and the accuracy that you get with them. I have never tried them but am glad that you get good accuracy out of them. I was just wondering though, why do you use the factory loading if you can reload with the same components and save some money. I know you shoot enough to make it into a savings?

It's just the most practical way I've found to start.

If it were a rifle in a caliber I was already set up to load for I'd go about it differently.

As for the above, no they aren't just finding powders they can cram a case full of for maximum velocities. Rarely will you find any factory loads not specifically marked as +Plus P's that even approach maximums. As litigious as our modern society is, the only safe route for the major manufacturers is to use loads that are going to be absolutely safe for all modern firearms chambered in these calibers.

Of course you also run into the issue with factories where they are chambered such that they'll fit in all chamberings so once fired brass which is essentially fire formed to fit each rifle exactly is going to perform much better once reloaded.

Even new brass is going to have the same issue.