Scratching my head please help. 28 nosler

[Dollar55]

View attachment 124012 View attachment 124013 Hey guys, I know there are some very knowledgeable reloader son here and I'm scratching my head today.

Rifle, 28 Nosler Christensen Ridgeline 1:9 26" barrel

All shots at 200 yards. Light and variable wind.

I went to range this morning with several loads to test. Shot some and had an incredible group with 175 eldx 77 grains of H1000 had a 4 shot group .75 moa that is including the one I might have pulled with a sd of 11.6

That is really good for this rifle so I run home and load some more to see if I can repeat. Head back to range and get 4 shot group of 1.85 moa WTH??? but still have a good sd of 12.4.

This was all using brass sized at the same time, same way, from the same lot of Nosler brass on its second reload.

I'm really scratching my head. I really thought I had this and now I'm just confused and aggravated. Any ideas??

Fortunately I also had some hammer hunters that I also tested and they seems to be shooting wonderful, so I know it's not me, optics, etc. Hoping someone on here will have some suggestions on why this load did so well 1 time then went to crap a couple hours later.

Ihad

The joys of reloading. Just when you think you've got it figured out, it aint?! So many variables hour by hour and day by

 

[Dollar55]

Ihad

I had a Christensen rifle with similar problems. Sent the gun in and they said it just needed cleaning. Same problem. We ran a bore scope down the barrel and found the chamber was not even close to lining up with the barrel. They took the gun back, new barrel.
Similar problems. Run the scope in again and about 1/2 way down the barrel the rifling completely disappeared for 1-2". I sent them the gun again. They sent me a check back.

 

[Toolhand]

My 28 liked RL 33 better than H1000 with the ELDX

 

[jasonco]

I am in agreement, that ELDX's can be goofy, wonkie, awesome, ***, outstanding! The only rifle I have, that they're always same POI +/-.3-.5" with a worked up load, is in an Savage 10BA Stealth 6.5 Creedmoor, and this is the only one? Maybe it's something to do with the 5R rifling?!

 

[rem.xp100]

I have not had great luck with repeatability in the ELD-X. Maybe that is not your problem just another data point.

ELD-X gave me the same poor repeatability. Started with ELD-X in my SAUM and with almost no load work shot several 5/8" groups, loaded more of the same and those groups varied to over 1.2".

I had a hunt coming up and in a panic, I changed to Berger because I had them handy and with no other changes it was shooting 1/2" and stayed there. Maybe I got a bad lot of bullets but it left a bad taste in my mouth for the ELD-X. I know many guys that love them and have no issue but that was not my experience.

 

[Zorack]

I've never had any of the eld-x and eld's shoot worth a **** out of any of my guns. Switch to bergers and shot great

 

[Radhimself]

Eldm's EXCELLENT

ELDX.... not so much


SST's were finicky too, jacket thickness/stiffness

Gotta find the bullet your barrel likes

 

[oldcoast]

Try a lighter bullet like a 168 berger for that twist. I have 2 280AI's, One loved 175 eldx other hates them. Same twist different barrel manufacturers. Benchmark loves them Broughton doesnt.

 

[Pauleye]

Agree with the eldx. I use Berger's EOL for my 28 Nosler with great results. My barrel is a PacNor. I haven't used the barrel you use. Each to his own. Good luck

 

[Colin78]

I had a Christensen rifle with similar problems. Sent the gun in and they said it just needed cleaning. Same problem. We ran a bore scope down the barrel and found the chamber was not even close to lining up with the barrel. They took the gun back, new barrel.
Similar problems. Run the scope in again and about 1/2 way down the barrel the rifling completely disappeared for 1-2". I sent them the gun again. They sent me a check back.

This is the second one I've had too. First one I sent back to them twice, total ***. They sent me this one and it is much better, just not with the eldx. Sounds like I need to ditch the eldx.

 

[gator378]

I don't think it was a bad lot of R22, I ended up going through the end of one lot and moved into a second a good ways before I gave up on it. It has done well in other rifles.

Sounds like the eye of Newt problem. Got find the right majic

 

[jasonco]

I also went to the ELDM, 180 in 28 Nosler, 208 in 300 RUM.

 

[Colin78]

My experience with a group opening up is due to fouling, clean and shoot again, second problem could be donuts inside the case neck. If you take a fired case and take a bullet and slide the bullet down the throat, if you hit a wall, you have a donut and that can cause accuracy issues. Some rifles are throated long enough that you would not have to worry about the donuts.

Ok this might be part of my issue. Some fired cases the bullet will slide right thru, but many of them as soon as the boat tail part of the bullet gets past the case neck opening and the full diameter of the bullet tries to enter the case neck it will not go in. Not sure that it is a donut persay or just that the case neck didn't open up enough when fired. I ran a small wire down the inside of the neck and don't feel any donuts or bumps. What causes this and what do I do about it?

 

[WalksLikeADeer]

View attachment 124012 View attachment 124013 Hey guys, I know there are some very knowledgeable reloader son here and I'm scratching my head today.

Rifle, 28 Nosler Christensen Ridgeline 1:9 26" barrel

All shots at 200 yards. Light and variable wind.

I went to range this morning with several loads to test. Shot some and had an incredible group with 175 eldx 77 grains of H1000 had a 4 shot group .75 moa that is including the one I might have pulled with a sd of 11.6

That is really good for this rifle so I run home and load some more to see if I can repeat. Head back to range and get 4 shot group of 1.85 moa WTH??? but still have a good sd of 12.4.

This was all using brass sized at the same time, same way, from the same lot of Nosler brass on its second reload.

I'm really scratching my head. I really thought I had this and now I'm just confused and aggravated. Any ideas??

Fortunately I also had some hammer hunters that I also tested and they seems to be shooting wonderful, so I know it's not me, optics, etc. Hoping someone on here will have some suggestions on why this load did so well 1 time then went to crap a couple hours later.

It could be the bullets. I had the same results with 162 gr ELD-X in 7mm Rem Mag. Shot anywhere from .75' to 2.5"
Berger 168 gr VLD Hunting shoots .35"