Scratching my head please help. 28 nosler

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.
 
I have tried ELDx factory ammo in two of my rifles. A 300 WM (200gr ELDx) an a 270 Win (145 ELDx). The results were so bad, I didn't pursue hand loading with that bullet. At 100 yards the 270 groups were 2 to 3 inches and the 300 WM groups were 3 to 4 inches. After firing the 20 factory rounds in each rifle, my handloads that had previously printed cloverleafs and single holes (130 gr Ballistic Tips for the 270 and 185gr Berger Classic Hunters for the 300 WM) were printing larger groups. After a thorough cleaning the handloads were back to normal (single hole and cloverleaf groups). So I agree with previous comments that ELDx bullets don't shoot well in some rifles and they leave so much copper fowling that it affects accuracy.
 
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My personal experiences ELD x suck,
ELD m Rock
I have to 28 nosler 1 is a 1 in 9 twist factory production shoots 180 berger hyb. & 180 ELD-m 1/2 MOA all day long the other is a custom 1in8 twist shoots the 195 1/2 MOA all day long. 6.5x284 shoots shotgun patterns with 143 ELD x -147 ELD-m bugholes to 300 yards.
2 of the major infomercial hunting shows / gun companies cannot get ELD x bullets to shoot worth a crap but they'll load them and sell them to you. They personally shoot ELD-m or Bergers. Had phone conversations with them.
 
have tried ELDx factory ammo in two of my rifles. A 300 WM (200gr ELDx) an a 270 Win (140 ELDx). The results were so bad, I didn't pursue hand loading with that bullet.
I have had great luck with the ELD-x bullet, but I have never liked Hornady commercial ammunition or brass, sub par results with both every time I have tried. I use 212 grain ELD-x in both my .300 WM rifles and they are consistently sub half minute within a powder node. Maybe I am just lucky?
 
I have had great luck with the ELD-x bullet, but I have never liked Hornady commercial ammunition or brass, sub par results with both every time I have tried. I use 212 grain ELD-x in both my .300 WM rifles and they are consistently sub half minute within a powder node. Maybe I am just lucky?

I have heard both glowing and sub-par results on the ELD-x bullets. My results were horrendous, I ran around 100 bullets in different 3-5 shot loads that rarely even approached MOA and some that went 6 MOA It seems like this bullet runs hot or cold, there are probably some mid accuracy folks that don't speak up but a finicky bullet to load it seems. The ABLR seems similar, I have had good results but others not so much.
 
Why, if you can get it at a discounted price DO IT!

We are all still learning, as a group, the limits & expectations of this cartridge? As it's external ballistics are about the same as 7STW, it's way more efficient and in my barrel at least, much less abusive to the barrel. finally got around to doing a chamber cast on my 7STW barrel, and was correct in swapping it out for the 28 Nosler, it was way past dun!
 
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Glad I read this. Was thinking about buying a used one in the classified section. Now I am reconsidering.

I know several people that love there's and they shoot great. I think it's like anything, every once in a while there is a bad one and unfortunately I was one that got one of the bad ones. It took a while but in the end Christensen did the right thing and sent me a new rifle even though they were well within there right to tell me to pound sand as I had shot reloads thru it and they knew it and it is very clearly marked in there warranty that if you shoot reloads it voids the warranty. Would I buy another Christensen, probably, but then again for just a little more $$ APR in Hurst, Tx can build you a custom that will definitely shoot lights out without having to wonder if you will be one of the few that gets a bad one.
 
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.

I know that this might sound crazy, however...................here goes. I like to start at the basics when schtuff happens!! I recently had something like this happen with loads for a .270WSM that I was working for a friend. The groups were great and for no reason there would be fliers. I was scratching my head also!! Long story short he had a cracked scope ring, no one gets a cracked scope ring. I've also experienced this with my Ruger 77s in 35 Whelen where the front ring loosened up on me. So.......have you checked the integrity of your mounting system and/or your scope?? My .02c worth, trying to help a fellow reloader/shooter.
 
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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?
Donuts occur from over sizing the case, pushing the neck down during FL sizing. To correct this would require purchasing a inside neck reamer, once the donut has been removed, I would look at only FL sizing about .002, enough to close the bolt, this will aid in not creating a donut by pushing to much brass down on the neck junction. Some custom rifles are throated to where the bullet will not seat into this junction, thus eliminating the worries with donuts. What these can cause is high ES and SD, once you eliminate the donut, my next step would be to just bump the shoulder down about .002 in your FL die, once the case is corrected, next would be looking at your reloading steps, specifically powder measurements. I use two scales, one is my electronic scale for powder dispensing and a balance beam scale to verify correct grain load. I will use a powder trickle to bring it up to correct load. My next step is verifying each load is the same OAL, I use a Hornady OAL tool on my calipers to measure to the Ogive on the bullet, versus measuring to the tip. Once all is set the same and your barrel is clean, if the group doesn't close, then may need to look at another bullet to try.
 
Donuts occur from over sizing the case, pushing the neck down during FL sizing. To correct this would require purchasing a inside neck reamer, once the donut has been removed, I would look at only FL sizing about .002, enough to close the bolt, this will aid in not creating a donut by pushing to much brass down on the neck junction. Some custom rifles are throated to where the bullet will not seat into this junction, thus eliminating the worries with donuts. What these can cause is high ES and SD, once you eliminate the donut, my next step would be to just bump the shoulder down about .002 in your FL die, once the case is corrected, next would be looking at your reloading steps, specifically powder measurements. I use two scales, one is my electronic scale for powder dispensing and a balance beam scale to verify correct grain load. I will use a powder trickle to bring it up to correct load. My next step is verifying each load is the same OAL, I use a Hornady OAL tool on my calipers to measure to the Ogive on the bullet, versus measuring to the tip. Once all is set the same and your barrel is clean, if the group doesn't close, then may need to look at another bullet to try.

Thanks, but this is actually exactly what I do as well. I only bump the shoulder back .002 just like you said. and I too double weigh my charges first with a RCBS chargemaster then double check on my 5-0-5 beam, and I also use the Hornady OAL tool on my digital calipers. When you have seen donuts in the past were they right at the neck opening or usually at some point past the case neck opening. The cases that the bullet would not drop right thru would not even enter the neck so the donut was either right at the opening or I have something else going on. And this was not on all the cases maybe half of them.
 
Thanks, but this is actually exactly what I do as well. I only bump the shoulder back .002 just like you said. and I too double weigh my charges first with a RCBS chargemaster then double check on my 5-0-5 beam, and I also use the Hornady OAL tool on my digital calipers. When you have seen donuts in the past were they right at the neck opening or usually at some point past the case neck opening. The cases that the bullet would not drop right thru would not even enter the neck so the donut was either right at the opening or I have something else going on. And this was not on all the cases maybe half of them.
The donut is at the neck/body junction not at the top of the neck, if you slide the bullet in and it stops at neck/body then you have a donut.
 
The donut is at the neck/body junction not at the top of the neck, if you slide the bullet in and it stops at neck/body then you have a donut.

Ok That is what I thought. So I have a different issue as the bullet won't even enter the neck on some of the fired cases. Well they will with some pressure but they don't just drop right in like I am used to. Ever seen this before?
 
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