123 ELD and 8208

[ih784]

[Bfglowkee]

[ih784]

[rabiddawg]

I quit using a lead sled. My guns didn’t fit it right and I had to torque the gun to keep it level.

[ih784]

[Cornbread]

Try some cci primers. Either the 41 or 450.

[ih784]

Next time I go to a gun show I’ll pickup a thousand 450s. I saw one fellow that had great accuracy shooting a 26.6 and 26.8 load. I’ll load them up in the meantime. I’ll shoot at 7-800 yards at the most with them. If I want any more I’ll move to CFE as it stands I’m happy with an 800 yard round I think I can get the velocity I need out of 1.5 grains of powder less than what I was hoping for.

[Bfglowkee]

Did you happen to get the velocities out of the previous loads?

[ih784]

No, I did not. I’m using a swag as to what it is. When I get them printing like I want I’ll setup my Beta Chrony.

[Bfglowkee]

Guess the last question is are the groups vertically dispersed, horizontal or shotgun pattern

[1Shot]

I have been hand loading over 40 years and the one rule in finding a good load is only change one thing at a time. The first thing I suggest you do is ditch the lead sled. My buddy and I found out that rifles just do not shoot the same from them verses off a good front and rear independent rest with the stock in your shoulder. Take your ladder of powder loads and shoot only one shot of each load at the same target at 100 yards taking note of and numbering each shots impact point. Do this shooting over a chrno and record your velocities and ES and SD. When done you will see some shots low and some shots high but there should be a group in the middle that usually run close together like shots 4, 5, & 6. If the velocities are what you are looking for then you have found your powder if not do this again with a different powder. If velocities are OK I would then average in the middle of the first and last load in this group. Load up 5 of this load and change nothing else from the ladder loads and shoot a group. If this group is not satisfactory then start changing the seating depth of this load. I load 3 rounds of each seating depth. My original COAL for ARs is the longest that can fit in the magazine. I will seat my seating depth ladder 5 thousands deeper at a time going to between 20 and 30 thousands deeper or what ever the bullet will allow. You will usually have a depth that will stand out. If that is not satisfactory do a depth 2 or 3 thousands longer and shorter of the best of the ladder. If that don't work start the process over and change only the primer.
This can get time consuming and expensive but usually you find a good load with the first process.
If you can't find something that will shoot with that particular bullet it may be that your rifle does not like that bullet for some reason if the rifle is known to shoot other bullets good. Neither of my Grendel's like the Hornady 123 SST bullet but will shoot other bullets sub MOA with no problem.
Another thing I picked up over the years that helps tighten up groups is the old truism "aim small miss small". I draw 1" triangles on a piece of white paper with a black marker for targets. This allows me to aim right on the top tip of the triangle to get a more precise aiming point. Some people, like bench rest shoots with their official targets, aim at the square aligning their cross hairs with the top and one side of the square and making the intersecting point of the cross hair sit on the point where the top and side meet. Ain't load work up fun? Good luck.

[ih784]

That is awesome information. I’ll break out my chronograph and see what I’ve got. I’ll post pictures of my groups though I’m not proud of them ��. I just have to compress them first. Y’all let me know what you think. The aim small miss small certainly rings true. The circles are 3”.

[ih784]

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[Bfglowkee]

Something looks off. Can you check the torque on your scope rings( the bases). Just a precaution. Even with not liking a bullet a gun will show some definitive poi shifts as the charge weight changes along with some pattern change. You have what looks like a scope base loose ( just a observation and I verybwell could be wrong). 1shot suggestions are solid

[ih784]

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You see my problem. I just needed to shoot more. I loaded my last 7 pieces of brass with 27.0 and got the group you see. I then had to resize clean and load the 27.2 and 26.8 loads. Just looking into this OCW business out of curiosity lol. They printed similarly and I’ll keep the 27.0. Thank y’all for your thoughts.