First time load development?

[Ucsdryder]

Ok, so I’ve gone from concentrating on archery and grabbing a rifle and a box of random ammo when archery season is over, to trying to get more serious about my rifle shooting. I’m doing load development for a 6.5 creedmoor in a savage long range 110.

Berger 140 vld hunters
H4350
Remington 7 1/2 BR primers
Lapua SRP

I know there are a 100 ways to skin a cat so I’m hoping to hear if this is a reasonable way of doing the load development, or if I’m skipping/overlooking a step?

1. Ladder test to find max velocity and possibly velocity node through a chrono

For a starting point, go .020” off the lands and run from 36.0 to 42.5 in .5 grain increments until I see pressure signs or find a velocity node.

2. Using the preferred powder load in step 1, load 3-4 bullets at different cbto, starting at .010”, .020, .030, .040, .050 from the lands and see if I can find the most accurate cbto.

Anything I’m missing/overlooking/doing out of order?

 

[BRTreedogs]

I'll just leave this here.. let's just say it blew my mind.

 

[Harvey_NW]

I prefer tighter increments like .2/3 to make a solid node easier to identify. Also suggest testing seating depth farther off the lands, this article contains tons of data from highly accredited shooters that prove more often than not the most forgiving accuracy windows are .050 or farther off, which is what I've found in personal experience with Bergers out of my 6, and 7mm. Good luck!

Bullet Jump Research: Executive Summary & Load Development Tips

This is the last post in a series of articles focused on bullet jump research that has been conduct...

precisionrifleblog.com

 

[wind gypsy]

I wouldn’t start with charges any lower than 39 gr h4350. Velocity isn’t everything but it’s something. You don’t want to end up near 36 grains so don’t waste the components trying it.

I’ve never had a creedmoor but I’ve had a couple 6.5x47s (less capacity) and both ended up around 40 grains with h4350 and 140s. My current x47 is only getting 2740 FPS with 40.5 gr h4350 and 140 JLKs with a 28” barrel. I don’t know if i have a slow barrel or if the JLKs just aren’t building much pressure.

 

[JGuest]

I wouldn’t start with charges any lower than 39 gr h4350. Velocity isn’t everything but it’s something. You don’t want to end up near 36 grains so don’t waste the components trying it.

This is good advice. Also always avoid reduced loads you want a load density in the 80% plus range. If you can manage it get those load densities in the 95% plus range. Also, avoid compressed loads. I've done well with some but they tend to be temperamental.

I've always found my best accuracy from temp stable powders that are 95-99% case fill.

I've found Bergers are less fickle about powder charge but extremely fickle about CBTO. With the Bergers, use the method laid out in their reloading manual to find your CBTO node. If you don't have the manual it reads like this.

"Load a total of 24 rounds at the following CBTO's if you are a rifle shooter who does not want to jam a bullet in the rifling:

1) 0.010 off the lands (jump) 6 rounds
2) 0.050 off the lands (jump) 6 rounds
3) 0.090 off the lands (jump) 6 rounds
4) 0.130 off the lands (jump) 6 rounds

They tell you to shoot 2x 3 shot groups and see whats shooting, I prefer to shoot 4 6 shot groups and measure the extreme spread.

Then you take the jump with the least spread and load 24 more rounds at +/- .002 and .005. repeat the live fire test."

There's some paraphrasing in there but they know their bullets and the method works. My only warning is for a hunting rifle don't jam bullets into the lands. a bullet stuck in your barrel in the field is a pain on a target shoot. It could mean tag soup in the field.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Chasing the lands is one thing, but you may be limited by your magazine length, so mark that down some where and don’t exceed it.

 

[hereinaz]

Google Scott Satterlee loading, just follow it until you understand it later...

Its what I followed. I tried tweaking it and it wasn't worth it.

 

[BBob]

Does Satterlee even Satterlee anymore???

 

[hereinaz]

Does Satterlee even Satterlee anymore???

Good point! hahahahah

Satterlee does a modified Satterlee, lol. I think his most recent appearance on a podcast on Modern Day Sniper and/or Everyday Sniper covers it. There is an older one that had his changes in Modern Day Sniper.

But, even if you do the old Satterlee 10 shot load development, its still far better than the old school waste of bullets. I still can't figure out why people spend so much time on load development. Maybe it is because I run the most efficient cartridges with the best components that I can in custom barrels I get .5 moa groups right out of the gate.

Of all the old school methods, I did the OCW until I came across what Scott did, which got me there faster. I never messed with the Audette tall target test, but that is another solid choice.

Of the many load development methods, some are specifically designed for specific purpose for specific shooting. I tell people all the time, buy good components and do whatever Satterlee says, and in the end you'll spend less money and won't burn your barrel on load development.

For instance, I only buy and use Berger bullets as a rule. I save hundreds "testing" bullets to see if my rifle likes them. Every rifle has liked Berger bullets for me when I use the Improved Satterlee method. If a box of bullets is 50 bucks, its easy to add up to a hundred dollars testing bullets, plus the powder and primers burned. Also, barrels are like tires, I don't like putting mileage on the test track, I like to run it having fun.

I also use Lapua or USA made Alpha or Peterson brass. It saves me hassle trying to figure out powder loads, because I don't have to deal with internal case capacity issues. I haven't found primers matter much. I have used CCI and CCI BR primers and they are almost indistinguishable developing a load.

 

[wind gypsy]

Maybe my methods aren't perfect enough but I don't see how the satterlee method could have statistically significant results.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

I'm a statistician, so I don't like methods that are a sample size of 1 per load.
I prefer a sample size of 5 per load, and pay attention to first minimizing variation in muzzle velocity.
Once I have a load with consistent single-digit standard deviations (n=5) tested on at least
3 independent days, I work on bullet seating depth.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

Maybe my methods aren't perfect enough but I don't see how the satterlee method could have statistically significant results.

If you go with the saterlee method, try it on three different days...with a sample size of 1, you may get
a different answer on a different day....