Made a 30-06 load, now what?

[edfardos]

I don't know much about rifle cartridges, but I managed to make a 48Grain Varget 30-06 load with a 150grain Hornady Spire point. Some days they group within an inch (especially when i shoot downhill?), and others the spread is closer to four inches -- even when shooting cartridges from the same lot. I've been neck-sizing-only lately, with no appreciable difference in accuracy.

Are there other mysterious factors at play here? Should I be doing more experimentation? I also tried some Hornady FMJ/boat-tails, which were less accurate, if anything (but then, it might have been one of those bad days).

curiously,
edfardos

 

[Yosemite Sam]

I've never loaded for the .30-06, so can't speak to the choice of bullet or powder, but there of course are a lot of other factors.

Does the rifle shoot any other bullet weight more consistently? What kind of gun is it? Some guns just don't shoot all that well, and 4 MOA might be the standard, with the 1" groups more lucky than repeatable.

I have a gun that will regularly shoot 1.5" groups, but once in a while I get a group of three or five in one large hole. Luck, skill, the load, the gun? Does it matter if I can't do it every time I sit down at the bench?

Also, unless you're shooting some sort of high-zoot barrel (custom, or at least something special from the factory), I've found more issues with POI changing as the barrel heats than any other single factor. They warp and twist as they heat, and sometimes you can see the shots crawl across the target as it happens.

This is one reason there are so many "cold shot" shooting contests. Especially in a hunting rifle, it's more important where that first shot goes, that the 5th or 6th in a nicely warmed up barrel.

And of course if you really expect to get sub 1" groups regularly, you need a nice trigger, a good rest, and to really experiment with the load: Different bullet weights, seating depths, measuring the chamber, etc. Then sort the bullets by weight, brass by headstamp, etc, etc... ;)

Here's my favorite book on the subject: The Ultimate in Rifle Accuracy by Glenn Newick. It'll teach you how to spend all sorts of money! :D

-- Sam

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Not sure where to start... there are untold numbers of possible causes for concern. But it certainly sounds like some experimentation's definitely in your future.

I've never loaded Varget, but have stuffed a fair number of '06 cases w/ Hornady 150 gr SPs (Interlocks) over a starting load of Reloder 15. It's "just supposed to be" a hunting load, and works as such: they'll generally turn in 2" groups for ME at 100 yds if I'm not overly caffeinated. Since I shake, flinch, hop and jump whenever I'm behind a rifle trigger, I'm sure the load's probably much, much better than THIS shooter.

Sometimes you'll find a rifle that simply doesn't like a particular combo, too. My brother in law's M-77 '06 is one that really demonstrates that idea. It'll turn in 1" groups all day w/ one load, while he can't hold 3" w/ another!

So... maybe a powder change is a first step?

Another thing to explore is whether or not to crimp, and whether more or less crimp is beneficial if you do. There's a LOT of discussion and disparity of opinion on that subject. I use the Lee FCD (factory crimp die) and a "medium" (similar to what you'll see on factory ammo) for all my rifle cartridges. I believe it's helped tighten things up a bit, both over the chrono and on paper. Some folks use zero crimp and report good to great results. None of us are 100% right or wrong on this subject: more of the old "in MY gun" thing going on there, you know? So you've gotta make your own decision there!

Good luck!

Rick C

 

[slowrider]

Before making a lot of changes you might try shooting several different brands and varieties of factory ammo and see what king of groups you get. If it still doesn't shoot well the problem might be the gun, scope or you.

 

[Flash]

Check your case length. a case that's too long will grip the bullet tighter when the bolt closes and raise pressure, changing the impact point

 

[pvtschultz]

I've had better luck with Varget at about 0.5 grain under max. My rifle has never shot a 4" group off a bench with any load that I've tried, but I did go from ~2" groups down to 0.7" groups as I increased the charge weight. Make sure that you are eliminating the other variables by shooting off of bags with negligible wind to see if the load is consistent. Shooting off-hand or off a tree branch isn't a very good way to check for accuracy IMO.

I trim before every loading for even crimp.

 

[edfardos]

Thanks for all the details - I really appreciate it. Having read all your informative replies, the additional info on my end is:

Remington 700 in 30'06, purchased new this year
Hornady Spire Point 150Grain (also have fmj/boat-tails)
No crimp
48 Grains of Varget (51Grains is listed max)
Winchester LR primers
Cartridge OAL is what's recommended by the Hornady manual
Shooting prone from bipod
New bushnell scope on leupold QRW rings

The two things that come to my newbie mind are the reduced load and how I operate the rifle. I've noticed the rifle likes to jump up since i'm not holding it down (my non-trigger hand goes under the butt and grasps my bicep). Should i be holding down the rifle? I'll also look into increasing the load, since my current load has a good safety margin and is easy on the brass. On the "bad days" the shots don't "string" like you'd expect with a hot barrel, I also try to let the barrel cool. It sure does seem like a day-to-day thing, or possibly a location-by location thing, shooting downhill seems more accurate for some reason, which got me thinking about holding down the rifle.



thanks!
-edfardos

 

[DGW1949]

Not nearly enough information there for anyone to help you much.
That said though, here's a few general guidlines;
Accuracy is tied to the "3-B's", meaning barell, bullets and bedding. Assuming that your sighting system is firmly attached, and assuming that you can shoot....You'll find that your problem can be found within SOME aspect of them three....or some combination of them three.
Some rifles are naturaly more accurate than some others due to their design.
Some powders work better than others in a given gun design or caliber.
Some bullet weights/designs work better in some barrel designs than others, even when used in a given caliber.
Primers matter. There's a reason Match Primers are called match primers. On the other side of that coin, one can encounter an inconsist batch of primers ever now and then....no matter what brand or type they may be.

I don't consider myself an expert but just going from my experience, a rifle that plain aint accurate, aint never accurate....and it surely aint going to shoot 1-MOA one day and 4-MOA the next. When something like that is going on with a bolt-gun, the first place I'd look would be at it's bedding and action screws. On the other hand, if we're talking an M1 Garand here, I'd say that you need to tighten your gas nut, or check for gas cylinder for spline-wear, or that the lugs on the trigger gaurd is wore.

The point here is that we don't know what kind of rifle you got, nor the condition it's in, so's all we can do is throw guesses at your problem.

DGW

 

[Flash]

Whatever you do, make sure you're consistent in how you rest your rifle, how you squeeze the trigger and how you reload.
Some rifles that suffer from bedding issues will shoot differently resting on the floor plate as opposed to resting on the forend.
A Winchester case is different than a Federal and a Remington Peters so use the same brass for your reloads.
If you feel like your flinching, try squeezing the trigger by using a thumb on the back of the trigger guard and an index finger on the trigger and gently pinch it. For this, you need a scope with a long eye relief on an 06'.
It sounds like a bedding problem since it shoots downhill better than flat. With the gun aimed downhill, more force is on the forend than would be if the gun were laying flat. See if you can slide a piece of paper down between the barrel and stock all the way to the chamber end. Check the tension of the screw directly behind the recoil lug to make sure it's good and snug but don't over tighten the trigger guard screws. You might need a little more tension on the forend tip if it shoots better downhill than flat. I have used match pack paper to increase the forend tension but that's not a permanent fix since the paper compresses over time and offers less tension.

 

[Pal Val]

Another factor is the seating depth. If the bullets are seated deep, they will have a long jump before they hit the rifling. This can take away from the accuracy. If the bullets are seated too high, they can raise the pressure. Inconsistent seating depth will cause bullets to fly to different points of impact.

150 grains is on the light side for a 30-06. Your rifle may do better with a heavier bullet. It depends a lot on the rifling twist rate. A bullet light for the caliber driven too slow may not be stabilized enough to fly true.

Also, you're shooting prone. Shooting downhill, you will be putting a lot more downwards force on the gun, as your weight shifts, and you may not have noticed it. I agree with the others that the bedding may be involved. Have you tried shooting from a bench?

 

[pvtschultz]

And, you've got a young barrel. My Handi-Rifle (I know) didn't start shooting real well until 100-200 rounds were down range. It has since settled in. I would load near max (or find a powder that is compressed at max so your reduced loads still fill the case) or switch to H4895 which can readily be reduced. You may also have ignition issues if there is too much air space in the cartridge.

I do not hold my rifle down when shooting off of the bipods. Mine's a 308 and weighs 13 lbs though so jumping around isn't a huge issue for me.

I'd personally check to make sure that the scope is securely held in place. And I'll agree with the others, bedding may be needed. I'd buy some really cheap surplus ammo and shoot the barrel in myself.

 

[edfardos]

Once again, you guys are awesome! I also have a feeling the accuracy variance is directly proportional to my caffein levels, so I'll try the thumb/index shots, maybe put the butt on some sandbags too. I've only put 90 shots through the new barrel, and i have 70 rounds in the ammo box, so maybe after those, it'll straighten out.

The scope is a new variable, which I installed myself using the fattest (and by extension) most expensive rings available (leupolds with the four ring screws on each ring) and torqued them down to spec. Having said that, how do you know if your scope is moving? I put some masking tape on the scope, and then used calipers between the tape and a ring, and there was no change after a few shots (scope didn't slide in the rings). The scope is a Bushnell Elite 3200, which seemed to have good reviews, it replaced the "made in china" scope Remmington pre-installs on their rifles now.

I absolutely love shooting the rifle, and I'd like to make it as accurate as possible. I'm not a hunter, so it's strictly target shooting with friends. The only time I'd need the rifle in a pinch is if a Mountain Lion tried to get my horses, but then i have a Ruger P94 for that as well.

thanks!
-edfardos

 

[Pal Val]

I think you've pretty much done your homework. Put some more rounds through that barrel and watch it "settle down". There's a good chance the tight group you got at first will come back.

 

[Mobuck]

At 30/06 recoil level, you need to pay attention to rifle movement and how you counter recoil. Letting the rifle jump inconsistently will open groups.

 

[Tommy Kelly]

I own several 30-06 rifles and with reloads all will shoot around 1/2" groups at 100 yds consistently. I would lean twords a shooter error or gun problem than ammo problem here. How's your trigger on the rifle. I would start by taking the rifle apart and adjusting the trigger down lighter then check scope mounting screws and all plus stock mounting screws and make sure all is tight and secure. I have seen stock screws loose and this will cause problems also mounting scope screws loose this will also cause big groups. A hard trigger will cause opening of groups also. A bad scope will shift around and also cause bad groups. Your problem could be any of the above. Taking it down and going through these will eliminate the doubt and get you better results I believe.