Post by drhenley on Mar 24, 2018 10:55:30 GMT -5
OK, so I have this Ruger #1 in 25-06, and through no fault of the gun it has been sitting in the safe for probably over ten years.
PREVIOUSLY, it held .75 MOA day in and and day out. But when I decided to upgrade to Accubonds from GameKings a few years ago, I started getting flattened primers every once in a while, and shelved the gun.
The load was 120 grain HPBT GameKings over 60 grains of Retumbo with CCI #250 magnum rifle primers.
At first I decided to revert back to that load, but lo and behold it started having flattened primers too (never had before)
So I finally decided to start development all over again with a different powder with the Accubonds - H4831SC, which uses a much lighter charge.
First day out - As I increased the charge up to max, the groups shrank until it shot a 1/2" group at max.
So far so good...
Except that the velocity wasn't ANYWHERE near where the Nosler manual said it should be. We're talking 250 fps too slow.
Hodgdon's data showed a 1 grain higher max load, so I loaded up a new batch starting at Nosler's max load, working up to Hodgdon's max load.
First two shots (with the Nosler max load that shot 1/2 MOA previously) were 3/4" apart, not bad starting with a cold clean barrel, BUT, the first shot was 3236 fps, and the second shot was 2980 fps.
HUH?
Third shot 2912 fps and a good 3" below the first two.
Fourth shot 2966 fps and 5" below the first two.
So we went from a 1/2" group one day to a 5" group another day with the same load. Starting to get a sinking feeling in my gut...This gun must be REALLY PISSED at me for leaving it in the safe so many years!!!
Next charge velocities were 2916, 2950, 2960, and 3006. First three in a 1" group, fourth shot 2" high left of the first three. (could have pulled it)
I'm getting so frustrated now, I only shot two shots at the next charge. 3071 fps and 3007 fps, 7/8" apart.
At this point I pulled off the forend and checked the bedding (it has pressure at the front of the forend) and couldn't find any issues there...other than the fact that there is contact at the front of the forend, but it's always been like that.
This was SUPPOSED to be my long range rifle, but with a 5" group out of a cold clean barrel, no way in hell I'd shoot long range with it.
I'm thinking about getting a Hick's Accurizer, which is supposed to fix the shifting POI for the Number 1. I'm just stumped as to why it suddenly starting doing this.
Oh and lastly...
I decided to shoot some of my Retumbo loads to see what they were doing- 4 1/2" horizontal stringing!
And some flattened primers, and one case that got stuck and had obvious incipient head separation. The first time I tried to shoot that one, it misfired, BTW. But the velocity wasn't unusual on the rounds with the flattened primers.
Then I FINALLY figured out what the flattened primers and misfire were all about - SOMEHOW I had sized some of the cases down too much and they had excessive headspace.
So now I'm thinking I'm going to go back to the Retumbo load, but fix the forend problems somehow. Or if this thing continues to exact revenge on me , I may just throw up my hands and sell the damned thing...
PREVIOUSLY, it held .75 MOA day in and and day out. But when I decided to upgrade to Accubonds from GameKings a few years ago, I started getting flattened primers every once in a while, and shelved the gun.
The load was 120 grain HPBT GameKings over 60 grains of Retumbo with CCI #250 magnum rifle primers.
At first I decided to revert back to that load, but lo and behold it started having flattened primers too (never had before)
So I finally decided to start development all over again with a different powder with the Accubonds - H4831SC, which uses a much lighter charge.
First day out - As I increased the charge up to max, the groups shrank until it shot a 1/2" group at max.
So far so good...
Except that the velocity wasn't ANYWHERE near where the Nosler manual said it should be. We're talking 250 fps too slow.
Hodgdon's data showed a 1 grain higher max load, so I loaded up a new batch starting at Nosler's max load, working up to Hodgdon's max load.
First two shots (with the Nosler max load that shot 1/2 MOA previously) were 3/4" apart, not bad starting with a cold clean barrel, BUT, the first shot was 3236 fps, and the second shot was 2980 fps.
HUH?
Third shot 2912 fps and a good 3" below the first two.
Fourth shot 2966 fps and 5" below the first two.
So we went from a 1/2" group one day to a 5" group another day with the same load. Starting to get a sinking feeling in my gut...This gun must be REALLY PISSED at me for leaving it in the safe so many years!!!
Next charge velocities were 2916, 2950, 2960, and 3006. First three in a 1" group, fourth shot 2" high left of the first three. (could have pulled it)
I'm getting so frustrated now, I only shot two shots at the next charge. 3071 fps and 3007 fps, 7/8" apart.
At this point I pulled off the forend and checked the bedding (it has pressure at the front of the forend) and couldn't find any issues there...other than the fact that there is contact at the front of the forend, but it's always been like that.
This was SUPPOSED to be my long range rifle, but with a 5" group out of a cold clean barrel, no way in hell I'd shoot long range with it.
I'm thinking about getting a Hick's Accurizer, which is supposed to fix the shifting POI for the Number 1. I'm just stumped as to why it suddenly starting doing this.
Oh and lastly...
I decided to shoot some of my Retumbo loads to see what they were doing- 4 1/2" horizontal stringing!
And some flattened primers, and one case that got stuck and had obvious incipient head separation. The first time I tried to shoot that one, it misfired, BTW. But the velocity wasn't unusual on the rounds with the flattened primers.
Then I FINALLY figured out what the flattened primers and misfire were all about - SOMEHOW I had sized some of the cases down too much and they had excessive headspace.
So now I'm thinking I'm going to go back to the Retumbo load, but fix the forend problems somehow. Or if this thing continues to exact revenge on me , I may just throw up my hands and sell the damned thing...