caorach
Well-Known Member
You probably need to read the first two installments before this one as this is a continuation of the group that started in this thread:
Opinions on these groups
and grew somewhat in this thread:
The multi-load group gets bigger...
The premise I sort of started with was that most stalkers can reliably and consistently shoot a 3 inch group and that a well engineered rifle will shoot any ammo you put into it much better than the stalker can, in fact a well engineered rifle will even shoot a random mixture of loads and bullets better than the stalker can. I also think that many people are put off reloading by all the, largely unsupported, stuff they are told they have to do to make accurate ammo. I don't believe, based on the experiments I detail in this thread, that they have to do the vast majority of these things. So, if you are new to reloading then read this thread before you go any further.
After shooting the groups detailed in the above threads I acquired some 150 grain 308 bullets. I don't know what the bullet is, or who makes it, or anything at all about it other than that observation indicates it has a boat tail which, I'm assured, means it can be difficult to get it to shoot accurately.
I loaded these bullets on top of a load that I use for 150 grain bullets. I loaded 5 bullets with absolutely no working up or experimenting.
To add to the fun I also loaded them all at random different lengths. I started my seating die such that the bullet was loaded to about the limit of my magazine and each time I seated a bullet I screwed the die in by a random amount. The load I was using was down towards book minimum so I had no concerns that I might increase pressure beyond a safe level plus, obviously, I applied common sense.
Today I nipped out and shot the 5 "mystery bullet and mystery lengths" at my target, as you can see there was one disaster which was certainly my fault as it was starting to rain and it was the last round and I was keen to jump up and run to shelter so the concentration was gone just like happens if the deer is about to run and you have to take a fast shot. It must be said that all 5 of the mystery bullet rounds appear to have hit the target within my nominal 3 inch group, which is what I can be confident of shooting in the field, and I'd go so far as to say that they are within about an inch of my expected point of impact:
So, once more a total mystery bullet at totally random lengths appears to support my position that the shooter is the weak link and that much of the measuring and fiddling about which some insist you must do to reload accurate ammo is unnecessary for the stalker with a well engineered rifle designed to shoot a bullet where it is pointed. You might argue that my "flier" is actually down to the reloading, rather than the fault of the shooter, but if that is the case it is difficult to explain why 4 of the mystery bullet rounds are within the group plus at the time I knew I had a flier.
For a bit of further fun I fired 4 more rounds into the target to make it up to a nice round 20. The 4 rounds represented 2 completely different loads and bullets:
Now again this has grown the group slightly but these 4 were shot off sticks plus it was very windy indeed, the Met Office report that there was a 15mph wind with 38mph gusts at the nearest weather station (about half a mile from where I was shooting) so potentially I had about 4 inches of wind drift today. I didn't allow for wind but aimed dead on with each shot.
I'm trying to think of anything else I can do to further add "unconstrained variables" to the mix but at the minute having shot 8 different loads, 7 different bullets including a mystery bullet stuffed on top of a random 150 grain load, 5 loaded at random lengths and 4 off sticks I can't think of anything else. Answers on a postcard...
Opinions on these groups
and grew somewhat in this thread:
The multi-load group gets bigger...
The premise I sort of started with was that most stalkers can reliably and consistently shoot a 3 inch group and that a well engineered rifle will shoot any ammo you put into it much better than the stalker can, in fact a well engineered rifle will even shoot a random mixture of loads and bullets better than the stalker can. I also think that many people are put off reloading by all the, largely unsupported, stuff they are told they have to do to make accurate ammo. I don't believe, based on the experiments I detail in this thread, that they have to do the vast majority of these things. So, if you are new to reloading then read this thread before you go any further.
After shooting the groups detailed in the above threads I acquired some 150 grain 308 bullets. I don't know what the bullet is, or who makes it, or anything at all about it other than that observation indicates it has a boat tail which, I'm assured, means it can be difficult to get it to shoot accurately.
I loaded these bullets on top of a load that I use for 150 grain bullets. I loaded 5 bullets with absolutely no working up or experimenting.
To add to the fun I also loaded them all at random different lengths. I started my seating die such that the bullet was loaded to about the limit of my magazine and each time I seated a bullet I screwed the die in by a random amount. The load I was using was down towards book minimum so I had no concerns that I might increase pressure beyond a safe level plus, obviously, I applied common sense.
Today I nipped out and shot the 5 "mystery bullet and mystery lengths" at my target, as you can see there was one disaster which was certainly my fault as it was starting to rain and it was the last round and I was keen to jump up and run to shelter so the concentration was gone just like happens if the deer is about to run and you have to take a fast shot. It must be said that all 5 of the mystery bullet rounds appear to have hit the target within my nominal 3 inch group, which is what I can be confident of shooting in the field, and I'd go so far as to say that they are within about an inch of my expected point of impact:
So, once more a total mystery bullet at totally random lengths appears to support my position that the shooter is the weak link and that much of the measuring and fiddling about which some insist you must do to reload accurate ammo is unnecessary for the stalker with a well engineered rifle designed to shoot a bullet where it is pointed. You might argue that my "flier" is actually down to the reloading, rather than the fault of the shooter, but if that is the case it is difficult to explain why 4 of the mystery bullet rounds are within the group plus at the time I knew I had a flier.
For a bit of further fun I fired 4 more rounds into the target to make it up to a nice round 20. The 4 rounds represented 2 completely different loads and bullets:
Now again this has grown the group slightly but these 4 were shot off sticks plus it was very windy indeed, the Met Office report that there was a 15mph wind with 38mph gusts at the nearest weather station (about half a mile from where I was shooting) so potentially I had about 4 inches of wind drift today. I didn't allow for wind but aimed dead on with each shot.
I'm trying to think of anything else I can do to further add "unconstrained variables" to the mix but at the minute having shot 8 different loads, 7 different bullets including a mystery bullet stuffed on top of a random 150 grain load, 5 loaded at random lengths and 4 off sticks I can't think of anything else. Answers on a postcard...