So as some of you know I am trying to get my Ruger 7mm Rem mag to shoot 168 gr Bergers. Well, my chamber is 3.48 (off the top of my head) and my mag is 3.35. I loaded up 20 at 3.33 so they will fit in my mag and they didn't shoot too well. I used 4831SC in .5 grain increments. Should I switch to a different bullet? Try a different powder? I know Bergers should be touching the lands, but I really don't want to be limited to a single shot...
Thanks in Advance
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try re22, could be tough though, most rifles shoot vld's best tucked into the lands.
My advise is, work with the bergers single shot and when and if you find they shoot best in the lands, find a competant smith, and ask him about a wyatt mag box, they're made to handle longer AOL's for situations like yours.
RR
Thanks RR, I have some R22, R19, and some IMR 4831 that I was going to try, but didn't want to be wasting my time.
I've looked at the Wyatt mags before, but they don't make one for a tang safety Ruger, the whole action is short. Its kinda weird actually...
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I love Christmas lights. They remind me of the people who voted for Obama. They all hang together; half of them don't work, and the ones that do, aren't that bright.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do
not understand, no explanation is possible.
A golf course is a willful and deliberate misuse of a perfectly good rifle range.
You may find that the VLDs are just to long. Or, you may find another OAL sweet spot much shorter than recommended . Barnes did a little test on OAL. accuracy and pressure. They found that there is usually more than one OAL sweet spot. One rather long and one rather short. http://www.barnesbullets.com/resources/newsletters/bullet-n-archive/september-2007-barnes-bullet-n/
I would start with the longest your mag will allow and work back looking for that second sweet spot. If you can't find it then I would switch bullets or modify the rifle. In that order.
I assume you worked up in 0.5-grain increments?? From what starting load? How many batches at 0.5-grain increments did you fire? What happened? Did the groups tighten up as you increased the powder weight, or did they open up? Or stay the same? Regular H4831 has always given me pretty good accuracy in the 7mm Mag., but I've never tried the SC stuff.
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I assume you worked up in 0.5-grain increments?? From what starting load? How many batches at 0.5-grain increments did you fire? What happened? Did the groups tighten up as you increased the powder weight, or did they open up? Or stay the same? Regular H4831 has always given me pretty good accuracy in the 7mm Mag., but I've never tried the SC stuff.
Yes, 0.5 grain increments from lowest load to highest load (data from Berger). I fired 5 shots in each load. Cleaning and letting cool inbetween. They never really got tight, the best was about 1.5" on three of the shots, then the other 2 would be out another inch or so. The highest load was about a 4" group up in a line. I'm pretty sure it is a OAL issue more then anything else. Once I get some new brass and it quits snowing I'm going to try some other powders and also shoot it single shot with them touching the lands.
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I love Christmas lights. They remind me of the people who voted for Obama. They all hang together; half of them don't work, and the ones that do, aren't that bright.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do
not understand, no explanation is possible.
A golf course is a willful and deliberate misuse of a perfectly good rifle range.
jeep don't be afraid to put them in the lands, some guys get best results as much as .012" into the rifleing, just watch your pressures, may wanna back down a bit when ya start running them long.
another note, your shooting a group within the group so I tend to agree that it is seating depth causing this, keep us posted.
RR
IMO you are trying to beat a dead horse. You did not specify if the bullet's were VLD's, but if they are VLD's then good luck. The only time I have seen VLD's group is in a match chamber and tucked up into the lands. I have read in some Bench Rest forums that the reason they need to be tucked up into the lands(.005-.010) is that neck tension is a real problem with the bullet.
If you really want to make them work then turn your case necks. Measure your chamber, and buy acollet sizing die matched to your chamber. You have to get the neck tension right. And doing all this may not even be possibleif your chamber is too oversized or sloppy. Talk to BigCountry and see if he can help you with the runout, because that is where your true problem is. And from reading his posts he seems to truly understand runout.
I had aGunsmith tellme this one time"If the action is straight and trued, and the barrel is perfectly aligned, and your ammo is straight then seating depth(within reason)is not an issue as long as you have consistent neck tension." I am not sure those were his exact words, but I am close.He is building me a 22-250 right now.
Try the Sierra 175 grain bullet. Is shoots unbelievably in my 7mm Weatherby. I am assuming you are wanting a long range bullet, with a high BC, that will kill things way out there. IMO that 175 Sierra is the berries. And it is not a finicky bullet. Tom.
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What should I do??
. &Mag. Ruger trigger. They are not known for 'benchrest' type accuracy.
