Should I continue testing this powder?
03-13-2017, 06:28 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2016
Location: Martin, TN
Posts: 854
Should I continue testing this powder?
Last week, I finally got my Timney trigger in and installed it in my 270.
Although I ended up setting it to 2.5 pounds, this trigger almost feels like the one on my Encore. Smooth, crisp, with negligible creep, it's far superior to the Vanguard's factory trigger.
Saturday dawned wet, cold, and snowy, so I spent the afternoon reloading almost 150 carefully crafted rounds for my 221, 270, and 460.
For my 270, I wanted to test the new IMR 4955 with 130 grain SST bullets. This is the Enduron powder closest in 4831 in performance, which is a powder I've had recommended to me quite often. I created nine groups of five loads ranging from 56 to 60 grains of powder in 0.5 grain increments. Sunday, I set about testing them.
In short, I was very disappointed. The majority of the groups were at least 3" across, even though I felt as though I did well on most of the shots. My two best groups came from 58.0 and 59.0 grains:
Discounting a flier that was completely my fault, 59 grains made a 1.221" group, while 58 grains made a 1.559" group. In years past I wouldn't mind those groups, but when the same gun is capable of this. . .
. . . 0.738" group at 100 yards with IMR 4350 and 130 grain Interlocks, I just can't accept it.
That said, I was very happy with the velocity data I got. Using 58 grains of IMR 4955, I got an average velocity of 3142 fps with a standard deviation of 14, while 59 gave me an average of 3152 fps and 18 fps s.d. With that kind of consistency, I would expect a bit better accuracy.
I'm wondering if I seated the bullets out too far. My OAL was 3.405", my bullets being about 0.005" to 0.010" off the lands. I don't think my previous loads were seated that far out. Do you think I should make a few more groups of handloads using 59 grains of 4955 with the bullets seated incrementally deeper? Thoughts?
Although I ended up setting it to 2.5 pounds, this trigger almost feels like the one on my Encore. Smooth, crisp, with negligible creep, it's far superior to the Vanguard's factory trigger.
Saturday dawned wet, cold, and snowy, so I spent the afternoon reloading almost 150 carefully crafted rounds for my 221, 270, and 460.
For my 270, I wanted to test the new IMR 4955 with 130 grain SST bullets. This is the Enduron powder closest in 4831 in performance, which is a powder I've had recommended to me quite often. I created nine groups of five loads ranging from 56 to 60 grains of powder in 0.5 grain increments. Sunday, I set about testing them.
In short, I was very disappointed. The majority of the groups were at least 3" across, even though I felt as though I did well on most of the shots. My two best groups came from 58.0 and 59.0 grains:
Discounting a flier that was completely my fault, 59 grains made a 1.221" group, while 58 grains made a 1.559" group. In years past I wouldn't mind those groups, but when the same gun is capable of this. . .
. . . 0.738" group at 100 yards with IMR 4350 and 130 grain Interlocks, I just can't accept it.
That said, I was very happy with the velocity data I got. Using 58 grains of IMR 4955, I got an average velocity of 3142 fps with a standard deviation of 14, while 59 gave me an average of 3152 fps and 18 fps s.d. With that kind of consistency, I would expect a bit better accuracy.
I'm wondering if I seated the bullets out too far. My OAL was 3.405", my bullets being about 0.005" to 0.010" off the lands. I don't think my previous loads were seated that far out. Do you think I should make a few more groups of handloads using 59 grains of 4955 with the bullets seated incrementally deeper? Thoughts?
Last edited by TN Lone Wolf; 03-14-2017 at 10:32 AM. Reason: Typo
03-13-2017, 06:37 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: gilbert az
Posts: 1,168
first on the trigger i don't even shoot a new gun until it has a timmney trigger in it love them plus there local here in arizona which is a plus. as far as the loads you'll have to test some more until you find the sweet spot for that gun. have you ever tried a vibration dampner on your barrel ?
03-14-2017, 01:32 PM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,902
What does a 10 shot group with 4350 look like?
What does a 10 shot group with 4955 look like?
I'm not a believer in the old yarn, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." If I did believe that, I wouldn't be a product developer by trade - most of what I work with aren't broken, and millions of dollars are earned by making them better.
BUT... In this case, if those groups tell the truth, which low shot count groups seldom do, then what you have here is "it didn't need fixed, but you broke it."
Seating depth isn't going to fix those groups to be 3/4MOA --> if you can believe a 3 shot group is a 3/4MOA group.
What does a 10 shot group with 4955 look like?
I'm not a believer in the old yarn, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." If I did believe that, I wouldn't be a product developer by trade - most of what I work with aren't broken, and millions of dollars are earned by making them better.
BUT... In this case, if those groups tell the truth, which low shot count groups seldom do, then what you have here is "it didn't need fixed, but you broke it."
Seating depth isn't going to fix those groups to be 3/4MOA --> if you can believe a 3 shot group is a 3/4MOA group.
03-15-2017, 06:19 AM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: US South
Posts: 444
.....
For my 270, I wanted to test the new IMR 4955 with 130 grain SST bullets. This is the Enduron powder closest in 4831 in performance, which is a powder I've had recommended to me quite often. I created nine groups of five loads ranging from 56 to 60 grains of powder in 0.5 grain increments. Sunday, I set about testing them.
In short, I was very disappointed. The majority of the groups were at least 3" across, even though I felt as though I did well on most of the shots. My two best groups came from 58.0 and 59.0 grains:
.....
That said, I was very happy with the velocity data I got. Using 58 grains of IMR 4955, I got an average velocity of 3142 fps with a standard deviation of 14, while 59 gave me an average of 3152 fps and 18 fps s.d. With that kind of consistency, I would expect a bit better accuracy.
.....
Thoughts?
For my 270, I wanted to test the new IMR 4955 with 130 grain SST bullets. This is the Enduron powder closest in 4831 in performance, which is a powder I've had recommended to me quite often. I created nine groups of five loads ranging from 56 to 60 grains of powder in 0.5 grain increments. Sunday, I set about testing them.
In short, I was very disappointed. The majority of the groups were at least 3" across, even though I felt as though I did well on most of the shots. My two best groups came from 58.0 and 59.0 grains:
.....
That said, I was very happy with the velocity data I got. Using 58 grains of IMR 4955, I got an average velocity of 3142 fps with a standard deviation of 14, while 59 gave me an average of 3152 fps and 18 fps s.d. With that kind of consistency, I would expect a bit better accuracy.
.....
Thoughts?
YES - LW slow down and back-up.
OK - Post us some pics of your 100 yard groups using
that 130 grain SST bullet with your 4831 reload.
Last edited by RaySendero; 03-15-2017 at 06:31 AM.
