ORIGINAL: Solitary Man
Nice shooting eldequello. And you're getting 2650 with 200 grain bullets? Heck I'm only getting that or a little more with 150 gr. bullets in mine (29" barrel also), though I'm not trying to push the envelope with my loads. Course the rough bore might have something to do with that too, it has a lot in common with sandpaper. Even so, it shoots pretty well. Here's a picture of a 50 yard group with the Hornadys:
Notice that I aimed at the bottom point of the diamond. It shoots 5" high at 50 yards! I have to remember to compensate for that when I'm hunting with it.
Well, that's a nice group also that you have there. You have to keep in mind that my rifle is a Model 1909. When I got my rifle, the stock wood showed evidence of rough handling, but the metal parts appeared new, including the bore. No evidence of having ever been fired.
I worked up that 200-grain load using IMR 4350 powder and .308", rather than .311" or .314", bullets. I ran out of space for more powder in the cases with those 200-grain bullets and never encountered anysigns of excessive pressures with that load,
although it may be excessive in many rifles. I've heard that some of the M1909's have soft receivers and that the bolt can set back the locking surfaces in the receiver with slightly high pressures, resulting in excessive headspace. Mine has NOT done that, even with 52.5 grains of IMR 4350 behind those 200-grain bullets. You may have noted that two of those three shots had identical instrumental velocity readings at 10' from the muzzle (2691 FPS).