loboman7x57

i loaded up a bunch of sciroccos with reloader 22. i have heard some have had trouble getting them to group well and lots of fouling. mine grouped ok and fouling was no worse than i have had with nosler partitions.

i had 6 each at 72,73,74,75,and 76 grains. 76.6 i think is max according to swift. shot them today and my best groups came with 76 grains. .9 inches at 100 yards with an average velocity of 3218 fps. cleaned the rifle with barnes cr-10 and hoppes #9 between groups.

i loaded all the ones shot today .020 of the rifling. oal was 3.527. a bit long but they fit in my magazine.


my 1st question is, should i play with the powder wieght or the oal of my loads. how much differance have any of you found with changing the oal? more or less than half a grain of powder will make?

2nd question, my velocities in this rifle are always a bit higher than book numbers. are some rifles just faster than others? i don't think its my chrono cause i have other guns that are slower than book.

rifle is a howa 1500, free floated and bedded wearing a 3-9x40 burris fullfield 2.

thanks,
brian

Vapodog

If you're getting the "big gun" to shoot 1" or better you can play all you want for better groups but the better groups will do nothing for you in the field.....Personally I'd be one happy guy right where you're at now.

I'm always concerned when I reach velocities over book or over factory. Look for other signs of pressure such as flat primers, volcanoed primers, sticky extraction, but the one thing I use the most is to carefully "mike" the cartridge base just ahead of the extractor groove to check for expansion.

If you have none of these pressure signs I'd take the additional velocity and go home smiling.

handloader1

If you are a perfectionist, strive for smaller groups, but your .90" groups will do a fine job for your hunt. Good luck.