My new 6.5 CM barrel arrived today from Northland Shooter’s supply. I paid just a hair over $400 (including new nut, recoil lug, and shipping)
Pipe Particulars:
• 26” Sheilen Select Match
• 1:8 twist
• Varmit contour
• Stainless finish
• Target crown
The gun:
• Savage 12FV originally chambered in .308.
• Boyd’s thumbhole varmit stock
• Harris bipod
• 8-32x50 scope
Components on hand:
• 300 130 grain ELD-M
• 200 130 grain TGK
• 500 Federal 210M large rifle primers
• 200 once-fired Hornady LRP brass trimmed to 1.91
• 2lbs each - Varget, H4350, VV N160
Tools:
• RCBS full-length die set
• Redding neck-sizing die set
• Hornady OAL tool
• Pro Chrono DLX chronograph
Goal: Break in barrel and find accuracy node with each bullet at ideal velocity of 2750-2900.
Plan of attack (all at 100 yards):
• Use Hornady tool to find seating depth to touch lands w/130 grain ELD-M (It is 2.860)
• Load break-in and fouling rounds .020 off with Varget. 10 @ 37.0 grains and 6 each of 5 different charges in .3 grain increments. (40 TTL)
• Shoot 40 break-in rounds (clean after each of 1st ten rounds and after each of ten 3-round groups)
• Use 3 round groups for preliminary load development w/Varget.
• If one of the Varget charges look promising, use that charge for seating depth test
• H4350 OCW test w/130 grain ELD-M (5 rounds each charge in .2 grain increments)
• VV N160 OCW test w/130 grain ELD-M (same number of rounds in same increments)
• Use 130 grain ELD-M results to narrow 130 grain TGK tests with each powder from .4 under to .4 over ELD-M charge in .2 grain increments.
• Use remaining components to load winning combination w/each bullet in fire-formed brass
• Test winning node at 200 yards.
• Try at further distances.
* I already had all but the seating depth rounds put together waiting on the barrel. I left ‘em long so all I would need to do is seat ‘em deeper after measuring w/Hornady tool. I used data from Hodgdon, VV, Hornady, and Sierra.
I will post velocity and accuracy results as I get opportunity to shoot my tests.
In the meantime, I would welcome hearing about others’ experiences with these bullets or powders.
Pipe Particulars:
• 26” Sheilen Select Match
• 1:8 twist
• Varmit contour
• Stainless finish
• Target crown
The gun:
• Savage 12FV originally chambered in .308.
• Boyd’s thumbhole varmit stock
• Harris bipod
• 8-32x50 scope
Components on hand:
• 300 130 grain ELD-M
• 200 130 grain TGK
• 500 Federal 210M large rifle primers
• 200 once-fired Hornady LRP brass trimmed to 1.91
• 2lbs each - Varget, H4350, VV N160
Tools:
• RCBS full-length die set
• Redding neck-sizing die set
• Hornady OAL tool
• Pro Chrono DLX chronograph
Goal: Break in barrel and find accuracy node with each bullet at ideal velocity of 2750-2900.
Plan of attack (all at 100 yards):
• Use Hornady tool to find seating depth to touch lands w/130 grain ELD-M (It is 2.860)
• Load break-in and fouling rounds .020 off with Varget. 10 @ 37.0 grains and 6 each of 5 different charges in .3 grain increments. (40 TTL)
• Shoot 40 break-in rounds (clean after each of 1st ten rounds and after each of ten 3-round groups)
• Use 3 round groups for preliminary load development w/Varget.
• If one of the Varget charges look promising, use that charge for seating depth test
• H4350 OCW test w/130 grain ELD-M (5 rounds each charge in .2 grain increments)
• VV N160 OCW test w/130 grain ELD-M (same number of rounds in same increments)
• Use 130 grain ELD-M results to narrow 130 grain TGK tests with each powder from .4 under to .4 over ELD-M charge in .2 grain increments.
• Use remaining components to load winning combination w/each bullet in fire-formed brass
• Test winning node at 200 yards.
• Try at further distances.
* I already had all but the seating depth rounds put together waiting on the barrel. I left ‘em long so all I would need to do is seat ‘em deeper after measuring w/Hornady tool. I used data from Hodgdon, VV, Hornady, and Sierra.
I will post velocity and accuracy results as I get opportunity to shoot my tests.
In the meantime, I would welcome hearing about others’ experiences with these bullets or powders.
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