Morrey
Member
Last fall I reached out here for loading advice and got great feedback. I was asked by several to give my load development report after hunting season. My load development sequence took me to the range on 3 separate occasions, not all in one day:
My new .30-06 Cooper 24" 1 in 10 barreled rifle guarantees .5 MOA accuracy, and when discussing with Cooper about the load that shot my supplied test target (clearly under .5 MOA), they used 45 grains of IMR 4064 with a 168 Sierra Match bullet. Since I'll hunt with this rifle, I substituted 165 Sierra Gameking (SPBT) bullets knowing there would likely be performance differences.
The 45 grain load of 4064 Cooper gave me only moves at 2500 fps, so naturally my first thought is that this bullet is not going THAT fast. But then I always remember I am hunting in the south where my LONGEST shots are never over 200 yards. Terminal velocity is still adequate at that distance as well as energy and expansion...all still in the acceptable range for whitetails and hogs at 200 yards.
I carefully single stage loaded and hand weighed a wide range of loads all using Sierra Gameking 165's and two IMR powders, 4350 and 4064. I started at the lowest end of the load, and stepped up .5 grains until max. Each load was 5 rounds and I shot 5 round groups...not 3 as Cooper had done with my test target. If a flinch got me, and 4 of the 5 nailed the same hole, I'd potentially call the wild card a flyer, however, that was never the case.
When all was said and done, my Cooper likes velocities right at 2600 fps. This is contrast to many other guns I have seen where near max velocities are most accurate. Cooper's load of 45 grains 4064 was my second best, but I did shift bullets from Matchking to Gameking. I am thinking this accounted for the slight loss of performance. Anyway, at 100 yards, this load came in at .605" which is pretty darn good for a hunting bullet.
The star of the show was 52 grains of 4350 with the 165 Gameking. With a five shot group, it measured .355". Dealing with a slight and variable crossing wind, my group showed the slightest amount of horizontal stringing, but no vertical what so ever. I believe if the wind had been perfectly calm, my 5 shot group would have been in the upper .200's.
It became clear the Cooper balked at loads over 2600 fps...at least with these powders. Each load, at only .5 grain bumps, spread the group out in a real hurry. 2800 fps using 4064 was a whopping 4 inch spread! Frankly I learned a whole bunch from this test and from your advice...faster is NOT always better.
I suppose I'll try the Sierra Matchking 168 just for the heck of it and see what that bullet will do for me. If it worked for Cooper to nail one hole groups in my gun, I'm sure I can replicate a similar scenario. Thanks for the good advice, everyone!
My new .30-06 Cooper 24" 1 in 10 barreled rifle guarantees .5 MOA accuracy, and when discussing with Cooper about the load that shot my supplied test target (clearly under .5 MOA), they used 45 grains of IMR 4064 with a 168 Sierra Match bullet. Since I'll hunt with this rifle, I substituted 165 Sierra Gameking (SPBT) bullets knowing there would likely be performance differences.
The 45 grain load of 4064 Cooper gave me only moves at 2500 fps, so naturally my first thought is that this bullet is not going THAT fast. But then I always remember I am hunting in the south where my LONGEST shots are never over 200 yards. Terminal velocity is still adequate at that distance as well as energy and expansion...all still in the acceptable range for whitetails and hogs at 200 yards.
I carefully single stage loaded and hand weighed a wide range of loads all using Sierra Gameking 165's and two IMR powders, 4350 and 4064. I started at the lowest end of the load, and stepped up .5 grains until max. Each load was 5 rounds and I shot 5 round groups...not 3 as Cooper had done with my test target. If a flinch got me, and 4 of the 5 nailed the same hole, I'd potentially call the wild card a flyer, however, that was never the case.
When all was said and done, my Cooper likes velocities right at 2600 fps. This is contrast to many other guns I have seen where near max velocities are most accurate. Cooper's load of 45 grains 4064 was my second best, but I did shift bullets from Matchking to Gameking. I am thinking this accounted for the slight loss of performance. Anyway, at 100 yards, this load came in at .605" which is pretty darn good for a hunting bullet.
The star of the show was 52 grains of 4350 with the 165 Gameking. With a five shot group, it measured .355". Dealing with a slight and variable crossing wind, my group showed the slightest amount of horizontal stringing, but no vertical what so ever. I believe if the wind had been perfectly calm, my 5 shot group would have been in the upper .200's.
It became clear the Cooper balked at loads over 2600 fps...at least with these powders. Each load, at only .5 grain bumps, spread the group out in a real hurry. 2800 fps using 4064 was a whopping 4 inch spread! Frankly I learned a whole bunch from this test and from your advice...faster is NOT always better.
I suppose I'll try the Sierra Matchking 168 just for the heck of it and see what that bullet will do for me. If it worked for Cooper to nail one hole groups in my gun, I'm sure I can replicate a similar scenario. Thanks for the good advice, everyone!
