westernrover
Member
- Joined
- May 4, 2018
- Messages
- 1,613
I'm getting back to this project to load for a Mini-14.
I've accumulated four powders, H-335, Benchmark, X-Terminator, and StaBALL Match.
I'm focused on 55 grain bullets. For these tests I'm using Hornady 55 grain SP w/cannelure.
I used LC brass that I bought new and had fired one time in this rifle. I carefully bumped the shoulder one thou with a Redding Type-S full-length die and resized the neck using a SAC bushing and pulling the Redding carbide button back through. I trimmed the cases using a LE Wilson trimmer and deburred and chamfered the mouths. I primed them with Winchester #41.
I loaded up ladders, trickling on my Redding No. 2. This beam has great sensitivity. If it says 25.0 grains, I can't be sure exactly how many grains it really is, but if I weigh two charges that indicate the same mass, I know they're super close. I measured these charges meticulously.
I mounted a 5X Leupold (normally this rifle has only a Tech Sight and mini-reflex). I decided to shoot at 50 yards so I could see the target better than I could have at 100 yards.
I wanted to shoot 2-shot ladders because I could not have much confidence in identifying a velocity node from 1-shot ladders.
Here are the results displayed graphically.
I don't see any nodes. Maybe it's not surprising because it's a Mini-14 and not a free-float barrel. I don't know all the reasons, but I'm doubtful of any further effort to look for a node.
Although I've been given the impression that finding velocity nodes is significant part of load development and I wanted to practice this, I think the data is useless in this case. Something that I learned that is meaningful is to keep track of my chronograph measurements. You can see that for H335 and Benchmark, the chronograph missed a data point. The problem is I don't know which one because I wasn't keeping track. I had a lot going on for these tests, but I learned something that will help me ensure the data I collect in future tests (starting with the ones for X-Terminator and StaBALL Match) is better.
Despite not having perfect data or seeing nodes, I did see some things with respect to velocity that will inform my decision on which powder to work with going forward.
X-Terminator
X-Terminator did not deliver the velocity I expected. In fact, I had loaded cartridges with 25.2 grains (higher than the chart goes). I shot one and the chronograph displayed "Err." The other one I retained, pulled the bullet and measured. I wanted to confirm I hadn't under-loaded them. I confirmed it was 25.0 grains. I'm not concerned about the 0.2 grain difference. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't 2 grains light. I had high hopes for this powder, but unless I decide to load charge masses even farther above published maximums, the velocity is too low.
H-335
This is a powder I had on-hand. I also noted that the WWB LC M193 I shot is loaded with something similar, although I weighed those charges at 28.3 grains. Those LC M193 were delivering over 2900 fps out of the 16" Mini-14. With the loads I made, the charge masses were lower (per Hodgdon data) and velocities were about 100 fps lower also. Again, I could probably load over the 223 Rem. data, but I have a better option.
StaBALL Match
I had hoped this would work out the best, but was well aware that it was likely too slow burn rate for 55 grain bullets. The 27.5 grain loads were filling the LC cases up into the neck. I'm not really satisfied with all the loads under 2850 fps, so that slightly compressed load at 27.5 is the only one I would explore further. It would only work in LC brass because pretty much any other headstamp is going to be overflowed by it. More likely, I will keep the pound of SBMatch for 6.5 Grendel.
Benchmark
The velocity was good regardless of what charge mass I used. While the ES was highest for 25.2 grains, that was also the tightest group. I can't think of how to pick a charge mass, but either I'll shoot a ladder again or just pick one and shoot some 5-shot groups.
I've accumulated four powders, H-335, Benchmark, X-Terminator, and StaBALL Match.
I'm focused on 55 grain bullets. For these tests I'm using Hornady 55 grain SP w/cannelure.
I used LC brass that I bought new and had fired one time in this rifle. I carefully bumped the shoulder one thou with a Redding Type-S full-length die and resized the neck using a SAC bushing and pulling the Redding carbide button back through. I trimmed the cases using a LE Wilson trimmer and deburred and chamfered the mouths. I primed them with Winchester #41.
I loaded up ladders, trickling on my Redding No. 2. This beam has great sensitivity. If it says 25.0 grains, I can't be sure exactly how many grains it really is, but if I weigh two charges that indicate the same mass, I know they're super close. I measured these charges meticulously.
I mounted a 5X Leupold (normally this rifle has only a Tech Sight and mini-reflex). I decided to shoot at 50 yards so I could see the target better than I could have at 100 yards.
I wanted to shoot 2-shot ladders because I could not have much confidence in identifying a velocity node from 1-shot ladders.
Here are the results displayed graphically.
I don't see any nodes. Maybe it's not surprising because it's a Mini-14 and not a free-float barrel. I don't know all the reasons, but I'm doubtful of any further effort to look for a node.
Although I've been given the impression that finding velocity nodes is significant part of load development and I wanted to practice this, I think the data is useless in this case. Something that I learned that is meaningful is to keep track of my chronograph measurements. You can see that for H335 and Benchmark, the chronograph missed a data point. The problem is I don't know which one because I wasn't keeping track. I had a lot going on for these tests, but I learned something that will help me ensure the data I collect in future tests (starting with the ones for X-Terminator and StaBALL Match) is better.
Despite not having perfect data or seeing nodes, I did see some things with respect to velocity that will inform my decision on which powder to work with going forward.
X-Terminator
X-Terminator did not deliver the velocity I expected. In fact, I had loaded cartridges with 25.2 grains (higher than the chart goes). I shot one and the chronograph displayed "Err." The other one I retained, pulled the bullet and measured. I wanted to confirm I hadn't under-loaded them. I confirmed it was 25.0 grains. I'm not concerned about the 0.2 grain difference. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't 2 grains light. I had high hopes for this powder, but unless I decide to load charge masses even farther above published maximums, the velocity is too low.
H-335
This is a powder I had on-hand. I also noted that the WWB LC M193 I shot is loaded with something similar, although I weighed those charges at 28.3 grains. Those LC M193 were delivering over 2900 fps out of the 16" Mini-14. With the loads I made, the charge masses were lower (per Hodgdon data) and velocities were about 100 fps lower also. Again, I could probably load over the 223 Rem. data, but I have a better option.
StaBALL Match
I had hoped this would work out the best, but was well aware that it was likely too slow burn rate for 55 grain bullets. The 27.5 grain loads were filling the LC cases up into the neck. I'm not really satisfied with all the loads under 2850 fps, so that slightly compressed load at 27.5 is the only one I would explore further. It would only work in LC brass because pretty much any other headstamp is going to be overflowed by it. More likely, I will keep the pound of SBMatch for 6.5 Grendel.
Benchmark
The velocity was good regardless of what charge mass I used. While the ES was highest for 25.2 grains, that was also the tightest group. I can't think of how to pick a charge mass, but either I'll shoot a ladder again or just pick one and shoot some 5-shot groups.
