andrew678122
.270 WIN
I went to the range on Tuesday to try my reloads. Things didn't go as planned.
My reloads consist of 30.2 gr of IMR-4895 behind 160 gr Hornady FTX LeveRevolution bullet and Winchester primers. I checked the length and trimmed any oversize cases, did a neck resize only, chamfered the neck and seated all bullets to the same COAL, then I lightly crimped the cartridges. They looked great.
At the range I was shooting at 50 yards. With my reloads the best I could do was a ~3" group, but most groups were 4-5" or more.
I had brought a box of Remington Core-Lokt 150 gr along so I tried them and I was able to shoot much smaller 50 yard groups, down to under an inch. Therefore, I have to say it's not me or the rifle.
I've tried to figure out what's wrong but I'm not sure I'm not just getting hung up on the details. My .30-30 has a 1 in 10 twist (source Mossberg document), I measured 1 in 10.5 using a tight wad. I'd been going through the ABC's of Reloading and came upon the Greenhill formula. If I work it through it tells me I need a bullet 1.35 inches long (or 1.28 inches at 10.5 twist rate) since the twist rate on the barrell is so short. If I go by the Greenhill formula anything under 180 gr is not going to work since it's not long enough.
I was wanting to try to make some cheap plinking/range use rounds, but the small bullets I was looking at are way out according to the twist rate and the Greenhill formula.
Am I going to have to try and go by the Greenhill formula? Or is it worth trying other bullets and loads?
Any advice for someone stumbling through the minefield?
My reloads consist of 30.2 gr of IMR-4895 behind 160 gr Hornady FTX LeveRevolution bullet and Winchester primers. I checked the length and trimmed any oversize cases, did a neck resize only, chamfered the neck and seated all bullets to the same COAL, then I lightly crimped the cartridges. They looked great.
At the range I was shooting at 50 yards. With my reloads the best I could do was a ~3" group, but most groups were 4-5" or more.
I had brought a box of Remington Core-Lokt 150 gr along so I tried them and I was able to shoot much smaller 50 yard groups, down to under an inch. Therefore, I have to say it's not me or the rifle.
I've tried to figure out what's wrong but I'm not sure I'm not just getting hung up on the details. My .30-30 has a 1 in 10 twist (source Mossberg document), I measured 1 in 10.5 using a tight wad. I'd been going through the ABC's of Reloading and came upon the Greenhill formula. If I work it through it tells me I need a bullet 1.35 inches long (or 1.28 inches at 10.5 twist rate) since the twist rate on the barrell is so short. If I go by the Greenhill formula anything under 180 gr is not going to work since it's not long enough.
I was wanting to try to make some cheap plinking/range use rounds, but the small bullets I was looking at are way out according to the twist rate and the Greenhill formula.
Am I going to have to try and go by the Greenhill formula? Or is it worth trying other bullets and loads?
Any advice for someone stumbling through the minefield?