Thread: .243 load development part deux

Those photos....did you thread Granddad's boer war Enfield??? That's one of the sootiest crappiest muzzle photos I've ever seen,and I sometimes shoot black smelly powder.

These are extremely affordable, half the price. Should stabilise well in a 1:10 - SG of about 1.45 at 2900. 59 cents a bullet!

https://www.deltamike.co.nz/product/...-btsp-100-box/

Originally Posted by Zedrex

Right handed, Bipod on bench with legs against front upstand, stock on rear bag, no jumping around, bipod position was consistent, why use a front bag? I shoot off either the bipod or offhand so to my mind I should be recreating my hunting variables to test the load as those variables will be present when I'm using the rifle as it was intended.....but I'm all ears!

Regardless of whether or not the bipod is contributing to the outliers, the idea with load testing is to eliminate as much as possible all other variables and not deliberately maintain any from a hunting scenario.
Then you can have confidence as to whether the spread is due to the load or something else.

When you check your zero there is some validity in that thinking, but introducing hunting variables to load testing is a pathway to unreliable conclusions.


Why use a front bag?, Bipod resting on a hard surface can throw lateral flyers, most commonly to the left for right handed shooters if the rifle torques during recoil. A front bag would help to isolate this as a variable so you can eliminate whether or not it is a factor. Once you quantify that, you can draw more reliable conclusions about your load data.

After you have found load data that you are happy with, zero the rifle with as much hunting variables recreated as you like.

At very least put bipod legs on soft mat. Don't push them forwards into hard bench.put off hand on forestock and hold down and rearwards like you would do for any shot NOT using bipod...and clean your barrel.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

At very least put bipod legs on soft mat. Don't push them forwards into hard bench.put off hand on forestock and hold down and rearwards like you would do for any shot NOT using bipod...and clean your barrel.

I think the excess advice might be beginning to muddy the waters. Holding the forend is absolutely not required for good precision shooting off a bipod and is more likely to make it worse.

Yeah was thinking similar. Too many suggestions to try all ends up chasing your tail.

Originally Posted by Billo

14 pages of WTF, 87gr Vmax, 90gr BT, 103 ELDX go home sunshine, SST's are still shit

I don't know why we get so excited about lumps of copper and lead. The old CAC 243 lead tipped bullets worked just fine. As did the older lead tipped and hollow point 303.

If the SST was the only bullet available to use the deer would still die and the earth keep spinning.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Those photos....did you thread Granddad's boer war Enfield??? That's one of the sootiest crappiest muzzle photos I've ever seen,and I sometimes shoot black smelly powder.

Have you noticed how when you take a close up picture...you realise how many nicks in your knife blade...or how dirty your barrel is!! It had occurred to me that cleaning the barrel properly should be on my to do list

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Originally Posted by Zedrex

Have you noticed how when you take a close up picture...you realise how many nicks in your knife blade...or how dirty your barrel is!! It had occurred to me that cleaning the barrel properly should be on my to do list

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Probably a good place to start.

@Zedrex
Yep give it a clean.
Those pictures (the in focus ones) show that you are on the way to rotting the end of your muzzle. You can see it with those oxide looking stains. Carbon attracts moisture and eats the steel.
Just wiping the threads and pulling a dry bore snake through when you get home each time will go a long way to reducing that rot.
Clean it to shiny steel and take some more pics for me.

Originally Posted by Roarless20

@Zedrex
Yep give it a clean.
Those pictures (the in focus ones) show that you are on the way to rotting the end of your muzzle. You can see it with those oxide looking stains. Carbon attracts moisture and eats the steel.
Just wiping the threads and pulling a dry bore snake through when you get home each time will go a long way to reducing that rot.
Clean it to shiny steel and take some more pics for me.

The dry bore snakes the only way I clean rifles unless in having accuracy issues. Means everything always has a fouled bore but keeps the barrel from rusting etc. I clean them before I left them in the safe for a long time too.

Originally Posted by Stocky

The dry bore snakes the only way I clean rifles unless in having accuracy issues. Means everything always has a fouled bore but keeps the barrel from rusting etc. I clean them before I left them in the safe for a long time too.

Same with me. I also dry bore snake them when i get them out to go in the gunbag, it removes any oil, debris or crusty bits that migjt have grown in there if i forget to crc longlife them before putting away for a month or more.

Originally Posted by gimp

I think the excess advice might be beginning to muddy the waters. Holding the forend is absolutely not required for good precision shooting off a bipod and is more likely to make it worse.

The legs jammed against front board bit......

Against front upstand....so not free recoiling either.... Between pig n a poke. But what do I know??? Missed a deer this morning,75 ish yards and only half a head showing about to bolt.....useless.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

Against front upstand....so not free recoiling either.... Between pig n a poke. But what do I know??? Missed a deer this morning,75 ish yards and only half a head showing about to bolt.....useless.

Amateur......