Thread: 270wsm rl26 145g eldx my experience

So after spending a bit of time trying to source the unicorn dust that is RL26 and then finding a way to get it half way down the south island, I was finally ready to start some test loads.
I harrased a few good buggers with vastly more experience than me about where I should start with my ladder and settled on.
64.5 - 67.5 going up in .5gn increments
I shot 2 at each load and got some great grouping but nowhere near the speed I hoped/expected and no pressure signs.
So I went home and made another ladder from 68gn-69.5gn again in .5gn increments.
Went back to the range and set about firing off the rest checking carefully for pressure as I was now getting up above book max.
I hit pressure at 69gn and topped out at 3250fps with that load but it and the 3 loads below it didn't group well.... Even with only 2 rounds per load.
I got so caught up worrying about speed I forgot that I wanted a laser accurate load good out to 600 yards.
I was so focused on trying to justify the hotter faster loads and how I could improve or justify their lack of consistency that I nearly convinced myself to overlook my lower speed loads that were laser accurate and speed consistent.
I am now at the stage where I'm going to make up 6 rounds from the 2 loads that gave the best accuracy and most consistent speed.
1 load at 3030fps average

1 load at 3060fps average


This is where I hit pressure at 69gn


The 2 above groups were at 65.5gn and 66.5gn and only 2 shots but both showed speed variations of less than 15fps, so back to the range tomorrow to do a couple 3 shot groups with both these loads to check accuracy and get more speed data.
Whilst 3300fps would've been nice even at 3030fps it's more than enough to get me out to 600yards. Moral to the story don't get caught up chasing speed.....