Staball/140 SMK/6.5CM initial test and requested input

[mark5pt56]

You know, Started looking at it all again and compared the impacts, broke out the Kestrel (5700 elite) to look at wind differences and decided to go with the lower node, which should end up 2700-2725 range. As you said above, and the meter data, the 100 fps for my purpose won't matter. I'm at a known distance, so just a matter of working the wind. Now if I was shooting unknown distances, I would go higher. I can always revisit one or the other later-nothing else to do!

On a side note, shot the Tikka yesterday to compare annealed vs non, small sample but velocity was nearly the same, 2 fps higher, on these loads ES was 3 less and SD 2.5 less. Probably won't matter much in the grand scheme. 5 round group at 300 was a carbon copy.

No argument here.

I'd pursue your 43.5-44.1 as well.

[mark5pt56]

Just an update if anyone is looking at the Staball for the 6.5cm. Shot these today, I think someone hijacked my rifle on that one 43.2 on the top. Fairly certain , I will run the 43, appears it's centered in the lower node. These where annealed and the necks worked with a Sinclair's mandrel die. No chronological today but will run them through next week or so.

71f
DA 1100
Wind on 300 from 7-8@ 3-5
Wind at 300 from 7-8@ 7-12
Did not work the wind

At 300(blue diamond) the 42.8 is red, 43, green and 43.2 blue. I'm calling the high 43.

[Bimmer]

Just an update if anyone is looking at the Staball for the 6.5cm. Shot these today...

I'm not a stats guy, but the stats guys will tell you that 5-shot groups are waaaay better than 3-shot groups (and 7-shot groups are ideal).

[gaijin]

Your 300/43.2 load group looks .5 MOA or better.
Good shooting, obviously excellent equipment.

[mark5pt56]

Your 300/43.2 load group looks .5 MOA or better.
Good shooting, obviously excellent equipment.

I was debating the charge weights and decided on 43.1 as the 43.2 to 43.5 had a larger increase and didn't want to get out of a node. Heck, I don't know. I went a head and shot 10 at 300 with the 43.1, not the best but looks ok. Like someone said, go back tomorrow and it will change!. I was doubting the Hornady scale so I decided to break out the old OHaus scale and although tedious, it's accurate. I would weight a charge on the Hornady, check it on the OHaus and it would be a tenth either way when I placed it back onto the Hornady. One day I might splurge and get a really nice lab scale.

Also did a comparison with the Tikka Varmint with the scales, not having a chronograph yesterday, it was hardly scientific, splitting hairs.

What I do like is I started tracking CCB and CB with these new loads.and the AT's CCB/CB have been slightly lower at 100 and the Tikka, slightly less. The 300 yard data reflects this. I might start experimenting with bore condition to check a couple things.



Mark

[gaijin]

The Tikka barrels tend to be slower than some of comparable length, but they’re consistently accurate.
The two I currently have produce CB shot well within group, no frustrating, WTF?, fliers.

[mark5pt56]

My 6.5 CTR was slow, this one seems good though. QL data shows 2850 at 65F, I have 2847, 2880 at 85F, I have 2882. This Varmint is pretty solid, provided I do my part, haha.

Thoughts on anything with the AT? Think of anything I could tweak?

[gaijin]

: )

How far does one want to go?, would be the question.

There’s ALWAYS; what about this powder, bullet, bedding, crown, length of free bore, and on and on.

Admittedly, to me, THAT is a major part of the journey or attraction.
At some point however, I need to remember the focus of all of this- is to hit an X size, target at X distance. Period.

My nature is; mo’, betta, faster, further. A seemingly endless, vicious circle.

5FF4745E-D656-45F5-A3B2-8ADBA5B50A26.jpg

[mark5pt56]

Very true! The golden egg, three barrels later.

Guess I will run it, thanks!

[Tabootim]

Have you brought it up to pressure yet? If it were me and how I used this on my wife’s 6cm with Staball. I think the satterlee method works really well for a relatively unknown powder. Now since you are prepping your brass in a way that will lend repeatable results, I think you can get some great loads with what ever powder you end up with. If I had your data already I would do a depth test with your 43gr load. Once found a depth that produces a good group consistently at 100 I would run the charge weight all the way up to pressure signs the. Back down a full grain and then do a 5 shot in .2gr increment ladder looking for the lowest es. confirm it. Then put it on paper at distance. this powder In my opinion was never meant to be better than 4350, just more convenient. There is no reason to use it over the other unless you are dropping it from a powder measure. I didn’t find a wide enough node with low enough es to feel comfortable keep using it. I did my testing when it was cold out and it didn’t get single digit es till right under pressure signs. I don’t believe any powder is that stable from 40degrees to over 100 degrees in the summer. I went back to 4350, tried and true.