Trajectory Question

[gearguy10]

I finally got a scope mounted on my new Sako Finnlight 85 in .30-'06. I took her to the range on Sunday morning and got her sighted in with some factory Remington Core-Lokt and Hornady Superformance loads (180gn.). Then I started experimenting with some loads I had made up using Varget and IMR-4064 under several different 180gn. bullets (Barnes TTSX, Hornady Interlock, and Hornady SST). Anyways, as you can see from the 1st pic my best 10 shot group using factory rounds was with the Hornady Superformance SST's.


Not bad for hunting. I know I'll hit what I'm aiming at. But notice my best 10 shot group using 47.0 gn. of IMR-4064 under Hornady 180 gn. SST bullets.


Much tighter, but a bit lower trajectory-wise. For now, I'm going to hunt this season using the factory Hornady superformance ammo. Come spring I will work up some of my own loads and make the necessary adjustments with the scope.

My question is, should I expect the hits to climb on the target as I increase the powder charge? I left the scope where it is because it is pretty dead level with the factory ammo. I was thinking that as I increase the powder charge the pressure and velocity will climb, thus raising the trajectory and probably getting to the same point as the factory ammo. Is this logic faulty?

And for those who don't believe handloaded ammo can be better than factory...the pics speak for themselves. This is a 100% stock gun fired at a 100yds with nothing but a few sandbags to rest the fore end on. No fancy gun vices here. It made me a believer.

[rugersol]

1. I'd use them reloads, THIS year!

2. yep, more powder = more pressure = more velocity (or blown up gun) = higher POI

3. I'm guessing recoil was significantly reduced in yer reloads?

4. if you were to adjust the scope, and not shoot factory, in what way might that be a bad thing?

5. nice shootin'!

[gyrfalcon]

My question is, should I expect the hits to climb on the target as I increase the powder charge? I left the scope where it is because it is pretty dead level with the factory ammo. I was thinking that as I increase the powder charge the pressure and velocity will climb, thus raising the trajectory and probably getting to the same point as the factory ammo. Is this logic faulty?.

It's faulty... Not saying it won't happen but a number of other things could happen as well. Why don't you just adjust your scope to be zeroed for your reloads?

[gearguy10]

You're probably right. I really want to use my reloads. I just wanted more time to play with the COL, powder charges, and other variables. I sighted the scope in with factory ammo for a "good enough" shot. I had one shot at the range this past weekend before deer season (unless I play hooky from work ). My weekends are full up until opener.

[1911fan]

If you dont get a chance to re zero to the handloads, stick with the factories for this year. if you do get a chance to rezero, your handloads seem to be just fine.

[Seismic Sam]

Welcome to the wonderful world of reloading. Never put a factory .338 RUM load through my rifle, but when I go to the range with a different bullet or different powder weight, I have NO expectation that the POI will remain the same. With my .338 RUM I have seen little or no evidence of the bullet tracking up with increased powder weights, so it could be that your handloads just shoot lower than that factory ammo. Don't spend a lot of time worrying about it, and don't waste any time trying to come up with a handload that shoots to the same POI as the factory load. Just cook up handloads that have a low Standard Deviation of velocity for 5 or 10 shot strings, and you should be good.

On a side note, it's about time as Range Officer at Oakdale during the "amatuer hour" where the once a year shooters show up to sight in their rifles, and it's particularly interesting the number of people who show up with a rifle that was bore sighted by the gunsmith who mounted the scope, and they can't hit a damn thing at 100 yards. The problem, of course, is the fallacious assumption that all ammo sends the bullets straight out of the bore exactly the same way, and if the scope and bore are aligned then the bullets will punch the x-ring. Hoo-hah!! What a joke!! Any particular load (factory or handload) can make the bullet go up, down, left, or right of the bore axis for a variety of reasons. All you have to do is get a load that shoots the most consistently, zero the scope for that load, and you're good to go. Different ammo shoots to different POI's, period.

[onesonek]

Ditto on what Sam said!

[hammAR]

The problem, of course, is the fallacious assumption that all ammo sends the bullets straight out of the bore exactly the same way, and if the scope and bore are aligned then the bullets will punch the x-ring. Hoo-hah!! What a joke!! Any particular load (factory or handload) can make the bullet go up, down, left, or right of the bore axis for a variety of reasons. All you have to do is get a load that shoots the most consistently, zero the scope for that load, and you're good to go. Different ammo shoots to different POI's, period.

Tell me it ain't so SS.............

[gearguy10]

That makes sense that different bullets and powders will cause different trajectories. I just wanted to verify due to my newness to this type of thing. I was curious what I should expect to see as I work up a load. I want to work up my loads a little before making the final scope adjustments. Now I have fireformed brass and I'm going to mess with the COL. I'm using Hornady SST bullets that I seated to the cannelure. I may try some A-Max's just off the lands and see what happens. Unfortunately I probably won't get back to the range before spring

I know what you mean about amateur hour at OGC. I was there Sunday morning. After a nice tight 10 shot string I checked my target to discover an 11th hole in the lower corner of my target. Not even in the rings. Some guy 3 stations to my left had managed to shoot my target. That guy was clueless.

[1911fan]

That makes sense that different bullets and powders will cause different trajectories. I just wanted to verify due to my newness to this type of thing. I was curious what I should expect to see as I work up a load. I want to work up my loads a little before making the final scope adjustments. Now I have fireformed brass and I'm going to mess with the COL. I'm using Hornady SST bullets that I seated to the cannelure. I may try some A-Max's just off the lands and see what happens. Unfortunately I probably won't get back to the range before spring

I know what you mean about amateur hour at OGC. I was there Sunday morning. After a nice tight 10 shot string I checked my target to discover an 11th hole in the lower corner of my target. Not even in the rings. Some guy 3 stations to my left had managed to shoot my target. That guy was clueless.

As long as the 11th hole was in your paper and not in you, you had a good day at the range........

[ttousi]

I know what you mean about amateur hour at OGC. I was there Sunday morning. After a nice tight 10 shot string I checked my target to discover an 11th hole in the lower corner of my target. Not even in the rings. Some guy 3 stations to my left had managed to shoot my target. That guy was clueless.

Was he tall, ugly, and shooting a 50 GI?