My first sub-MOA reloads (sort of)

[LloydXmas250]

Alright well not technically. I had one get away but it was all me. Knew it the second I shot. Anyway here are the details on my first reloads with 53 gr SMKs.

I loaded 53 gr SMK over 24, 24.5, 25, 25.5 & 26 grs of H335 in WMC brass with WSR primers. Of course the 26 grainers got left at home. Whoops. Anyway I set up my 16" AR and shot prone. I shot round robin style so one 24 then 24.5 and so on. I shot at regular paper targets so I wouldn't see my results until I was done, as I'm notorious for adjusting for a bullseye rather than for group size.

My first shot with the 24 grs was weird. It felt weird and it didn't hold the bolt back. I checked for a squib, none, and then walked to the target and nothing was there. Anyone have any clue what could have happened there? I have no clue. Brass looked fine too.

Back to my testing everything else went well. I was taking turns shooting with my step-dad who was trying out his own 30-06 reloads so it gave time to cool my barrel. Of course he accidentally shot my targets twice. haha. Overall 24.5 was my best group (kinda). With the 4 shots I didn't screw up I came to a .576" group. With the mistake it's really more like 1.75". But I'm very happy as it's my first time experimenting with these 53 gr SMKs. I'm sure if I don't pull that shot I would have definitely gotten my first sub-MOA group. I'll get there.

Another interesting note was the varying size of the groups. While the others weren't horrible, they weren't nearly as good as 24.5. I have to leave for work but I'll post pics of the targets later tonight. Let me have some feedback, and be nice, I know you all can do much better.

 

[Clark]

In the mid 90s I started reading gun news groups on line about the 1" group.

I was getting 3" groups at best with bolt action rifles.
I was getting 1.1" groups at best with AR15s.

Every range I went to had guys that said they only got 1" groups, but their targets all looked like 6" groups.

If someone did get a 1" group, and I saw it twice in many years, then all the regulars that were at the range every day crowded around to ask how it was done.

Then in March of 2002, I built a rifle that could shoot less than .5" groups.

I am still angry about all the red herring advice I got on line to improve accuracy.

To make a car analogy, if my car only went 100 mph, and I wanted a top speed of 120 mph, and I got some on line advice to use graphite in the wheel bearings, use Magnesium wheels, get a big tachometer mounted on the engine hood, paint flames on the car, put STP in my crank case, get a customized licence plate, get a suspension lift kit, torsion bars, get bucket seats, and to buy tires that are rated for 300 mph.

The car still only goes 100 mph. Those other guys may have cars that go 120 mph, and they may have done all that stuff, but it was not the advice that was needed.

Likewise there are lots of things that other guys do that will not turn a 6" grouping rifle into a 1" rifle, even if you do all of them:
No Help:
1) True the action face
2) true the inner C ring
3) lap the lugs
4) true the bolt face
5) chase the threads
6) speed up the lock time
7) glass bed the action
8) pillar bed the action
9) get a 1 ounce trigger
10) turn the case necks
11) weigh the brass
12) de burr the flash holes
13) weigh each powder charge
14) try different powders
15) use benchrest primers
16) put a metalflake paint job on the stock
17) lap the scope rings.
18) Dial in the barrel to within .0001" when chambering, and with a spud, get the bore parallel to the spindle local to the chamber.

That is probably all good advice for getting a 0.3" gun down to 0.25", but will have no measurable effect on a 6.0" gun.

What will get a 6" gun down to 1"?
1) Shoot when there is no wind
2) Shoot a heavy factory lapped barrel
3) Clean out the Copper fouling
4) Use good bullets
5) Make concentric ammo [no expander ball]
6) Jam the bullet into the lands
7) Float the barrel
8) Check that the scope mount screws are tight
9) Practice dry firing until the cross hairs stay on the bullseye
10) Use at least a 10X high quality scope or an 18X cheap scope

 

[LloydXmas250]

Well here are the pictures. Like I said, on my first 24 gr shot it was weird and did not lock the bolt back and felt odd. No hit on the target. on the 25 and 25.5 gr targets you'll also see my step-dad's accidental shots on my target. The 25 gr target also looks like it has a string of three shots just above the X, making for a total of 6 .223 shots but really it was just a chunk of the target that ripped off. No hole in the board behind when I checked.

Again be nice and let me know what you think. Also, any ideas about that first shot? Thanks in advance.

 

[P-990]

If I was loading and testing, I'd go and make 10-20 of that 24.5gr load. It looks like a sweet spot for that powder/bullet combination, so you shouldn't have to weigh and trickle charges if your measure technique is consistent. The nice thing with match bullets and the .223 is they're not super fussy to work with.

And I have to second Clark's suggestion that uber-light triggers and some of the other voodoo are not going to help most shooters and rifles. That's time and money probably better spent shooting ammo that is just "good" rather than "perfect."

 

[LloydXmas250]

Yeah. I've only done cheap upgrades. $10 trigger springs. A free float tube that's on the lower end price wise. My goal with this gun is to see how accurate I can get it. The catch is it's not the suited to be an overly accurate gun. It's just a 16" plinker AR that I'm just having fun with. When I build my next gun and I go for accuracy, it will be more suited for it with a better barrel, trigger and etc. This is just a fun time. Thanks for the comments. I'm gonna definitely load some more of those 24.5 grs.

 

[M.O.A.]

not bad was that at 100 yards open sights or what

 

[LloydXmas250]

I wish it was open sights. No it was 100 yds with a scope. I'm still bummed about the one I pulled. I also tried some FMJ reloads that day out to 300 yds. I was very surprised I kept all 10 shots on the target. There was a breeze while shooting out to 300 so I wasn't sure any of my shots were going to find the target. I just guestimated and used some Kentucky windage and got lucky.

 

[M.O.A.]

i never have any luck out of FMJs i dont no why may just be i my head

 

[LloydXmas250]

I read on some thread that the reason the hollowpoints are more accurate is that since the are hollowed, they have precise weights on all "sides", where as an FMJ is just like a bullet shaped blob of lead covered in copper jacketing and so it could potentially be heavier on one "side" than another. No idea if that's true but it may explain it.

 

[Doodlebugger45]

Lookin good! I had a feeling that powder charge was going to be pretty close to the sweeet spot. Like someone else mentioned, I would load up another 50 of that load and just go shoot them like you've been doing. You might end up getting even better groups the more you shoot them. Then maybe you can make soome very very slight adjustments. Seating depth might or might not help. A different type of bullet (same weight though) could help. You might even try a slightly different powder charge. But that's a darn good group. Sometimes it takes a lot more searching to even come close to a group like that, so you should feel good right now. Just go burn a bunch more ammo now, that's the whole point of reloading in the first place.