I've been burning up a lot of ammunition lately and seem to be getting nowhere. I've known about the Audette Ladder and Dan Newberry's OCW methods for reloading for quite some time now. I just figured if it ain't broke don't fix it, well my method finally broke!
So I've got a .300 H&H that is kicking my butt. I load up usually three rounds starting at the lowest charge jumping up somtimes 2-3 grains in between charges all the way up to max loads. I then take the groups that show potential and load them up again this time in 5 shot groups and usually in .5 grain graduations on either side to 1 full grain of difference from the load that showed potential. Usually this has worked to get the load nearly where I wanted it and then I play with seating depth until I find a combo I'm happy with.
For the last year when I shoot 5 shot groups I've been running them over a chronograph as well. The group with the lowest standard deviation and extreme spread in velocity has usually been my go to load as well. Well my .300 has been a different story, every load that has shown potential doesn't group well when I go back to shoot it.
This rifle has been doing it with every powder I've tried with 190 and 200 grain bullets. It shoots 150's awesome with H4350 and 70 grains of powder, but a .300 H&H should shoot heavier bullets than 150. Besides they are only traveling at about 3000 fps and my 06 will shoot 150's that fast with less powder.
To rule out coper fouling I've tried cleaning the barrel before and during range sessions as well as not cleaning it, and nothing seems to help. A load will shoot great one day at the range and not the next. I planned on using this rifle for my upcoming elk hunt in two weeks but will probably go with my .338-06 this year as I have a load that always shoots MOA or less if I'm doing a proper job on the trigger.
Anyway I settled on Dan Newberry's OCW to try first, so I built an Excel spreadsheet to work the loads with. I'm not the best guy with Excel but I did have some fun with this one and I've set it up to automaticly calculate the powder charges. Plus I've added in other areas to put in my chrony data and POI offset from POA which is needed in the OCW method.
I can't post the spreadsheet on here or at least I haven't figured it out yet so I attached a snap shot of it. If anyone would like a copy to play with and critque PM me an email address and I'll send it out. Be sure to pick it apart and tell me what you don't like about it or what might be improved. Right now I can fit it on a regular sheet of paper and have room to scribble notes in the empty blocks. Plus it fits in a 3 ring binder real well.
So I've got a .300 H&H that is kicking my butt. I load up usually three rounds starting at the lowest charge jumping up somtimes 2-3 grains in between charges all the way up to max loads. I then take the groups that show potential and load them up again this time in 5 shot groups and usually in .5 grain graduations on either side to 1 full grain of difference from the load that showed potential. Usually this has worked to get the load nearly where I wanted it and then I play with seating depth until I find a combo I'm happy with.
For the last year when I shoot 5 shot groups I've been running them over a chronograph as well. The group with the lowest standard deviation and extreme spread in velocity has usually been my go to load as well. Well my .300 has been a different story, every load that has shown potential doesn't group well when I go back to shoot it.
This rifle has been doing it with every powder I've tried with 190 and 200 grain bullets. It shoots 150's awesome with H4350 and 70 grains of powder, but a .300 H&H should shoot heavier bullets than 150. Besides they are only traveling at about 3000 fps and my 06 will shoot 150's that fast with less powder.
To rule out coper fouling I've tried cleaning the barrel before and during range sessions as well as not cleaning it, and nothing seems to help. A load will shoot great one day at the range and not the next. I planned on using this rifle for my upcoming elk hunt in two weeks but will probably go with my .338-06 this year as I have a load that always shoots MOA or less if I'm doing a proper job on the trigger.
Anyway I settled on Dan Newberry's OCW to try first, so I built an Excel spreadsheet to work the loads with. I'm not the best guy with Excel but I did have some fun with this one and I've set it up to automaticly calculate the powder charges. Plus I've added in other areas to put in my chrony data and POI offset from POA which is needed in the OCW method.
I can't post the spreadsheet on here or at least I haven't figured it out yet so I attached a snap shot of it. If anyone would like a copy to play with and critque PM me an email address and I'll send it out. Be sure to pick it apart and tell me what you don't like about it or what might be improved. Right now I can fit it on a regular sheet of paper and have room to scribble notes in the empty blocks. Plus it fits in a 3 ring binder real well.
