Playing Around With a “Good Enough” Load

[EastTNHunter]

I’m a tinkerer by nature. I’m notorious for coming up with a perfectly good load in a rifle, then trying a different component to see if I can make it better, or make another “special purpose” load just because. Back when I had fewer and younger kids, this was pretty easy to find time for. But I’m old now, and I have three growing kids now. Not a lot of time or funds.

But my tinkering spirit lives on...

I started this out looking for a good intermediate velocity load that was perfectly adequate for deer, pronghorn, cow elk (in a pinch as a backup), and generally fun practice load, that would provide consistent sub-moa accuracy. This was mainly for me to use, but also for my daughter to use on our upcoming western hunt (she will likely be the cow elk shooter). But apparently that load was too easy to find and I forgot that I’d already met my goals. Re-emerge my tinkering spirit.

So here are the vitals:
Savage 116 that started its life as a 22” 30-06 Trophy Hunter kit, but now wears a 24” .308 barrel, B&C stock (I need to find a limbsaver recoil pad for it), and Leupold VX3I 3.5-10x40.
165gr Sierra TGK
Win Brass
CCI 200
42.3gr RL15

Today’s range session was to find the optimal COAL shot since I had seen some improvements with seating the bullet deeper in my last range session.

As you can see, these 100yd groups were perfectly acceptable to use for my 300yd max range, but I just had to see if I could do better

 

[EastTNHunter]

So I went to the range on this muggy SE TN morning, but it felt pretty good when I first got out there at 7ish. After I weedeated (weed”ate”?... darn grammar) at 100yd and got set up I only had a short time before the temperature started to soar. But I came prepared with a cooler with ice and damp
towels to cool the barrel.

 

[EastTNHunter]

First group was a “just off of the lands group” that I had little confidence in, and it proved to be a stinker
Then I cooled the barrel between groups and tried a COAL that had showed promise last time
Pretty good, but let’s go deeper. Cooled my barrel down and tried another depth for posterity (some may get the six-fingered man reference).

Holy Mackerel! Can I do that again?!?

Apparently, and unfortunately, not. I never could get that depth to repeat a group under 1.5”

 

[EastTNHunter]

But I tried the 2.915” load a couple more times and it repeated sub-moa accuracy until my barrel and range heated up too much to continue.

Mirage and a somewhat hot barrel led to a group that was still under 1.5 moa.

Maybe I’ll actually leave well enough alone andsave some time and components

 

[EastTNHunter]

Let me conclude by saying that I’m a hunter and practice shooter, not a long range or benchrest competitor. I have a deep love for reloading, but only have the funds, equipment, and time to take it so far. I had opportunity to shoot deer at 400yards and further the past few seasons, but passed the opportunities due to lack of confidence in my ability at that range. My max kill distance is 250 yards, and I’ve only killed deer over 150yd about 3-4 times.

I also have to admit... I have had a few Savage barrels given to me and I will be trying out some of my .270 components and ammo that are no longer being used (my daughter now uses my .270 Rem 700 with intermediate 130gr loads) with a factory blued barrel screwed onto this same action at some point. I’m planning to get another donor action and make a switch barrel system just for funsies, and to allow myself to tinker on the cheap... but I’ll have to take my time.

For those who read all of this, thanks for sticking with my rambling.

 

[1_pointer]

Good on you for re-testing the 2.865" loading. Many folks would stop there and just whoop and holler how great their rifle shoots. I'd hunt any of those loads...

 

[EastTNHunter]

Yeah, I’ve been bit in the butt by that before. Tested a great .270 load that gave me about a .25” group at 100. I got excited and loaded up a hundred. Didn’t shoot worth beans ever again after that one group...