Thread: Load ladder made

.So today while waiting for Gib stopping to dry for sanding I went to my shed and loaded up a ladder for my single shot .308 with ADI 2208 and Nosler Ballistic tips 150gr Stared at the ADI book min of 44g and went up in 0.5gr increments to 46gr which is one grain under ADI's max load for this powder. Hoping to get to the range next week to test. Seated to SAAMI specs with CCI LR primers.

Attaboy

How did the ladder test go, & what rifle did you get?

Originally Posted by flock

How did the ladder test go, & what rifle did you get?

Hoping to get to the range this week, its for a Rossi single shot with DPT can

You could go a bit higher if needed. I run 45.5gn 2208 with 168g NBTs and this is not showing any pressure signs in my REM700 308. If you wanted to push it further probably go up in 0.3gn steps.

Interesting morning at the range. My lowest load at 44gr had the best group at 1", my highest load at 46gr had joint worst with 44.5gr. All at 100yards off a bipod with rear bag on a bench, range is slightly up hill from bench to targets.

Did you chrono it ? Do you care about velocity for your intended use ?
If you don't care and 1" is good enough then job done

If you do care and want to use it at extended ranges I would do a seating depth ladder with your most consistent velocity load, but without the velocity data it's a bit of a guess as to try and advise where to start tweaking things.

But hey as per first comment if the 44gn load will do what ya need.....have at it

lightish single shot off bipod jumps out at me. I KNOW both the bakails and the older BLRs are very position sensitive with the forestock...why we used to hold magazine n action rather than wood shooting paper with BLR.... must try both sling swivel points with trebly and see which one works best ...I would suggest trying again over a fat sleeping bag with hand nesteled in holding stock firmly and also with hand just infront of trigger guard both times asserting rearward pressure. also did you have something soft under legs of bipod??

looking at forestock attachment design.....it appear the bipod is more of less going to be asserting direct pressure on barrel. different pressure = different POI.... maybe.

The front swivel stud fixes into a stub on the barrel for breaking down so bipod bracket sits slightly behind that. Forestock is solid timber no flex at all.
Did not chronogaph this time as didn't have it here, might just settle on 44gr will think on it. Yes did have soft stuff under bipod legs.

Nice wee rifle Hj,1 inch group will kill deer,go hunting.

good stuff...but yes even so the barrel is in direct contact via stud to forestock,to bipod,so to ground.. no free float as such.... agree 1" is good enough all day long for what you will want 99.99% of the time.

Do yourself a favor before you load a whole heap, just load another 3-6 rounds at your 44gn load and confirm same poi and good enough grouping.
As Micky is kinda alluding to some rifles are very positioning sensitive when it comes to pressures being exerted on forestock, yours could be very prone to this due to the sling swivel being directly attached to the barrel.
Bipod by the nature of how they work and fit to the rifle will put pressure on the fore depending on if you load it up (lean into it) not a big deal but find what works for you and do that

Just loaded 5 to test when next can get out. Will see but so far I'm looking good and if I can get a hunt in first before the range all well and good.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

Interesting morning at the range. My lowest load at 44gr had the best group at 1", my highest load at 46gr had joint worst with 44.5gr. All at 100yards off a bipod with rear bag on a bench, range is slightly up hill from bench to targets.

what size were the worst groups and how many shots for each ?