Thread: Tru-Flite 24inch 1-13 twist .308

I have just bought a custom rifle with this type of barrel and so far am having a tough time getting any decent groupings with the loads I have tried. I am using 155 Sierra palma's and 155 Nosler CC for target shooting, 150 Accubonds and 150 TTSX for Hunting. Any ideas for a start point would be much appreciated.

Is it new?

I use Lapua Scenar 155 in a 1:14 barrel for what it's worth.

Are you playing with seating depth, and how did you get to your load ? OCW or ladder ? Also what powder you using ?

My advice is start low, you'd be surprised by nodes with less than max loads. Our NRA club loads are 45.3 or 45.5 of 2208

No expert but a 150 barnes is probably marginal stabilization out of a 1 in 13 twist?

Regardless you dont need a 150gr barnes in NZ 130 is more than enough.

Once again no expert but i have found they like to jump-40-60 thou and they also like to go fast,both for accuracy and terminal performance.

Originally Posted by Crash123

I have just bought a custom rifle with this type of barrel and so far am having a tough time getting any decent groupings with the loads I have tried. I am using 155 Sierra palma's and 155 Nosler CC for target shooting, 150 Accubonds and 150 TTSX for Hunting. Any ideas for a start point would be much appreciated.

This is brand new? or second hand?

What groups?

Normally for TR and FTR you would have a 30inch barrel....but no biggee, lugging and hunting with that would be painful.

You dont say what action but I'd expect <1/2MOA from a setup for target shooting like that assuming a barnard or other good action. A normal setup for a TR/FTR gun would be 45gr ADI2208, lapua large primer brass, Fed210M primers and nossler 155gr competition rounds. 44gr to 46.5gr variations seem common, some ppl prefer ADI 2206H.

If its second hand its quite possible that its worn out, 4k rounds is typical, bye bye $1k for a new truflite barrel.



If its brand new, it might need conditioning. This will open up a whole bun fight on how to do this.

My preference is fire 5~10 rounds, light/medium clean to get the carbon off but not the copper (no soaking) and keep doing that for a hundred rounds. Watching as the groups improve until they stop.

Others prefer to scrub the barrel every couple of rounds, pick your poison.

The rifle is brand new. The action is custom built by Hardy engineering so its not one that people will have had much experience with so far. I have already conditioned the barrel with all of my first test loads. So far I have tested only the 155 Noslers and palmas with multiple powder loads. I started at 43gr of ADI 2206H and went half a grain at a time right through to 46. I had the most luck with 43 grains but couldn't get within 2 inches at 200 yards, I haven't played much with seating depths yet. I have only tried seating right at the lands so far. I tried a couple of loads with 2208 but things got worse. What seating depths are working for you guys?

I suspect now that my powder scales may be sticking so I am going to try my other scales for loading and seat right back at 2.800 and see what happens. Has anyone tried 155 A-Max?

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

No expert but a 150 barnes is probably marginal stabilization out of a 1 in 13 twist?

Regardless you dont need a 150gr barnes in NZ 130 is more than enough.

Once again no expert but i have found they like to jump-40-60 thou and they also like to go fast,both for accuracy and terminal performance.

I have heard that they perform best at high speeds so I will try some heavier powder loads. I would go lighter except the person who taught me to reload said there is no such thing as a bullet that's too big. Probably explains why I sometimes hunt with a .338 Win Mag.

Some KISS options

Operator error ? Same results if someone else shoots it ?
Double check your scope mount
Check headspace
Measure chamber for seating depth
Check your scale with another
Check your vernier calipers with another
Get someone else to double/triple check your loads/lengths

I'd stick to one projectile and get that to work, rather than messing around with more and more variables.

If all else fails, take it back to the builder and have it checked out.

Thats just odd....168gr might go better....but you should be well under 1moa on that.

My Enfield no4 does better than 2moa....something is badly wrong.

Originally Posted by steven

Thats just odd....168gr might go better....but you should be well under 1moa on that.

Huh ? Wouldn't you want to go lighter rather than heavier in slow twist like 1:13 ?

168 out of a 13 twist?

It could be another lemon TF?

Harry's actions are very nice.

Originally Posted by ebf

Huh ? Wouldn't you want to go lighter rather than heavier in slow twist like 1:13 ?

Apparantly 168 is a good weight for 30 cal...so Im told, I have never tried it I'll admit.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

168 out of a 13 twist?

Yes for FTR....Ive seen a few articles saying the 168 is better...so its something I'd try....but even with 155gr he should be 1/2moa