A generous guest picked me up a package of CCI BR2 Benchrest Primers and a box of Hornady 168 gr. A-Max. So, I figured it was time to assemble the best handloads I could, using top-notch components, and see if my CZ could do any better than it has.
Background:
Cases: Lapua .308 Win. cases that were once fired and then neck-sized in a Redding neck sizer die. Cases were all miked and were all within .004″ of each other so I didnt bother trimming.
Primers: CCI BR2 seated with the RCBS RamPrime unit
Bullet: Horn. AMax 168 gr. seated to an OAL of 2.800″
Powder: Varget. 46.0 grains thrown from a Redding BR3 measure
Gun: CZ550 Varmint in .308, HS Precision kevlar stock. 26″ barrel, 1×12″. Leu. VXII 3-9 scope in CZ rings.
Plenty of numbers there to chew on.
So I loaded thirty rounds and fired 6 five-shot groups at 100 yards from a bench off of a Harris bipod. Partly cloudy day, no wind, 47 degrees.
Previously this gun was shooting any combo into 1-1.5″ but I really wanted to do better.
Todays results:
Group #1: 1-3/8″ for 5 shots
Group #2: 1-3/16 for 5 shots
Group #3: 1-3/8 for 5 shots
Group #4: 1″ for 5 shots
Group #5: 7/8″ for 5 shots
Group #6: 1-1/2 for 5 shots
As always, there are stories:
Group #1 was going great. I dropped my first four rounds into one a three-shot cloverleaf with shot number four just barely touching. At that point it was a 5/8″ group. And then I choked and the final shot landed about an inch away and blew it for me.
Group #3 was a vertical string of four shots taking up 7/8″…and then shot number five went wide. But it was doing great until that last shot
Group #4 was one ragged diagonal hole until last shot opened it up. Until that last shot it was four shots into 3/4″
Group #5 was good with two shots going through the same hole.
Group #6 was my last one. My eyes were getting tired and I pulled my first shot. I was rushing. I knuckled down and was very deliberate in my next four shots…which all went into one raged hole of 1/2″. That damn first shot that I rushed blew what would haev been my best group to date.
I know its whining but if I pulled the flyers, it shakes out as:
Group #1: 5/8″ for 4 shots
Group #2: 3/4″ for4 shots
Group #3: 7/8″ for 4 shots
Group #4: 3/4″ for 4 shots
Group #5: 7/8″ for 5 shots
Group #6: 1/2 for 4 shots
So the rifle is capable of good shooting if I do my part and if I use quality components. All groups were 4″ high at 100 yards which, according to my math, makes them pretty much dead on at 250 yards.
Pictures? Okay:
Group #1
Group #6
x-posted to guns
Nice….
A-Max – polymer tip HP, right?
Decent expansion or purely an accuracy round?
Love the GMM MK loads from Federal. Love being able to afford the GMM clone loads from Georgia Arms. 🙂
Wish I had the time to properly pack 175 MKs myself…
Theyre arent HP, they have that finely pointed polymer tip.
They are, ostensibly. ‘target’ bullets. I’d bet their performance on game would be a bit lacking.
Those aren’t bad groups considering that you were using a bipod. I have two rifles with Harris bipods mounted and discovered that I was getting better groups shooting from a bag. I’m not saying that bipods are bad because I can still shoot better with one than free-hand. And, you can’t always drag a bag around.
Agreed. I thought about shooting without the bipod as a ‘control’ but that wouldnt have left me enough ammo for a real statistical testing.
I wonder if the vibrations in the springs of the bipods legs are responsible. They ‘resonate’ after each shot and I wonder if that affects things.
On the other hand, it seemed decent enough shooting with the bipod so, I would imagine, shooting without it would give similar or better groups.