finally got howa sorta sorted

[anonymouscowherd]

So now I get to start my load development over ...

Been chasing MOA sized groups in my Howa mini 223. Found several loads that will go 1.25-1.5, but getting under that 1" mark has been elusive

Noticed the other day that the first 3 shots of a 5 shot group were in a nice sub 1/2" group, and then the next 7 shots opened things up to 1.5ish

Today I tried same load but instead of a shot every 15 secods or so (which I do even with my Savage single shot bolt gun) I slowed it down to one shot every two minutes - first one I called as a flyer and following 4 went into a nice 1/2" circle

So now I get to go thru my notes and retry 4 or 5 loads that were in that 1.25-1.5" range. But not until I check bedding and free float issues

 

[Confederate rifleman]

Slow and steady wins the race!

 

[Black Locust]

You haven't once mentioned the twist rate of your barrel.

And two minutes is not enough time to cool a barrel. You want a cold bore shot for every test shot.

Then don't scrub your bore after you're zeroed. Or you'll be starting at ground zero again. Just bore snake it to get the debris out.

God invented smokeless/corrosion free powder and primers for a reason. So the first cold shot on a deer is the same as your last cold shot on the bench.

 

[Ninering62]

You haven't once mentioned the twist rate of your barrel.

And two minutes is not enough time to cool a barrel. You want a cold bore shot for every test shot.

Then don't scrub your bore after you're zeroed. Or you'll be starting at ground zero again. Just bore snake it to get the debris out.

God invented smokeless/corrosion free powder and primers for a reason. So the first cold shot on a deer is the same as your last cold shot on the bench.

God invented smokeless/corrosion free powder and primers for a reason - you’ve clearly suffered some brain trauma & you really need to look up who invented gunpowder. Your statement couldn’t be more wrong or ridiculous

 

[anonymouscowherd]

You haven't once mentioned the twist rate of your barrel.

And two minutes is not enough time to cool a barrel. You want a cold bore shot for every test shot.

Then don't scrub your bore after you're zeroed. Or you'll be starting at ground zero again. Just bore snake it to get the debris out.

God invented smokeless/corrosion free powder and primers for a reason. So the first cold shot on a deer is the same as your last cold shot on the bench.

Twist has nothing to do with it but it is 1/8

2 minutes per shot is a long time compared to 10 seconds per shot. Dunno... you have different needs/wants from your rifle than I do.

And until now, I had no idea that god was a French chemist who lived from 1854 to 1934 .... but hey with over 5000 named gods in the history of humanity, there's a larger than zero chance that he could've been I guess.

 

[Ninering62]

Twist has nothing to do with it but it is 1/8

2 minutes per shot is a long time compared to 10 seconds per shot. Dunno... you have different needs/wants from your rifle than I do.

And until now, I had no idea that god was a French chemist who lived from 1854 to 1934 .... but hey with over 5000 named gods in the history of humanity, there's a larger than zero chance that he could've been I guess.

Let’s not forget the 330,000 gods that the Hindu’s have. So that’s 335,000 manmade gods & none of them have ever done anything

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Didnt one of them invent meade? Odin maybe? Love that stuff.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

Im building a Howa 1500 SA .223. Have everything but the bolt so far.

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I kinda love it when a thread goes WAAAYYY off course.

 

[gle3105]

A-herd, What load ru working on ? I have a h-mini in 223 & Grendel. The .223 I found a node at 24.4 to 24.6 Benchmark. 62 gr Sierra SPBT 2.255 Fed 205
24.4= 3059 ES 25.8 SD 12.9
26.6 = 3104 ES 2.6. SD 1.4

A Speer GD yielded much the same. 2.255 24.6 Benchmark.
ES 4.3. SD 2.4

I found the Sierra pills easy to get grouping.
Been also working on Nosler 64 gr BSB.

 

[Ninering62]

I kinda love it when a thread goes WAAAYYY off course.

I love driving the bus

 

[anonymouscowherd]

A-herd, What load ru working on ? I have a h-mini in 223 & Grendel. The .223 I found a node at 24.4 to 24.6 Benchmark. 62 gr Sierra SPBT 2.255 Fed 205
24.4= 3059 ES 25.8 SD 12.9
26.6 = 3104 ES 2.6. SD 1.4

A Speer GD yielded much the same. 2.255 24.6 Benchmark.
ES 4.3. SD 2.4

I found the Sierra pills easy to get grouping.
Been also working on Nosler 64 gr BSB.

I've tried the 62grn Hornady FMJ, 60grn Sierra TMKs, and 69gr RMR 3GPHs that group from well under MOA (.5ish average for the FMJs...) to just over 1moa (the 69gr RMRs, basically a half price clone of the SMK) in my Savage. Best I could get was just over 1" with the 60gr TMKs, so I went towards a lighter bullet.

55gr Dogtown SPs over charges of BLC2, N-120, IMR3031 and IMR4895 gave 5 and 10 shot groups of 1.25" to 3" depending. Only variations in anything have been bullet, powder, and powder amount.

So, as I said.... going back through my notes and looking at target pics and will be doing the slow fire routine and working with the BLC2 powder and basically starting from scratch.

(BLC2 because while I have the other powders, I have very limited amounts. But my MG shooting buddy has over 30lbs of BLC2 plus more Win748 - same stuff really - and since he got me into reloading by giving me a "free" press he also gave me the promise of topping off my 1lb powder can when I need it)

 

[Black Locust]

Twist has nothing to do with it but it is 1/8

2 minutes per shot is a long time compared to 10 seconds per shot. Dunno... you have different needs/wants from your rifle than I do.

And until now, I had no idea that god was a French chemist who lived from 1854 to 1934 .... but hey with over 5000 named gods in the history of humanity, there's a larger than zero chance that he could've been I guess.

Twist rate is THE determining factor when it comes to bullet weight selection in .223/5.56 rifles.

This is the first time in 45 years of shooting and 19 years of reloading that I've heard someone say the twist rate doesn't matter.

.223/5.56 bullet weights range from 40 grains to 95 grains. Twist rate matters.

 

[anonymouscowherd]

Twist rate is THE determining factor when it comes to bullet weight selection in .223/5.56 rifles.

This is the first time in 45 years of shooting and 19 years of reloading that I've heard someone say the twist rate doesn't matter.

.223/5.56 bullet weights range from 40 grains to 95 grains. Twist rate matters.

Lemme rephrase.... While twist rate matters I'm not outside or near the edge of any known boundary on a well established round like 223 with well established bullet weights.... So the twist rate had/has nothing to do with what I was experiencing.

 

[gle3105]

Because the Howa Mini 223 is a 1/8 twist I focused on the low to mid 60 grain pills.
In my 1/10 and 1/12 twisters I opt for 45 to 55 grainers. The need for speed. LOL

 

[Fishbc]

I always get impatient waiting between shots. I try to wait 3 minutes. Never used to be sure how long I waited.
So now after I pull the trigger, I start the stopwatch timer on my Iphone. when it hits 3 minutes I steady up and shoot. That adds about another 30 seconds between shots.
You can also set it up to an alarm but I find the stopwatch mode easier.

 

[anonymouscowherd]

Because the Howa Mini 223 is a 1/8 twist I focused on the low to mid 60 grain pills.
In my 1/10 and 1/12 twisters I opt for 45 to 55 grainers. The need for speed. LOL

Yeah it is weird that my initial load testing showed the lighter bullets as being a bit more accurate, which is why I dropped down to the 55gr SPs and Vmaxes. My Savage has a 1/9 twist, and it just loves the 62grn Hornady FMJs... the 69gr RMRs are lookin' darn good in it too.

I always get impatient waiting between shots. I try to wait 3 minutes. Never used to be sure how long I waited.
So now after I pull the trigger, I start the stopwatch timer on my Iphone. when it hits 3 minutes I steady up and shoot. That adds about another 30 seconds between shots.
You can also set it up to an alarm but I find the stopwatch mode easier.

Last time I ran a stopwatch/timer was comparing mag dump speed on a uzi and micro uzi

 

[michiganmuzzy]

I just got my new ss 223 bolt body for my howa today.

 

[Ninering62]

I just got my new ss 223 bolt body for my howa today.

Sweeeeet!

 

[brad502a]

Have you scoped the barrel? My buddy got a 6 ARC mini Howa and the barrel was rougher than a cob. It didn't shoot well until he fire lapped it. I do know there have been issues with the bedding because the action screw goes through the recoil lug. I have always bedding the chamber area of those rifles. My 2 cents and keeping the thread on track with the help of a French chemist.