Enough Velocity?

dragman

dragman

New member
Just got my savage LRPR 260 to shoot really well although I may have a little problem. I am usually not one for chasing speed, but I am shooting 140berger VLD's out of it and I am only getting 2611fps. I tried the 140's first because I have a LOT of them the question is is this enough for shooting a 1000 or should I go back to the drawing board and either try and push the current load faster or switch to a lighter bullet. The gun is shooting REALLY well as is but I am worried that out past 600-700 yards the bullet will be killed by the wind. Anyone with info on this I would greatly appriciate it.
 
I always ran the 140's out of a 6.5 x 284, 2950 to 3,000fps worked best. 27" Barrel. What twist is your Barrel? What powder are you using? H4831sc or RL-19 work well.
 
Pa Mountain Boy said:
I always ran the 140's out of a 6.5 x 284, 2950 to 3,000fps worked best. 27" Barrel. What twist is your Barrel? What powder are you using? H4831sc or RL-19 work well.
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I used the 140's in my 6.5X284 also and 4831SC was the powder for that although it wasn't a barn burner @ 2839fps with a 30" tube. I tried the 4831SC, Reloader 19,17 and IMR4831 and the IMR 4831 was hands down the best for group. this gun is a 26" barrel. I am gonna try some 123Amax's tomorrow with 4831 and some 4064, but does anyone think 2611 is enough velocity or shoult I scrap the load even though it shoots really well.
 
OK...... I'ma' crawl wayyy out on the limb here because I don't shoot a 6.5, but my brain tells me that 2600fps is adequate to keep you supersonic out to 1K.

THIS IS ALL THAT'S IMPORTANT!

IF it stays supersonic then you're In like Flynn, you lose nothing to the faster bullet as far as drift goes.

Speed has virtually nothing to do with "wind drift." Drift is driven by the rate at which the velocity is falling, not by the actual velocity. Nor is it materially affected by time of flight. Run your bullet, your BC and velocity through a ballistics program and if it's still going over 1400 or so @ 1k you're golden.

opinionsby







al
 
alinwa said:
OK...... I'ma' crawl wayyy out on the limb here because I don't shoot a 6.5, but my brain tells me that 2600fps is adequate to keep you supersonic out to 1K.

THIS IS ALL THAT'S IMPORTANT!

IF it stays supersonic then you're In like Flynn, you lose nothing to the faster bullet as far as drift goes.

Speed has virtually nothing to do with "wind drift." Drift is driven by the rate at which the velocity is falling, not by the actual velocity. Nor is it materially affected by time of flight. Run your bullet, your BC and velocity through a ballistics program and if it's still going over 1400 or so @ 1k you're golden.

opinionsby







al
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program says I drop below 1400 at around 950-975. I may just leave it and see what she can do instead of driving myself crazy with playing with other loads.
 
That's getting close but I'll opine that you've still got 100fps safety margin.

Close enough though that some personal experience from some folks who DO shoot the bullet would sure help :)

al
 
alinwa said:
That's getting close but I'll opine that you've still got 100fps safety margin.

Close enough though that some personal experience from some folks who DO shoot the bullet would sure help :)

al
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thanks for your opinion. gotta love the shooting game there is always a problem and always lots of questions.
 
I'm thinking that 2900 plus is the answer. My 260 shows signs that 2950 is the speed I need with 140's. I was concerned that I couldn't do it with this case but I think I can. This is a newer rifle and have been slowly working on it for accuracy loads at 1000 yards, first with lighter bullets now with the Berger 140's. My last load of H4350 pushed the 140's right at 2900 without any pressure signs and a "decent" group. I am going to try a little hotter load and maybe a hotter primer to see if I can reach the 2950 level.
 
I fell off of the velocity bandwagon years ago. People laughed out loud at the velocity I was getting out of my 300 WBY with 210 bergers. I laughed too....all the way up to the prize table!!!
 
Well, I,m no real velocity freak either but I think you could go too low.
At this low a pressure, will the powder be burning well enough for a good ES/SD?

Will it be burning hot enough to stop excessive unburnt powder or carbon fouling?

I would be looking at something around the 2820 fps range which is where my 6.5 shooting 140s loves to shoot at longer ranges.
 
I am going to shoot a 1000 yard varmint shoot sunday I have three loads I am taking. I am gonna test them out in the morning and decide which way to go.
load #1 140 berger VLD's @ 2611fps.
load #2 129 Hornaday SST's @ 2825fps
load #3 123 A max @ 2930fps
 
dragman,

The 168 gr 30 cal SMK is notable for its bad behavior in the transonic region, which generally occurs prior to 1000 yds in popular cartridges and rifle platforms. It follows that you can infer that most other bullets do not exhibit this bad behavior in the transonic region. Also, your cartridge starts faster and looses velocity slower than a 168 SMK out of a 308. Stop sweatin' your 1k velocity and find out what works for you in your gun. From your previous post it sounds like that's what you plan to do. Good. Let us know what you discover.

BTW, 6.5x55 Swedes happily lob 140's great distances starting at moderate MV's without any complaints about instability in the transonic region.

Greg
 
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Sorry, been away for a bit. My first year of IBS 1K my 30" Spencer loved 74g RL25. i think i was in the low to mid 2700 range. ES was something like 5fps. That, my friends was a hummer bbl, pure and simple!!! Problem was , I didn't know what-N-L a hummer was!! The idiot that I am, I shot it in F class, plinked with it, shot it just for fun, and before I knew it....POOF....1200 rounds down the tube. KRAP!!!! The very last two groups that bbl shot, in Iowa at a makeup match in Sept., was a2.7xx LG and a 9 shot 3" group with a HUGE flyer....I think it ended up around a10" group.

My last 300 BBL likes 80 GR at around 2975 I think, not sure. I have one tube, now a dedicated hunting tube, getting 3275 with 210 Bergers and gobs of Retumbo. It shoots as good as any I have owned!!
 
Hi Todd....thank you for the load info....that tells us to try several powders and charges,each bbl is unique to its self.....OBTW,,CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! on your performance at White Horse,,good consistant shooting,a well deserved win!!!....Roger
 
IT WAS BAD! ok for starters I had some ammo issues and gave the 123's to my buddy and the 129's didn't wanna shoot really well leaving me with the 140's. They shoot darn near 1 hole @ 100 but with bad weather and this set up they didn't work well. I am an ok shooter and I mean this was BAD!!!! SCRAPING THE IDEA OF THIS GUN WITH 140'S FOR A GRAND.
 
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