[jrbfishn]

Got my Valkyrie to the range sunday to fire the last round of test loads.
I had previously fired test loads of several bullets with CFE 223 and H335 in .5 gr increments. Took the two best targets out of those and narrowed down to .2gr increments. The bullets I went with on the second round were Sierra 65gr SPBT GK and Hornady 75gr HPBT. Each had an accuracy target. But on most, .2gr difference in powder either way opened up to at least 1.5 moa. It seems to be a very picky rifle.
And I don't know why I was thinking the HP was an ELD but it is not.
Brain fart I guess.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[AgedWarrior]

It seems you did pin down some good recipes; nice groups! Forgive me if you said before somewhere, but I am curious as to make/model of your .224 Valkyrie?

 

[jrbfishn]

It is an AR I mostly built. 20" stainless HB upper with a 16" handguard from Delta Team Tactical with a thread protector instead of a comp. A generic lower with a 3 pound drop in trigger. 6-24 Athlon scope with mil reticle.
I tried 2 different muzzle devices. Tried 6 different makes and weights of ammo with no luck. Put a thread protector on it instead and finally got a decent group with American Eagle 75gr. Anything heavier and the groups looked like a shotgun blast with buckshot. So I at least had an idea of what might work for reloading. It definitely seems to like the mid weight and lighter bullets the best.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[AgedWarrior]

Oh, okay! Interesting how fussy it is like you mentioned. Was just thinking about that...never heard that the cartridge was fussy to load, but I am not real familiar with the cartridge either. I was just letting my wee brain mull possibilities. Less than .5 moa is pretty good in my book, so even if it is a bit fussy, you seemed to have found the sweet spot!
Part of the reason I was wondering was because I have a 6.5 Grendel that is pretty fussy, but my other two Grendels are not so fussy. My AR is pretty finicky, while the CZ and Howa are not. Best load for the AR gets about .75 moa, but take that load and shoot it in the Howa and it is under .5 consistently, to the point of making one jagged hole.
Yeah, I know, two totally different cartridges...

 

[jrbfishn]

Caliber is irrelevant. I have seen rifles in most calibers that will shoot most factor ammo well. And some that will shoot only one well or that you have to load for or pray for a hit.
I have several .22lr rifles. Some plinkers and some for a specific purpose. For the specifics, I have ammo cans of 3000-5000 rounds of it's specific ammo it likes. And no 2 are the same ammo.
With CCI Stingers, my Henry will drive tacks at 50 yds., but is 4-5moa at 100. My son's Savage will do under 2moa with them at 100.
Every rifle may shoot almost anything acceptably well. And the have one very specific bullet and powder/charge combination that will drive tacks. You just have to find that magical "one".
Finding that "one" is what got me back into reloading again. At least for rifles.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[AgedWarrior]

Caliber is irrelevant. I have seen rifles in most calibers that will shoot most factor ammo well. And some that will shoot only one well or that you have to load for or pray for a hit.
I have several .22lr rifles. Some plinkers and some for a specific purpose. For the specifics, I have ammo cans of 3000-5000 rounds of it's specific ammo it likes. And no 2 are the same ammo.
With CCI Stingers, my Henry will drive tacks at 50 yds., but is 4-5moa at 100. My son's Savage will do under 2moa with them at 100.
Every rifle may shoot almost anything acceptably well. And the have one very specific bullet and powder/charge combination that will drive tacks. You just have to find that magical "one".
Finding that "one" is what got me back into reloading again. At least for rifles.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Absolutely! I love tuning ammo to each rifle too. I was only referring to the example that my AR in 6.5 Grendel is a lot more fussy, and will widen the group quickly with very minute powder changes (.2 grains), whereas the other two rifles are not as fussy. .2 variation in powder charge in the AR can mean .5 to an inch difference real quick, whereas doing the same variation in the Howa makes only a very slight increase in group size. Not a big deal, but just an interesting variable.

I worked up loads for .17 Mach IV a few years ago helping out a friend. That tiny cartridge is super sensitive to powder adjustments, and to be expected to some degree due to small powder capacity.

Anyhow, just pondering...