Obvious benefit of doing a Ladder for hand loaders.

[nf1e]

In the process of working up a usable load for Sierra 135 gn fb varminters for one of my rifles.


Bula Defense Systems M14 type XM21 version 1 ser #3. Heavy Bula barrel with the rest of the parts from Bula except for Trigger which is Shootingsight EBR with lightened hammer. Chassis is JAE with 1 turn on the barrel tensioner. Scope is a Night Force ATACR 5-25 on TPS med rings.


Ammo is hand loaded using MEN berdan cases freshly annealed, TULA KV-7.62 N primers igniting Varget. Starting load on ladder is 45gn up to 47.5gn in 1/2 gn increments.


Target one is for sighters with 5 rnds of MEN surplus on the center to warm things up, then 2 sighters from each different load as the morning progressed. Ambient temp is 45 degs with a light breeze.

2nd target is for the 10 rnd groups at 100 yds. Barrel was allowed to cool down to the point my hand could hold onto it forward of the gas system. Dry Otis patches were pulled through barrel between changing loads.

Notice the obvious on the 46 gn load. 1 moa max spread with a average of under .5 moa for 10 rnds at 100 yds. Even the poorest group had an average of under 1 moa. Worst spread was 2 moa with the 47 gn load. Whatta Hobby!


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[bruce]

Once upon a time had a Rem. 700 SF-VS in .308 that loaded w/ 150 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips and 46.0 gr. of WW-748 would produce 10 round groups like you load w/ 46.0 gr. Varget load. Alas, never got those results except w/ bolt-action rifles. Guess a little over 35 years down the road, the differences between semi-auto and bolt-action rifles is much smaller. Good for you! Sincerely. bruce.

[nf1e]

Once upon a time had a Rem. 700 SF-VS in .308 that loaded w/ 150 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips and 46.0 gr. of WW-748 would produce 10 round groups like you load w/ 46.0 gr. Varget load. Alas, never got those results except w/ bolt-action rifles. Guess a little over 35 years down the road, the differences between semi-auto and bolt-action rifles is much smaller. Good for you! Sincerely. bruce.

Most of the time the difference is day and night. I accepted the challenge 30 years ago to prove that the M14 could be accurate. Takes a lot of behind the scenes work, but it can be done. Whatta Hobby!

[Former Cav]

I was shooting at 1000 yards with this load:
175 grain sierra match king
R/P Nickel Case (easy to find in the grass in MN back when I lived there)
Large standard winchester brand primers
45.0 grains of Varget.
this was back in 2002-4
I was shooting a target rifle built on a pre 64 winchester model 70 action with a 1 in 10 Krieger Barrel. Gehmann Aperture sites front and rear with the PNW and a McMillan stock.