[Rocketvapor]

I'll keep this old thread alive
Went to the local 100 yd range today for one last practice session before 600 next weekend.
Tired aching just a miserable day. Neither of us felt top notch and it showed on the targets.
Kicked the loads up about a tenth of a grain and groups opened up.
Both rifles were sending 88's over 3000fps with SB6.5 powder. Next trip I'll back them down to the previous load.
Here are some cherry picked groups that I shot.
The first is 20 shots a tad under 1MOA, then 10 shots as the rain started , and the third I just gave up as it was raining pretty hard.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Found this little video on my camera card from last week.
Left eye/Right hand scope mount for wife. Will try for a while to see if it helps eye fatigue on long strings.
Gas was turned too low to lock back with lighter loads, did OK with the next load up.
Home made bypod. Gonna have to work with her a little on position with the new stock and bag.
Dialed 0.8 mils left @ 100 yards.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Well, Left eye/right hand mount is a no go. Another experiment down the tubes. She's back to right/right with some black tape over the the left lens.
Have to take the mount off and trim screws to keep the holes filled.
We made a trip to the 600 range and boy are we out of practice. Had a sensor go bad on the E-target but our shooting was not up to par. Still had fun though.
Going to miss going to the 100 yard range this weekend as we don't do public and holidays but it gives me a chance to really catch up with reloading.
Forming 22 NOSGAR for the wife's rifle and 22 Nosler/Dogtown for mine.
Have formed about 400 cases for her. Going really slow in the body die seems to prevent those ugly shoulder dents
The body die knocks the neck down to about 0.260" before going to the trimmer to knock about 0.015" off the neck.
Then to the collet neck die and chamfer.

Need at least one more 100yd trip before the 600 at the end of the month (weather permitting).

 

[Rocketvapor]

Didn't make it to 600 this month, just barely made a 100yd trip today and now the local range will flood for next weekend, maybe 2. Continuing with my never ending load development I took a few fine tuned loads with 85.5 Bergers, and SB 6.5/
They show promise but still not there. Here's today target.
Shot first 3 rounds across with the sporter chronograph, then took it off, then another 3, another 3, and then 1 across. Also shot a few left over 88s.
Flyers were me, or the ammo, or ?
The new cases @ 32.4 probably absorbed some energy being fire formed, also lost about 10fps. The others were twice fired Dogtown. Next trip I'll step the loads down a couple tenth and try again.

 

[Rocketvapor]

New range opened near me, SaorsaAcres in Bogalusa.
Went to a free 600 match, didn't do so well
Went back to fine tune @ 300. Who'd a thunk mirage could be so bad @ 300yds?
Couldn't see holes in splatter targets with my FZ80 camera.

Could just make out hits on steel @ 300

Wife shot 2 loads at left dot (don't know which 2) and I shot at the right.
I think the 85.5/32.4 load. Walked down to 300 to take the pic.

LabRadar data, 28" AR, wife has gas , mine doesn't.
No-Gas, 22 N Dogtown cases,
85.5, 32.4gr SB6.5 2966 avg.
88gr ELD, 32.4gr SB6.5 2981 avg.
88gr ELD, 32.55gr SB6.5 2994 avg.

Gasser, NOSGAR cases.
85.5, 31.2gr SB6.5 2942 avg.
85.5, 31.3gr SB6.5 2965 avg.
85.5, 31.4gr SB6.5 2984 avg.

88, 31.2gr SB6.5 2966 avg.
88, 31.4gr SB6.5 3000 avg

88s with the same load was faster than the 85.5s.
going back in a few days to make a final decision on load for a 600yd match later this month.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Some more 22 Nosler stuff.
Made another 600 yd match at the new range in Bogalusa.
Came in dead last in F-Open with a 564 (behind the wife). Back to the range Saturday for some more trigger time.
Shot @ 100 and 300. Varied seating depth so now I have what I think is a good charge and seating.
Even with mirage @ 300 I could hold under an MOA.
Used the BullsEye range camera but let it run until battery died and again didn't save session.
NEXT TIME, I'll take screen shots every so often with the phone. I get so wrapped up shooting I forget this tech stuff.
Here's my first 10 shots for the day @ 100yds.
I brought this target home

I now have some once fired 22 NOSGAR and 22N/Dogtown to test my new (second hand) annealer.

Calibrated with loose pocket brass.
Annealed to almost orange but not quite, before yellow flame off the brass, and got color change with the 750F indicator goop inside the neck.

22N once fired, annealed.

 

[Rocketvapor]

Another trip to the Bogalusa range, Saorsa Acres.
Only ones there, even the owner was off running errands.
I bore sighted my new scope (Cronus BTR Gen2, 4.5-29X56 FFP) , took a couple sighter shots, adjusted zero.
Then let Flo start off with a 5 shot group @ 100yds.
We swapped back and forth, 5 shots each.
In this target she shot the left 6" target, I shot the right.

But, she was the star for the day with this group @ 300 yards.
Bullseye camera frames on the left.

Mine wasn't as good

Shot 300 for a few more rounds then off to the 800 plate.
She was all grins each time you heard the swack.

 

[OhioGuns]

I have built tested used and sold at least a dozen 22 nosler rifles. My passion is coyote hunting and most of my customers as well. I've learned a lot over the last several years. My base starting point is always what can I do with the 223 wylde? I try to get a 1 in 10 twist 24 inch AR barrel and the published data from Western powers provides a 50 grain nosler hovering at 3600 feet per second within pressure specifications. These loads are one half moa and deadly. Believe it or not the 40 grain nosler BT is at 3900 ft per second in this platform. Now look at the published data for the 22 nosler and you will not find those velocities. This is because the sami specs cap the pressure out at about 55k. The only way to really benefit from that cartridge is if you hand load and are willing to exceed published maximums. Then it's possible with a 24 inch barrel to push that 50 grain to 3800 ft per second plus. And the 22 nosler is problematic in feeding until you get the magazine combination figured out for your own rifle. Yet I continue to use this cartridge. as do many of my customers. A fully outfitted set up with a pulsar thermal scope and a suppressor in the AR-15 platform with these 24-in barrels in order to maximize the velocity have almost no weight advantage over an AR-10 in a 22 creedmoor or a six creedmoor. The creedmoor cartridges allow the velocities and accuracy we are seeking with barrels as short as 18-in or 20 in and without pushing the pressure envelope. Everything ends up being a trade-off and it just boils down to the specific application. There seems to often be one or two overriding factors that are more important to one person than another and that may help narrow down the selection. I have eight or 10 setups built and ready to go for coyote hunting. And yes three of them are in the 6.8 SPC! Any single one of them would cover any coyote hunting need I have probably 95% of the time. One of the big factors is if you are going to hand load or not.

 

[greentick]

Welcome @OhioGuns from SE GA!