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Velocity Does'nt Mean Accuracy A Lot of the Time

1K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  rawright54 
#1 ·
Shooting with the guys yesterday-wanted to try 168grBallistic Silvertips I loaded-great grouping-1.25 offhand at 100yds-.308...Guy asked me how fast they were-2400-2439(10 shots)They all started with the why so slow questions-absolutely could not get across idea that that's what these bullets liked out of my rifle.I've found my 6.5wc's and .243 are very accurate with hot loads but the .308 isn't. 6.5's with Berger 130grVLD's really like a hot load and are incredibly accurate.
I load develop with a LeadSled and chrono-why?I want to know what bullet/rifle combo is the most accurate with human variable out...If it groups at 3/4" with that-I can shoot it at 1.25/1.5 offhand-I'm not a good shot and realize others could take my rifle and shoot smaller groups....but it's good enough for government work.
 
#2 ·
on my rem 30-06 which I did a bunch of ladder workups and load testing. i found middle of the road loads gave me best accuracy. I seldom find that highest velocity and best accuracy are hand in hand.

I know some guys have this velocity thing and are hung up on it...
 
#3 ·
I found that my 220 Swift groups best when velocity is down to 3400-3600 fps, at higher velocities it tends to open up, even with heavier bullets (my 22-250 behaves in a similar way). I have a 25 caliber barrel I removed from a 25-06 Improved that is eroded at the throat from high velocity loads. I've learned over the years to stay away from top loads, some will always feel faster is better. Years ago I worked with Harry McGowen (McGowen Barrels) on some very hot fast loads (22/308 Improved using duplex loads), barrel life was extremely short, after 100 -200 rds. throat erosion would become a factor. We felt that average barrel life with normal loads was somewhere between 1000 - 2000 rounds before accuracy starts to drop off, hot loads shorten those numbers up quite a bit.

Also remember, bullet drop is always much easier to correct than burned out barrels.
 
#4 ·
Yup, I've found similar varying results with pretty much each rifle/load I've worked with.
Some loads work better a little faster, some a little slower.

It took me quite a while to even try the ladder test style of load development but you know...it works pretty darned good! You'll find out faster with less ammo burnt downrange what will work the best for your particular rifle and a particular bullet or load. If the "sweet spot" for a bullet/powder/rifle combo falls in a few hundred fps under a max load...so what, that's what will give the best accuracy, which is what I'm looking for.

Had one .22-250 that really grouped well with a particular 55gr bullet pushed with a max load of W760. Less, groups would open...more, groups would open. Like Freebore mentions, I am pretty sure that load was hard on the barrel but at the time I didn't care.
If I would've known about the ladder test thing back then, I bet I could've found another "sweet spot" for that combo at a lower velocity that would have been easier on the barrel.
 
#6 ·
Some people are just stuck on speed. I prefer accuracy first, at whatever speed it wants. And usually, thats not at the top of the velocity scale.
A year or two ago I'd have been one of those who wants the highest possible speed. After all, the faster it goes, the less the bullet will drop, and the energy increases with the square of the velocity, too. Both are true statements, and both are desirable goals. But it still doesn't equate to accurate shooting.

I've learned a bunch in the past couple of years, from this site and several others, and I'll take best accuracy over flat, fast shots any day. At the end of the day, I want to talk about the great shot I made, not how fast the slug went.:)
 
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