Post by: kbrowne14 on May 11, 2011, 12:24:30 PM
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 11, 2011, 12:38:22 PM
-Steve
Post by: brokenvet on May 11, 2011, 12:58:55 PM
You can listen to what is said to you, but you need to double the books.
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 11, 2011, 01:26:49 PM
You can listen to what is said to you, but you need to double the books.
:yeah: I reference every (of the six I have), book when I'm working a new load for any bullet. I've been doing it that way for more than 25 years of reloading and never had a mishap.
-Steve
Post by: GoldTip on May 11, 2011, 01:27:33 PM
Post by: buckhorn2 on May 11, 2011, 01:59:28 PM
Post by: brokenvet on May 11, 2011, 02:45:42 PM
You can listen to what is said to you, but you need to double the books.
:yeah: I reference every (of the six I have), book when I'm working a new load for any bullet. I've been doing it that way for more than 25 years of reloading and never had a mishap.
-Steve
Post by: JackOfAllTrades on May 11, 2011, 04:29:46 PM
Anything less than a 375H&H does not have recoil. :chuckle: :bash: :chuckle:
-Steve
Post by: Guy on May 11, 2011, 07:56:06 PM
Congratulations on starting what could well be a life-long hobby. My father and grandfather included me when I was only about five years old - fifty years ago. I got to seat the bullets for the hunting rifles. Still remember that.
The .30-06 is a terrific cartridge! You've already been given some good advice - there's no need to run it at max throttle to get good results. Of course the good old '06 can be pushed hard and produce terrific results that way too.
Couple of points worth mentioning:
I happen to really like using H4350 and 165 gr bullet for my general purpose .30-06 loads. Accurate, stable, and knocks the snot out of critters just fine. The 180's are fine too, likely better for heavy game.
There's a famous Alaskan brown bear guide, Phil Shoemaker, who talks up the .30-06 as perfectly suitable for use on the giant Alaskan brownies he hunts year after year. He recommends a 180 gr Nosler Partition as a good starting point, and the 200's and 220's even better for the big bears he hunts at modest ranges. You can look him up on line.
Another famous hunter & gunwriter, Craig Boddington, highly recommends the good old .30-06 for all sorts of African plains game, below the level of the cape buffalo and the 2,000 lb eland. He too appreciates the 180 gr bullet at normal velocities.
Noted gunwriter John Barsness authored a good article about handloading the .30-06 in 2009. Excellent information! Here's a link: http://www.24hourcampfire.com/newsletters/May_2009.html (http://www.24hourcampfire.com/newsletters/May_2009.html) That should prove to be an excellent guide for future load work.
I've been hunting for many years and have messed around with many different rifle and cartridge combinations. After all that time I'm sure I could have done at least 90% of my hunting with the .30-06 that Dad started me on back in 1966. I still have that rifle and use it quite a bit. Last year my son took a good bear with it.
Enjoy your rifle, enjoy your handloading, and proceed at a deliberate, studious pace. I'm still learning new things about handloading all these decades later.
Regards, Guy
Post by: kbrowne14 on May 12, 2011, 08:57:10 AM
How about seating depth? The manual gives me 3.34 I thnk as the C.O.A.L. Max. I seated down to 3.245 because the 2 manuals said they used 3.240 and 3.250 as their test so I split the difference.
Post by: demontang on May 12, 2011, 12:24:54 PM
Post by: GregMcFadden on May 14, 2011, 07:59:17 AM
1. what is the max OAL that fits in the magazine of the rifle (unless you don't mind only having one round loaded at a time)
2. Seat a bullet all the way in to the lands so you know the longest you can be without forcing the bullet into the lands (you can try forcing a few thou of engagement, some rifles and bullets like that, but start below the starting loads if touching or engaging the lands, as the pressures will be higher)
3.
-Usually, this is how I go about finding the optimum seating depth if I am not seating into the lands. I seat to just almost touching the lands (or as long as possible if I need to magazine feed, whichever is shorter), work up a single round for several powder loadings, JUST as a pressure check. if they all check OK I will work up 10 or so rounds for each loading, and shoot for group. best group wins
Now, using that best load, I make 5 more at what I just found was best, and sets of 5 at .020, .040, .060 off the lands and shoot for group. If the best group is acceptable, I stop there and use that load. If I am feeling like a glutton for punishment, I take that OAL and vary the powder load and pick the best group I get out of the bunch, and then go back and vary the OAL about where I previously found my best group in ~.010 increments. (my 30-06 groups best at .028 off the lands for example)
Now, I never EVER use OAL as the measurement that I record, as there is increased error measuring to the tip rather than the ogive. I use the following stuff for my 30-06 (there is a different OAL gauge made for semi-autos that is angled to go thru the ejection port if that is what you need):
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=231904 (http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=231904)
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=570611 (http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=570611)
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=761522 (http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=761522)
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on May 14, 2011, 09:59:48 PM
No offense taken! ;) Often when I'm trying to push a load, I'll drop to less than half grain increments (where I do try to get the most accuracy with the most velocity for a particular bullet, relizing that 'faster, is not always better'.)
Anything less than a 375H&H does not have recoil. :chuckle: :bash: :chuckle:YEAH I agree ..if your just learning take it slow .. I usually find my best loads to be at least 2 gr less than max and nothen walks away from me ..plus I shoot compressed loads which always shoot better but thats a whole nother ball game ..your figure it out and enjoy it once you learn the basics ...good luck ..
-Steve
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on May 14, 2011, 10:03:14 PM
Post by: kbrowne14 on May 14, 2011, 11:24:05 PM
Post by: SituationNormal on May 15, 2011, 07:23:45 AM
Post by: kbrowne14 on May 15, 2011, 12:00:51 PM
Post by: SituationNormal on May 15, 2011, 12:10:39 PM
I still have yet to buy a trickler. So far I've been using a small pair tweezers to +/- the powder. lol
Post by: buckhorn2 on May 15, 2011, 12:13:34 PM
Post by: bobcat on May 15, 2011, 12:25:20 PM
Post by: kbrowne14 on May 15, 2011, 12:31:16 PM
Post by: Jingles on May 15, 2011, 12:42:55 PM
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on May 15, 2011, 12:51:12 PM
Make sure to don;t confuse loading imr 4831 and H4831 with the same amount of powder. Did it once and it was a hat lifting experence.yeah good point on that !!!