Hornady SP bullets

[Browning]

I've been trying to work up a 100gn SP load for my T3 .243.

 

I bought a box of Hornady 100gn BTSP Interlock and loaded up 3 rounds of each, in 1/2 grain increments

from 37gn to 41gn, using H414 and Federal 210 primers.

 

I set the overall length to 0.02" off the lands, which is where I usually start from.

 

Went up to the farm last night and.......absolutely rubbish!

 

It's by far the worst grouping I've ever experienced, nothing under 2.5".

 

I did everything right, letting the barrel cool down between groups, perfect rest, took my time etc etc.

 

I began thinking it must be the rifle/scope, so at the end I put 3 rounds of my proven foxing round, 75gn Vmax through it......and it clover leafed as usual.

 

Anyone else had any bad/good experiences with Hornady SP bullets? Or could it simply be that my rifle doesn't like this particular bullet?

[mry716]

Hi

Firstly change your primer. You are using the wrong primer for H414. It is a ball powder and needs a magnum primer. It could well be that all the powder isn't burning and uneven combustion will cause poor groups.

Try some Federal Benchrest Magnums as these tend to work well with H414. Start 1 to 1.5 grains lower than before and go up in grains until you see signs of pressure then back off a grain and try 1/2 grains. you should find best accuracy is 1/2 - 1 gr off max and freebore around 30th.

 

ALL bullet heads are all excellent nowadays and ALL will shoot far better than you or I can BUT the deciding factor is your rifle. As with a 22 rim, some ammo is happier in a particular rifle than others.

 

If you still find poor accuracy with these heads after changing the primer try a different powder or a different head. There is nothing wrong with them its just your combination of rifle, powder, primer and heads.

[Browning]

Good advice mry716.

 

It just kinda threw me as the 75gn Vmax are shooting extremely well using the same powder/primer combination.

 

However, I will take your advice and try to get hold of some Federal Benchrest Magnums today.

[The Bear]

If your gun has a standard 10" twist, a 100 grain bullet is getting towards the limit of what can be stabilised. Try a 95 grain SST. In my experience hornady bullets are very good but my 22-250 doesent like 55 grainers but loves 50's. The twist should work with the 55's but its just a case of "Some Guns" dont get on with "Some Bullets". Generally I find if a gun likes a bullet, it will work to a great extent with virtually any powder in the correct burning range and primers make little difference. Fine tuning those loads is where the extra effort works and there it does maybe pay dividends to try some other stuff. For the record, Ball powders do not "NEED" magnum primers. It may work in your gun MRY but it is not a prerequisite.

[mry716]

"For the record, Ball powders do not "NEED" magnum primers. It may work in your gun MRY but it is not a prerequisite."

 

Sorry to disagree but the denser the power the more there is a need for a hotter primer. All manufacturers recommend that for a full burn of the powder you use the appropriate primer. If you look at the Speer manual ALL ball powders are shown with Magnum primers and most other load data also recommend the same

[The Bear]

I gave him information from the HORNADY Manual, since their bullet is what he asked about. If you use magnum primers all their loading data can be thrown out of the window as they increase initial pressures.

[mry716]

I gave him information from the HORNADY Manual, since their bullet is what he asked about. If you use magnum primers all their loading data can be thrown out of the window as they increase initial pressures.

 

I am not 'arguing' the point but 'suggesting' that from many years of wide reading and personal use of different primers in numerous calires and with most powders it is my considered opinion that......................... So please dont take offence.

 

 

I basically agree with your comment but the powder not the the bullet is the deciding factor re primers. I cannot quote on the latest Hornady Manual information as only have the 4th edition and that doesn't use H414 or even have the 95grn heads listed.

 

It does however say that:-

Although standard primers work well in most situations large cases or slow powders or large cases filled with slow powders or densely packed loads may require a magnum primer.

and

Magnum primers, designed to ignite dense or large powder charges by producing a higher temperature ignition flame of longer duration.

 

Hornady are also specifically enamored of the ability of a Match primer to enhance accuracy and combined with the above the following quote would make me choose the suggestion I made above for fed Brest mag primers if only on the basis of Hornady's information.

 

Several manufacturers offer match grade primers. These primers are manufactured under extremely strict quality control and supposedly offer high consistency in ignition, theoretically improving accuracy. They then go on to show results that substantiate the above comment.

[mry716]

Browning

 

If you have a Broadband connection email me with your address and I will send a copy of a rather interesting article in this months edition of 'Handloader' all about loads and accuracy for the 243. Since it is about 6-7 pages long it will be quite a size hence the broadband requirement.