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Going below minimum powder level


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To answer the original question, it can actually be very dangerous to go below minimum. You can get detonation in an under filled case, with disastrous consequences.

 

However, I have a gut feeling your rifle just won't shoot 100 grain bullets anyway, and you should try something lighter. Either that, or something else is fundamentally wrong.

 

What is the rifle in question, do you know the twist rate, and how well does it shoot with factory rounds?

+1 need a lighter bullet

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It's a Sabatti I got it second hand from a keeper friend. He told me it prefers heavier rounds. I've only used 90, 100 and 105 grain rounds. The 105 were the best. Its 1 in 10 twist rate.

 

1 in 10 usually favours something a tad lighter, such as the 90 grn or less. My own Sako .243 seemed to shoot the 105 grn Geco OK but I was still runing it in from new and geting used to my first ever centre fire. I tried some 100 grn Federal factory ammo, which proved to be frustrating.

 

It was when I started handloading with 87 grn Hornady SP that everything tightened up and I never looked back. I can now shoot one ragged hole groups off a bench and cannot see any reason to tweak further.

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Due to the law, 243 Brits favour 100 gr loads for 243.

However, it was built around 85 grn IIRC and is far more efficient on that weight!

6mm Remington was built around 100 grn bullets I think as its predessesor the 244 Remington would not shoot heavy bullets. It never caught on, shame really because it gave a couple hundred fps over the Winnie!

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''It's a pretty essential bit of information to have to calculate trajectories from.''

 

Not a reloader (only 12g 40 years ago - but still got the reloader), but....

 

You could get a fairly accurate velocity estimate by measuring the drop at a good known distance (or at more than the one known distance) if the groupings are good. The drop is only dependent on the time of flight, the gravitational field strength being constant. Applying Newtons Laws of Linear Motion in the vertical plane is all that is needed, apart from the range. Just working backwards - opposite of finding the drop from the muzzle velocity.

 

A chrono is obviously easier, but it is a mathematically sound calculation for you to use as a last resort, or as an exercise in physics/mathematics.

 

RAB

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A chrono is obviously easier, but it is a mathematically sound calculation for you to use as a last resort, or as an exercise in physics/mathematics.

 

RAB

+1

Having used this it works and with a good Balistic App the brain work is simpler!fiddly but simpler.

The more bits of info you fill in the more accurate the calculation. SI-SO rules apply.

Zero at your normal distance and shoot at 2 other measured distances, with a reasonable spread, using the same target.

If you're able to use Lapua bullets then use the Lapua app its preloaded with the bullet data. Otherwise Strelok or similar.

Its also a good way to cross check a chrono.

Have fun

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This is just "welcome to the real world of reloading" despite the tables, the programmes and the experts on here who's reloads always all go through the same ragged hole, reloading is a random exercise.

If its not working then change something and move on, its going to be easier with a lighter bullet, more forgiving generally, starting at the extreme heavy end of the range is always going to be difficult.

With reloading, it can be addictive, and it can be frustrating but there are no definites.

I have spent years playing about with loads and bullets and all I can tell you is I know less now than when I started. It does work and it can work bloody well but its all down to trial and error..

 

My own prejudiced view is when starting out with a new load is use Vhit powder if you can, N140 -N160 for choice,

Edited by Vince Green
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