The 300 SST BOATTAIL at 300 yards

[Richard]

Today I took the 300 gr. SST which I machined a boattail on, out to 300 yards to see how it fared. Last week 200 and the week before at 100.
Rem/PN .45 sabot less.
Weather today was 25* and cloudy. Inside our range house it was 45*. Thee was no perceived wind.
My barrel had gotten a slight cleaning by way of one damp patch followed by one dry patch on both sides to remove a little of the powder/carbon fouling from last weeks 16 shots.
I started with the 250 gr. XTP, NO wad and 13/62.......Clays/H-4198 (ALL LOADS THROWN WITH POWDER MEASURES) These were shot at 100 yards. The first shot was low in velocity (relatively speaking) as the barrel was slick. The chrono did not pick up the second shot??? The next three however averaged 2847 fps with 19 fps ES and a five shot 1.0" lgroup.
After one 300 yard sighter I went to the 300 gr. SST's with the machined boattails...10/60 Clays/H-4198. The first three shots gave me an ES of 2 fps and a 2.0" group. Adding shots 4 and 5 opened it up to 3.5". Shot #4 only opened the ES up to 9 fps and after #5, to 20 fps. Again, all with powder measure thrown charges.
I had only two 290 TEZ's with machined boattails and shot them with the same duplex. The average for the two was 2653 with 18 fps ES and they grouped 4" apart.....side by side.
So, it looks like the 300 SST's are a viable "longer" range bullet. Too bad Hornady does not make some that way? I think the Barnes like the flat base better but might need more testing.
I have thrown in the pitch for the powder measure as a viable way to charge the ML as I am confident it works. Once you get a measure and use it for a while, you might understand where I am coming from. Short range bench rest shooter almost NEVER use scales. They load at the matches and use quality powder measures.
Only one out of 13 "sticky" primers
Richard

[bteague]

Richard,Great shooting.Do you have a picture of the modified bullet?

[Richard]

Here it is: The latest version had a little more boattail to it. Can't go too far or you cut thru to the core.
Richard

[Deleted]

Rich....
Do you think the boatail increased accuracy?
Zen

[Deleted]

I really like this experiment, gives us another thing to tinker with. It's hard to see if they increased accuracy from what I've seen and if you look at Herman's groups at 300 yards and compare I'd say it's the same. Only problem is they are being shot from two different guns. When you get your new Brux barrel I'd like to see this experiment revisited.

Great report! Thanks Richard!

[Deleted]

Great shooting!

[cowhunter]

Great idea. If I had the equipment I'd like to boat-tail a bullet or two. You should continue testing the TEZ 290 all-copper bullet. I would consider it a great hunting bullet no matter what modifications were done to it. If it shoots anywhere near as good as the SST, it would be great. This may be a dumb question, but would it be possible to machine the front of the TEZ to make it more "pointy" and hopefully more aerodynamic?

[Richard]

Dealing with the polymer tip could be tenuous? There is not much in the way internal grip and in the lathe, it would/could begin to spin when engaged with the cutting tool. Possibly sand paper on a flat block held against it? I don't think making the point "a little sharper" would be worth the effort.
Next week I might just shoot two groups with the SST BT and the Flat b/standard version side by side and see what they look like. As Riverrat indicated..........two different guns can cause two different levels of accuracy? Apples to apples is the only way to test them and at that, you would probably need for or five groups of each to come up with a "which one is better" decision. Too often we as shooters get complacent when one bullet/powder combination shows a good group...........when in fact, if you were to shoot the same combination a second time, it might make a liar out of the first group? There is no substitute for multiple testings of the same load until you are satisfied that ANYTIME you shoot that load, you know where it will hit and the average groups size it will produce.
Richard

[Mid_Tn_Plowboy]

Thanks again for looking into this Richard. It hit me with the possible 416.
or.375 build prospects

[epanzella]

Pls excuse me if you've covered this but is that a 452 bullet shot from a 458 bore? I'm watching this thread with great interest as my gun is almost ready for it's first range trip. My bore is 458.

[Richard]

epanzella
Yes it is but, it has been re-sized down to approximately .4508". The only way you will get a .452 bullet down is with a 5 lb. sledge hammer:) But if you do..............fear not, they come out like S__t thru a goose! Your alternative would be a full form die which would impart "some", not much, rifling on that .452 bullet. More commonly the full form die is used with .457/8 bullets.
Richard

[epanzella]

Feb 26, 2015 19:40:04 GMT -5 Richard said:

epanzella
Yes it is but, it has been re-sized down to approximately .4508". The only way you will get a .452 bullet down is with a 5 lb. sledge hammer:) But if you do..............fear not, they come out like S__t thru a goose! Your alternative would be a full form die which would impart "some", not much, rifling on that .452 bullet. More commonly the full form die is used with .457/8 bullets.
Richard

I had originally planned on using 458 slugs but your awesome work with 452's has got me looking hard at that route. I have my barrel take-off and had planned on threading it 7/8x14 for use in my reloading press as a sizing/forming die. I can make a .4508 sizing die also if I need it. I also have enough O1 tool steel kicking around here to make a knurling tool. I can't cut to the tenth so would have to make a sizing die a bit over and lap it in as a one-off. I'm also wondering about hard cast bullets (#2 alloy) to avoid the springback associated with jacketed slugs. I use full bore hardcast in my 20 ga and you can almost use them again after recoverey. Thanks Richard for the help and your inspiring work in this field.
Ed P

[Richard]

epanzella...................I already have done the threaded barrel take off??? It just does not work! Period! Too much spring back. Quite a few years ago Dave W tried it and got the same results. You have to be able to compress/size the lands and groves equally and that is what the die Swinglock and Hankin make, does!
As far as hard cast bullets? I have been that route also. A member here was casting them in various hardness and sending them to me to test. (BTW, these were .40's and shot in sabots) He also inserted aluminum tips like on the Match Hunter bullets. They worked to a point.............................. Problem was, you could not get them much over 2400 fps and groups would open up. For someone wanting to shoot a lot with little recoil, they would be fine; and a good shorter range deer bullet. If made as .4508 bullets? I think leading at the speed most want to shoot would be a problem. Most here prefer to shoot heavy high BC bullets at velocities over 2600 fps or more and the cast bullets will not hold up.
We seem to be stuck with either cup and core or solids.
Richard

[hemicuda]

Richard, I tried the 250FTX as a bore rider and couldn't get it to shoot, some keyholed. So I made a die to size them to up .458 in a hydraulic press, it took about 3 pumps to hit a stop and they were there. Then full-formed them, they shot great. You are doing great with the 300SST's can't argue with that. Lead bullets can't take the speeds we shoot without leading the barrel as you mentioned.

[Richard]

hemicuda.................I like your way of thinking. It reminds me of a situation that occurred a couple of years ago when I was attempting to close the nose on some hollow points. What I found was that if I got them closed where I wanted them, they became too fat and I had to struggle to get them sized back down to where they would fit my bore. Apparently the die I was pushing them in was too large and I was doing, in effect, the same thing you are doing with just the compound leverage of the Rock Chucker press. They were never up to .458 but probably .453 or 4. If I ever get my hands on a full form die, that might be the "ticket!" Of course in doing so, you might loosen the jacket from the core??............unless it is bonded?
Richard