Loading Advice Needed

[TattooedGun]

Okay, so to follow on form my last load development thread, i recently went to pick up some more reloading bits...

I got 3 lb of hodgden Varget and 500 bullet heads...

but this time i got 2156 - the new palma match bullets instead of the 2155's i did my load development on...

I know, that means my load development will be out... but any idea how much?

can I use the same load with the new bullet and expect similar results?

I don't have chance to get to a 100yard range in order to do some load development before my next shoot (always leaving things to the last minute!)...

I made up the last 40 rounds of the 2155's but i was going to let the future MIL use those and I would use the new ones... although if the load development isnt right, I could be left off the target after my sighters, which would mean no full shoot for me :(

any tips?

load that worked before was 2.800" - will get a digital vernier caliper shortly to get exact measurement
46.5gr varget
federal primer
sierra 2155 HPBT bullet
RWS once fired FL Sized brass...

everything will be the same except the bullet head...

anyone with some sophisticated software care to help out?

[ovenpaa]

I will punch the numbers in and see what it says.

[TattooedGun]

much appreciated :)

[ovenpaa]

I have PM'd you the data, as you are still building to your default 2.800 You need not worry about OAL.

For the future the 2155 and 2156 have different profiles so if you were building with say a .020" jump the OAL would be different.

[TattooedGun]

I may try building with a jump this time,
I need to try cutting down a case and giving it a go...

after i get the OAL that my rifle pushes in the bullet, where do i go next?

how do i know how much powder to put in with the different OAL?

[ovenpaa]

A longer OAL usually allows a slightly higher powder charge but this may not improve accuracy as such, so now the fine tuning starts. First thing is establish your OAL, have you got hold of a vernier yet?

[TattooedGun]

no, but I am going to fetch one tonight (after work) from my cousin

[TattooedGun]

okay okay, so the loads I did last time were 2.810" OAL average (ranging from 2.808" to 2.819") which could be pretty bad, bu I'd say thats fairly acceptable considering I don't have competition Dies...

I've done the cutty bullet method and seated it in my rifle to see where the Ogive meets the barrel (and apart from getting the bullet stuck about 6 times - ARGH!! - it seems to be about 2.920" OAL on average...

With this information I should be loading (for my rifle) 2.900" as opposed to aiming for 2.800" standard, but now what powder gains do i use?

how do i figure out how much powder i should use for this jump... can i do it with Quickload?

anything else i should be looking at?

[TattooedGun]

Just read online someone using 46.2gr with federal primers getting very good groups with these, and considering I got my best groups with 46.5gr with the last lot, i think thats a pretty good place to start!

[ovenpaa]

I Would leave your load as is at first, just build to the longer OAL.

I will pop your new OAL into the calcs when I get back and see what it does.