Time between shots when testing loads for a deer rifle

[deerman]

Good evening, gents,

 

After years of threatening to start loading my own rounds, I have finally put together a batch of reloads to test and would like to hear what the more experienced reloaders amongst yourselves consider as sensible time between shots when testing, say 25 test rounds, given the theory that you should try and shoot from a cold barrel as this is the most likely scenario you will be encountering when deer stalking. How long do you allow between rounds of same increment, and how long between different increments?

 

The rifle in question is a bod-standard .243 Tikka T3 Lite with a light sporter barrel.

 

Look forward to your considerations and advice.

 

Best,

 

George

[Orka Akinse]

Your going to be there an awful long time if your waiting for the barrel to return to ambient between shots........

 

I remember doing some ladder testing sometime ago and waited one minute between shots the theory being the barrel temp would be pretty much stable throughout the exercise.

[Chris-NZ]

I guess it realistically comes down to how many successive rounds you could possibly fire when out hunting.

 

If the answer is "Never more than two", let the barrel cool after firing your three to five-round group. If you're into barrages (like we can be here with goats or fallow), run off a ten-round group before letting it cool. Not that I'd recommend the latter for improving barrel life in a big-banger...

[jcampbellsmith]

I keep testing until the heat haze starts to become visible. I wait for the rifle to cool and resume testing.

 

In the field I don't wait for my rifle to cool between shots.

 

Regards

 

JCS

[Breacher]

I think there are two answers here......

 

There are two zeros to consider. They might me the same or they might be slightly apart. I am lucky in that mine are pretty much the same.

 

First - a zero based on a cold, clean barrel. Assuming you clean after each stalk and go out with a clean rifle - I do.

 

For this you obviously need to allow a lot of time between shots and clean the barrel too between each shot.

 

Second zero from a warm fouled barrel. Once CCB zero is established, you can then establish this zero with a warmer fouled barrel.

[Biathlonjimmy]

Load development is a test of the rifle bullet combination. As long as the group is very tight I don't mind where the group is with in reason. I fire strings of 3-5 shots with a two min break until the haze from the mod interrupts my sight picture.

 

Zeroing is adjusting your poa to poi at a given distance. Once you have developed your load then you can zero the rifle. fire two good shots one after the other. adjust from that mean poi. wait 10 mins confirm with two more.

 

If there is a huge difference between 1st & 2nd shot it's probably not fit for purpose.

[deerman]

Guys,

 

Thank you very much for sharing your experiences so far. It is interesting to note that there appears to be no set protocol followed by most or all.

[deerman]

Please keep on sharing your views on the topic.

[snakeman]

I too have that rifle, also in .243 from new for the past 18 months

 

On initial load development I waited 3/4 minutes between each shot. Specifically, being a barrel burner, I didn't want it getting hot in any shape, way or form. Yes, it took me more than a few hours to find my load and to zero but I feel it was worth it, even if only for peace of mind. As soon as I was happy with the accurate load, I have had no need to re-zero it. The rifle is used and, was purchased exclusively for foxing, not for target shooting and never has been ..(apart from initial development)...

 

I'm not one for banging a .243cal down a range, or anywhere else wondering how much throat I got left ..(can't afford that type of wear on barrels)

[Andrew]

I keep testing until the heat haze starts to become visible. I wait for the rifle to cool and resume testing.

 

In the field I don't wait for my rifle to cool between shots.

 

Regards

 

JCS

This. I actually just keep shooting -usually in three shot strings. I really don't care much how warm or cool the barrel gets because, as JCS says, you don't get the chance to let a barrel cool in the field. Better to learn how the rifle reacts (if at all) to a brisk firing than to create a condition you won't be afforded in the field.~Andrew

[The Burpster]

Very good question. When I had a sporter barreled Sako 75 in .270 it was a pig (well more a shotgun) with factory ammo. I started loading and developed several loads for it. The lighter the bullet and load the closer to a consistant zero with a CCB.

 

Heavier loads then the first shot out of a CCB went somewhere between 1/2 & 3/4" high (@100ys). Second and succesive shots back to original POI. Never got to the bottom of why it did it but I knew about it and allowed for it when stalking.....

[The Burpster]

forgot to add the varmint profiled Tikka T3 in 6.5x55 doesnt suffer this at all.

[snakeman]

I keep testing until the heat haze starts to become visible. I wait for the rifle to cool and resume testing.

 

In the field I don't wait for my rifle to cool between shots.

 

Regards

 

JCS

 

In my experience this is likely to be on 9/10 occasions the complete opposite in and around my area of the UK (perhaps it's different in Scotland?). Rarely for me does the opportunity arise to fire shot after shot, or even at 20/30 minute intervals at live quarry, so the opposite for me is true in that it is best to know my POI from a cold bore - many times, I have been out all evening and not fired even one shot.

 

If I've had 3 fox in one night it's been a good night but, on those occasions they were never quick successive firing kills. There might be more opportunities to shoot when hunting from a vehicle, hence an 'uncooled' barrel's POI might then be the most effective ways forth but, I'm miles on foot where walking to different locations takes more (cooling) time. ..So, might be wise to know how the first shot performs relative to which species of quarry is being hunted and methods used to employ..- a field full of deer? occasionally....a field full of fox?, unlikely

 

The above though is applicable to fox with a 243cal, not stalking as stated in the OP

[chaz]

Cold bore load testing could be a long drawn out exercise.

My experience doesn't quite come to double figures, with center fire rifles, so there are many more people way more experienced than me to give you advice. However.... This is my procedure for testing new loads, usually loading up at least 3 of each load weight, but most of the time 4, to get better, hopefully more accurate results. This being advice given to me from members of this site and another similar well respected site. I think it's called the "round robin".

So i do the following...

I clean the barrel, check zero with several of my general purpose home load rounds to "line" the barrel.

As an example, If i have say 4 different weight powder loads; i fire one from each weight, at 4 different targets then again and again, until all 4 of my 4 different weight test rounds are shot. I then collect the data, and if needs be, load up 1 or 2 of each of the most accurate 4 loads, and carry out the same procedure. Again keeping data. (I write down and keep all my data)

I suppose you could then load 1 of each of the best 2, 3 or whatever loads and shoot them on different days as cold bore shots. Sounds very OTT, and to be honest, if you're shooting Deer, it is. By a long stretch!! But that's just me. And i enjoy reloading.

Chaz.

[mikeroz]

Deerman,

I think you're over thinking this. I've been shooting deer for 25 years now. Reloading even longer. I always load develop 3 or 5 shot groups with minimal cooling between. Good load development creates accuracy far better than most factory ammo and whether you wait ages to cool or not, if done properly is going to create a recipe that will result in successful humane dispatch of deer every time, so long as you do your bit correctly, whether you take 3 or 4 quick successive shots or cold shots with many minute intervals.

Seriously, don't worry about it from an accuracy point of view.

[activeviii]

for stalking rifle i only run 3 shot groups and wait 10 minutes between groups. the start load i load 6 off and use the first 3 to zero just to get the barrel to warm a little as well as a close zero. i like to zero just off to the side of the bull as i use a simple + as a target.

 

once i have the data i then play with seating on the best 3 shot group and do this the same.

 

works for me on my stalking rifles.

[richard griffith]

In my experience no more that 3 shots.I had a 22.250 that was pretty accurate but the 4th shot always moved 11/2 inch off target.When cooled down accuracy returned.That was a basic standard thin barrel.Richard.

[Chanonry]

Well depends if you are testing the loads or the system.

 

If it is the loads. Sandbag it/get it in a rest, get as much of you out of the shot as possible. Shoot groups and let the barrel get cold in between shots. Fine in theory, in practice I do not have the patience for that. Best I can manage is that the barrel never gets more than a coolish warm. As long as the temp is reasonably consistent it probably does not make a huge difference. So fire a couple of the poorer made rounds through the barrel first to get away from cold and condition the bore. Then shoot as many as you want i.e. can stand given the time it will take. This is a fair test of the loads. None of this 'it shoots sub 1/2 moa if I do my part crap' - a 'bad' group is a bad group. Get yourself out of the shot then the ego does not kick in as it can only be the ammo. This is a poor test of the system.

 

A system test for me means I mimic the conditions that the rifle may experience through to worst case scenarios. It is more of a test for the rifle/scope/rest/ammunition. This is where I want to understand where the first shot goes relative to my zero (cold clean bore if that is your regime) how many shots I have on zero before it start to walk, when it starts to walk and how it behaves. Its not just the barrel, a hot chamber may change the burn characteristics if the round is in there a while. The shitty stock may not perform well etc etc.

 

Important to separate the two

[nicholiath]

When load developing I fire the three shots then rest the rifle. I normally take my rimfire with me and have a plink with it say 15 to 20 rounds then return to rested rifle and fire another 3 shot group.

Not very scientific but good practice especially if you plink standing with sticks with the rimmy.