Any help appreciated! OCW Load Development .223

farmer7 · May 21, 2012

Hello! I'm new round here. I would appreciate any help with some load devolopment. I have a Rem LTR .223 that i was wanting to try some Berger 73gr LTB's in. Normally have been using V-Max and fairly easily grouping between 1/2" and 3/4" regulary.

I have never tried the OCW method before so thought i'd give it a bash. Anyone with opinions on where to go from here? I'm not so sure i quite have grasped the method yet!!!

I'm using Lapua brass, Fed match primers and Varget. Loaded 3 @ 23.1 gr,3 @ 23.4gr, 3 @ 23.7gr, and so on up to 24.6gr. I was pretty disappointed with the results so far. Is 0.3gr to much of a jump in a small case? I am very confident i had no fliers. I have 8.5-25 VXIII on the rifle and was easily able to quarter the small dots. Also i was shooting from bags.

Basically i'm looking for some guidance! Anyone care to interpret the target in any way. I'm not sure if it means much! Would i try varying the 23.7 charge by 0.1 gr either way??

I would appreciate any and all comments. Thanks in advance!

Danpd · May 21, 2012

You have a central POI on your 23.1 load, it then drifts to the right for 23.4 and 23.7, then comes back to the middle again. I would try 24.3 grains again as the POI is fairly stable with charge weights each side. Adjust your primers and seating depth to see if you can tighten things up.

janner · May 22, 2012

Hello! I'm new round here. I would appreciate any help with some load devolopment. I have a Rem LTR .223 that i was wanting to try some Berger 73gr LTB's in. Normally have been using V-Max and fairly easily grouping between 1/2" and 3/4" regulary.

I have never tried the OCW method before so thought i'd give it a bash. Anyone with opinions on where to go from here? I'm not so sure i quite have grasped the method yet!!!

I'm using Lapua brass, Fed match primers and Varget. Loaded 3 @ 23.1 gr,3 @ 23.4gr, 3 @ 23.7gr, and so on up to 24.6gr. I was pretty disappointed with the results so far. Is 0.3gr to much of a jump in a small case? I am very confident i had no fliers. I have 8.5-25 VXIII on the rifle and was easily able to quarter the small dots. Also i was shooting from bags.

Basically i'm looking for some guidance! Anyone care to interpret the target in any way. I'm not sure if it means much! Would i try varying the 23.7 charge by 0.1 gr either way??

I would appreciate any and all comments. Thanks in advance!

Hi Farmer. Take a close look at your groups and you will notice that there is a trend of two shots together and one shot away in most cases. What we have found through testing is that it was indicative of the need to change primers. Look at the tightest group you have. and run a primer scan.IE load five rounds for each different primer that you can find . CCI 400, CCi450, FED 205, REM 71/2 , WINCHESTER small rifle. and fire five shot groups with nothing altered other than changing the primer. You will find that the pattern emerges of double groups ./ie three together and two away. However one primer will shoot conistently . What we have found is the smaller the case the more sensitive it is to variations in primers brissance( the primers burning intensity) .Fire the five rounds consecutively, clean the barrel and then shoot the next five shot group with the change of primer, then the next change of primer. When shot on a single target sheet with five or six spots this will enable you to compare and analyse the results, I garentee you will be suprised. Hope this was of help

Yours respectfully Mike Norris Brock and Norris Custom Rifles

farmer7 · May 22, 2012

Thanks for the input danpd, janner.

I'll take the 24.3 load and try changing primers. I have CCI 400 and CCI BR4's besides the Federal match. Where i live primer choice is limited!

When i'd fired the 24.3 load the first two were right beside each other and hoped the third was going there too, not to be though! Hopefully a primer change will help.

Thanks again.

Si-Snipe · May 27, 2012

Did you adjust your scope throughout the testing?

The poi moves down then up as the charge increases. Seems rather unstable poi at those charges. We're there pressure signs at all near top load or can you go higher?

farmer7 · May 27, 2012

No I didn't touch the scope at all.

I've since fiddled a bit more with the 23.7 load and over 9 3-shot groups none have been bigger than .58 and 3 groups in the .3's.

Velocity is only around 2760,hardly a barrel burner but its only a 20" tube.

Haven't had any pressure signs with any loads so maybe there may be another velocity node higher up? Haven't ever done the ocw thing before,only read about it!