Factory 30-06 ammo tweaked vs stock

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swampratt

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Ok so I got 3 boxes of 30-06 ammo and want to do an accuracy test with it.
I want to shoot 4 rounds from the box.
Then take an inertia puller and get 4 more of the rounds and seat the bullets longer past the crimp of course.
And then seat them so they are .010" off the lands in my rifle.
Shoot those and see if the group tightens up.

I have not shot any factory ammo in my guns worth a hoot..I have tweaked factory stuff and made it better.

Or should I just dissect 4 rounds and measure everything and see how close factory came to getting stuff on the money.
I can measure the force to pull each bullet in PSI also.. that to me is a big accuracy maker or breaker.
But in doing so the bullet is trash.
 

dennishoddy

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You will certainly notice a difference.
My Browning Stainless stalker in 30-06 likes the bullet to just touch the lands for best accuracy. Barnes 165 grain TTSX for elk.
 

magna19

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Might as well change the primer too. Since the primer is out run it through a resizing die. Then try a better bullet if the factory one doesn't shoot better. You might even get higher/consistent velocity if you change the powder.
 

swampratt

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I pulled 3 bullets to check the force and 2 were
100 PSI and one was 80 psi .

This is 180Gr Core-Lokt SP (soft point) has a rounded nose profile.
Remington is the maker.
The OAL was 3.145", 3.154" and 3.150"
3 cases so you know.
The Bullet diameter above the cannelure is .298" so like a bore rider nose.
Below the cannelure is .308" and the length of that .308" bearing surface is .380"

My 168 game king Hollow point is something like .475" bearing surface at .308" diameter.

Here is a FLIER case trim length measured with the bullets in the cases .I measured all 4 sides as the crimp on the bullets create 4 caved in areas.
Case #1 measured 2.483 and turn it 180 degrees and measured 2.484"
Case #2 measured 2.481" and 2.481" nice square mouth.
Case #3 measured 2.478" and 2.485"..There is the flier in the group possibly. un-square case mouth.

Powder was spilled from case #1
case 2 weighed 55.0 gr of powder and case 3 was 55.2 gr.
The powder looks like BL-C(2) but larger in size and a dull grey color.. looks to be easy metering powder.
Kind of ball with flat round discs.

Case head OD was the same .473" and case necks loaded .333" all the same and shoulder .437 to .438".

Bullet weight 180.5 gr. , 181.4 gr. and 181.8 gr
That is all I got so far.
 

okierider

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Why??? Not being an ass , just do not know why you would do this. Is it curiosity or are you after something that I am not seeing/understanding ?
 

swampratt

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Back in the 1974 era my dad got a Winchester model 94 30-30.
Stuck a Redfield 4 power scope on it and bought some ammo and went hunting.
shoot 3 rounds to get on target.. the rest of that 20 round box lasted up to 1980.
Always accurate.
Got some new ammo in the 1980's and same deal very accurate 3 shots in under 1" at 100 yards.
Usually .75"
Gun stayed that accurate until 2009 when I purchased some NEW ammo for it as I was down to about 7 rounds of the 1980's stuff.
The new stuff SUCKED! Lucky to hit 8.5x11 paper at 100 yards. Remington and Federal ammo.

I looked the gun and scope over and No issues..fired some of the old ammo and .75" group.. now down to 4 rounds left.
I had it zeroed at 250 yards and that put it exactly 8" high at 100.

Killing machine.
I began reloading because factory ammo was just not up to the task.

I dissect factory ammo because I want to know why it sucks and what can be done to fix it..Other than not buy the crap.

Kind of like your car has a slight miss..yea it has 350,000 miles on it but you still want to tweak things to make it better.
Funny thing is I purchased the Lee Wack-A-Mole for that 30-30 and began reloading and it was more accurate than the NEW factory stuff..NO scale used!! Just the 2.2cc lee scooper and 3031 powder and BL-C(2) powder and 150 gr flat base.

I was getting at the worst day shooting 1.5" groups with that set up.
I was back in the game and back to 250 yard Zero.

Still try factory ammo now and then when I get it cheap just to see if it is accurate.
It is not. So why shoot it I say that is a waste of time.. might as well take it apart and see what is broken.
 

dlbleak

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I sighted a rifle in back in the late 80's with Remington cor-lokt. Shot where I wanted it to for years. My son started hunting around 2007 or so. I bought some more cor-lokt and was lucky to get better than 6 inch groups. I started loading for rifle at that point. I had been loading for handguns for years before that.
I couldn't believe how crappy the factory stuff had gotten.
 

swampratt

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It makes you wish you had some of the old stuff to take apart and compare it with the new stuff.

Some of it could be they are chasing top velocities and are out of the accuracy nodes.
But seems today top velocities sells more ammo or at least gets more "fish to bite on the line".
 

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