velocity vs accuracy?

[redmega]

So i realize that most people reload for accuracy but how much are u losing for velocity, compared to factory loads or are u getting faster loads than whats advertised?

[eric2381]

Don't believe everything you read on the ammo box about velocity. I've chronied a few rounds from factory rounds and the velocity was low.

An example was the 7mm rem mag federal fusion. Chronied outta a 26" barrel at 2650fps. The pet load that I settled on with that rifle shoots 3/4"@100 and does 2900fps with boring regularity. 7mm rem mag, 175gr hornady, rl22.

Good luck.

[densa44]

Don't believe every thing you read!

Accuracy is all that counts. There are members who can put them through the same hole. See if they reply.

The barrel vibrates as the bullet passes down the rifle, the very good shooters/handloaders, can figure out when the barrel is either at the "top" or "bottom" of its cycle, called a sweet spot. Some even see if they can find both sweet spots.

[Rackmastr]

Accuracy wins every day.

That being said, I often like to look for the best combination of speed and accuracy I can get. I never push things too hot as I like to be well within safe pressures, etc but I look for the best powder combination that gives me accuracy and speed.

I really like finding it quickly too! LOL. I hate trying a pile of different loads, etc if I can find one that works good. That happened yesterday with my new rifle from the looks of it!

There was a time when handloads were typically faster but much factory ammo these days is really stepping velocity up. Hornady's new Superformance is a classic example.

[nanuk-O-dah-Nort]

I take Accuracy over Velocity, but everything is a compromise

you Can't kill something if you can't hit it, and a bullet doesn't have to be going fast to kill!

and an accurate rifle instills confidence, a too powerful rifle instills a flinch.

[32-40win]

Some guns you will get max speed with max accuracy, some you won't. Question you have to answer, is what will you accept for accuracy, are you target shooting and needing max accuracy? Plinking Gophers and needing a combo of both? Long Range shooting and needing both?
Some guns will shoot dimes with a certain batch of factory ammo, some won't shoot under 2 inches, but will be tunable with handloads to 1/2". Some guns need to be bedded with a pressure point, some need to be free-floated.
Tack driving accuracy is necessary for some disciplines, nice , but not really necessary for others. And then comes the character pulling the trigger, does it know how to get that accuracy out of it's gun. Some have the knowledge and ability, some don't, no matter what the speed of the projectile.
No magic formulas, just have to establish what you want vs what you have.

[whitetailhntr]

I generally try and find a bullet/powder combo that is accurate first and foremost using a middle of the road powder charge. I then work the load up to maximize velocity without losing accuracy. Sometimes the faster you push the better the groups get other times lower velocity loads group better. I definately choose accuracy first.Once its accurate to my liking I chronograph the load and adjust my point of impact to maximize my point blank range. The important thing is to actually shoot your load to the distances you want in the field. Then you have a real life idea of where your load shoots.

Prober bedding,light creep free triggers and quality barrels make the process a whole lot quicker.

[6.5x47 lapua]

with the affordable option of the general public owning chronographs the ammunition companies have had to bump up the program.problem i have been seeing is a rash of overloaded factory ammunition in factory rifles and semi customs.if your barrel is on the smaller end sizewise chances are you may not be able to shoot factory ammunition.i have a kimber in the shop for warranty right now with this exact problem.load just about anybodys factory ammo and instant overload..load up a max handload out fo the book and no problems.this is a 270 wsm and the barrel mikes .2696 which is approx. 1/2 thou under std.most barrels mike about .2704 or .2706 in this caliber.there has been a recall on some of the superformance ammunition already for this exact problem.

[Got Juice?]

Accuracy first period.

In order to kill something, you must first HIT your target.

I find with reloading, that changing cartridge length, crimp, and powder choices all impact both accuracy and velocity, and all rifles are different.

My .204 savage is not a fussy eater. Cloverleafs all day long with Vmax 32's or 40's or Varmint grenades in 26gr if I use 322 powder (or a couple other good ones)

But so far, my gun DOES NOT like BLC2 Powder. I have tried only 4 different loads looking for my 'node' of accuracy but so far the results have been so disappointing that I cannot get stable enough results to even start a ladder test.

the harmonic whip of a barrel will even change in 2 otherwise identical rifles, and there is/are no shortcuts in finding your rifle's ultimate load.

It's trial and error.

But once you do find that magic combination, you will find that you have awesome accuracy, and velocity will also be more than sufficient.

[elkhunter11]

I look for a combination of accuracy, velocity, and above all a safe load. Some hot loads will group well, but if the primer pockets are loose after a couple of loadings, I won't use that load. As far as published velocities for factory loads are concerned, in the vast majority of the cases, the actual velocities that I have chronographed are lower than advertised, and that includes the Light Magnum,Heavy Magnum, High Energy, and Superformance loads.

[whitetailhntr]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

I look for a combination of accuracy, velocity, and above all a safe load. Some hot loads will group well, but if the primer pockets are loose after a couple of loadings, I won't use that load. As far as published velocities for factory loads are concerned, in the vast majority of the cases, the actual velocities that I have chronographed are lower than advertised, and that includes the Light Magnum,Heavy Magnum, High Energy, and Superformance loads.

I think velocities listed on factory ammo is a guideline at best. Unless you are shooting the exact same rifle/barrel combo they use for testing....which of course is impossible. The only way to determine velocity is to shoot the load over a chronograph with your rifle. Once you know the number the next step is to shoot it at intended field ranges..be it 200 yrds ,500 yrds or futher. It's the only way to truly establish the balistics of your load in your rifle. I think many shooters rely on published ballistic charts or ballistic calculators without actually shooting the load past a 100 yrds.

[redmega]

The reason im asking is that with factory amunition i can shoot 1 inch groups but to get that accuracy with hand loads i lose about 700fps. I have tried 4 different powders so far all with the same results. I have a bunch of bullets left and i was hoping to use them all up before i went and tried a new bullet.

[huntinstuff]

Speed Kills.... but Accuracy kills more often

[elkhunter11]

The reason im asking is that with factory amunition i can shoot 1 inch groups but to get that accuracy with hand loads i lose about 700fps. I have tried 4 different powders so far all with the same results. I have a bunch of bullets left and i was hoping to use them all up before i went and tried a new bullet.

How many different bullets have you tried, and how many different seating depths?

[redmega]

Next step is to try a different bullet, i have only tried the bergers as i had a bunch given to me, i have been seating them as long as i can so that i can still use it as a repeter.

[elkhunter11]

Next step is to try a different bullet, i have only tried the bergers as i had a bunch given to me, i have been seating them as long as i can so that i can still use it as a repeter.

That being the situation, you may have set yourself up for failure from the start. Bergers are very long bullets, and they quite often to like being seated into the lands, which means that they usually need to be seated longer than will fit in most magazines.

[hardy]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

That being the situation, you may have set yourself up for failure from the start. Bergers are very long bullets, and they quite often to like being seated into the lands, which means that they usually need to be seated longer than will fit in most magazines.

When using bullets like bergers vld and the hornady Amax you could step down to a lighter bullet and seat them out as far as possible,doing this can bring you closer to the rifling with these types of bullets.

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by redmega

So i realize that most people reload for accuracy but how much are u losing for velocity, compared to factory loads or are u getting faster loads than whats advertised?

Check out the 270 WBY Mag Cartridge.Alot of it's most accurate loads have the highest velocity's.

A 270 Wby in a Cooper rifle....You cant loose

A Load with high Velocity and Has Great accuracy is the Ticket.

[elkhunter11]

Check out the 270 WBY Mag Cartridge.Alot of it's most accurate loads have the highest velocity's.

Yet the 270Wby does not have a reputation for being one of the more inherently accurate cartridges. The long freebore, may be part of the reason for that.

[whitetail Junkie]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

Yet the 270Wby does not have a reputation for being one of the more inherently accurate cartridges. The long freebore, may be part of the reason for that.

Unfortunatley maybe not the best accuracy in a weatherby Rifle,Some yes,espicially the German's but not all weatherby Rifles.

However the 270WBY cartridge in a cooper or custom rifle,you should be more than fine.I know that the 270 wby shoots 130 grain nosler's at 3400' and it's the cartridges most accurate and hottest load(Nosler Manual) for 130 grain bullets.

My cousin has a custom 270Wby and it belts them 130's @ 3450 from the muzzle,and it's tight,1\2" 5 shots @ 100 yards.It's a Martini and Hagn Rifle.however he is cheating on the velocity abit,because that rifle has a 27.5inch octogan Barrel.

[222rem]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

Speed Kills.... but Accuracy kills more often

Right on !!!

[ACKLEY ABE]

Originally Posted by redmega

The reason im asking is that with factory amunition i can shoot 1 inch groups but to get that accuracy with hand loads i lose about 700fps. I have tried 4 different powders so far all with the same results. I have a bunch of bullets left and i was hoping to use them all up before i went and tried a new bullet.

700 fps loss ?????? What are you shooting?

[209x50]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

That being the situation, you may have set yourself up for failure from the start. Bergers are very long bullets, and they quite often to like being seated into the lands, which means that they usually need to be seated longer than will fit in most magazines.

Sometimes this is true because we expect that and set them out. I've been playing around with different depths and have found that accuracy is good out to 30 and even 50 thou off the lands.

[Got Juice?]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

Speed Kills.... but Accuracy kills more often

Love it!

[fish_e_o]

if i can hit a clay pigeon at 300 yards thats more than accurate for me.

then i start pushing the loads and stay within that tolerance. where it lands it lands

[redmega]

Originally Posted by ACKLEY ABE

700 fps loss ?????? What are you shooting?

.257 wby Anybody want to recomend a different bullet? Would a hornady sst work well, I have had great success with it in a .243 win?

[lclund1946]

Originally Posted by redmega

.257 wby Anybody want to recomend a different bullet? Would a hornady sst work well, I have had great success with it in a .243 win?

Try the 110 grain Accubond, 110 Hornady Interbond or thie 90 GMX. Try RL 25 or H1000 or Retumbo with these bullets if you have a 26",or longer, barrel. In the event that you have a shorter barrel RL22 or H 4831 woukd be likely be a better choice. Better yet read Post# 14 under the thread, 7mm08 vs 257 wby mag.