[Silvertip 44]

Just thought I would share this with you. I have been testing loads in the new rifle and have thus far shot several good test groupings. I have found at least one bullet and some primers that it doesn't like.
Anyway today was a new experience. The target I will try to include was actually fired off the bench with a bipod attached. It appears to be only two shots but it is actually three. I fired a couple more good groups off the bipod and then the .300 started getting the best of me.
My shooting partner was also shooting a couple of his .300s off a Caldwell Lead Sled so he offered to show me how it works. I took my rifle over and inserted it into the cradle, got the crosshair adjusted on the center of the target and lo and behold, I received no more recoil than from my .22. Now that is the way to test your ammo. This is the way to find out about bullets, primers and powder. It takes out all the variables---mainly me.
The .300 is sort of mean to me off the bench and bipod, but that Lead Sled turned it into a ***** katt.
I guess the main thing it will eliminate is the flinch when testing a bunch of ammo. I will have one tomorrow.
I know it is not the way to develop marksmanship ability, but it sure does help when developing loads and getting a scope perfectly zeroed.
I just finished loading my next test run and will try them Thursday on my own Lead Sled.
I will be shooting 165 gr. Accubonds over 83 grs. of H1000 with CCI Large Rifle, CCI Magnum and Winchester Magnum primers. The WLRs and Fed 210s did not shoot good groups.
I will also load some test rounds with 180 gr. Accubonds and 80 grs H1000 tomorrow.

[Dillinger]

Well, there is nothing wrong with that group. Nice shooting. I guess I missed it, was the range put on there??

JD

[Silvertip 44]

You didn't miss. It was at 100.

[CA357]

Nice group. Please keep us in the loop on what you develop and how it shoots.

[MotorG20]

That is some excellent accuracy.

MotorG20

[stalkingbear]

That's OUTSTANDING accuracy. Will it do that every group with that load?

[Silvertip 44]

Thanks Stalkingbear. I'm not sure yet. Everytime I take the rifle to the range I am creating another variable, but soon hope to settle down on one accuracy load and bullet. I bought a Lead Sled today and will be heading out in the morning to test more loads. All I will be doing this time is testing a little heavier charge of H1000 at 83 grains with three different primers. This is one grain below Hodgdons maximum loading for the 165 gr. bullet.
I did find out today that the two new M700s that I bought are both M700 Milspec 5R and are not the XCR. I have been concentrating my attention to the M1A and M1 Garand for the last few years and was not real savvy on the bolt guns. These do seem to be nice rifles and if they perform as well as they have then I plan to get one in .308.
That will just be a lot more experimenting that I can use to take up my time when the crappie don't bite.

[Txhillbilly]

Silvertip,isn't the 5R a heavy barreled rifle? How much does it weigh? If it has alot of recoil you might want to change the stock to one that fits you better. That will really help a recoil issue.
I don't know how good the factory Remington stocks are,but with Savage the factory stocks mostly suck,and the first thing I do is change the stock to one that I know fits me and will allow me to shoot the gun as accurate as it would from a Leadsled.

That is a great group that you shot off the sled,but if you can't shoot a group near the same size off the bench or bipod where does it leave you on a 300-400 yrd shot on a trophy elk this fall,when your laid out over a pointed rock at a weird angle with a 20mph crosswind across a valley!

I'm not trying to be critical,but I had the same problem when I first got my Ruger #1 300WM.
It would stomp the crap out of me shooting off a bench trying to do load development,but when in the sled it shot great. The problem was after I found my perfect load,I couldn't come close to repeating a nice grouping without the sled.That's when I put a muzzle brake on the #1 and fixed the recoil problem,and now I shoot it great in any position.
My Savage 110FLP with the POS factory tupperware on it wasn't ever fired until I found a stock that I could make fit me and liked.It shoots great,and I can fire a couple hundred rounds a day out of it and not feel a thing.
I'm itching to shoot my new 110FLP 25/06,but won't until I receive my new stock for it,which should be next week.
Why waste expensive handloads on a gun with a POS stock on it.

[Silvertip 44]

TX the target I posted was shooting with the bipod and not off the sled. It is definitely a heavy barrel, and the rifle weighs in at 9 pounds. It is in the H-S Precision fiber stock. The rifle is actually the M700 Stainless Special 5R Milspec. I think I may have earlier posted erroniously that it was an XCR.
I believe it fits me reasonably well. When I first got it, the range master and I went out to 200 yards and i shot about a three inch group with it using some of his 155 gr. reloads.
the main reason I got the sled today is to try to take the variable of me out of the process. After I sit at the bench and fire off several rounds I begin to incorporate a small flinch and really have to concentrate on what i am doing to eliminate it. i think it may be that i have just never shot a rifle to any degree that imparts that much recoil and muzzle blast. At 66 yo, that rifle starts to kick the snot out of me after 15 or 20 rounds sitting at the bench. It's not really that bad when out at longer range shooting from the prone using the bipod.
After I fire the .300 a few times and switch over to the .223, it's like I'm firing nothing. The .223 is the same rifle as the .300 except the barrel is 2" shorter at 24.
I have about convinced myself this afternoon that if I get a really good group tomorrow my experimentation will cease and I will adopt that load as my standard load. I am using four different types of primers and bumped the charge from 82 gr. to 83 gr. of H1000. I did find some RL 22 today and will load a few with it sometime soon just to see how it does.
I am getting some really good accuracy with these Nosler 165 gr. bullets. The Noslers impressed me when I started shooting them in my M1As. so I figured they should perform well in the .300 and it appears that they do.
I'll let you know how tomorrows range session turns out and if I do well I'll include the targets. The sweet fragrance of burnt gunpowder excites me and I can't wait to get back!!!

[Txhillbilly]

Well if that target is off a bipod,your good to go with that thing. That's some nice shooting out of that 5R.
I guess I misunderstood your post,and thought that group was from shooting off the sled.Sorry about that.

I also like to shoot Nosler bullets,and also Hornady,Sierra. I like Berger Triple Shocks,but they are a little pricey and I only load them for hunting loads.

I'm glad you are enjoying your new 5R's,and I agree that shooting a 223 after the 300 is like shooting an air rifle.