Heading out to southwest CO this fall for Elk and I thought I would post my load workup for others to use as a starting point. I tried various combinations of brass and primers and found the most reliable was reusing Federal premium nickel plated brass that I shot previously from commercial Fed Premium 180gr Nosler partitions with Winchester Long Rifle primers. I had been using Winchester once fired brass and CCI LR but I just wasn't satisfied with the groupings. I decided to go Nosler and waffled between the lighter faster vs heavier slower bullets....there are so much to choose from.
My rifle is a Thompson Center Dimension .30-06 1:10" twist 24" barrel topped with Nikon Prostaff 5 3.5-14 40mm BDC, zero 200 yards
I ordered up Nosler 150gr & 165gr Accubond, 168gr E-Tips, 180gr Partition, 180gr Ballistic Tip and 190gr AccuBondLR and stuck with one powder IMR 4350. I quickly weeded out the 150grs due to groupings at 100yards. This is a fairly new gun and I have definitely gotten more comfortable, competent and confident with the amount of rounds down range so the 150gr might be excellent but I continued forward. After further weeding out at 100yards this is where I started at 200 yards.
I used a sled but always had fliers and most of the loads not selected were in the 2-3.5" @200yards not including fliers. Some of these fliers were 5" to the right or 5" high. I put a Harris 9" bipod and shot the following off a bench. I waited approximately 2-3 minutes between each shot and a 10 minute cease fire after each type of bullet. I used the Nosler load data and replicated it exactly including O.A.C.L. Approximately 74 degrees with less than 5mph cross wind. Final 3 down select I shot 5 shot groups and final selection I shot 10 shot groups.
Nosler 180gr Partition 180gr 54.5gr/56.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.310" COAL
Nosler 180gr Ballistic Tip 54.5gr/56.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.330" COAL
Nosler 190gr AccubondLR 49.5gr/51.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.340" COAL
Nosler 168gr ETIP 53.0gr/55.0gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.300" COAL
Down selected to these:
Nosler 180gr Ballistic Tip 56.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.330" COAL Group: 1.7"@200yards
Nosler 190gr AccubondLR 51.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.340" COAL Group: 1.6"@200yards
Nosler 168gr ETIP 53.0gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.300" COAL Group: 1.7"@200yards
Down selected to the 190gr AccubondLR due to down range kinetic energy @400 yards which is my maximum comfort level.
Nosler 190gr AccubondLR 51.5gr/52.0gr/52.5gr/53gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.340" COAL
Final selection.
Nosler 190gr AccubondLR 52.0gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.340" COAL Group: 1.09"@200yards using Bipod off bench.
Now it's off to practice prone with a pack, sitting, offhand, etc... and then to the 300-500yard range to verify my BDC print outs.
My rifle is a Thompson Center Dimension .30-06 1:10" twist 24" barrel topped with Nikon Prostaff 5 3.5-14 40mm BDC, zero 200 yards
I ordered up Nosler 150gr & 165gr Accubond, 168gr E-Tips, 180gr Partition, 180gr Ballistic Tip and 190gr AccuBondLR and stuck with one powder IMR 4350. I quickly weeded out the 150grs due to groupings at 100yards. This is a fairly new gun and I have definitely gotten more comfortable, competent and confident with the amount of rounds down range so the 150gr might be excellent but I continued forward. After further weeding out at 100yards this is where I started at 200 yards.
I used a sled but always had fliers and most of the loads not selected were in the 2-3.5" @200yards not including fliers. Some of these fliers were 5" to the right or 5" high. I put a Harris 9" bipod and shot the following off a bench. I waited approximately 2-3 minutes between each shot and a 10 minute cease fire after each type of bullet. I used the Nosler load data and replicated it exactly including O.A.C.L. Approximately 74 degrees with less than 5mph cross wind. Final 3 down select I shot 5 shot groups and final selection I shot 10 shot groups.
Nosler 180gr Partition 180gr 54.5gr/56.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.310" COAL
Nosler 180gr Ballistic Tip 54.5gr/56.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.330" COAL
Nosler 190gr AccubondLR 49.5gr/51.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.340" COAL
Nosler 168gr ETIP 53.0gr/55.0gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.300" COAL
Down selected to these:
Nosler 180gr Ballistic Tip 56.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.330" COAL Group: 1.7"@200yards
Nosler 190gr AccubondLR 51.5gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.340" COAL Group: 1.6"@200yards
Nosler 168gr ETIP 53.0gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.300" COAL Group: 1.7"@200yards
Down selected to the 190gr AccubondLR due to down range kinetic energy @400 yards which is my maximum comfort level.
Nosler 190gr AccubondLR 51.5gr/52.0gr/52.5gr/53gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.340" COAL
Final selection.
Nosler 190gr AccubondLR 52.0gr IMR 4350 WLR 3.340" COAL Group: 1.09"@200yards using Bipod off bench.
Now it's off to practice prone with a pack, sitting, offhand, etc... and then to the 300-500yard range to verify my BDC print outs.
