Finally got my new .22 Dasher barrel back from LRI about six weeks ago. I have a lot of complaints about working with LRI, but the final product, I've only the slightest of nitpicks about, which I won't go into. Well, okay, one nitpick I'll mention 
. It's a tight neck chamber and they didn't even mark the neck on it. 30 years of having tight neck barrels chambered and this is the first one that ever came back not marked. Some were crude stamping, some where ultra fancy engraving. But, never had a tight neck chambered that wasn't marked as such before in my life. Pity the fool my Wife sells this too when I die...
But, anyway... It's been quite awhile since I really put much effort into tuning a load for a new custom barrel. The last few customs I've had done, I settled on a load the very first range session. This one, is what I'll call a bit more finicky than most customs I've ever worked with. Not that it shoots bad at all, it shoots fine. But the difference between the best and the worst loads I've tried in it is a bit bigger than the difference between the best and worst loads in most customs I've worked with.
Then too though, it has been quite awhile. And the weather here has been record breaking mild for this time of year. So, more or less just for grins, I put a lot more rounds and a lot more effort into load work for this barrel than I have for quite some years. Honestly, mostly, just for the fun of doing it.
So... Focused almost exclusively on the 53 Vmax as that's the bullet I had it chambered for. Specifically, zero freebore. 12 twist. 28". Tried 50 and 55 Vmax just to see and it shot the 50's even better than the 53's, but not by enough to make me choose them over the 53's. Tried, I think, seven different powders. Pretty brutal simple choice of loads to test. Laddered each powder up to the beginning of sticky bolt lift, backed off .5 gr. and called that the test load for that powder. Everything .005 off of solid contact with the lands.
It got down to Varget and 8208. Varget very slightly edged out the 8208 on both accuracy and velocity.
Then I remembered I have about four pounds of N140, which is close enough to Varget that I'd be remiss not to try it. It seemed to be slightly ahead of the Varget in both velocity and accuracy. But, I had not shot them head to head in a direct comparison under the same conditions until today. Just decided, no alibis, no excuses, whichever has the best group average today is what I'm going with. I'm not much of a bench shooter, so removing me from the equation really isn't possible. But decided three, four shot groups of each, let the numbers decide.
Numbers 1, 2 and 3 are Varget. Numbers 4, 5 and 6 are N140. All four shot groups. Varget averaged .501, N140 averaged .322. The N140 is 30 fps faster at 3940 fps. I'm going with the N140. There really isn't any explanation or excuse for that huge .790 #1 target with the Varget. I took a few foulers before starting testing. I felt confident in all four trigger breaks. Kind of couldn't believe my own eyes looking at the group in the scope. Biggest group that load has ever shot, in about 20 groups. But, that shot out to the right on target #4 with the N140, I called to myself as the trigger broke. Knew I'd pulled it right.
This barrel will 'chuck hunt for sure. I haven't played with seating depth at all. Will at some point. But I'm okay with this.
- DAA
. It's a tight neck chamber and they didn't even mark the neck on it. 30 years of having tight neck barrels chambered and this is the first one that ever came back not marked. Some were crude stamping, some where ultra fancy engraving. But, never had a tight neck chambered that wasn't marked as such before in my life. Pity the fool my Wife sells this too when I die...But, anyway... It's been quite awhile since I really put much effort into tuning a load for a new custom barrel. The last few customs I've had done, I settled on a load the very first range session. This one, is what I'll call a bit more finicky than most customs I've ever worked with. Not that it shoots bad at all, it shoots fine. But the difference between the best and the worst loads I've tried in it is a bit bigger than the difference between the best and worst loads in most customs I've worked with.
Then too though, it has been quite awhile. And the weather here has been record breaking mild for this time of year. So, more or less just for grins, I put a lot more rounds and a lot more effort into load work for this barrel than I have for quite some years. Honestly, mostly, just for the fun of doing it.
So... Focused almost exclusively on the 53 Vmax as that's the bullet I had it chambered for. Specifically, zero freebore. 12 twist. 28". Tried 50 and 55 Vmax just to see and it shot the 50's even better than the 53's, but not by enough to make me choose them over the 53's. Tried, I think, seven different powders. Pretty brutal simple choice of loads to test. Laddered each powder up to the beginning of sticky bolt lift, backed off .5 gr. and called that the test load for that powder. Everything .005 off of solid contact with the lands.
It got down to Varget and 8208. Varget very slightly edged out the 8208 on both accuracy and velocity.
Then I remembered I have about four pounds of N140, which is close enough to Varget that I'd be remiss not to try it. It seemed to be slightly ahead of the Varget in both velocity and accuracy. But, I had not shot them head to head in a direct comparison under the same conditions until today. Just decided, no alibis, no excuses, whichever has the best group average today is what I'm going with. I'm not much of a bench shooter, so removing me from the equation really isn't possible. But decided three, four shot groups of each, let the numbers decide.
Numbers 1, 2 and 3 are Varget. Numbers 4, 5 and 6 are N140. All four shot groups. Varget averaged .501, N140 averaged .322. The N140 is 30 fps faster at 3940 fps. I'm going with the N140. There really isn't any explanation or excuse for that huge .790 #1 target with the Varget. I took a few foulers before starting testing. I felt confident in all four trigger breaks. Kind of couldn't believe my own eyes looking at the group in the scope. Biggest group that load has ever shot, in about 20 groups. But, that shot out to the right on target #4 with the N140, I called to myself as the trigger broke. Knew I'd pulled it right.
This barrel will 'chuck hunt for sure. I haven't played with seating depth at all. Will at some point. But I'm okay with this.
- DAA
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