Groups and Pictures

Found my camera, so I'll throw up some pictures of the groups I've been getting with my custom Rem 700 30-06. This is definitely a sub-.25 MOA capable rifle, and the reason the groups are larger than that is 5% ammo, 95% shooter, and 0% rifle.

These are some of my better groups, all but the lower right is Black Hills 168gr Match. The bottom right one is my best group from my first go at handloading. Bottom left is .233 MOA, my best, with the exception of the 5 shot group explained a little further down.

(Click on any of the pictures to make them scary big)


Another 3-shot group with my reloads, this time using Federal brass. .695"-.308"= .387 MOA



5-shot group, nothing special. However, shot 1 was high center. shot 2 was left, and the next 3 punched a ragged .1 MOA hole. My best 3-shot string so far, I just wish I hadn't screwed up the first 2.



Another 5-shot group (.889"-.308'=.581 MOA)



And lastly my rifle. Her name is Eve. She's not as pretty as the lady who usually shares my bed, but she's pretty enough for me.



Rem 700 long-action, Brux straight taper heavy barrel, Bell and Carlson stock w/ aluminum bedding block (and skim bedded), custom ground recoil lug, Mueller Tactical 4-16x40 Illum Mil-dot scope, Leupold Mk4 rings on snipercentral.com 15 MOA bases, Tac-ops cheekpiece, harris bipod.

Action work (and other work) done by Billy Dale

(Excuse the crappy pictures...I need to get better lighting.)

Rolling my own..

...30-06 rounds. My shipment of reloading equipment arrived in the mail a few days ago, and I've jumped right in to reloading precision rounds for my custom Rem 700 30-06.

Finding primers was somewhat of an adventure, as nobody consistently can keep large rifle primers in stock in the area, and what is available is not the best. I settled on some CCI and Winchester LR primers, as well as a box of CCI Magnum's because they supposedly work better in cold weather.

My rifle has averaged under .5 MOA at 100 yds with Black Hills and Federal Gold Medal Match factory loads, but I thought I could do better, and there is no way I'm going to keep shelling out 30 bucks for a box of 20 Black Hills or over 40 for a box of Fed GMM (Although the Black Hills shoots better anyway).

I realize I'm going to have to do alot of load development to improve on the Black Hills loads because it consistently shoots sub-.25 MOA, and my best 3-shot string was .083 MOA.

My first attempt was mediocre with the averages in the .75 MOA range, but I'll be playing with bullet seating depth to try to improve upon it. I realized that my rifle has a very tight chamber, and most factory loads have the bullet seated .020" or more too far out.

I've brewed up a few dozen more rounds and am ready for round two the next time I can scoot on out to the range. The great part about reloading is I don't feel as much guilt when buying equipment and components because I think about the savings in the long run.

This post (and any others by madgunsmith) over at the Sniper Central forums is an excellent resource for someone who wants to get into reloading, acquire quality equipment that lasts, and wants to do it on a budget.

Pictures to follow if I can ever find my camera.

UPDATE: Pictures!