I need some help with my Mosin Load

Drum Roll Please....

Turns out my rifle hates 4064.



100 Yards
51.2 Grains H4350
180 Grain Speer SPT
WLR Primer
Win Cases

I pulled the one that hit the 7, excluding that, it is 1 7/8" group. I'm very happy, though with a bit more practice (and a change in primers) I hope to eliminate the vertical stringing problem.

Overall very happy, thanks again everyone (and thanks for sharing your load, Josh!) :D

Regards,

-Mo.
 
Vertical stringing can be a sign of a bedding problem. The group size is nice. In an earlier post you said that you found, per Lee the max for the 180gr bullet was 45gr. I have Lee's book too and have seen where their load recommendations are frequently extremely conservative. As an example Lee's MAX load (for several different calibers)was less than other loading manuals starting loads, but you have to do what is comfortable for you. That being said, I am shooting the 174gr Hornady with 47gr IMR 4064 and it is an excellent load for my gun. Often times as a load is being worked up the groups may be crappy or stringing and as you approach one of the accuracy nodes the groups will get smaller and rounder. If you load past that i.e., more powder the groups will open up again until you approach another accuracy node wherupon the groups will round up and tighten up. Of course you need to be mindful of high pressure signs. As a general rule I have found my best accuracy near or at the top of (max per book) the loading manuals list for all of my rifles. With that vertical string either your load needs tweaking or perhaps the rifle does. With MN I have seen where the action screws tend to loosen over time. I was shooting one of mine and getting disappointing results out of a formally good load. I discovered the action scews had slipped some so I snugged them up and my groups settled back into good form.
 
Ive got something set up like Josh's cork bedding, except I dont have the cork on the top handguard, and i dont have it in one or two other places. I just torqued down my action screws, they were a bit loose, I will load some more tomorrow with different primers and see if the problem goes away.
 
Varget was developed to be an Extreme series version of 4064, except for the shorter grains. Which is faster depends on whose burn rate chart you look at. The numbers are no specific distance apart, so you can't tell from them whether two adjacent numbers are significantly different or nearly the same. Also, the relative burn rates reflect one set of test conditions. Load to a different pressure and the order can reverse. Dave Milosovich demonstrated IMR 4895 and 4064 switching places as he worked up a load in a .308 for the Precision Shooting Reloading Guide, in 1995. Bottom line is, you have to try them in your rifle to see how it likes them.
 
Josh,
No, I just followed the article on your site, I put one where the recoil lug goes on the rear wall of the cutout, one under the tang, one under the barrel shank, and one under the front part of the barrel/stock. (Very informative, by the way!)
 
Mo,

I've played with it more since that article, and have found a couple shims not needed.

Follow these instructions:



Should give you a bit more precision. Balancing the barrel shank shim with the tang shim and barrel pressure pad is tougher than doing under the recoil lug.

Regards,

Josh
 
So, do you think it's a problem with the way my cork shims are set up?

Ive got pretty much everything in that article except the one that the rear action screw goes through, but I do have one that touches the rear of the recoil lug and the tang and barrel shim and one under the chamber/barrel shank.

I will put one where the front action screw goes and try that.

I also think it may have been my fault, as the target is only 5.5" in diameter, and isn't the most visible thing at 100 yards (usually use 8" targets but I ran out this week).
 
Hi Mo,

Ive got pretty much everything in that article except the one that the rear action screw goes through,
Click to expand...

The tang is the rear action screw. Just need to get this straight so we can communicate. :)

I'm always refining and don't always have time to update article to reflect that.

You should have three points where the barreled action contacts the stock:

1. The rear of the action (tang)

2. The recoil lug (bottom, with the front screw passing through) and against the crossbolt or on the side opposite the crossbolt so the recoil lug is pressed against the crossbolt.

3. The pressure pad on the barrel. Optionally, you can have one on the top handguard too so the end of the barrel is sort of clamped in place.

Make sure the barrel doesn't touch the top handguard in any other place, and the barrel channel doesn't make contact, either.

If the barrel were not so long or were it thicker, we'd be floating it, reducing the contact points to two, but a long, skinny barrel needs a pressure pad.

Regards,

Josh
 
:rolleyes:I'm an idiot, proofreading was never my strong suit, meant to say front action screw. I will place one there, though and recheck the barrel float and contact points to make sure it's not touching anywhere it's not supposed to. I'll also remove the one under the chamber. Thanks!

Regards,

-Mo.
 
as I know this gun can do better (1 5/8" group at 75 yards.)
Click to expand...

This was the same grain bullet that I shot the group at 75 yards with (180) and that was actually a really good group
Click to expand...

I'm confused. So, the same load- produced one decent, three shot group- and three not-so-good groups?
 
No, Winchester Soft Points (S&B) that use the same design of bullet and same grainage shot really well, so I knew it wasn't the bullet. Everything is resolved now, so it's all good. :D
 
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