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Bullet weights for different stages


Wahoo72

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What is the general consensus for what weight for close 25y and in and longer, maybe out to 400y?

 

ive been shooting cheap 55gr for the close up and 70gr for longer range.  Really looking for the longer range ammo selection.  

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1 hour ago, Hi-Power Jack said:

 

That sounds like " the general consensus".

 

BUT< have you tried the 55's at 400 yards?   Might be accurate/wind bucking enough for your matches???

I haven't really given it a fair go at those distances, kinda followed the crowd on the heavier weights.  Might be worth a shot for my wallet.

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Earlier this year, I purchased a bulk pack of Hornady 40 grain Zmax bullets to use in bay stages. Using my standard charge of 25.5 of H335, it's little more recoil than my .22LR upper. My normal load is using 55 grain Vmax or Nosler Ballistic Tips over the same load of H335. This load is used at Rocky Mountain 3 Gun with targets out to 550 or more yards. 

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What has already been said is definitely good advice. The one thing that the heavier bullets do better is transfer energy to reactive targets. LaRue's, poorly maintained flashers, etc will react better with marginal hits with the heavier bullets. Otherwise, the lighter bullets travelling at higher velocities give greater margin of error for range guesstimation  and generally have more gas to work the comp and, most importantly, often leave a little extra unburnt powder at the muzzle for awe-inspiring muzzle flash in lower-light conditions.

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6 hours ago, Wahoo72 said:

I haven't really given it a fair go at those distances, kinda followed the crowd on the heavier weights.  Might be worth a shot for my wallet.

When I was undergoing this same decision-making process, I found that 55 Nosler BTs were quite accurate out to 400 yards. However, I could always find 69 and 77 Sierra or Nosler CC  bulk or blems much cheaper than the 55 Nosler BTs. And, as others have already indicated, the heavier weight bullets make hits on the long range steel indicate better. Helps the spotter or RO.

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55 gr Sierra Blitzkings for everything but short bay stages.  Been using this for more than 10 yrs, no problems with hitting flashers out to 500 yds, just know your ballistic.  I also found Nosler 55 gr ballistic tip bullets have just about the same POI and accuracy as the Sierra BKs.

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On 11/14/2017 at 11:17 AM, Dan Sierpina said:

Make sure you use quality 55 grain bullets. Hornady V Max, Nosler Ballistic Tips or Sierra Blitz Kings will all give you good accuracy.

 

Yep, for sure Dan. Us old school guys just haven't bought into the heavy bullets scene :P.  I've tried 69 gr SMK and nah...no spectacular results so back to the old tried and true 55 BKs.

Edited by PacMan
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Can be successful either way.

 

I've found the great majority of the time with the uppers I've had it is easier to get them to shoot with heavier bullets ---  75/77's.

 

68/69's have been inconsistent for me.  Never found Hornady 55 FMJBT to be consistently accurate.  Had to spend more (better quality than FMJBT) to get 55's to shoot.  

 

Found generally that higher quality 55's and 75/77's are fairly close to the same price.  So I've stuck with 75/77's for long range.

 

Use the cheapest bullet for close range <100 yards.  Usually means 55's.

 

Heavier bullets have more "ass" and will move the targets at range better.  Heavier bullets will require less powder than long range 55 loads.  Less powder usually means longer barrel life.    

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I shoot 55 gr bulk hornady fmj out to about 200 for matches I care about. Club matches I stretch to 300. Then when I care I go full retard and do 77gr tmk, the cost difference isn't that much from 69 grain... and I kinda follow what I do with CMP/ NRA service rifle. The 77gr tmk also lines up nicely with my JM-1 reticle out to 600 when using a 200 yard zero ( also easy enough to have an offset and zero at 50 yards for when I can't get to 200 when on the road.

 

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3 hours ago, Religious Shooter said:

 

68/69's have been inconsistent for me.  ...  

 

 

 

Same here, I tried 68 gr Hornady and 69 gr Sierra, perhaps I'm not using the right powder with these but loading from a 650, I'm limited to fine ball powders (2460, TAC, or H335).

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5 hours ago, PacMan said:

 

Same here, I tried 68 gr Hornady and 69 gr Sierra, perhaps I'm not using the right powder with these but loading from a 650, I'm limited to fine ball powders (2460, TAC, or H335).

Have never got the Hornady 68s and 75s to shoot for me, but they have their adherents. However, the 69 SMK is very easy to get shooting sub-MOA, even with a 650. AA 2460 has also been quite forgiving. Sort your brass, bevel case mouths and keep the charge weight under max (for your gun) in hot weather. 8208 is not a ball powder, but drops consistently in a progressive and is also a good powder for 69 and 77 SMKs.

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10 hours ago, PacMan said:

 

Same here, I tried 68 gr Hornady and 69 gr Sierra, perhaps I'm not using the right powder with these but loading from a 650, I'm limited to fine ball powders (2460, TAC, or H335).

Why do you figure you can't use a stick powder like Varget in a 650?  I've tried it.  It can be a bit crunchy and abrupt but it puts powder in the case.  Precisely how consistently I'm not sure...  But I don't think it is any less consistent than with ball powder like 335.

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I've had terrible luck with hornady 68 gr.  But great luck with nosler / Sierra 69.. now I do have good luck with the 75 from hornady.  As far as anything under 200 yds I use 55 FMJ from Rocky Mountain reloading $67/K right now with code.  Or 55 gr SOFT POINT from hornady.  They shoot WAY better than the FMJ stuff.

 

 I zero the rifle at 100 with the 75's and learn my drops out to my needed distance.  Then just double check my 55 gr loads out to 200.. generally they shoot to same point of aim within a couple inches.  If there is a tight target, or small target on a stage I'll either count and stage the 75's or just use 75's the whole stage.

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55gr Hornady 55gr FMJ BT w/cannalure over 25 gr of H335 chronos at almost exactly 3,000 fps out of my 18" JP.  The load has been good out to 400 yards when the wind is mellow. 

 

69 SMK has been my go to for long range/with wind and spinners.  I feel like it puts a little more 'umph' on spinners and bucks the wind a little better. 

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