Question about Ammo accuracy

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  • clfergus

    Expert
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    49   0   0
    Mar 9, 2009
    1,464
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    Southeast Indy
    Have gotten some great advice on here already about my new Howa 1500 .308 rifle. My other Howas are super accurate and I never really had to think about grain or brand. They seemed to like the first few things I tried. This new Howa has been different. I didn't care for the performance I was getting in my old 308 from the Winchester Power Points, they were accurate as hell though in 150 grain.

    The new Howa loves them but I don't so I was excited to read about 150 grain Hornady American Whitetail. Expansion for a cheap factory load was suppose to be great but my Howa sprayed them all over the place. Some INGO members suggested I try 165 grain loads so I bought some Federal Sierra Gameking 165 grain and Barnes TTSX 168 grain.

    The Howa loved the Gamekings but didn't shoot the Barnes as well. I am happy I have a few rounds the gun really likes but I would love for it to shoot everything I fed it.

    What variables make the difference in why a gun likes certain ammo? Is it the way a bullet expands into the rifling? Is it the quality control over the powder ammounts? If it likes Federal Gamekings are the chances it will like other Federal ammo greater?

    Just curious.
     

    Broom_jm

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    Dec 10, 2009
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    Learn to reload, then you can tailor your ammo to your rifle. Otherwise, you're at the mercy of the ammo companies and whatever they have to offer. With that said, find a load you and your rifle both like and buy a good supply of it.

    Every gun is a unique puzzle, when it comes to accuracy. Reloading helps you decide how to solve that puzzle.
     

    ChristianPatriot

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    28   0   0
    Feb 11, 2013
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    Clifford, IN
    I'll try to sum up as best I can. When a round is fired out of a barrel, there are thousands of vibrations that run up and down the barrel. Every barrel is different. Consecutive serial numbers of the same rifle will have different barrels. Each barrel has certain accuracy "nodes" that you try to match your muzzle velocity to. You want the bullet leaving the muzzle when it's at it's "quietest". When you reload, you can try lots of different powder charges to fine tune that moment. There are a million other factors but that's kinda the basics. Bullet weight, twist rate, barrel length, machining tolerances, and on and on. They all matter. Buying factory ammo is kind've a toss up on whether or not it will match your barrel. Clear as mud?
     

    sloughfoot

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    Apr 17, 2008
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    Huntertown, IN
    Have you checked that your barrel is truly free floated? Is the receiver tight and straight in the buttstock? New factory rifles are pretty good these days, but a quick check by someone knowledgeable might turn up some small thing effecting your accuracy potential.
     

    GIJEW

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    Mar 14, 2009
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    Regarding ChristianPatriot's comment about harmonic voodoo, I've seen ads for what look like rubber donuts to put on the barrel. Could just be a gimmick though.
     

    oldpink

    Grandmaster
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    0   0   0
    Apr 7, 2009
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    Farmland
    Regarding ChristianPatriot's comment about harmonic voodoo, I've seen ads for what look like rubber donuts to put on the barrel. Could just be a gimmick though.

    Dunno if these work, but the idea seems sound, so here's what you're talking about.
    711D5oeod0L._SL1271_.jpg
     

    Broom_jm

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    Dec 10, 2009
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    I have a SVL Limbsaver "Deresonator" on a thin-barreled 243 H&R. It wouldn't group the 100 grain bullets, so a buddy gave me a spare model of what is pictured above. The rifle still wouldn't group the 100's very well, but when I dropped down in weight (length) to 85gr Partitions, it immediately printed 1" groups. I removed the Sims donut and groups were not as good, so I put it back on and it has stayed there. My daughter killed her first two deer with that rifle.
     
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