# Wow what a load and setup!!



## beartooth (Feb 18, 2007)

I went out this morning March 21st and started shooting to develop a 200gr load for my Kimber 8400 Montana 30-06 for accuracy and velocity. My zero will be 200yds with my Boone & Crockett 3.5-10x40mm which will allow me graduated shots out to 500yds. The 200gr bullet will not have as much drift as a 165 or 180 gr bullet and the bullet I have chosen will perform well at 30-06 velocities up close or far away and has been proven to do so by hunting with it. Well to my pleasant surprise and delight not only did I get the velocity I wanted which the round through the chronograph from low extreme to highest was 2663-2681 and the accuracy was just short of phenomenal. When it was time to sight it in at 200yds I fired a group of three. The load is 54gr of IMR4350, Winchester brass, Fed. 210 primer, pushing a Sierra 200gr Game King SBT and the O.A.L. was 3.265". The first group measured 1 1/2 inches and was two clicks to the left. But I knew I could get the group tighter because I knew I had pulled the second round when firing this first group and the first and third rounds just touched each other. So moved two clicks to the right and I took my time and fired every three minutes (the temp. was 71degrees and the humidity was 90) and what a group and round or should I say what a rifle and scope. Really what a combination of rifle, scope, and handload. I shot a .392 inch group of three. That's right and they were all touching. Fired again and shot a .623" group. I have decided to use this round on deer and anything above that I hunt unless I get a chance to hunt a brown bear. Well needless to say I am excited about my rifle, scope and round. What an all a round cartridge, rifle, scope and handload. This was a lot of fun today and days like this don't always happen, in fact handloading usually takes a lot of work, but not today, it was as close to prefect as a shooting day can get. I now have a load for my combine elk and black bear hunt for this coming fall. Just beartooth :lol:


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## beartooth (Feb 18, 2007)

Hey, I just thought about it and it might not be clear in my first post but the impacts of the bullets are a 200yds not 100, that is why I am so excited about my load and setup. just beartooth


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

You should be proud.  Those are some pretty nice groups and sound far better than average to me.

You mentioned your scope has graduation marks allowing you to shoot out to 500 yards. Using a muzzle velocity of 2675 (which should be close to your average), a BC of .555 pulled from the Sierra web site and assuming a scope mount height of 1.5 inches you would have a maximum bullet rise of 2.1 inches and you will be 47.2 inches low at 500 yards. If you moved your zero to 230 yards you would have a max rise of 3.0 inches, but you would improve your 500 yard drop by 4 inches to 43.3. (If you are interested.) Are the graduation marks on your scope custom to fit the 200 yard zero? Or are they set at the factory? How do you know they will match?


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

Okay, I went to this site http://www.gunblast.com/Leupold-VXIII-BC.htm and now I see how you are doing it. What BC are they using as a standard for their drop? I ran calculations based on the Sierra GK and the Pro Hunter both in 180 gr bullets at a muzzle velocity of 2700 per the web site above and I get close to 5 inches different at 500 yards. It is also 6.7 inches different than the chart posted on the same site. It would appear to me that with the trajectory of your load you would want to site in closer to a 247 yard zero to match their bullet drop compensation. Is this making any sense?

I really like the idea of that reticle they put in there, but unless it is customized, it seems it would be in-accurate and just cause more confusion.


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## beartooth (Feb 18, 2007)

I use the same as the 180gr and it works. we are hiting gallon jugs at each distance. I am a 1/2 inch high at 200 and for my load and bullet it works.


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

According to my calculations, if you are 1/2" high at 200 yards, at 500 yards, your bullet will be around 5 inches low compared to what they are saying it should be. If I used that scope for my 300 win mag, I'd be hitting 7 inches higher than what they say. Doesn't seem very accurate.


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## iwantabuggy (Feb 15, 2005)

I guess that is MOM (minute of milkjug) LOL. 

The reason I am being such as stinker about it is because I am in the market for a scope for a 22-250 that will to be set up for long range varminting. If the system works, I want it. I don't see how it can work unless it is custom, or unless your trajectory just happens to coincide with theirs.


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## beartooth (Feb 18, 2007)

My Zero is really 195 at 200yds. Here is how my bullet is working out in the field. At 300 my 200gr one tenth of an inch higher than the 180, at 400 my 200gr is about 9 tenths of an inch lower, at 450 my 200gr is 1 3/4 inches higher and at 500 my 200gr is 3 1/4 inches higher than the 180 grain. Now this is how it is working out when we shoot these ranges with 6 mile an hour wind or less so we do not have to deal with drift. Now That is accurate enough for elk, deer or black bear for competition now but the Boone & Crockett is not for competition it is for quick long distant shooting at game. just beartooth


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## beartooth (Feb 18, 2007)

SORRY TYPED MY POST WRONG. HERE IS THE CORRECTION. My Zero is really 195 at 200yds. Here is how my bullet is working out in the field. At 300 my 200gr one tenth of an inch lower than the 180, at 400 my 200gr is about 9 tenths of an inch higher, at 450 my 200gr is 1 3/4 inches higher and at 500 my 200gr is 3 1/4 inches higher than the 180 grain. Now this is how it is working out when we shoot these ranges with 6 mile an hour wind or less so we do not have to deal with drift. Now That is accurate enough for elk, deer or black bear for competition now but the Boone & Crockett is not for competition it is for quick long distant shooting at game. just beartooth


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## beartooth (Feb 18, 2007)

nhunter said:


> I guess that is MOM (minute of milkjug) LOL.
> 
> The reason I am being such as stinker about it is because I am in the market for a scope for a 22-250 that will to be set up for long range varminting. If the system works, I want it. I don't see how it can work unless it is custom, or unless your trajectory just happens to coincide with theirs.


Hey, it really works if you are just close to their velocities. and you all the cal. you mentioned you can get real close. I promise it works in the field with just a little practice and slight zero ajustment. The Boone & Crockett make it possible for me to shoot a 30-06 make it as deadly as the Magnums because of the weight of my bullet. I reall like mine and it is great glass at all power ranges and the Kimber rifle I can't say enough about. beartooth


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## beartooth (Feb 18, 2007)

I am going to try to discipline myself this coming year and use this round and setup (Kimber 8400 Montana, Leupold VXIII Boone & Crockett, 200gr SBT) for everything I hunt from deer and up, just so I can see what the results on game will be. This will be tough since I own so many rifles in different cartridges and cal. I was so excited about this load that I kept 9 rounds for hunting and loaded some more to use this morning. Well, I shot four more groups of three at 200 yds and the Luepold held zero and the rifle and round were still in the ball park. From group one to four here were the results, .978, 1.023, .691, .752 this is a fine round and rifle, scope setup. It will be fun to make long shots at white tail deer on a gas line I hunt and also on elk and black bear when I hunt out west. It will also be fun to see what this load does up close in a Mississippi swamp I will hunt this fall.


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## beartooth (Feb 18, 2007)

can't wait for hunting season 
8) 8)


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

Quality shines through. Congrats on a fine rifle/scope/load combo. BTW, you must be a pretty competent bench shot to have consistant 200 yard groups such as those you site. Your experience reinforces the old adage " GIGO, or garbage in, garbage out". Good hunting, Burl


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

I bet I can throw this football over them mountains........


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## johnsona (Dec 4, 2003)

I bet I can throw in a more useless post than Jiffy. Hey look, I did.


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## Jiffy (Apr 22, 2005)

Johnsona, I caught you a delicious bass........ 

Damn Beartooth, with a consistent average of .5 MOA, you should be on the Mississippi shooting team! 8)


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## Horsager (Aug 31, 2006)

I can vouch for being able to work up a load that matches the B&C reticle, twice. Once with my 270, once with my 243. I've also gone the route of Leupold's custom shop for a LR reticle on one rifle.

In a perfect world you'd have a high powered scope just for load development. You'd develop an accurate load then either get a scope from Leupolds custom shop with a custom reticle, or get a B&C reticle from your favorite local shop.

Good repeatable turrets make all of the above moot, but they're not as fast under field conditions.


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## johnsona (Dec 4, 2003)

Haha okay Jiffy, I've gotta admit, that one made me laugh.


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