Got to the range this morning, and did add 6 powders to the 25-35 collection (vvn140, aa2015, h322, i4320, vvn130 and rl7). The graphs and html which the above links point to have been updated.
Some comments on the data (but all relative to our firearm):
- most of the top loads are max loads.
- the vvn130, 133, 135 and 140 appear to have room to go another grain; the 135 and 140, maybe 2 gr.
- the vvn120 data is the lower branch of its data, the 16-20gr branch is in process.
- the lilgun 16gr load is hot!
- for target shooting, the bullet/cartridge/firearm seems to have a sweetspot at or just under 2k fps - suspect given careful loads and shooting, one could go under 1 moa for 5 shots (not bad for a bulk seriously-long-in-the-tooth bullets).
- nicely, for hunting, one can load them hot (28-2900fps) and still really not give too much away in terms of accuracy - it's always nice when one can get away with such (which is not normally the case for leverguns). When we get to the 75gr sierra hp's, where the top loads should be over 3000fps, we'll almost be talking about a serious flat shoot'n levergun
.
Other than that: time for me to get a shower (and quit smelling like burned vvn140)... and get the brass into the tumblers and get ready for the next range trip... and another 6 new powders for the 25-35 - We'll post them when we've got 'em (probably next monday or tuesday - weather speculators are calling for showers tonight thru sunday, ie, good time to reload and be ready when it clears).
do shoot straight,
greg
www.gmdr.com
ps. the 300 pieces of brass we're using to take the data will be on their 7th reloading... and at least as of the 6th reloading, no case stretch has been seen (at least at the .002" level), ie, although we're calling the loads max, the brass isn't being beat up.
pps. if we do the interior ballistics correctly, it appears that we're giving back about 4000 CUP in terms of pressure by going with the 1:16 barrel vs a 1:8, ie, the longtime industry standard 30gr i3031 max load, appears hot, but only moderately so (but not nearly the cratered primers one remembers from a 1:8 winchester shooting the same load of yesteryear).
ppps. the PWV graph is Velocity (fps) as a function of PowderWeight (grains); the GSV graph is GroupSize (inches, 10 shots, at 50 yrds, varmint style, from bench) vs Velocity (fps).