Reeder Custom Guns - Excess Pressure signs on brass in Ruger no 1

Morning folks,

I have a stainless Ruger no 1 in 308 and I am working up hand loads for elk.
It is a 20 inch barrel and I am trying to get up to an initial velocity of 2650 ft/s so that at 400 yards I am still at 2000 ft./s and have a proximately 1500 foot pounds of energy.
I am using the Barnes solid copper bullets for penetration.
I know that I may be limited on velocity due to the length of the barrel but I am trying to see where I end up.

Now that you have the background, I would appreciate some help knowing how to interpret excessive pressure signs on brass from a Ruger no 1.

Max load indicated in the Barnes manual (44.5 gr)
I ran the OCW Test at powder intervals of .3 grains from 43 to 44.8.

I then loaded five bullets in .3 gr intervals going up to 46 gr to attempt to find Max pressure or 2650 ft./s-whichever came first.
The intent being to continue the OCW test up through the target velocity or the “dial back” spot once I find over pressure.

I borrowed a chronometer but it’s not working reliably so I’m trying to proceed using pressure indications until I can find another chrono.

Bullet - 168 gr Barnes TTSX
Powder -Varget
Brass - lapua
Primer - CCI BR2

Thx
Matt

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Barns bullets shot poorly in anything I used them in. I haven't tried them any more in the last 8 years. They seem to get to over pressure earlier than conventional bullets. That's my opinion, your mileage may vary.

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First, accuracy kills, not speed. Ditch the chrono. All that does is cause headaches. Second, ditch the Barnes bullets and the Barnes manual. In many cases they do not expand and just make a 30 caliber hole going in and coming out and a wounded deer or elk is the result. And the Barnes manual is good only if you live in a Communist state like California where you are forced to use inferior bullets and loads. In my humble experience the Nosler Accubond is the best bullet on the market for deer or elk. You want a good expanding bullet, not a Barnes ice pick. Then look in the reloading manual and find the load for a bullet of the same weight. There are 6 or 7 good reloading manuals out there. I like the Lyman as it gives you more loads, whereas the others only give you loads for their bullets. Look in the manual and pick a load.It doesn't have to be a load for the Accubond, just a bullet of the same weight and configuration. Start with the medium range and load 3. See how they shoot and go up half a grain. Keep going up until you get the group that is the best. Pressure signs are easy to see. Your primer will crater and have sharp edges around the indentation from the firing pin. You will also see a shiny spot on the rim where the case has slammed back against the ejector. And finally look for a bulge at the base of the case. A good load will just give you a slight bulge, almost not noticeable, usually around .002. A bulge over .006 is a ruined case.

Also forget the stated velocities of longer ranges. Those are just guesses. Up here at 8000 feet where the air is clear a bullet will be 250 fps faster than in south Texas or Alabama due to denser air. So while you are ditching things, ditch those scales that tell you what the bullet is doing way out there.
So there you go. Easy as pie.

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I appreciate the feedback.

I’m not hung up on the Barnes but a buddy suggested them so..,.
I have accubonds next in the pipeline of trials. Thx for the suggestion.

And I am not hung up on my theoretical numbers as much is just trying to make sure that I am being conservative and don’t go out for elk under-powered. Put simply I am prepared to work harder to get closer if I need to.

Im running the OCW test and graphing the results so that I can end up with the best accuracy by group size. ( we are on the same page there) There are three powder charges that have already resulted in 1 inch groups or less before messing with seating depth. I would prefer to have as much velocity (matched with a small group) as possible.

I understand how to read primers but being a Ruger no 1 I was assuming that there would be no ejector signs or that there was some other esoteric indication I had to be looking for. Frankly I’m just a little bit nervous to go up any higher on the powder and I assumed I would say pressure signs at this point.

Regardless, I think I get your point. People have done load development long before there were chronographs and maybe it’s just a distraction at this point.

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group is absolutely not necessary. I hunt with a handgun only and I have no idea if any of my handguns will shoot a 1" group at 100, nor do I care. Nor do I know what speeds my bullet is coming out at. All I know is it is accurate and it is up to me to put the bullet in the right place. And I have taken a couple of animals thru the years. Bullet placement is the ONLY thing you need to be concerned with. An elk or a deer is a big target. If you can keep a good solid 2" to 2½" group at 100 that will work for any big game critter. As Nate said above, there is not an animal in the world that can tell 2800 fps from 3200 fps. A center lung shot at 2500 fps is a lot better than an ass shot at 3000 fps.

All the graphs and OCW test (whatever the hell that is) and seating depth will do for you is give you a headache. Forget all that crap and work on accuracy. Bullet placement. Forget the speed.

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at lower pressure than the Barnes, that I can promise you.

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Personally I would would be looking for the most accurate Loads, not the fastest. An elk isn't going to know the difference between a few hundred fps.

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Email me at bltkmt@verizon.net I went thru a similar drill a couple of years ago. Will be Monday before I can respond

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Excess Pressure signs on brass in Ruger no 1

Any help from you guys for my son appreciated. Thanks.

Steve, drop me a line, you have my addy

Email sent.

Br2 primers are pretty soft primers

Matt, you are not going to like this but here goes anyway.

Load

and remember, you are hunting, not target shooting. A 1"

The Accubonds will be faster more and mor accurate

Loads

308 TTSX