Had Barrel Cut/Recrowned, Need To Change Load???

[Dave1]

After about 20 years of deer hunting in soggy Florida my old Rem Model 700 243 developed some rust/pitting in the end of the barrel.  What was a great grouping 300 yard gun began to scatter bullets at long range.  Figuring the pitting was the cause, I had the barrel cut and recrowned.  The smith had to cut about 1 1/2" from the factory 22" barrel to remove all defects.

I handload for this gun/cal using H4831 powder and 100gr Sierra BT bullets.  I am wondering how much velocity have I lost and should I consider changing powders and going to a faster burning powder because of the shorter barrel???

I appreciate any feedback.

Dave1
davisalf@aol.com

[Donna]

Hello Dave1,

You might have loss all of about 50fps to 75fps. That to me is not worth my time and trouble in changing powders. But I might play with the seating depth if and only if your new barrel job has affected accuracy at all. The accuracy can be affected because you have changed the barrel's harmonics, if this is the case then by changing the seating depth, fore or aft, you will change the barrel's harmonics back in sink with your load.

That is what reloading is all about. We change the total gun's harmonics till the muzzle becomes one of the Nodes. Any change in powder, primer, case capacity, seating depth, bullet design, bullet weight/length/density/construction, bedding, stock, barrel length/material, mass ratio, Expansion ratio, and more can and will change the total gun's harmonics, we just fine tune that harmonic signature so that the muzzle becomes one of the Nodes vice flapping in the breeze.

Donna :wink:

[Duffy]

To go along with what Donna said you may have to just tweak your powder charges a bit. Also depending on how much you gun has been shot you may have a bit of throat erosion that might be causing the accuracy problem more than the pitting did. Again playing with the seating depth should help.

Ryan