Chronographs are not for true dreamers and wildcatters!
As I mentioned before one of my brothers spends a lot of money on different wildcats. He will call me up and tell me that he is building a rifle on a certain case, a different shoulder then the commercial version and he has certain expectations for the new wildcat. He has bought a barrel that cost the same or more than a Remington CDL or Winchester Model 70.
I believe he has Wildcat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (WADHD)
Brother has a Chrony which he shot one of the rods many years back and has not used it since. I provided him with a replacement rod but he has not put the Chrony back into service. I believe that he does not use his Chrony because it puts the “Dream” at risk.
He would rather protect the “Dream.” His custom 257 Roberts Improved (Ackley) being a good example. I rather doubt that it is any better than his stock 25-06 or 257 Weatherby. I can remember him taking a buck with the rifle when it was a 257 Roberts loaded with surplus 4831 and a 117 grain Hornady bullet. He was freshly back from Ke San, Vietnam.
I can flash back and remember when the perfectly mushroomed bullet was recovered from the deer. My brother, FIL, and I all agreed that one could not expect better results.
A couple years back he called to tell me that he took a buck using his “custom” 6MM-284 Winchester. He started spouting of velocities around or above 3200 feet per second out of his 26-inch barrel. According to the book the case can do it.
Suffering from EBS (Eldest Brother Syndrome) I asked him if he had fire the round over his Chrony.
Response: I cannot find my Chrony.
A week later he called to tell me that he had taken a buck using his .35 RCBS Improved with a 250-grain bullet. It is apparent that top velocity at the expense of bullet weight is not the goal. In fact this might be a compromise round. He does not seem to care for the recoil produced by his 358 Norma Magnum.
Suffering from EBS I have become the check point for the brothers. Our parents have passed on and the brothers and we talk.
WADHD brother has greatly contributed to my reloading and hunting skills. He got me started on Surplus 4831, when WW785 disappeared off the shelves he found a couple of pounds for me.
He loads and fires a few thousands rounds from varies rifles every year. Much of this investment has been lost. His record keeping is almost none existent. His record is the label on the box of reloads with basic information.
A recent project is a 6.5-284 Winchester. It has a twenty-five inch fluted Shilen barrel. This is a costly project with custom dies, and cases. He has tried a number of different powder and bullet combinations.
Unfortunately he is not maintaining good records, or gathering data over the Chrony. The dream is safe but the data will be lost.
Yes, I do have the dream but a more curtailed version. When my Dad decided to pass on his three, 300-Savage rifles I as Elder Brother had first choice and I took the Remington 722 with a 24-inch barrel. WADHD wanted the rifle for its action. I wanted because it was an important part of our family hunting history.
Admittedly I have thought in the past about re-chambering the rifle for 308 Winchester to gain a few more feet per second. I have tried three different powders in it, IMR4320, IMR4064, and AA2015. The old Lyman manuals show IMR4320 as the powder in the factory duplicate load. I have found IMR4064 to be to my liking with 150 and 165-grain bullets in the rifle. I am loading at the maximum load published in the Hornaday manual. But it was not until I owned the Chrony did I realize that I was edging the 308 Winchester advantage I was looking for. I could compress another grain or so in the case but I see no value in it.
I fired some old factory rounds across the Chrony and found the velocity is off more than 100 feet per second. Basing a drop card for the rifle on published factory velocities would have been a waste of ink. At the time I was hunting an old burn where two and three hundred yards shots were possible.
Brother loads similar powders for the same case, as a sample H4350, IMR4350, AA4350, WW760, and H414. We know there are differences in the powders and the published data is different. I believe the difference in velocity, Standard Derivation, and Extreme Spread could be a factor when purchasing the next jug of powder.
The discussion of RL-22 is of interest because of its burning range. It maybe a powder that needs to be loaded near maximum to achieve full benefit. A shooter was firing across my Chrony expecting to obtain 2800 fps using RL-22. He was disappointed that at most he was getting 2650 fps. He is a good note keeper, and he made some notes his binder.
Ultimate velocity is not my overall goal. I get about 130 fps more out of the 165-grain bullet in the 30-06 than my Dad’s old 300 Savage. I have not hunted with the rifle in a few years; the last hunt was memorial hunt for Dad and the rifle. One shot, one deer.
Dads rifle using a 165-grain Nosler PT.
P.S.
Wordy yes, locked in house with Shingles for three weeks.
