36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
While I was doing some load development at the range with my pope gun this week a mate brought along his Ruger 220 swift laminate job to do the same. The main focus for him this time round was the 36gn barnes varmint grenades I gave to him for Xmas. Now right from the outset I had no great expectations with regards to accuracy with these pills at all. I can't remember reading anywhere of someone commenting on their accuracy.
Before I left home I did a quick calculation on the probable velocity of this projectile. When I came up with a figure of between 4600 and 4700fps my jaw dropped with disbelief! That was the theoretical but I expected finding the right powder that could do this would be harder in reality. We started out loading one round at a time with each powder load and running it over the chrony. We eventually worked our way up to this velocity without too much sign of pressure.
To say we were stoked is an understatement! We actually achieved an average higher than this but that just happened to be what was on the chrony when a cease fire was called so we could take a picture.
About then I was saying, who gives a s**t if this load doesn't shoot, we're gunna get right up close to something so I can video the crap being blown out of it!
After reaching this comfortable working load it was time to load a few up to shoot a group (pattern?)
Well bugger me! The look on our faces when this was the resultant 100yd group!
The wind was gusting across the range making things difficult but even so, shooting between gusts my mate managed to put down several 0.6 moa 5 shot groups with these pills.
We both had grins on our faces for the rest of the day that ya couldn't remove with a cricket bat.
Even though these pills have a lousy ballistic coefficient, running them through the ballistics program still shows a pretty respectable trajectory.
With them being a lot more wind sensitive than my usual 30+cal varmint rifles this will still be a very interesting load to try out on critters on the upcoming shooting trip though!
Before I left home I did a quick calculation on the probable velocity of this projectile. When I came up with a figure of between 4600 and 4700fps my jaw dropped with disbelief! That was the theoretical but I expected finding the right powder that could do this would be harder in reality. We started out loading one round at a time with each powder load and running it over the chrony. We eventually worked our way up to this velocity without too much sign of pressure.
To say we were stoked is an understatement! We actually achieved an average higher than this but that just happened to be what was on the chrony when a cease fire was called so we could take a picture.
About then I was saying, who gives a s**t if this load doesn't shoot, we're gunna get right up close to something so I can video the crap being blown out of it!
After reaching this comfortable working load it was time to load a few up to shoot a group (pattern?)
Well bugger me! The look on our faces when this was the resultant 100yd group!
The wind was gusting across the range making things difficult but even so, shooting between gusts my mate managed to put down several 0.6 moa 5 shot groups with these pills.
We both had grins on our faces for the rest of the day that ya couldn't remove with a cricket bat.
Even though these pills have a lousy ballistic coefficient, running them through the ballistics program still shows a pretty respectable trajectory.
With them being a lot more wind sensitive than my usual 30+cal varmint rifles this will still be a very interesting load to try out on critters on the upcoming shooting trip though!
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
I'm very keen to see some pizza shots
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
300 RUM what powder and charge were you using for that. Pretty keen to give em a go in my swift
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
I was wondering how long it would take for you to jump on this thread mate. The only problem would be finding a still day to try them out, but I will be a good mate and volunteer to give you a hand to try them out.MISSED wrote:300 RUM what powder and charge were you using for that. Pretty keen to give em a go in my swift
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
Iam sure you will mate and the sooner the better
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
That's friggin fast. Rabbit vapourisation
Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
Yeah the load is 42.5 of 2206. Not 2206H. (all the obvious warnings apply). My mate has enough of this powder left for the next hunting trip but we'll have to work out another load in the future. Probably with 2206H. We stuffed around with seating depths a fair bit which had a sizable affect on velocity and pressure but made little difference to accuracy.MISSED wrote:300 RUM what powder and charge were you using for that. Pretty keen to give em a go in my swift
Oscar270 they are sensitive to wind but no more so than a lot of the other smaller varmint cals.
Just another tip if you're using collet type dies, at these speeds consistent neck tension seems to make large variations to velocity. Once the cases were sorted though, that solved any of those problems we had. All in all I think a very cool result in the end.
Cheers Brett
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
Thanks for that 300 rum think I have a tin of 06 here.How bad was the pizza.
Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
The first try out on critters won't be for a few weeks yet.MISSED wrote:Thanks for that 300 rum think I have a tin of 06 here.How bad was the pizza.
If have a different gun to ours it might be worth working up your loads somewhere other than in front of your chrony too. We didn't have any explode on leaving the barrel but mate they must be close. Once your max loads are hitting paper at 100yds you should be safe.
I learnt that the hard way using 110gn Vmax out of my 300winmag. One shot = 130 bux!
Cheers Brett
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
one good thing mate haven`t got a chrony.I have got a Ruger but a mk1.Will start at a mild load and go up .5 at a time.
Cheers Mate
Cheers Mate
Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
Nah bugger wasting bullets going up .5 gn at a time. 1gn will give you plenty of warning if you're starting mild. They're light pills. With heavy pills you might want to go in .5gn increments.MISSED wrote: one good thing mate haven`t got a chrony.I have got a Ruger but a mk1.Will start at a mild load and go up .5 at a time.
Cheers Mate
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
I didnt think they would be mate but some of the breezes we have had around here lately would make the "Roaring Fourties" look like a mid summer zephyr.300RUM wrote:Oscar270 they are sensitive to wind but no more so than a lot of the other smaller varmint cals.
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
oscar270 wrote:I didnt think they would be mate but some of the breezes we have had around here lately would make the "Roaring Fourties" look like a mid summer zephyr.300RUM wrote:Oscar270 they are sensitive to wind but no more so than a lot of the other smaller varmint cals.
Ahh don't you love the Southern Tablelands chill you to the bone winds? Probably not right now but in 2 months time that wind is going to SUCK!!!!
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
They suck now mate. This year they have been that hot and dry you have to take a camelbak with you when you get out to open a gate.kjd wrote: Ahh don't you love the Southern Tablelands chill you to the bone winds? Probably not right now but in 2 months time that wind is going to SUCK!!!!
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Re: 36gn Varmint grenades + 220 Swift = FAARRK
Does it settle down of an evening?
I've always found that the winds settle down of an evening down there. Dunno what it is but generall the wind dies of a night.
I've always found that the winds settle down of an evening down there. Dunno what it is but generall the wind dies of a night.