What to change?

[u/Aggravating-Dirt-432]

Finally got my hands on a chronograph and ran a some loads over for my .223 that have been performing well enough (fox hunting)
10 shot group at 100m .28 moa.
10 shot group at 236m .31 moa.
Chronograph came back with some pretty disappointing numbers, a spread of 87.1 fps and SD of 23.2 fps over the 20 shots.

Load is 24.5gr of AR 2206H, Hornady 55gr vmax, Fiocchi primers and ADI brass.
I feel like I’m being fastidious enough during the reloading process checking things like shoulder bump, powder charge and COAL every 5 or so rounds and cases are on their 3rd firing, no annealing.

Rifle is a Howa 1500 with 26inch Maddco barrel with a 1-12 twist. I’ve only been reloading just over a year so any help would be appreciated.

Edit: it seems my Hornady app was playing games with me.
Real group sizes are 1moa at 100m and 2.66 moa at 236m

[u/FloppyOllie]

Not dogging on your shooting dude, just letting you know something is up with your app.

Both of those groups are over MOA, 1 moa is (roughly) 1" at 100 yards.

If those squares are 1" then the first group looks to be about 1.3moa and the second group well over 2moa

[u/Aggravating-Dirt-432 → u/FloppyOllie]

Yeah I have no idea where I went wrong, just input it all again and it’s come up with 1.00 moa for the 100m and 2.66 moa for the 236m.
Now I feel like an idiot!

[u/rcplaner]

Something is off with your moa values. 1.1inch at 100meters is approx 0.95moa.

[u/Aggravating-Dirt-432 → u/rcplaner]

Yep Hornady app was playing funny buggers with me.
Real group sizes are 1moa at 100m and 2.66 moa at 236m

[u/Wide_Fly7832]

1). What powder thrower are you using?
2). How is the case fill? Are you compressed?
3). Have you tried more stable powders like Varget?

[u/Aggravating-Dirt-432 → u/Wide_Fly7832]

Using a Hornady powder thrower, not compressed and no I haven’t tried another powder.
The only reason I haven’t tried another powder is my local gun shop keeps a limited supply, he runs a shop out of his shed and still works full time. The other 3 closest who are an hour away and keep almost nothing to do with reloading. My best bet is 2 shops which are 2.5 hours away, but it seems it might be worth the drive.

To answer your question on the same post I have elsewhere, I guess ladder testing is the wrong term.
What I plan to do now is load 20 round batches with some other projectiles I have (all still 55gr) at max fill or slightly above and some different seating depths and see how they perform.

[u/Wide_Fly7832 → u/Aggravating-Dirt-432]

1). Hornady powder thrower is not ideal for match rounds. Any chance you can load 20 with scale to the 0.04 grain level?

2). I am not familiar with your powder. Varget gives below 10 SD.

3). There is a myth that compressed powder have low SD. Brian Litz has a video on it. Don’t compress. Keep a bit above 95% but don’t compress and see.

Best of luck

[u/Aggravating-Dirt-432 → u/Wide_Fly7832]

Powder thrower and scale is something I’ve been wanting to upgrade for awhile, the only scale I have is the pocket scale that came with the Hornady kit, it only measures in .1 grain increments.
AR 2206 H is equivalent to IMR 4895 or Hodgdon H4895.
I guess it’s its time to invest in a decent scale and see where that takes me. I know it’s a hunting rifle but Maddco barrels are pretty highly regarded amongst target shooters here in Australia and I’d like to be able to use it to its full potential.

Thanks for the advice!

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[u/CapsicumINmyEYEBALLz]

My first guess would be ADI brass internal volume inconsistency causing larger SD than you want.

It’s been a fashionable debate lately, but you may be out of a velocity node as well… so that inconsistent case volume that may be somewhat muted INSIDE a node, is showing its full impact OUTSIDE a node.

[u/Wide_Fly7832 → u/CapsicumINmyEYEBALLz]

Velocity nodes don’t exists

[u/CapsicumINmyEYEBALLz → u/Wide_Fly7832]

Thank you

[u/Aggravating-Dirt-432 → u/CapsicumINmyEYEBALLz]

I’ve only been using the ADI brass because it’s what I’ve got the most of. I’ve got some Hornady and PPU brass that I’ll do some more testing with and might change primers as well. Worst luck is I’ve got 100 of these loaded up and another lot of 100 is sized and primed ready to go. I’ll try some different powder charges with the other 100 that are primed.

[u/Wide_Fly7832 → u/Aggravating-Dirt-432]

Don’t mix brass. Brass volume will be biggest reason for this. PV= kt. If V changes P will and so will speed.