learned that the Berger fl at-based bullets have a gas seal, which for me required sizing as deep as the bullet was seated. I partially sized the neck to maintain consistent neck runout of 0.001" or un- der on the dial. This would not do, so back to square one. I purchased 70-grain and 80-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets. With the powder I had I could not get the accuracy as consistent as needed. I was using the 69-grain Bergers
Target used by author during load development. Groups decreased as powder charge was increased to 48.5 grains.
and Ramshot Magnum. Berger Bullets recommends a seating depth test of 0.010", 0.050", 0.090", and 0.130" off the lands to see where the gun shoots best. The 88-grain performed best at 0.010". So now I have my primer, case,
bullet, and seating depth. Next is to work up my powder in half-grain incre- ments. The Ramshot Magnum was quite poor at 1" plus. The RL19 was under 1", and the RL22 was in the ½" range. I dis- covered that my seating die was leaving a ring or mark on the bullet. The seating plug was not deep enough to accom- modate the long-tipped 88-grain bullet. Calling RCBS, I learned a custom plug would cost about $50 … so I removed the plug, placed it in a drill press vise, very carefully drilled out the bottom, and then hand polished it. Now the bul- let seats tight in the plug and is centered without leaving a mark. I discovered another problem
with the 88-grain bullet. When using virgin cases there was no problem with neck tension but I partially neck size to control neck runout to 0.001" or under on the dial. I could not attain enough tension to hold the bullet so my solu- tion was to increase the bushing by 0.002" and size the neck as deep as the bullet was seated. I thought this was a satisfactory solution so I ordered three more boxes of the 88-grain bullets. When I began to resize more cases, my runout would increase up to 0.004". I
Page 154 October — December 2011
with IMR4895 as a hunting load. As I experimented, they grouped from ½" to ¾". I did not go any further with the 69-grain bullets because of the jump to the lands. Next, I experimented with RL19. I worked up a load of 48.5 grains RL19 at 3,380 fps at 0.075" off the lands, which shot ¼" groups. I had come full circle back to the original bullet I started with. It is best not to force-feed the thing but give it what it wants to eat. One other technique I started to employ because of an article in The VARMINT HUNTER Magazine® is swirl charging. I found out that aluminum spun funnels are not good for swirl charging because the ridges in the funnel impede the swirling effect. The plastic funnel, being completely smooth, works great. Without having access to a long-
range target, I calculated my bullet drop using Berger’s Ballistic Program. I sighted in my gun at 100 yards and then was able to confi rm the target ad- justments by shooting out to 200 yards. Preparation was complete. The
bench was ready to go, the rifl e was equipped with the 6.5-20x50 Leupold scope, and my load work was done. The only thing left to do was to set a date. Lex Argyle, a fellow VHA mem- ber, and I planned to hunt over the July 4 weekend. We decided on July 2. We hunt a number of farms, but in the southeastern part of the state 500-yard shots are few. The fi rst spot we went to did not work because the farmer was baling hay and had broken down, so we went to another farm. I decided to hunt a soybean fi eld, which I could overlook from an elevated hay fi eld. The bench was set up and as I glassed the fi eld, a ’hog appeared on the edge, standing up. I dialed in my scope and waited for the ’hog to present a horizontal shot. I prefer this position because I have more control over elevation than windage. He started to walk along the edge of the wood line and fi eld, stopped with front
feet on the ground and head up. I saw the perfect shot. I placed the line on his chest behind the shoulder, squeezed the trigger, and the ’hog was hit. This was my fi rst attempt and fi rst shot to qualify for the 500 Yard Club. One year’s work culminated in that one shot. Fairly often I read gun reviews by writers who use a gun or other piece of equipment for a weekend and then give their evalu- ation. Sometimes, the reviewers have their outings paid for by the product’s manufacturer so it would be natural not to be as critical. This is why I appreciate articles by
members who have used their equip- ment for some time before giving their evaluation. I know it takes me some time to learn or digest a new gun, usu- ally one year of hunting and reloading. It becomes quite personal. This present outfi t is about one year and I have come to know it quite well. The T/C Icon Precision Hunter is
the perfect match for my style of hunt- ing, mostly stalking and sitting on a portable seat and shooting off a tripod, though at times I use a bench and shoot long distance. Some noteworthy points are:
From the fi rst shot this barrel has never copper fouled. There is no velocity loss with the
22" barrel. Other powders and bullets may give different results. With help from a friend, I adjusted
the trigger to 2 lbs., 4 oz. with no creep. Excellent! The scope mounting system is
rock solid. When working up loads for ac-
curacy, up to a maximum load, I have never had any signs of high pressure. Most important, the gun has con- sistent, repeatable accuracy. It has a lifetime guarantee. The only negative would be that
the sling swivel on the fore-end came loose and I epoxied it to make it secure. An improvement would be a stud with metal screw and nut. The Leupold 6.5-20x50 LRT is A+.
The target adjustments are right on specs. I own four Leupolds and they all perform great. This year is winding down but I
hope to get out with the bench and try another long-range poke.
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