Ammo testing project

[264charlie]

Hello,

I am interested in testing factory ammo in 300 WM, .308 and maybe others in the future. I would like to test accuracy, velocity and bullet impact expansion performance.

I have found about 25 factory loads currently (guess I will find a few more)

Would anyone be interested in testing and writing up are results with me? I am looking for a experienced local member... a second 300 WM would be nice too.

I am located in Ventura County.

If so please PM me.

[ar15barrels]

So you are looking for someone to take your guns shooting for you and report back?
That should not be too much of a problem to find.

[Jonathan Doe]

It will be a big project. To be a fair test, you need to shoot at the comparable conditions. Firing the first string of 5 shots and 5 more shots after 30 shots may not be fair. Barrel temperature have to be the same, round count through the clean bore should be the same. A big task. I have done for my reloads when I was testing them. Shooting on weekends, it took me more than a year to complete the project, 6 different brass, powder, primers, bullets and powder charge and seating depth combination.

Of course if you use just factory loads, it maybe a lot different situation, but nevertheless, it is quite a task. Cold bore shots may be different than hot bores and so on. So, how are we doing accurate measurement of the shots?

Bullet expansion: Capturing the bullets? Which medium are you using to capture and for expansion test? Velocity will be the easiest one because you just need a chronograph.

I don't mind helping. It is my job to test guns and ammo. I may even be able to find a range you can test the load for that matter.

[AlexBreya]

I am actually doing this, only with .22lr, for a project in my Physics class. energy, velocity, estimating point of impact, travel of bullet etc.

[264charlie]

Using the snipercentral's ammo test as a guidline...

25-30 boxes of 20 rounds will be purchased
2 groups of 4 rounds will be fired from each rifle at 200 yards
Rifles will be cleaned before every group.
Fouler shots after cleaning and before firing the groups
Groups will be fired from a gun vice and concrete bench.
*Looking into building a mechanical trigger pull.
Riles will be equipped with high power 16+ power scopes
Rounds are to be fired through a chronograph to measure average velocity, standard deviation, and extreme spread.
Temperature and wind recorded
Bullet expansion measured in ballistic gel. Each bullet type will only be tested once regardless if used in multiple loads.


I believe all accuracy testing could be completed by two shooters in about five or six hrs. Ballistic testing could be done a different day.

Let me know your thoughts.

[264charlie]

I'm planning on using my Tikka T3 & will need one more rifle.

[264charlie]

[What Just Happened?]

What about barrel temp? Gonna have a constant time for shooting / cleaning? Gonna just let them sit in water between groups to cool them off? The first and second groups could be drastically different depending on how you let the barrels cool.

[264charlie]

I am not sure what I am going to to about it... Open for ideas

[badreligion]

I would suggest using the ambient air around you to cool your barrel. Maybe even a fan to aid in cooling. Cooling by other means such as water, ice, co2 etc will throw off your results and possibly damage your weapon or barrel.

If you give yourself 2 minutes per round fired and 15-20 minutes to clean up between groups, your firearm should cool well enough to give consistant readings of temp. But will take 30-45 minutes to fire one group.

I would use something like a kestral 4000 for all of my external wind, temp, humidity, altitude etc, readings.

A Thermometer could also be employed to measure the temp of the barrel inside and out so that you know each shot or group is fired at the same temp.

I am giving this advice not knowing what your interested in getting for a final result. Are you looking for most acurate (at what range), fastest/slowest round, most consistent, hardest hitting, largest expansion, deepest penetration, best all around? All of the above?