Nosler 185 JHP with N310

For a long time, I've read glowing accounts of the accuracy potential of this pairing.
I chronograph every load, and so far the data are not encouraging:

4.3 N310:
LO 688
HI 807
AVG 769
ES 119.5
SD 31.6

4.5 N310:
LO 792
HI 840
AVG 815
ES 48.24
SD 20.73

4.7 N310:
LO 737
HI 870
AVG 795
ES 132
SD 43.26

Thought that going faster would tighten things up.
So, wondering if there are any users of this combination and what data they have developed.

thanks

I'm basically a statistician by trade.  There are some stats that don't matter. 

I've had good groups on paper that didn't have good stats.  The group size and not the extreme spreads are the way to make the decision. 

In my gun, I have had good luck with 4.7gr of N310 and the Nosler.  I load to 1.200" using Starline cases with Winchester Large Primers. 

I've had good luck with almost every charge of N310 I've used with that bullet. 

Did you test for group sizes?  There are a lot of shooters that have had good luck with the 185 and other powders too.

You may have powder measure problems. Weigh all the charges on your next trial of ammo and shoot for groups while you chronograph. I bet you will have a different result from your first go-round.

With cases selected by single headstamp, #68 200 SWC and 4.0 to 4.2 of 310 I get single digit spreads on 5 shot strings and really fine accuracy.

I stopped gathering all the chronograph details quite some time ago, but there may be something in a stats workbook I compiled and put up on my site:

Excel Version of .22 and .45 Ammo Testing

There's a good chance that the only powder in my loads in the workbook was Bullseye, though.  I can't easily review the workbook myself any longer, since I have moved to linux and my LibreOffice doesn't seem to work the macros well.  The file is quite old, as well and may not run well in newer Excel.

As to VV-N310 with my Noslers, I had good results with 4.3gn in WW new primed brass - .989 inch from my Kart Easy-Fit barrel in a barrel tester @ 50 yards.  Of note, 4.5gn of BE was just on the other side of 1 inch through the same barrel.  The best groups through my guns were on the order of 2 inches, but by then, I wasn't gathering chronograph data any more.  I also was using once-fired WW with WLP primers in a uniformed pocket with the same charge with good results.  The particulars of the work involved for these are elsewhere on the forum.

Testing is ok, but you should be testing for accuracy and not fps but the truth is in the winning, Zins shot that load and won several national championships with it as well as many marines using it did very well too and civilians got hold of it and the list of winnings is still going on.  the marines started with 4.1 then ended I think with 4.3 or 4.4 it drills the x ring at 50 yds if your gun is accurate enough. Accuracy Results is what makes a load

Actually, Al Dorman developed the original load and the Marines took it from there.  They found that the higher charges were more accurate, even up to 4.7, but the gain in accuracy was overshadowed by the comfort level.

Ed Hall wrote:  They found that the higher charges were more accurate,

Ed, that indicates to me, that a faster twist might be better. I made a 14 twist barrel a couple of years ago, and tested the Zero 185 HP bullet. Barrel tester results were right at 5/8 ths, using 700X.
I have several 12 twist blanks, but have not had time to turn another barrel and experiment further.. This is one area that has not changed in over 100 years.. The barrels still have the same twist and land to groove ratio.. Hmmm.

Jerry

Ed Hall wrote:Actually, Al Dorman developed the original load and the Marines took it from there.  They found that the higher charges were more accurate, even up to 4.7, but the gain in accuracy was overshadowed by the comfort level.

Dave Salyer was with Al Dorman during the process. Back in the early 90's on the old Bullseye-L Dave told me that I could substitute Bullseye powder for VV 310. He told me that 4.5 grains did well in their tests and that they found that COAL wasn't a critical factor regarding accuracy. I started using the Nosler bullet with Bullseye and got great accuracy. I passed along the info. One member of our club got the best group I've seen. His brand new Rock River shot 10 shots from the Ransom Rest at 50 yards. The group measured under an inch. The load was 4.6 grains of Alliant Bullseye with the Nosler 185 gr. JHP. Dave and Al's unselfish sharing of their hard work has really helped a lot of bullseye shooters over the years. My hat's off to them!

Thanks for adding Dave's name to the discussion.  I was only aware of Al Dorman in the initial development.  There were another couple of names in the mix of working with this load and experimenting with case prep, bullet seating, etc.  They were Dr. Gene Rubin and, I believe, Mike Curtis.  There used to be a list of things that helped and detracted from accuracy, but there was so much criticism of the work when Dr. Rubin posted it, that he left the BE-List community behind and has never returned, to my knowledge.  It was a great loss.