How much velocity are you willing to give up for good accuracy in a hunting rifle?

Honestly, I am chasing accuracy anyway. Now that being said I better be getting velocity close to what the caliber i am shooting is supposed to. My 20" 308 load shoots around .5-.75" and I only get about 2750 out of it. I can get 2850-2900 but it stresses the brass. I used to get caught up with speed. Now if I want more speed I get a bigger case. Why stress my 308 to get 2900 when I can get 3000 with a 30-06 and not make it breathe fire?

Accuracy is better than velocity.A quality hunting bullet@2600 fps is tons better than a target bullet@3500 fps.Townsend Whelen had it right "Only accurate rifles are interesting".

I've got a 7 SAUM that's shooting 160 grain Accubonds at 2835 fps. The 3 shot group is the size of a penny with a SD of 5.0 and a spread of 10. I can get in the 2900s with a different powder and good accuracy. After seeing Nosler's loaded ammo with a muzzle velocity of 2850 listed on the box, makes me think the 2900+ may be a little much in my factory 22" barrel.

Would you be happy with the 2835 fps or what do you think it should be getting?

Nosler's data is from a 24" barrel and they're only showing 2900 or a touch above. I'd be pretty dang happy with that accuracy and speed. I bet a 160 accubond at that speed hits like Thor's hammer.

Thanks for your thoughts and expertise.

Here's the load's grouping.

Yeah I think you got a winner. I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep worrying about that one.

Since I'm a speed demon and chase every fps I can get usually I will say that nearly every caliber has a sweet spot in speed for each bullet weight. And that all depends on the rifle, but most shoot their best with a certain bullet at a certain velocity kind of across the board.

I have a book full of loads that I can put in about any gun of the same caliber and barrel length off any ole gun rack... and with that load the gun will shoot about as good as that particular gun will ever shoot.. Always can be tweaked but if the rifle is gonna be a shooter it'll shoot it well.

So in my experience it is better to get a bigger gun than to try and make a slower cartridge go faster.

And I don't think a deer ever cared about 100fps. So I've got rifles that might shoot a little slower and I'm ok with that. As stated I'd rather have an accurate rifle than a fast one that doesn't shoot as good. I'm always pushing for as much as I can, but I dial them in for accuracy not speed in the end.

Care to share those "magic" loads? I got a 300WSM, 7mm-08, and 270

One reason I've liked W748 for my .308 is that the closer I got to the max load, the better it shot. I stopped .5g below the max and was getting moa groups at 2915. I been shooting that load with 150g bullets since early 90s and long ago quit experimenting on it.

But I seldom read of anyone else using W748, so maybe my gun is unusual. Good luck with it.

If you load based off your Ogive you can go for speed and accuracy no problem. I don't go by what factory loads say

You will see significant increases in velocity and accuracy if you start neck sizing your brass instead of full length sizing

I don't own a chrono. I shoot at distance and stop at a load that groups well. I would love to attain the max speed out of my calibers but all that does is lesson brass life. Speed has no substitute for accuracy.

It does with the Barnes ttsx.

Get a chronograph if you want to play speedracer,then spend the money for the .22-378 weatherby wildcat.The PPC series shows the accuracy velocity issue.

How much more velocity and accuracy would you expect to see from neck sizing in this load?

My .243 gains 70 fps with an 80 grain Barnes going from virgin brass to fireformed brass

Is that with Laupa brass?

I should have said that I am getting the numbers I posted using previously fired brass from the same gun and then neck sizing only. I doubt my rounds would fit in most guns.

Norma Brass. It's good and thick like lapua brass though

I've been using Norma brass, too. I haven't found much difference in using different brass, except Lapua. Lapua is the only one I've had issues with.

I sort all of my brass. Different brass creates different pressires

this ^^^^^ 100%

I'm not sure what the case capacity of the SAUM is but I'm running 150g bergers in a 7 Remington mag at almost 3200fos and it's shooting groups in the .120-.200 range. It's stupid accurate and a FAST. You might try another bullet because I think you should be able to get close to 3000 fps.

I'm in the accuracy over speed camp. I don't yet own a chronograph but have access to one. When I worked up my load this year, I found the most accurate load then checked it in the chronograph. The low velocity numbers concerned me but I was getting a five shot group that measures 0.65" out of a 100% stock Remington 700ADL. 30.06, 168gr Berger VLD.

The speed, a snails pace at 2513fps.

It's very slow but I will not have any opportunities past 400 yards which is where it will fall below the required 1800fps for reliable expansion.

During the offseason, I intended to work on my velocity a bit and see if I can get it up without sacrificing the accuracy.

buddy of mine has a chrono, calls it the "crying machine" from all the folks crying because their loads were way slower than they thought they were. Load data obtained from 26-28" barrels is pretty hard to duplicate in a 22" sporter.

and I'll take accuracy over velocity any day, all day.

This is a good question.
Now what is the point of fast or slow if it won't hit what youre shooting at??
Accuracy is more important when it comes to shooting whether its on a game animal or target.
Target shooting can win you a trophy/money/recognition
Game shooting can put meat on the table/make for a good mount/give you bragging rites

both

Y'all are all missing the point. One who hand loads can achieve fast and accurate. That's why you work out all the details. I don't think anyone loads a 5" spread fast load for the shucks of it. I load for speed plus accuracy. So really the whole point of this thread is silly. Go for both.

Roy Weatherby made easier to get both of these together.

Savage 260 in ultra lite package.. first day at the range before the scope tweaking was finished.. this was just for grouping. My handloads:

I'm pushing 130gr TTSX 3600fps the faster I pushed them the more accurate they got I stopped at 3600 because I was getting .3 to .5 groups and kinda like this barrel.

Accuracy is most important but velocity is also a consideration. With many cartridges, especially large capacity cartridges, the best accuracy is often realized at or near maximum velocity. If I can get within 100 FPS of the max listed velocity for a bullet/powder combo, I am usually satisfied if I have excellent accuracy.

.277 or .308 130's?

270 STW???

.277

Yep that's why I didn't need the loaded 7stw from you I'm necking down the 7stw to .277

Sweet round!

270STW 270WbyMag 270Win

Definitely makes the .277 ungay.

Lol I'm gonna have Kirby Allen build me a 270AllenMag next it uses a 300RUM parent case.

Sweet!

In keeping up with this thread I've read from one end of the loading scale to the other and it seems theres really no debate on velocity and accuracy when youre accomplishing accuracy.
We all must remember that firearms to have limits and going beyond them can be detrimental to gun health and our health and that can fall in the category of too slow or too fast and too little pressure and too much pressure