Eddystone P14 - Centenary CMP Competitor?

[ArtioZen]

Hi Doug - My P!4 is a bone stock all Eddystone in Britt 303. Its Barrel slugs at 0.3122" per my earlier posts. I did a lot of research and consulting with mentors before trying different sized projectiles - I am no reloading expert. Know your stuff! (its your eye an inch from the bolt). I also tried 0.312" sized projectiles but the groups were largest of all.

Hi ssj - thanks for the observations and tips - they are greatly appreciated! I have found myself staring at all of the targets repeatedly over time and still see new things :/ - I like the vertical stringing observation - subtle but persistent! I have not yet got into the world of P14 bedding - I was tempted to strip clean and assess after this outing, as the heat had it oozing oil and some cosmoline. I thought 3MOA 10 round groups with no culled shots as "pretty good" - getting 2MOA would be great. My 5 round groups are approaching 1.7MOA with no culls in the P14 with this load. I will have shims and scale ready when I strip it. I am intrigued per the velocity of this and my other loads - I expect slower than 2400 fps. What weight are the Barnaul projectiles?

Be good, be safe or be fast!

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[ssj]

I have not yet got into the world of P14 bedding - I was tempted to strip clean and assess after this outing, as the heat had it oozing oil and some cosmoline. I thought 3MOA 10 round groups with no culled shots as "pretty good" - getting 2MOA would be great. My 5 round groups are approaching 1.7MOA with no culls in the P14 with this load. I will have shims and scale ready when I strip it. I am intrigued per the velocity of this and my other loads - I expect slower than 2400 fps. What weight are the Barnaul projectiles?

Be good, be safe or be fast!

If anyone has a good guide to tuning a P14 I am all ears, I have found nothing as yet except some simple trials on nose weight someone else did which worked well. NB Taking to the old guys a P14 is best up to 500yds and a regulated (ie centre bedded) no4 then starts to shine at 500~600yds and then outshoots a p14 to 900yds (regulated no4s can do 1MOA). Unfortunately most of the ppl who tuned both of these are now dead (they are 70~90 or would be) (the youngest I talk to is 83!) and hence I have got very little solid info so Im experimenting from almost scratch.

To test, the nose loading on no4s I put the the thinnest paper or sewing cotton I can find under the barrel, bolt it up. I fill 1 or 2 litre (quart) plastic milk bottle containers (weight them) and tie on loops of string, put the gun upside down and then add containers to the nose until the paper/cotton is movable. Note the total water weight and go shoot. A mate did this on his P14 and found that a 5thou brass shim gained him 1/4moa. Weight varies but has to be al least 3lbs and 7lbs is possible. Hence Im dead keen to find out what others find is their ideal weights for P14s and indeed p17s.

The Barnuals are 174gr, flat base FMJs. They are lead core, very soft steel jacketed with a copper top layer. The main body is 0.310 diameter but the flat base is 0.3105 or 0.311 so that is the seal point. Weight ranges on a box of 100 is +/- 0.2grain (max, most (90+) are +/- 0.1) so pretty good. As I said earlier with 38gr ADI2208 (Varget in the USA) max OAL, fed210 primers and 1943DIZ brass they do under 2MOA. I am waiting on a chrony to come, I suspect that load is 2200fps so well under the 2400fps muzzle of the Mk7. Once I get the chrony I'll try some hotter loads to see if the I can get better.

[RBruce]

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