168gr SMK in 20" 1/12 twist barrel with H4895 ... Load suggestions?

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Tikka223

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I've got some SMKs on hand and I'm trying to find a good load to start with.

I have:
168gr SMKs
H4895
CCIBR2s
Winchester brass

Shooting the components with a Browning BAR Shortrac Hog Salker (aka FNAR) - semi auto

What do you suggest?

I haven't found a whole lot of helpful info on the Internet.

My Speer manual doesn't list H4895 either.
 
Each rifle is different so what each one of us shoots might not shoot in your rifle. That said, I'd start with 39 grains of 4895 and work up from there. Max loads From Hodgdon website is 43.5 grains (and starting load of 41 grains).
 
If there is any accuracy to the Optimal Charge Weight theory of reloading, there should be a good ballpark that I can start at given the powder, projectile and barrel length.

Once in that ballpark I can explore +/- a few grains. I'm just hoping to get lucky and see if someone already HS a good load sorted out so I can save myself a little bit of work / powder / bullets.
 
cr5 said:
BULLET WEIGHT168 GR. SIE HPBT

Powder IMR 4895
Bullet Diameter.308"
C.O.L. 2.800"

Starting Load
Grains41.0
Velocity (ft/s)2,447
Pressure39,700 PSI

Maximum Load
Grains45.4C
Velocity (ft/s)2,758
Pressure58,000 PSI

Copy/pasted from Hodgdon website

Do you own any manuals?
http://www.hodgdonreloading.com/data/rifle
Click to expand...

I found this page last night. They also list min/max for H4895
 
I also use 42gr of IMR4895 or the same weight of 4064 IIRC. I actually seem to remember preferring the latter in my m305.
 
The cartridge is kind of critical, but there's lots of H4895 data on Hodgdon's site. IMR4895 is not the same as H4895, but the two powders are very close. The IMR gives slightly higher velocities with about 10,000 higher psi.
Just remember that a Browning BAR Shortrac Hog Stalker is not a target rifle and as a semi-auto there are a few 'must-do's'. None of which are difficult. You must check case lengths and trim, chamfer and deburr as required, FL resize every time and watch the OAL.
SMK's are not made for hunting either.
 
Trimmed cases: check, debur cases: check, OAL: check, FL size: check.

I wasn't going to use the SMKs for hunting, more for fun plinking but after having read about them it seems like many folks are using the SMK for hunting with good results. There is a fairly in debt discussion about it on Long Range Hunting website. I guess the SMKs "explode" a little bit, causing massive wound channels but not as much penetration as a bonded bullet.
 
The police used my range to do ballistic gelatin testing with various bullets. The rifles were shot at 100 yards, so the bullets had settled down a bit. The SMKs either tumbled and broke in half or drilled straight through.

The Amax bullets mushroomed fairly well.
 
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