Ammo for 300 m - probably belongs in reloading forum but it's for ORA TR shooting.

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AikiNut

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Hi folks,
I'm out of practice. Loaded up some 155 grn Palma .308 for my TR. Took them to the range for chrono. I was getting 3000fps average with 45 gr of Varget, winchester primer, winchester case (neck turned, flash-hole deburred). IIRC 3000 is a little hot for the .308 TR, no? Smith barrel, Jim Dugan adapter on a Sportco. Brass was looking a little more beat up than I think it should (primer pretty flat, case head looks a little peened...

So - probably too hot... 44gr? (individual loads weighed) or is this still likely to be too hot? My records of successful loads have been mislaid after moving to and from New Zealand and to On from BC... 44 gr behind a 155 gr seems to be a "starting" load according to the books...

Haven't done a lot of shooting on the belly this summer - my local club doesn't allow it, the ORA long ranges in the area (Borden, for example) are not open these days, and I haven't been to Winona this year - hoping to get there next weekend for a 60 shot prone match Saturday with the .308 and a more fun match Sunday with the 5.56...

Any suggestions? I've got a bunch of primed cases and bullets ready to be pushed together - but with how much powder? (i.e., what do you use, I know that with handloads every rifle responds differently to every load)
 
If you are getting 3000 fps with 45g varget, that is pretty good, better than pretty good actually. That is usually 2750-2800

I think you are all over it with what you're doing. Many do the Varget and 45-45.2-45.5 in lapua or win brass and 155 smk or lapua

I'd try 44 varget or even go 168 or 175 smk and IMR 4064?
 
How long is your barrel? Just asking. In my Coyote, I am using 47.2gr of Varget in Lapua brass with BR2 primers. My Coyote's barrel is 24", and I get 2940fps with 155 scenars. It is very accurate out to a kilometre.

Edit: 3000fps seems a tad fast with only 45gr.
 
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3000 fps is not necessarily too fast with 155s in .308 Win., but flattened primers indicate too hot. Remember that pressures and loads vary, with some causing a lot more pressure than others, mainly due to diameter of leade. Dr. Kolbe, Border Barrels, has a an informative article on this. 2900-3000 fps is common for TR, almost all of which have 30" barrels.
 
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If you are wanting to ascertain whether or not pressure is too hot, one method is to measure the solid head of the case with this caveat: Just because there is no measurable expansion doesn't mean it is not too hot. Measuring the solid head cannot tell you what the actual pressure levels are but it will definitely tell you when you have reached the limits for that particular brass. Measure just ahead of the extraction groove. Measure on the same diametric line. It is best to work with brass which is once fired (with a load which is definitely safe) and neck-sized only. ANY expansion is too much. .0005" will allow some reloading but case life will be limited. In addition, any expansion indicates you are operating at the edge and if one round is a little hot or the barrel is fouled, or the ambient temperature climbs a bunch, you might have trouble. Standard old-time practice was to increase loads until measurable expansion occured then back off 5% or so. 45 Varget with a 155 sounds like it should be just fine unless the barrel is unusually tight or something.
 
I run 46.0 gr of Varget with a 155 Sierra/Lapua/Nosler/Amax, in a no neck turned Lapua case. It runs around 2940-2950. However I have not shot this over a crony since the new barrel was installed at the end of last year. I will also be attending the ISU Match at Winona on Saturday, but might break out the .223 for this If I have time to load. If not, I will be shooting my .308 with my regular load.
 
It's code for a pain in the butt reloading ritual.

He didn't "mill" the outside of his brass neck in order for it to fit a nonfactory chamber. Or to achieve uniform wall thickness on the neck so as to get a uniform resizied neck.
 
Probably a tight bore, its most likely fine at 45gr but if you're worried, dropping it to 44 or 44.5 or so shouldn't show much difference at 300m.
This is obviously assuming the chrono reading was somewhat right to begin with.

I'd be more worried about using winchester primers (WLR?) after all the trouble those have had, and they're pretty hot to start with which isn't any help.
 
Maybe i am missing something, but for 300yds, i would be shooting the low node - not so hard on brass, and no need to zip them at that range. Lower nodes are remarkably accurate in most rifles.
 
I'm running scenar-L's with Lapua Case, Br2 primers, and 44gr of varget. I'm getting 2900fps on the money. A 30" tube
 
Would the barrel be a gain twist ? You mentioned it is a Smith. Perhaps that is the reason your getting slightly higher than "normal" velocities and possibly pressure at 44grns of Varget.
 
Not sure if it's gain twist. Stamped.308 1-13". The barrel was given to me used, and I had it set back and rechambered while building a TR. We'll see what happens on Saturday... Probably be a low score day through no fault of the rifle or the ammo...
 
Well... That was a lesson in "why you need to practice". I THINK the rifle is capable of shooting a reasonably good match, but the nut behind the butt needs to spend more time shooting. Lots more time. Must see about the local indoor range for the winter.
 
AikiNut,
Nice meeting you at Winona on Saturday. Good to put a face with a name.
I too had a great learning experience at Winona on Saturday. While 75gr Amax bullets work well a 100m, not so well at 300m. Point of impact at 100m that should have been good to go at 300m, didn't even make the paper on the first shot. had to come up 7 minute to get near the waterline. I knew the 1:9 twist was a little slow for 75gr bullets but didn't expect to only be able to hold the 7 ring. It got to the point that it didn't matter how much I changed the sights, I was stuck working with about a 4 minute group. Good thing I brought my .308 for the second and third strings.
So now the search is on for a new 1:7 twist barrel that I will have spun on this winter, and I may just shoot this for all of next season including 1000 yards.
 
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