Best Bullet/Powder to replicate 51 NATO?
- Thread starter dfraser
- Start date
Correct me if I'm wrong but Hirtenberger uses a ball powder. BLC2 works well so does H380 and even W748. I have used all of these in duplicating 7.62x51 pressures and velocities. Many moons ago Lever Arms brought in 500,000 primed/annealed cases. I purchased a couple of thousand of them for just slightly more than the scrap brass was worth at the time. They were of European manufacture and all had the Nato circle/cross emblem and date on them. I used all sorts of different powders in those cases.
46.0 grains of W748 gave the best results as far as consistency/accuracy/functioning went in the M1A Springfield I was shooting this stuff in. I remember the load I used in that rifle because it shot the bulk 150grn boat tail fmj bullets that came from Century International in Montreal so well. I suspect the primers in those cases were the equivalent of magnum primers because when I reprimed some of those cases with standard Berdan primers they didn't deliver the same velocities or accuracy. I ended up just selling the spent cases at scrap brass prices. To bad another deal like that won't come around again. I suspect the UN will be putting an end to surplus anything if they get the chance.
46.0 grains of W748 is a pretty stiff load but the two thousand rounds I put through that M1A Springfield never gave one negative issue and the groups were always very good out of a rifle that could shoot better than I could hold.
46.0 grains of W748 gave the best results as far as consistency/accuracy/functioning went in the M1A Springfield I was shooting this stuff in. I remember the load I used in that rifle because it shot the bulk 150grn boat tail fmj bullets that came from Century International in Montreal so well. I suspect the primers in those cases were the equivalent of magnum primers because when I reprimed some of those cases with standard Berdan primers they didn't deliver the same velocities or accuracy. I ended up just selling the spent cases at scrap brass prices. To bad another deal like that won't come around again. I suspect the UN will be putting an end to surplus anything if they get the chance.
46.0 grains of W748 is a pretty stiff load but the two thousand rounds I put through that M1A Springfield never gave one negative issue and the groups were always very good out of a rifle that could shoot better than I could hold.
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I use the Hornady 150 FMJBTs and IMR4895. 43.0 grains in commercial cases gets me right around 2650 fps from my Norinco M14. With military brass, I reduce to 42.0 grains, but I haven't chrono'd them to see if they match the velocity of the commercial cases. Hope that helps.
The 150 gr Hornady FMJ is quite similar to the military bullet. If you want better accuracy, buy the Hornady 150g soft point.
As for powder, any of the usual 308 powders will get excellent results -3031, 4895, BLC2, H335, 748, Varget, RL15.
As for powder, any of the usual 308 powders will get excellent results -3031, 4895, BLC2, H335, 748, Varget, RL15.
I have some data on my home computer saved from Vintage Arms or Military Vintage Arms or some such in the US where they duplicated 7.62 NATO velocity with various different powders. I'll see if I can remember to post it when I get home. I believe they use Lake City brass.
