M118LR recipie??

slushee

slushee

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Okay, so first off, I have never reloaded my own ammo as of yet, so forgive any 'learning curve' questions.

I recently aquired a Norc M14, and am looking forward to getting a 4pos Auto Indexing Lee press as my next purchase. My Norc really really LOVES IVI 7.62 Ball ammo (go figure eh?) and I was reading the May copy of Shooting Times; specifically the Long-Range Military Accuracy article, which gave some hints towards creating some of the NATO match ammo.

In this article they state "For the civilian shooter interested in building handloads that duplicate the ballistic performance of these military loads, the chore is not a difficult one. It simply takes matching the correct projectile to a quality case, like a Winchester, and loading it to the proper velocity. ... M118LR is easily duplicated using Sierra's 175-grain MatchKing [bullet]. When loading the .30 calibers simply pick one of the many suitable medium-burning powders."

So from the sounds of it, all I need to do is match the Sierra 175-grain MatchKing bullet to a .308 Winchester case, but what kind of primer and powder am I going to need to be looking at? The article states the velocity of production M118 as being 2550 fps but do not state the velocity of the newer M118LR load.

I dont suppose anyone would be able to give me some powders and weights? Also, do I need to worry about reforming or trimming stock .308 Win Brass?
 
Don't know too much about "Match" ammo, but reloading principals will be the same. All new & fired brass should be full length sized & measured/trimmed. It is recommended that you always full length size brass for semi-auto's. Others you can neck size only which will be more accurate & make your brass last longer. There are "match" primers available, but be prepared to pay $$'s. For .308 ammunition you would be using large rifle primers. If you haven't done so already, invest in some good reloading manuals & read through them thoroughly. A good reloading manual will list acceptable loads for the .308 with bullet weights & powder combinations. Always start with the minimum loads listed & work your way up in .5 grain increments. Learn how to recognize pressure signs on the fired brass. Also fast doesn't always mean accurate, so don't get too worried about max velocities. Each gun is unique, & you must experiment to see which loading works best in your gun. Enjoy reloading, but be safe also.

George
 
match loading

The time honoured match loading for the M-14 uses 168 grain bullets not 175's. The common feeling is that the 175 is too heavy a bullet for the M-14 and most reccommend a lighter bullet.

This is the match load that was loaded since the '60's by the US military. Start with a 168 Sierra Matchking, 41.5 grains IMR 4895, BR2 primer and a military weight case. The other match loading used by the military was 43.0 748 and everything else the same. These 2 loadings were shot for years in the M-14 service rifle matches.

The 175 is a relatively recent bullet developed somewhat after the m-14's were retired from common match shooting.

Yes, the 175's are being shot through overseas M-14's but these are being replaced as they wear out with Knight SR-25's for a number of reasons.

Steve
 
The M118LR is a new, thumped-up load featuring a stout charge of Reloder 15 pushing a Sierra 175 MK at approximately 2,700 feet per second (that's .30-06 power). As far as I know, it's designed for bolt guns built around the Remington 700 platform (i.e., M24 and M40 variants).

Personally, for a gas gun like the M14, I'd stick with the classic load: 168-grain Sierra (or any other match bullet that strikes your fancy) and something between 41.5 to 42.0 grains of IMR 4895. This is an ancient load that is relatively mild and proved itself super accurate in a wide variety of rifles over the decades. It used to be the "go-to" load for target shooters before the ascendency of Varget, Reloder 15 and Vihtavuori powders in the 1990s. It still works wonders today. It supposedly spits a 168 out at something like 2,550 or 2,600 and generally gives incredible groups.

Still, there is nothing wrong with Varget and a 168. That is an excellent combination for any .308.
 
I agree with Steve - the only thing I'd change is the IMR powder to H4895 and play with the powder weight from 41 to 42.5 grains to get a charge range your rifle likes.
That IVI stuff will beat the M14 up pretty good.
 
p-17 said:
The M118LR is a new, thumped-up load featuring a stout charge of Reloder 15 pushing a Sierra 175 MK at approximately 2,700 feet per second (that's .30-06 power). As far as I know, it's designed for bolt guns built around the Remington 700 platform (i.e., M24 and M40 variants).

Personally, for a gas gun like the M14, I'd stick with the classic load: 168-grain Sierra (or any other match bullet that strikes your fancy) and something between 41.5 to 42.0 grains of IMR 4895. This is an ancient load that is relatively mild and proved itself super accurate in a wide variety of rifles over the decades. It used to be the "go-to" load for target shooters before the ascendency of Varget, Reloder 15 and Vihtavuori powders in the 1990s. It still works wonders today. It supposedly spits a 168 out at something like 2,550 or 2,600 and generally gives incredible groups.

Still, there is nothing wrong with Varget and a 168. That is an excellent combination for any .308.
Click to expand...

Correct.

I have the load that's used in the M118LR and have dupilcated it.

It was published on Alliant's web site with the Caveat that it's about 1.5gr overcharge from SAAMI specs. They took it down for the same reason.

I chorono'd the M118LR along with my reloads. These rounds were fired from my PGWDTI Coyote and the velocities are.

M118LR = 2650fps.

My reloads = 2699fps.

The M118LR spec is 2700fps.

My reloads are close enough for me.

The best bullet weight for the M1A/M14/M305 is 168gr.

I will not publish this load.
 
Okay, so after i get my Lee press, and Lee dies for .308, I will pick up the 168 Sierra Matchkings, IMR 4895 and H4895 powders (testing out which one I like best) and BR2 primers. My only concern will be finding military weight cases. Are they something I will be able to obtain locally in London, Ontario? Or is this something I can get shipped in?

Thanks again for all the info.
 
You don't really need military weight cases. Commercial cases will work fine, even in an autoloader.

You can usually pick up IVI surplus brass everywhere, however. So you are dead set on military brass, you won't have any problem. Another option is to shoot some military ammo like Hirtenberger, etc. and keep the cases for reloading.

Personally, I like Winchester cases.
 
Sorry to somewhat mislead about the military weight cases, that was just the actual USGI spec. I use Federal brass in my m-14's becauase they weigh similar to the military. Shoot them 4-6 times and turf them. I also substitute 155 Lapua Match bullets for the 168 Sierra's because they have a better BC and are a little lighter so the load is easier on the guns. 41.5 grains of IMR4895 shoots well but 43.0 of the same and the 155's does better actually and flies flatter. Steve
 
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