I am working on three projects here at once but this evening i tested some loads for my .308 using IMR 4166 and 130 grain TTSX bullets. Number on the box is 30364. Anyway my start load is 44.9 grains. Thats what i got from the Hodgedon website for the start load on a 130 grain bullet. I noticed right off the top that my powder seems to be really close to the neck for a start load. I load my three cartridges. Then i add .5 grains for the next three and think to myself. Thats pretty close to crush. Add .5 grains for the next three and i am at crush. I think WTF? So i go with those 9 rounds.
Here are some pictures. In this first picture you can see the three sets of rounds. The first three with the 1 on them in sharpie are 44.9 grains of 4166 the second three are 45.4 grains and the third are 45.9 grains. does this look like flattened primers to you? Or am i just being paranoid because i think the powder level is too high?
Here is a closer look at the 45.4 grain loads which shot the best of the three.
Here is the target. The top left corner was the first three, the next group down was the second and the ones above bullseye are the third.
Thumb over the best group.
And last the scenery.
If someone could check their book for IMR 4166 and confirm this is where i should be for powder weight i would appreciate it. I also double checked my 44.9 grain set on my backup scale and my actual measurements are correct. Anyway if you think those primers dont look flattened then i have found the load i am going with. 45.5 grains....
Thanks!
Here are some pictures. In this first picture you can see the three sets of rounds. The first three with the 1 on them in sharpie are 44.9 grains of 4166 the second three are 45.4 grains and the third are 45.9 grains. does this look like flattened primers to you? Or am i just being paranoid because i think the powder level is too high?
Here is a closer look at the 45.4 grain loads which shot the best of the three.
Here is the target. The top left corner was the first three, the next group down was the second and the ones above bullseye are the third.
Thumb over the best group.
And last the scenery.
If someone could check their book for IMR 4166 and confirm this is where i should be for powder weight i would appreciate it. I also double checked my 44.9 grain set on my backup scale and my actual measurements are correct. Anyway if you think those primers dont look flattened then i have found the load i am going with. 45.5 grains....
Thanks!
