Scenars or SMKs?

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Slippery_Pete

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Hello,

I'll soon be ordering reloading supplies for the upcoming season shooting F-class and precision/tactical matches (both my first time) from 300-800 m with a .308 Win Rem 700 5R. I know that 175 gr SMKs would be suitable for this rifle and those ranges, but I've also read that 155 gr Lapua scenars are quite good and maybe better. I'll be using Lapua brass and varget powder.

So, which bullet should I get and why? I'm also open to other suggestions, these two just seem to be most popular.

Thanks
 
The biggest hurdle this year will be supply. Obviously you want to shoot what your barrel likes the best but alot of stuff is in very short supply/backordered now.

Also consider, Hrn, nosler and Berger.

Jerry
 
When I started with my Rem700 I used 175gn Berger VLD's, these worked very well out ot 1000 yards, I had similar results with Sierra 175's but at that time the Sierra's were harder to get. I think you will have a very hard time getting your 155's to go fast enough out of a 26 inch bbl to outperform the 175's (shot out of a 26 inch bbl) at 1000 yards.
 
Advantages of Lapua 155 Scenars, over 175 Sierras:
- higher quality bullet, more precisely made. Don't get me wrong, the Sierra is plenty good (as in, plenty good enough to win a match). But the higher end match bullets (Lapua and Berger) tend to be even better than Sierras.
- substantially better ballistics (low drag). It's a "high performance" bullet, whereas the Sierras are "medium performance"
- locally *available*, as in, honest-to-god-in-stock-and-on-the-shelves, you-give-money-and-you-get-bullets kind of available.

Advantages of the 175 Sierras over the 155 Scenars:
- a very "easy" bullet, load-development wise. If you load 'em up to magazine length with a decent charge of powder, they'll almost certainly shoot pretty good for you. Whereas the 155 Lapuas can be fussy, and give you downright mediocre accuracy until you get a decent loading configuration figured out.


If you wanted a guaranteed-to-be-good-enough setup, with a very low risk of getting to the start of shooting season without having good ammo ready, I would suggest the 175 Sierras.

If you have time and interest in load development, especially if you have somebody local who has experience with getting the Lapua 155s to shoot well in factory rifles, try the Lapua 155s. If you do get them to work for you, you will have something that will be giving you a 6% advantage in wind drift at long range over the Sierra 175s.
 
Forgot to mention - check the throat length of the barrel you have.

I just finished helping a local shooter with a new Rem. Throat was very generous and we skipped right over the Berger 155.5gr BT cause I didn't think it would work.

We mucked about with several bullets and found the Hrn 178gr Amax was the best blend of fit in the chamber/throat and still run from an AI mag. Rifle has been shooting in the 1/2" at 100yds and we are hoping it holds accuracy further out.

so try and find the bullets of interest and test to see what has a chance of working before getting too worried about bulking up on components.

IF single feeding, as in F class, you will many more options then if running from the mag AND have a long throat.
Jerry
 
rnbra-shooter: where can I get a box of Scenars off the shelf in NB? My brother is in Fredericton, so not hard for me to get.



rnbra-shooter said:
Advantages of Lapua 155 Scenars, over 175 Sierras:
- higher quality bullet, more precisely made. Don't get me wrong, the Sierra is plenty good (as in, plenty good enough to win a match). But the higher end match bullets (Lapua and Berger) tend to be even better than Sierras.
- substantially better ballistics (low drag). It's a "high performance" bullet, whereas the Sierras are "medium performance"
- locally *available*, as in, honest-to-god-in-stock-and-on-the-shelves, you-give-money-and-you-get-bullets kind of available.

Advantages of the 175 Sierras over the 155 Scenars:
- a very "easy" bullet, load-development wise. If you load 'em up to magazine length with a decent charge of powder, they'll almost certainly shoot pretty good for you. Whereas the 155 Lapuas can be fussy, and give you downright mediocre accuracy until you get a decent loading configuration figured out.


If you wanted a guaranteed-to-be-good-enough setup, with a very low risk of getting to the start of shooting season without having good ammo ready, I would suggest the 175 Sierras.

If you have time and interest in load development, especially if you have somebody local who has experience with getting the Lapua 155s to shoot well in factory rifles, try the Lapua 155s. If you do get them to work for you, you will have something that will be giving you a 6% advantage in wind drift at long range over the Sierra 175s.
Click to expand...
 
Slippery_Pete said:
rnbra-shooter: where can I get a box of Scenars off the shelf in NB? My brother is in Fredericton, so not hard for me to get.
Click to expand...

The Canadian importer for Lapua is located in..... Halifax, Nova Scotia. http://hirschprecision.com/

If you are in the Halifax area, that'd be your best bet. If that's not handy to you, I am about half an hour outside Fredericton and could probably arrange to get a hundred or so to your brother (95% sure that I have some Lapua 155s sitting around).
 
Excellent, I'm in Halifax so I'll get in touch with Peter so I can try out a box before buying in bulk.

Thanks

rnbra-shooter said:
The Canadian importer for Lapua is located in..... Halifax, Nova Scotia. http://hirschprecision.com/

If you are in the Halifax area, that'd be your best bet. If that's not handy to you, I am about half an hour outside Fredericton and could probably arrange to get a hundred or so to your brother (95% sure that I have some Lapua 155s sitting around).
Click to expand...
 
Hornady .30 cal 178gr AMAX .......... I can swap between these and the 175gr SMK and use the same load and attain the same accuracy with a slight change in my "dope"....... ;)
 
Berger 185gr Match BT Target #30418 worked the best in my Rem 700 5R.

Maybe try the Berger 155gr Match Hybrid Target #30426.

If you can find them.

.........I see you were asking about Matchking's and Scenar's, but I just had to mention the Bergers.
 
I've had good luck with the 155 Scenars and 45.6 grs of Varget in two different rifles. It's also nice that Peter Dobson keeps lots on hand.
 
I started shooting long range (800m +) using SMKs in a 338LM. When my supply ran out, I switched to Scenars and was shocked at the difference in bullet drop and accuracy. The scenar is a superior bullet when compared to SMK. I use Berger in 6BR and scenars in 6.5x47 for accuracy work. I struggled with the old Berger 105 VLD in 6mm, so went to the 108BT with very good results. The 6.5mm 123 scenars work better for me than 130 JLK in my two rifles.

The 12.7mm scenars are also very accurate - but too expensive to shoot. Rocky Mountain ULD is my accurate bullet in this size.
 
I have a lot of experience with the SMK's and feel that they are a very good projectile but for precision work they have now have been bettered by the Berger line of bullets. I don't have much experience with the Lapua bullets but hear from many that they are excellent.
 
Slippery_Pete said:
Hello,
I know that 175 gr SMKs would be suitable for this rifle and those ranges, but I've also read that 155 gr Lapua scenars are quite good and maybe better. I'll be using Lapua brass and varget powder.

So, which bullet should I get and why? I'm also open to other suggestions, these two just seem to be most popular.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Between the two bullets you have listed the 155 scenar is the better choice. The big plus is that the 155 has the same BC as the 175. You can run the 155 noticeably faster then the 175, faster with the same BC means you have a more efficient bullet in the 155 with less wind drift and less vertical. I didn't experience the load development issues others are talking about.

A ladder test followed by seating dept trials produced a very accurate round in my rifle


Good luck
Trevor
 
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