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.308? What do you load?
- Thread starter 38ExtraSpecial
- Start date
i object. 168gr SMK is a 37cpr. 168gr Speer is 24cpr.
actually, (after my order i did yesterday?!?) it is a $26.70 for a 100 now, up from $24.
they also have there a 'factory second match' - hmm, sounds intriguing - a 'second match'. like a 'second best'?
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meh, that video is just like an another 10minutes of empty talk with 0 substance.
it is a non-linear dependency of the pressure build-up rate after primer ignition to a distance from bullet to the lands. it is all what it is.
and to find that dependency for some given barrel may in some cases be simple, and in some cases - not so simple.
especially if you have no guarantees at all what any given barrel is even capable to produce.
i also just ran a quick sanity check on those ELD hornady match bullets - grabbed a random set of 10 and got from 167.7 to 168.1gr spread. it is not a ton, but, not exactly stellar either.
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Are you single loading or out of a magazine?well, i do not expect 1/2+moa from that 308 barrel, to be frank - it was not really ever anticipated, as i got that aero/wilson upper for, what, a $460 something, i think.
it seems to be intact, but, i may take it apart, why not, it is not difficult. as of swapping the barrel - dunno, i am not there yet. scope is apollo primary arms 18x - same i have on a 6.5CM AR10 build - it is also solid.
with my ar15s i started my loads with hornady eld bullets also, and it just did not work well. in 6.5CM those hornadys are excellent. here in 308 they were supposed to be ok - but, who knows.
i had an another semi-decent result with that same seating depth of 2.808" and 44gr varget - but it prints the extractor really quite a lot at that pressure.
speed at 44gr was not excessive - merely 2560fps, but, i did not like the printing, so wanted to back off with the load a bit. i may step it back up. 42.6gr gives almost exact 2500fps for 168gr.
plus, that flier to the side is what it 'just does', i think - and in a groups of 10 it shows up every time. if it is mechanical - it is not clear what it is, as it is just an AR - and all seems to be tight, and i did shoot that upper from 3 different lowers. as of swapping the barrel - dunno, it is easy, of course, but, i am not there yet. plus my rifles safe is full, got 9 in there, i cannot fit no more and do not want to sell anything.
View attachment 603899
Plus, I still think the ELD hornadys are just not for an every barrel. the same load of 42.6gr varget on the 168gr SMKs is supposed to push `em to 2650fps - i get merely a 2500fps. wanna try that too.
of a magazine, of course - it is an AR.
just looked at it again - it is actually on a newer lower and the adjustment bolt was not tightened - one that aero lowers have - it prevents vertical play around the rear takedown pin. there was not a ton of play there, but it could have been (part of?) the reason of vertical stringing.
Yes, but also first or last round out of a magazine can feed funny too. When shooting for load development and/or tightest groups, I never load out of the magazine and will usually use a SLED (sing load device) instead of the mag. Exception to that would be that in the Bula M14 I will single load using the mag- all shots loaded one at a time into the mag, then shoot.
it makes sense, but i prefer to test same way i shoot. again, out of 9 rifles i got now it is the one and only that gives me such much ton of fun.
and it`s ok, it is not a contest or race - i have time, it is just odd.also, actually, it is not a wilson combat, it is wilson arms. 18" mid gas. not if it should matter a ton...
the primary arms has now a 16' criterion with middle gas for $264 - it would also work, but, i do not want to go below 18" for a 308. may be i will swap it for a 20" something later if struggle will persist, or just buy an another upper, but i think i may eventually get a load recipe this thing will agree with to shoot properly.
realistically, even the way it shoots now is more than adequate for a battle rifle this thing is.
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Thats where im at. Im generally shooting various “military” rifles at cmp games matches so sub 3 moa out of 70 plus year old rifles is great.it makes sense, but i prefer to test same way i shoot. again, out of 9 rifles i got now it is the one and only that gives me such much ton of fun.
also, actually, it is not a wilson combat, it is wilson arms. 18" mid gas. not if it should matter a ton...
the primary arms has now a 16' criterion with middle gas for $264 - it would also work, but, i do not want to go below 18" for a 308. may be i will swap it for a 20" something later if struggle will persist, or just buy an another upper, but i think i may eventually get a load recipe this thing will agree with to shoot properly.
realistically, even the way it shoots now is more than adequate for a battle rifle this thing is.
Im going to get back on my “varmint” AR
18” heavy+ wilson arms barrel that will run 80 gn bullets.
i give up.
will try to alter the build, for now, with this one - as i want an ultra-light AR10, if i cannot make it shoot well. wil see if OP will ship it with no complications, you never know with them.
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just to update my 308 saga - the faxon did not prove itself anything worthy and went back to optics planet, and they refunded it fine. it shot very bad with both stock 175gr ammo and steel ammo. and reloads were also in a 2-4moa spread. plus i think the headspace was too big, as it closed on a nogo gage.
i then just placed vortex 1-6x scope on that wilson arms 7.62 barrel upper, zeroed it today, and it did surprisingly much better (may be i finally torqued it in right) with stock match 175gr ammo, and my 44gr reloads.
here is a sample of stock 175gr CMP match ammo. so it is now downgraded into a tactical .308 AR10, with a 1-6x and will sit in a safe waiting for a SHTF to come with russian zombies and other unpleasantries to arrive. or i can take it to a hunt sometimes somewhere. the barrel is 1005g, and scope is now also lighter. nice gun.
reloads are still showing stuff none of my other rifles do. but, i do not give a F anymore. it is what it is. it is how best 7 shots group went. i started testing with sets of 7 on this gun, as 5 were not enough - because of what it does. 0 stands for a 2.180" ogive.
PS. my new 6 dasher toy arrives monday, yippee! whole new fun begins. hope it will not shoot like this above.
i then just placed vortex 1-6x scope on that wilson arms 7.62 barrel upper, zeroed it today, and it did surprisingly much better (may be i finally torqued it in right) with stock match 175gr ammo, and my 44gr reloads.
here is a sample of stock 175gr CMP match ammo. so it is now downgraded into a tactical .308 AR10, with a 1-6x and will sit in a safe waiting for a SHTF to come with russian zombies and other unpleasantries to arrive. or i can take it to a hunt sometimes somewhere. the barrel is 1005g, and scope is now also lighter. nice gun.
reloads are still showing stuff none of my other rifles do. but, i do not give a F anymore. it is what it is. it is how best 7 shots group went. i started testing with sets of 7 on this gun, as 5 were not enough - because of what it does. 0 stands for a 2.180" ogive.
PS. my new 6 dasher toy arrives monday, yippee! whole new fun begins. hope it will not shoot like this above.
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My go to F-TR load for midrange is the Nosler 155 CC , and 44.4 gr of Varget with a .025" jump. I'm at about .65 MOA at 200 yds sometimes a bit tighter, and sometimes if i've had too much caffeine "not tighter" ![[rolleyes]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/042.gif "Roll Eyes [rolleyes]")
Funny how much caffeine jitters can screw up groups and/or scores. Some it does not affect that much, but for me I need to moderate.My go to F-TR load for midrange is the Nosler 155 CC , and 44.4 gr of Varget with a .025" jump. I'm at about .65 MOA at 200 yds sometimes a bit tighter, and sometimes if i've had too much caffeine "not tighter"
I consider myself an F class amateur and it dont take much to throw me off my game. Ive had outings where i was nailing 10's and X's easily , and the same exact load a month later im working hard to hold 8's and 9's.
You know whats worse than coffee, being hungry, ! I find my eyes get tired quicker if drinking coffee.
Ed if you ever see me at the club grumpy because I have not doses up on caffine.
The 308 K98 might cone this match and Im not sure if im going to run that Creedmore or load up some 135 burners?
Well said, My experiences as well. Years ago when attending longer 6hr rifle competitions i would only have a bagle early in the morning and nothing else all day. I would start to feel restless and kinda agitated later in the day. I now always bring a cooler with plenty of fluids and a couple sandwiches. My eyes are bad enough without adding blurriness from dehydration face sweating from high heat / humidity shooting in late june through august
I had outstanding midrange consistency with the 168 smks in my R700 varmint. I had a 1-12" twist . I tried 175's and never really saw good precision .
can anybody confirm - is a 44.6gr of varget for 175 SMK, in a 20" 308 AR gun - it is overly hot or acceptable?
the official load manual from sierra is for a 24" bolt gun and is maxes out the load for 175SMK at 41.7gr. looking at other info it seems that 44gr is what most do.
any comments?
like, in the chart below:
the official load manual from sierra is for a 24" bolt gun and is maxes out the load for 175SMK at 41.7gr. looking at other info it seems that 44gr is what most do.
any comments?
like, in the chart below:
xtry51
NES Member
That sounds spicy to me. I think you're going to have to work up to that and watch primers, then if you make it decide if the primers are telling you the brass is going to suffer.
Just load 1 of each in .3gr increments with crap bullets.
Just load 1 of each in .3gr increments with crap bullets.
i know, just wanted to confirm. i will see how it will go starting from 43gr in 0.4gr increments. dunno, the 175 SMK did not work well for me somehow with previous barrels, but may be this one will be different.
I checked my shooting journal data and in my R700 26" Varmint , 175 smk / 44 gr of Varget i was at 2670 min, 2767 max , 2724 avg. ES = 97 , SD = 33 . A ES of 97 is really high so thats why i tested but never pursued this load. In my notes was "no over pressure signs" but this load is definitely getting warm for a 26" bbl.
Maybe a gas gun bolt might exibit pressure signs differently than a bolt action bolt but i look for flattened primer cup distortion, ejector swipe marks on the base face of the casing and also "sticky bolt" fired casing extraction to help me identify higher pressures.
