[marinesg1012]

So I finally got started on my reloading path.... I called H and got some Max loads and then went to work up from there....
These are all in SSA brass wolf and 556 small rifle primers (of course start low work up ect ect...)
First I started with the 115 Remington FMJ bullets, these were all shot in my MK68 16 inch barrel it was 80 or so degree's and I am at about 850 feet above sea level. the Chrono was 15 feet from the barrel.
H said you could get 33 grains of H335 so I started at 31 grains and worked up.
31 grains of H335
2606
2585
2535
2525
2549
2535
My 7th round wouldnt chamber I guess I didnt resize it enough?
2584
2557
2517
SD: 28.9
Average: 2554
I had some light swipes but nothing to bad

31.5 grains of H335
2588
2578
2587
2566
2578
2580
2545
2597
2564
2593
SD; 14.9
Average: 2577
again some light swipes.

32.0 grains H335
2666
2615
2636
2632
2627
SD 16.7
Average 2635
I stopped after 5 becuase I had one blown primer and one backed out. I dont know if I seated these to deep or if my rifle was dirty, and not broken in but this was as hot as I wanted to go today....

Then I broke out the 20 inch 1-12 SAM-R
I loaded these out as long as I could go and still have them load into the mag. The FMJ's I loaded to short but these next 50 I would try a few rounds and if they wouldn't feed in the mag I would put the seater down a little more and try again....
Either way I started with the 90 grain TNT rounds. H has said that in a 20 the 10X is a little faster then the RE7 (I will try this for myself later ) either way he said a max of 32.5 RE10X so I started at31.5
90 grain TNT 31.5 RE10X
2975
2935
2920
2975
2914
2912
2922
2920
2964
2950
SD 24.0
Average 2938
No swipes

90 grain TNT over 32.0 RE10X
2961
2987
2962
2992
3002
2970
2991
3011
3004
SD 17.0
Average 2987
a few very light swipes

90 grain TNT 32.5 RE10X
3012
3023
3013
3018
3040
3003
3033
3026
2988
3002
SD 15.3
Average 3017
Again a few light swipes but I think I may be able to push these a little hotter. All of these chambered and they all shot well. I was only shooting at 50 yards so accuracy wasnt being measured and I wanted to get velocities and then go for accuracy. besides I didnt want to shoot the chrono so I was shooting all the different rounds at the same target

These are the 110 Accubonds, again I loaded them as long as I could and to be honest I guess I needed to go a touch shorter becuase i couldn't get more then 5 rounds to feed through the mag at a time....
either way H said the max was 30.5 of RE10X so I started at 30.0
110 Accubond 30.0 RE10X
2777
2780
2805
2801
2785
2781
2781
2799
2766
SD 12.8
Average 2787
one maybe two light swipes

110 Accubond over 30.5 RE10X
2826
2812
2819
2814
2787
2803
2827
2809
2819
2813
SD 10.7
Average 2812
again a few very faint swipes but I would almost want to see if I can get more out of her....

Over all I am very happy I only had one round not chamber. They all fired, the SD's are pretty low and the accuracy from what I could tell was there I just need to fine tune the loads and of course work on my shooting skills.

 

[ron169]

Did you put a crimp on them? If not, a very light crimp might get a few more horse power out of em!

 

[rcrandall]

Good info and good post. Sounds like your in the ball park for max loads with the swipes, especially with the blown primer. I've never gotten the 115 grain FMJ's above 2520 or so. Try H4198 with the TNT's, 29 grains got me 3030 out of a 16".

 

[Jamesb74]

Nice work Marinesg.

 

[JerBear]

Great start to your reloading career! I checked the data on those 110 Accubond loads and they still have a 1,000 ft#'s of energy at over 350 yds--that's a great hunting round! Well done!

 

[marinesg1012]

Do you have a link to the JBW ballistic program?

Randall the RE7 is suppose to be faster in the shorter barrels. I firgure I will load some up and shoot some of each in the 16 and the 20 and see how they do.

 

[rcrandall]

Out of my 8.5" PSD I found the RE7 to be about 100 fps slower than the H4198 when loading the 85 grain TSX with 29.5 grains powder.

 

[dlance13]

Do you have a link to the JBW ballistic program?

Randall the RE7 is suppose to be faster in the shorter barrels. I firgure I will load some up and shoot some of each in the 16 and the 20 and see how they do.

http://www.eskimo.com/~jbm/calculations/calculations.html

 

[marinesg1012]

Out of my 8.5" PSD I found the RE7 to be about 100 fps slower than the H4198 when loading the 85 grain TSX with 29.5 grains powder.

Thanks... another powder I have to find now Acctually I think H said that was the one that gave them great velocities with the 80 GS bullets....

 

[marinesg1012]

http://www.eskimo.com/~jbm/calculations/calculations.html

Thanks I couldnt locate it earlier

 

[constructor]

Pretty good vel there A, you may be able to pick up 30-50 if you want by changing to CCI 41 primers.
With once fired brass you may be able to go a little higher with the 115gr charges too.
Try 32.5 gr H335 with the 110 Nosler, you should hit about 2850.
Looks like you are off to a good start, watch the length of the brass after the first few firings, they really grow when new.

 

[marinesg1012]

They were all long after the once firing but I trimmed them all to length and deburred the flash hole. THe one thing I did think about is I have a flash hole uniformer. I used it on the first batch of 50 (the FMJ's) and didn't really like it so I just cleaned the primer pockets the second 50 (the TNT's and the Accubonds) and that may have lead to those primers popping. They didnt seem to be flattening. Also I think they were to short and that was helping the pressure issue.

Also do you think that becuase the MK68 isnt broken in yet that it is still a little rough? the SAM-R is noticeably smoother then the MK68. Do you think if I just keep shooting and cleaning it will smooth out? the MK68 is smooth but not nearly as much so as the Match stainless obviously.

 

[Test_User]

That looks about right. AS your barrel breaks in you will be able to get more out of it as well. On the CL barrel this is especially true. Taking some IOSSO paste to lap the bore will greatly quicken the process. 100-150 strokes. Or you can do the Tubbs FF just be sure to use full power loads so the bullet fully fills and seals the bore.

For a first time that is a very good outing. Considering you went straight to finding your max loads very good indeed. There are so many things that can effect specific loads. Everyone knwo temp humidity etc but you also have powder lot (up to 10% variation although its usually not more than 5% but still considerable) Powder age. Primers. For velocity altitude and how firm of a shoulder seat you have can change vel by 100 fps.

 

[jasonpeterson]

That's funny you mentioned holding the rifle against your shoulder and velocity. I noticed that at my last range session I could tell a difference in velocity consistency if I held the rifle tighter when I shot through the chronograph.

Great info to know. Thanks Tim, I thought I was crazy thinking that it made that big of difference.

 

[marinesg1012]

I went and did some load development yesterday working from 30.2-30.8 of 10X in .2 grain incraments. I found 30.2 and 30.8 both shot around 1 MOA (I need to keep working on my slow fire precision shooting) either way I loaded up 10 each of 30.2 and 30.8 today and went and shot them in 2 5 round strings shooting the 30.2 first then the 30.8 then the 30.2 again and finally the 30.8 with a minute in between shots. Average velocity for 30.2 at 860 ft 65 degrees and 70 percent humidity was 2833 with a SD of 27.0. Average velocity of 30.8 was 2860 with an SD of12.0. They are both shooting right under 1 moa the 30.2 was at .95 and the 30.8 was at .75 at 100 yards. I think I am going to load up the 30.2 since according to my calculations there isn't any real difference in energy or drop in that 30 FPS difference. I also figure I will save a little powder and a little wear and tear on the rifle.
WHat do you guys think?

 

[Bushman_269]

I went and did some load development yesterday working from 30.2-30.8 of 10X in .2 grain incraments. I found 30.2 and 30.8 both shot around 1 MOA (I need to keep working on my slow fire precision shooting) either way I loaded up 10 each of 30.2 and 30.8 today and went and shot them in 2 5 round strings shooting the 30.2 first then the 30.8 then the 30.2 again and finally the 30.8 with a minute in between shots. Average velocity for 30.2 at 860 ft 65 degrees and 70 percent humidity was 2833 with a SD of 27.0. Average velocity of 30.8 was 2860 with an SD of12.0. They are both shooting right under 1 moa the 30.2 was at .95 and the 30.8 was at .75 at 100 yards. I think I am going to load up the 30.2 since according to my calculations there isn't any real difference in energy or drop in that 30 FPS difference. I also figure I will save a little powder and a little wear and tear on the rifle.
WHat do you guys think?

The SD with the hotter load was better probably because of more consistent combustion. What primers are you using?

 

[marinesg1012]

Wolf 556 primers SSA brass all have the flash hole deburred and everything was trimmed to length and all that other good stuff... also the OAL was 2.300 roughly. I set my die up and then run 5 rounds through it. If they all load into the mag then thety are good to go... I try to measure them but I get inconsistent lengths when I do.

the 30.8 is up into the neck so it is slightly compressed. Do you think that would help with the SD's?

 

[David]

Powder age?

That looks about right. AS your barrel breaks in you will be able to get more out of it as well. On the CL barrel this is especially true. Taking some IOSSO paste to lap the bore will greatly quicken the process. 100-150 strokes. Or you can do the Tubbs FF just be sure to use full power loads so the bullet fully fills and seals the bore.

For a first time that is a very good outing. Considering you went straight to finding your max loads very good indeed. There are so many things that can effect specific loads. Everyone knwo temp humidity etc but you also have powder lot (up to 10% variation although its usually not more than 5% but still considerable) Powder age. Primers. For velocity altitude and how firm of a shoulder seat you have can change vel by 100 fps.

Tim, to what are you referring when you mention "age?"

I recall a gun rag article on powder storage conditions, and that storage humidity made a HUGE difference (lower humidity/drier propellant led to the propellant weighing less per molecule of "bang," so more ended up in the cases and velocities/pressures went UP), but if simple age makes a difference I probably should account for it...some of my propellants are over 10 years old, in some cases probably over 20 years old.

I was operating under the notion that constant humidity & temp in the 60%/70 deg F range would let a propellant last for a very very long time. Of course, something is still happening in storage, otherwise there wouldn't be that delicious ether smell when uncorking a container.