I asked this in my OCW thread, but it may get missed since it's such a long thread. The load I have settled on for my 20" AAC-SD is 45.1gr Varget pushing a 178gr Amax using Lapua brass and CCI BR-2 primers. This load looks hot according to books but shows no pressure. I clocked them today on my Chronograph and showed velocities that averaged 2560fps with a ES of 25 and SD of 10. This seems really slow for this much Varget. What is yall's opinion on this? I was getting ~2530fps with 43.5gr Varget and Federal brass. Seems like the extra 1.6 grains of powder isn't doing much in the velocity department. I am fine with this velocity and this load as it holds .3MOA at 300yds and bangs steel at 600 and 1k. I just think something is fishy here.
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178gr Amax and Varget velocity
- Thread starter BigTex
- Start date
This may or may not help answer your question. I use the same charge in 178 amax as I do in the 175smk. In your other thread I mentioned 2581 with 210m,bh brass,44.5 varget with the smk's. the 178's clocked at 2531. I was kind of surprised the extra 3gr dropped me 50fps. Shooting a sps tactical as well.
I'm running a similar combo 178 Amax, 42.5gr Varget, Lapua Brass & Fed 210M Primers. I've chrono'ed it at 2660fps and it holds good to 1k. Dope/drop @ 1k is 11.4 mils.
This is running in an AIAE, 20", 1:12 barrel.
Hope this helps.
Andrew
This is running in an AIAE, 20", 1:12 barrel.
Hope this helps.
Andrew
I'm sure your getting more fps than that. I let the paper tell me what I'm shooting instead of the electronics. I'm sure its not as bad when you have really expensive equipment and perfect conditions, but damn. I just don't trust those things. A chrono the other day told me that my 44.0 varget load with 175 SMK's was 2590 FPS. Shooting was done with my 20 incher 1:10. If it shoots who really cares right?
Ok well when zeroed at 100, Ballistic AE told me 5 MOA of elevation for 300yds, this resulted in a group .5moa high. It also told me 14MOA at 575 yds which resulted in high shots. 14moa at 575 had me ringing an 8" plate. I tried to true the data in Ballistic, but it kept giving me weird velocities. Anywhere from 1620fps to 5200fps. Anyone know what velocity this data points too?
44.5 grains of varget give me ~2535-2545fps with Winchester brass in my 308 R700 tactical and those numbers are verified by magnetospeed and actual drops to 1000y... So your load is in line with mine.
Travclem
Will be able to check this out soon, glad you mention this; made me realize that I never clocked my 43.5 gr Varget/178 AMAX reloads, as I did not have a Chronograph until recently. Knew it was safe, as it was far from max load but the one thing I know for sure is that it is a damn accurate load in a TRG 22 .308.
Good shooting.
Those numbers are exactly what I got with my 20" remington.
If you want them to go faster try 2000MR it got me to 2650.
20" 1:10 Kreiger, 45 grains of Varget under 178 AMAX in Win. cases @2.810 gets me 2660 on the Magneto Speed. Verified on paper and steel at 1000 yards. 10.6 Mils.
41.5 Varget in my other cases that are a bit LESS case capacity than Lapua give about 2580 out of a 22-inch barrel.
Don't think that's max, but it was accurate and QuickLOAD said the port pressure was in spec for my rifle. I do remember that with some powders, chamber pressure is fine but port pressure would be NOT fine at up to 100 fps faster than my desired specs on reloads.
The only "pressure sign" I trust any more is a QuickLOAD calculation using my chrono'd velocity with the powder burn rate adjusted to match that velocity. Too many false high "signs" from short-sized loads in longer chambers, and loads that *others* posted here in the Hide that I tried out (including specifically with Varget) not only showed pressure signs but went at speeds that QuickLOAD said produced 6-10K too much chamber pressure. Going lower, the pressure signs disappeared about 5K above spec, and I'm not willing to push it at that 10%-ish over spec pressures level.
Don't think that's max, but it was accurate and QuickLOAD said the port pressure was in spec for my rifle. I do remember that with some powders, chamber pressure is fine but port pressure would be NOT fine at up to 100 fps faster than my desired specs on reloads.
The only "pressure sign" I trust any more is a QuickLOAD calculation using my chrono'd velocity with the powder burn rate adjusted to match that velocity. Too many false high "signs" from short-sized loads in longer chambers, and loads that *others* posted here in the Hide that I tried out (including specifically with Varget) not only showed pressure signs but went at speeds that QuickLOAD said produced 6-10K too much chamber pressure. Going lower, the pressure signs disappeared about 5K above spec, and I'm not willing to push it at that 10%-ish over spec pressures level.
No chrono here but my dope works out to right around 2675. 44.6gr Varget, 178amax loaded 2.810. Rifle is 20" savage tactical.
I'm getting 2604 fps with 41 grains of Varget. My barrel is 12 twist 3 grove Pac-Nor 25" MTU contour. I use PMC brass and Federal 210M primer.
Here's My 10 shot group at 110 yards.
I use the load at our local 600 yards night shoot on a life size Zombie and took 1st place. You can only kill a Zombie with a headshot so I put the 20th and last shot right between the eyes.
Here's My 10 shot group at 110 yards.
I use the load at our local 600 yards night shoot on a life size Zombie and took 1st place. You can only kill a Zombie with a headshot so I put the 20th and last shot right between the eyes.
I have seen time and time again, a heavy drop in diminishing returns on the highest powder charges. I get very little velocity increase and use a lot more powder. I ended up at at 43.8 grains. I was getting 2707 with a FN SPR and N6 can. Pretty good with a 175 SMK. The 178 AMAX have always been in the same range. Ohler Chrono.
