260 Rem Quickload Request

[Dimefox]

Wanted to see if someone could run QL for me. I have GRT but am still fairly green with it and want to verify.

I ran a ladder with N555 and found a node at the top of my ladder at 44.4 and 44.6 gr. Was going to try a series at 44.5 and look at ES/SD. Velocity at 44.4 and 44.6 was 2899 fps. No pressure signs on these two loads...bolt lift good and no ejector swipes. Primers appeared to be ok as well. Had a couple of nodes lower but ES was meh.

Proof steel 3B barrel, 1:8 twist.

Lapua brass
Barnes 127 gr LRX
Federal GM210M primer
N555 44.5 gr
2.21" CBTO. Roughly .050" from the lands

LRX bullet base to ogive is approximately 0.7995" (avg of 12 bullets). If I mathed right my seated depth is 0.6235"

GRT says my muzzle velocity should be 2905 fps and pressure is 61035 psi. Technically over SAAMI spec but not egregiously over. Playing with seating depth in GRT, I could lengthen CBTO and drop the pressure a bit. But that would all depend on group size one ES/SD is looked at. Wouldn't go any deeper on seating.

This is a hunting rifle/load. No concerns about pushing it and burning the barrel. It'll see a handful of shots per year.

Thoughts? Am I asking to blow my face off or good to go?

 

[straightshooter1]

Wanted to see if someone could run QL for me. I have GRT but am still fairly green with it and want to verify.

I ran a ladder with N555 and found a node at the top of my ladder at 44.4 and 44.6 gr. Was going to try a series at 44.5 and look at ES/SD. Velocity at 44.4 and 44.6 was 2899 fps. No pressure signs on these two loads...bolt lift good and no ejector swipes. Primers appeared to be ok as well. Had a couple of nodes lower but ES was meh.

Proof steel 3B barrel, 1:8 twist.

Lapua brass
Barnes 127 gr LRX
Federal GM210M primer
N555 44.5 gr
2.21" CBTO. Roughly .050" from the lands

LRX bullet base to ogive is approximately 0.7995" (avg of 12 bullets). If I mathed right my seated depth is 0.6235"

GRT says my muzzle velocity should be 2905 fps and pressure is 61035 psi. Technically over SAAMI spec but not egregiously over. Playing with seating depth in GRT, I could lengthen CBTO and drop the pressure a bit. But that would all depend on group size one ES/SD is looked at. Wouldn't go any deeper on seating.

This is a hunting rifle/load. No concerns about pushing it and burning the barrel. It'll see a handful of shots per year.

Thoughts? Am I asking to blow my face off or good to go?

What's you're barrel length?

What ambient temperature were you shooting in?

Do you know what your case volume is for your particular lot of brass?

 

[Dimefox]

It was in the low 40's when I shot the 44.4 and 44.6 gr. BBL length is 23". I don't know the case volume of this lot.

 

[straightshooter1]

It was in the low 40's when I shot the 44.4 and 44.6 gr. BBL length is 23". I don't know the case volume of this lot.

The one thing that stands out to me is that QuickLoad shows your case fill to be at 109.5%, which means you've got a compressed load and they can cause higher pressure/velocity. And given the temperature you said you were shooting them at, your load could be particularly dangerous should you use those loads in higher temperatures. Even with cases that might have a larger volumes than QL's default volume, it doesn't reduce the issue by much.

QL suggests pressure at the temps in the low 40's °F, isn't a problem for your load. But, you may have issues with inconsistent seating depths when a case is filled to 110% of capacity.

 

[Dimefox]

Thank you for the help. I'll probably back off a bit and play it safe. Temp doesn't really concern me..it will be used during late November/early December for deer.

I did use a drop tube to fill the case. It didn't appear to be overfilled for whatever that's worth. No crunch when seating or obvious resistance.