308 - Sierra 190 HPBT with RL17

[DCR]

Today I started my journey to find a decent load to play around in some F-Class FTR this year. Max range that is shot here in the New England is 600 yards. Here's the results from my first ladder test @ 400 yards today. I'm not too comfortable with pressure signs so I played on the conservative side.


Remington 700 AAC SD
Federal Brass
Remington 9 1/2 primers
RL 17
Sierra 190 BTHP

Loaded .010 into the lands. This put me at 2.380 to the ogive. So 2.980 is OAL.

Weather:
50 Degrees
Overcast
Calm Winds
29.14 Baro

Velocities and Notes
44.3 - 2371
44.6 - 2377
44.9 - 2407
45.2 - 2447
45.5 - 2437
45.8 - 2491
46.1 - 2495 Flat Primer
46.4 - 2480 No Flat Primer
46.7 - 2498
47.0 - 2517
47.3 - 2534 Slight Ejector Mark
47.6 - 2575 No Ejector Mark
47.9 - 2578 Slightly Flat Primer
48.2 - 2590 Very Very Light Ejector
48.5 - 2647 Flat Primer and Slight Ejector Mark **Due to jump in velocity and double pressure sign I stopped here**

Here's what all that looks like on paper. The little cross was my aiming point. I took the tape I was using off.



I see two nodes. First one between 44.3 and 45.2. Second between 46.1 and 47.

That look about right?

208 Amax's showed up today. They are next.

 

[Belisarius]

I''d try Win. brass, because of its larger case capacity.

 

[kansas]

I didn't do a ladder test with that load but a friend of mine was using a healthy charge of RL17 and that bullet with very positive results. I was seated off the lands a little ( don't remember how much) but my SDs were in the double digits and groups at 200 yards weren't all that exciting. I was using Lapua brass and could go all the way to a compressed charge without any real pressure signs but was only picking up 50-75 fps over 44.0 grains of Varget and just doesn't make enough difference to be worth the hassle since I can find Varget easier than I can find RL17. It did get me shooting the 190 gr. SMK though and I think I like it better than the 175 but I need longer range to try it. Usually when I get to shoot out to 1000 yards it's at a match where I don't really have the time to access the results so I have to rely on 200 yards and chrono to test most loads.

 

[M14 Shooter]

Just as info IMR 4064 was used quite a bit with 190 SMK in 308.Was very popluar with mid and long range loads during the 1980's and 1990's.

Regards,Mike

 

[rjacobs]

My experience with r17 is similar to yours as far as pressure goes. You're good,You're good, you're good, you're good, to much pressure. For me it didn't creep up really. I was good and then another .2g and I had flat primers and healthy ejector swipe. Was running 185 berger juggernauts. The bullet was to expensive compared to a smk or amax so once I did the development I haven't shot any since. Ive got 10lbs of r17 and I'm going to try it with some 175smk and 178 amax, but it might be a touch slow.

 

[DCR]

I would have expected the rounds to march up the paper from lowest to highest charge. Is that something that should have happened? From what I have seen most do. But I have seen a few that don't.