watchingI'm (slowly) working up a 185 Jugg/Varget load with fired FGMM brass. I have a lot more Lake City LR--wonder if I should switch cases now?
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watchingI'm (slowly) working up a 185 Jugg/Varget load with fired FGMM brass. I have a lot more Lake City LR--wonder if I should switch cases now?
Any one loading 185gr Berger Juggernaut Target in .308?
Thank you very much! I hope it continues to go as well if not better. I will be waiting for further info if you will.Great timing. After being frustrated with my rifle’s lack of ability to get good accuracy with Nosler 190CC, a friend at the range suggested I try the 185 Jugs.
I just started load development, but I have shot the first-ever 0.15 MOA (@215 yards no less) group this gun has ever produced. Granted it was only 3 shots (and I sure as heck wouldn’t call it a 0.15 MOA gun), but I have high hopes that this bullet will bring new life to an old gun. I have since heard that if your rifle won’t shoot 185 Jug well, then that barrel just may not shoot. Haha.
I’ll be going out later this week to refine load development.
Any one loading 185gr Berger Juggernaut Target in .308?
Ok so I bought a bunch of 185gr Berger Juggernauts looking for load data for IMR4064.
Looking at the hodgon online data they show max for a 308 with IMR4064 45.2gr with a 180 and 43.7gr with a 190, I dont think I was able to go that high with a 175 match king.
Technically accurate. But without knowing coal/cbto and fireformed size of the Lapua, can't really say that. Bottom line is that it's hard to put too much 4064 in a given case without a drop tube, at least for my applications.That’s in Winchester commercial cases not Lapua. The former can take 2 more grains of powder than the latter.
IMR4064 was my choice powder. My best results was with 41.5G for a 175 matchking in a neck sized case. I would work around 41-42G and see how they do. Any time I tried more then 42, the groups would get wild.
Likewise, I got very good results with 41.5 gr of the 4065 with 175 SMKs when fire out of my 20" factory barrel. When I swapped barrel to a 24" SS Krieger barrel, I had to go to 42.5 grs of 4065 for it to work best.
So, barrel length can be a significant factor in just what load might work best in one's particular gun.
Gun dealer on the corner had an 8# jug of Varget on the shelf; I just walked over, strapped on my respirator, waited in line 20 minutes or so, and carried it home along with 2 rationed boxes of FGMM. It's a small shop, but the owner stocks what he shoots. I was tempted by a big box of 175 SMKs but the last thing I need now is more load development. I'm at 43.6g in Federal cases with Juggernauts.
Question for the neck size only guys--when do you start bumping shoulders? I just picked up a Redding body die.
Run with a MV of 2550 to 2600 fps.Ok so I bought a bunch of 185gr Berger Juggernauts looking for load data for IMR4064.
I picked up an 8# jug of 4064 the week before last and the store supply didn't last long. For those who find it to get powder, If one stays persistent and keeps their eye's open, it's actually not too hard to find somewhere to get powder. . . . particularly if your timing is right I read somewhere a few weeks ago that one of the reasons Varget is scarce is that recent military orders have drained the market, but by sometime in May the supply should be back in stores. I guess we'll see about that. ?
When neck sizing, I bump the shoulders every time (just as I do with annealing) even though it may not be needed to chamber the cartridge. I do it to keep my loads as consistent as I can from one firing to the next.
Run with a MV of 2550 to 2600 fps.
Ok so I bought a bunch of 185gr Berger Juggernauts looking for load data for IMR4064.
Run with a MV of 2550 to 2600 fps.
24 inch
YesThen I would get that kind of velocity using 41.1 - 42.0 gr of 4064 out of my 24" SS barrel (depending on seating depth).
Did some load testing with my FN today.
Usung Federal gold metal match brass, 168 hornady eldm, cci200 primer. Velocity was out of a 24 inch barrel.Don’t know what happened in the first shot, chrono messed up. Started getting primer cratering at 45.8 and flat primers and cratering at 46.
I’m thinking of taking 45.1 grain and doing a seating depth test.
View attachment 7310145
I really appreciate the info, the fn bolt face makes it kinda tough to see pressure signs besides the primer, and bolt lift.Just a little FYI:
Putting the numbers you have shown, and having pretty much the same MV's you're showing, my QuickLoad app is showing the pressure at 67,240 psi using 46.0 gr. of Varget. Using 45.1 gr it still shows above SAAMI max pressure at 63,153 psi. Though these numbers are really nothing more than an estimate based on available information, I would be very careful about going any higher than 45.1 grs of Varget . . . particularly if that load happens to be used in a much warmer environment. As you search for a more accurate seating depth, seating longer will help lower that pressure. Again, this is just a heads up FYI.
I really appreciate the info, the fn bolt face makes it kinda tough to see pressure signs besides the primer, and bolt lift.
I have all these rounds seated at 2.850. My max mag length is 2.870. So can’t really go out in seating depth by much.
Do you think I should try a test around 44.3-44.5?
Can thank you enough for the advise. That’s what I will do then, drop down to 44 grains and work in seating depth .I ran those numbers at an estimated 2.840 COAL. For comparison's sake, if you going down to 44.5 gr, QL shows a pressure just under SAAMI max of 60,554 psi (plenty safe at a temperature of 70°F). At 95°F it shows a pressure up to 62,537 psi for the same load, just above SAAMI max, but that is probably still safe given you've started getting pressure signs well above that. Using your max mag length of 2.870, QL the pressure drop from 60,554 psi to 59,086 psi with an MV of around 2732 fps.
You might consider trying this technique: Pick a powder load (maybe like 44.0 gr) and test various seating depths to see which give you best groups. Then using only that seating depth, test various charges above and below that 44.0 gr. This will likely be at your highest accuracy node that is safe.
Based on what I'm seeing in QL, I wouldn't go higher than 44.5 gr so that I'd have plenty of room to work with and room for anything that might result in higher pressures. That's just me, though.
Ive got a ruger RPR with a krieger 1-10 twist 30 inch stainless barrel. Im running 175gn sierra matchkings with 43.5 grains of h4895, lapua lrg primed brass and federal 210m primers. Im getting 2830 fps, es 13 and a sd 6.6 i pretty happy with this load overall
Ive got no pressure signs and im running about .5 moa out to 600yds when i do my partI've got a 24" Krieger 1:10 SS barrel on my RPR and with 43.0 grs of H4895 behind 175 SMK's I was getting pressure signs with an MV of 2793 fps (Primer: Fed 210, COAL: 2.940, .003 of the lands, Temp: 88°F). My loads get single digit SD's and low teens for ES's and my best load for this powder was 42.0 grs, where I got a group of .294 MOA (typically though, they've run in the 3's and low 4's).
Ive got no pressure signs and im running about .5 moa out to 600yds when i do my part
I should note that all my load developement so far has been during cool temps, all below 60 degrees Fahrenheit so its possible i could have more pressure. Ive been using h4895 for couple years in different rifles and love the stuff and have found it to be very consistent lot to lot. What brass are u using?Hmmm??? Makes me wonder about what differences their might be between our two barrel chambers and/or the difference in our powder's burn rates. I suspect it's mostly about the difference in burn rate, as there can be differences from one lot to another.
When I run some numbers through my QuickLoad app, it shows your load to be well under the SAAMI max and so not likely to so pressure signs (as you say) . . . even though I had to increase the burn rate a little to get the MV you had. When I run my numbers, I've had to increase the burn rate by a lot to get that much MV out of a 24" barrel and it does show I'm WAY over pressure. Even at my good load of 42.0 grs I'm just over on pressure. So . . . interesting to me that there can be such a great difference.
I don't have any more of the H4895, but have though about using it as it actually did well on paper and on the chrono. But now I'd like to get some to see if a new batch is more in line with the burn rate you appear to have.
I should note that all my load developement so far has been during cool temps, all below 60 degrees Fahrenheit so its possible i could have more pressure. Ive been using h4895 for couple years in different rifles and love the stuff and have found it to be very consistent lot to lot. What brass are u using?
I am load developing for my Rem700 build in .308 with 26" Kreiger barrel. I have chosen the 178 Hornady ELD-X as my bullet but I have some 175 Sierra TMK as well. I have Lapua brass. My goal is to stay supersonic to 1000yds with great precision. Does anyone have any current load data for the Hornady round? I am also interested in data on the TMK as a backup. Thank you for your help.
The lapua brass that I ran 48-49.5 CFE with the 168 eldm had no signs of pressure on the primers but after sizing with Forster die it wouldn’t chamber. I had to use my small base die to get it to chamber. My base diameter measured .4715 which is .0006 over saami. The Winchester brass good up to 49 grains but 45.5 & 50 pushed the base diameter to .4715. I’m guessing 47.5 grains in lapua will be max load without too much pressure but I will ladder 47-47.5 to see if I can find a sweet spot for lapua brass 168 eld cfe.Since I have some new and once fired Winchester brass that's just been laying around for a long time I just might do that.
Looking back a few years in my log, I see I did fire and log some Winchester brass out of my 20" factory barrel using 41.0 grs of 4064 powder with CCI200 primer I got 2463 fps with 175 SMK's set at .065 off the lands and with Federal brass and Fed 210 primer (virtually the same case volume as Lapua) I got 2494 fps with the same load, except the bullet was .010 off the lands. For that FC brass, that load was at 96.6% of case volume and the Winchester was at 94.0% of its volume. So, with that low of case volume being used, no surprise to me that Winchester load was slower.
Question. I have a Remington 700p in .308. The free bore is long in this barrel. What Case overall lenght can I go to with a 178 grn ELDM and still have enough bullet in the case neck for adequate neck tension. it seems to be grouping better the longer I go I'm at .060 off the lands now. Thanks.
I don’t think there is much to gain by going heavier than a 208gr. You would have to push a 225 eld to 2450 FPS to equal a 208 at 2600 & it would be pushing the limits to get a 225 eld at 2400 or more. A 208 & 215 are probably the heaviest to go in a 308. I would pick the 208 because it’s cheaper with similar bc & I can find it at shops in townGoing to re-barrel my target .308win rifle. It will have a Krieger 1:9" 5R finished at 26". I was wondering if anyone has loaded any 200gr class bullets?
I am going to try the Berger Hybrid Target 215gr with Lapua brass and CCI BR2 primers. I will also be using Varget.
Anyone tried this combination? Most of the info on-line only shows bullets up to 208gr. I know the work up procedure. I'm just looking to see if anyone has experience with the heavies in the venerable .308win …(?).
i've great success with IMR 4064 (42.5gr) at 2.910 COAL. 2659fps with SD: 7.4. Work up the load. This what my barrel liked (Tikka .308 Match medium Palma Barrel).Any one loading 185gr Berger Juggernaut Target in .308?