OCW 18" WOA Barrel

[jh26]

Gun is a DPMS AR 15, SSA trigger, free float tube, AGB, Luth AR Carbine stock, Sightron SIII. Load of XBR, Rem 7-1/2 primers, 77hpbt at 1.856 ogive, or 2.250, (just under mag length for me) 23.7-24.5 on the powder. Shot off rear bag and Harris bi pod. Barrel has 125 rounds through it. It started raining today, had to make a copy of the target. Originally stopped at 24.3 and then ran back to load 24.5 just to test pressure. I just started to get flat primer and a tiny ejector mark but nothing bad at all. 24.5 seems like a lot of powder but the speed seems right on. Anyway, 24.2 was what I was going to go with. 24.1-24.3 has only 9fps spread, although POI of 23.9, 24.3, and 24.5 seem perfect so I figured I would ask. Thanks in advance for any help.
PS I have never had a load shoot an ES/SD of 0, I double check it recorded all 3 shots!

 

[padom]

Go back and shoot 23.5, 23.3 and 23.1. Your vertical changes from 24.1 to 24.3. Thats a lot of powder also and is in the high range for this combo. I've been shooting 77smk/8208 out of WOA for years. Its ok now but those pockets won't last long above 24g.

All WOA Ive tested and others I know found their node between 23.1-23.9. Typically its 23.6 or 23.8.

Are you shooting Sierra 77smk? Or Nosler 77cc?

 

[supercorndogs]

According to Hodgdon the max for that combo is 23.2g. Just like running crono data a bigger data set gives better information. So just like 3 shots doesn't tell you what your ES and SD will be. Not having enough charge weights can make it hard to see the window where your POI stays consistent across a few charges.

 

[jh26]

Padom they are the 77smk's. I agree its on the high side for the powder, but I pushed it because the speed wasn't there on the lower charges, as well as accuracy was not there at 23.7 in LC brass. FPS on that load was 2656 so I wanted to test the upper end. This is a new batch of XBR and it seems a little slower, and possibly a little inconsistent today should tell the story.........I also decided to reach out directly to Dan Newberry, he suggested 23.2 and 23.8. and shoot at 200 yards, I will be doing that later today. I also ordered some 75hpbt's and I have the 73eld's to give a whirl. PS, Padom you helped me out a ton with my Krieger barrel. I could only get 3/4 groups all in (without flyers it was in the 4's and 5's so I wanted to give the WOA a try just because Thank you for the feedback.

 

[jh26]

200 yard testing was horrible. I did a check against another lot of powder and it is 50fps slower. Come to think of it, I was also getting worse results with the Kreiger once I moved to the new powder. Is it possible to get a bad or inconsistent powder? I also did and OCW with 69smk's and Varget and it seems to be the ticket, will need to further test, but so far so good.