so i have some lake city match brass & some varget

[AXEMAN]

and i started loading them up. i started at 40g and went up 0.4g to 42.8g. now i wont know if the upper loads are too hot til i start shooting, but does this range sound ok for a start? should i have started lower than 40g? does anyone here load lake city and use varget? i went all the way to 44g in 0.4g steps. then 32 rounds at 40g for general sighting in. about 80 rounds to play with. now i just gotta swap barrels. oh yeah, 5 rounds per step.

 

[wilshire1412]

Re: so i have some lake city match brass & some varget

Which Bullet? 155? 168? 175? 190?

Most will advise to drop your charge about 1 to 2 grains with LC brass vs. commercial.

 

[AXEMAN]

Re: so i have some lake city match brass & some varget

sorry, 168g speer for now, SMKs later both hpbt

 

[wilshire1412]

Re: so i have some lake city match brass & some varget

I think you are in the ballpark with your starting load, maybe a bit on the light side but it is ok. Keep an eye out for pressure signs as you get close to 44gr, not likely to see anything serious but every rifle is different.

What is your seating depth?

 

[DRAM40A1]

Re: so i have some lake city match brass & some varget

In order to save yourself a lot of time and bullets, load one round at a time from starting load and work up .5 grns at a time. When you get to pressure, back your way down to accuracy node. I have done this with atleast ten rifles and guarantee you it takes me no more than 20 bullets to have the load tuned.YMMV.

 

[AXEMAN]

Re: so i have some lake city match brass & some varget

seating depth if i did it right was 2.82 nice part of the deal was the necks of my commercial brass didnt shrink down enough to grip a bullet, but enough to make a seating tool. i did chamber a few rounds to get a coal of 2.838 then back it off .015 right? thats 2.823 so ill make it 2.82 or should i try to hit the 2.823?


dram, i hear what your saying, but the range is 75 miles away so i just loaded up enough to not only test but give me trigger time too. i would have dont it the way you said, but then id have still needed more to shoot. i was gonnas try a ladder test, but at 100y i dont know if ill have enough range to see results. its my first reloads as well as my first shots with this rifle and with military brass i dont know what a basic all around load would have been to just have some shooting ammo so i loaded up 100 in varying powder charges to see whats best for the rifle as well as the brass.

like i said i have 5 each at 40, 40.4, 40.8, 41.2, 41.6, 42, 42.4, 42.8, 43.2, 43.6 and 44g plus a bunch loaded at 40 just to shoot while im out there.

 

[DRAM40A1]

Re: so i have some lake city match brass & some varget

I understand, I have a range in my back yard but routinely drive 75 miles to Tiger Valley and 160 miles to Tac Pro. When working loads though, it literally takes seconds to get from the loading bench to shooting position. hahaha. Guess I'm lucky in that reguard. Also a few thousanths shouldn't matter that much unless you're slingin Bergers, seated into the lands. Good luck.

 

[AXEMAN]

Re: so i have some lake city match brass & some varget

i had a partial box of SMK's and some brass left out of the 100 so i did one each of the above loads but with a different 168g bullet. now is it gonna make a difference what i shoot first? i have about 30 rnds loaded to 40g and i need to sight the rig in as well. so ill shoot all the 40g rounds and get it dialed in and then shoot the string of singles to see what the gun likes and then the multiples at individual targets for groups. i guess i better take notes and pictures huh? still gotta nail down a range time. my buddy with property cant shoot tomorrow or sunday. there is a game on the TV i guess.