Tell me if this is a good starting point to figure out which charge weight is best.

[clj94104]

Tell me if this is a good starting day to figure out which charge weight is best.

Remington 700 in .308 in AICS. 26" Varmint barrel, 1:12 twist. Action has not been trued or re-barreled.

Once fired FGMM brass not put through a tumbler or anything, thats on my list and I'll have it before next load.
FGMM primers.
Powder grain weights of 42.5, 42.8, 43.2, 43.5, and 44. RL-15
178gr Hornady AMax seated to 2.865" OAL to fit AICS magazines (I have more 10 round than 5)

Gonna go out soon in the next few days when it isn't so windy to see what groups best....

Any suggestions are appreciated.

 

[ChrisGarrett]

Tell me if this is a good starting day to figure out which charge weight is best.

Remington 700 in .308 in AICS. 26" Varmint barrel, 1:12 twist. Action has not been trued or re-barreled.

Once fired FGMM brass not put through a tumbler or anything, thats on my list and I'll have it before next load.
FGMM primers.
Powder grain weights of 42.5, 42.8, 43.2, 43.5, and 44.
178gr Hornady AMax seated to 2.865" OAL to fit AICS magazines (I have more 10 round than 5)

Gonna go out soon in the next few days when it isn't so windy to see what groups best....

Any suggestions are appreciated.

We're supposed to guess what powder you're talking about?

Chris

 

[clj94104]

We're supposed to guess what powder you're talking about?

Chris

Touche! LOL, that would be pretty important. RL-15.

 

[clj94104]

To the top

 

[P7id10t]

How about whether or not 2.864 chambers in your barrel and is not slammed up against the lands?
Then, if you don't have a chrony, suggest you borrow or get one.

 

[jbailey]

What is your objective for this load?

The desired precision and range is of huge importance in determining what you need to do. If this is just a casual load for training, perhaps some easier comps, and 1MOA or larger targets under 700yds, it sounds like you are on the right track. Don't kill yourself finding a load if you don't have too. Most of the time, time/dollars spent in load development are wasted - you would be better off actually practicing marksmanship and actually hitting targets than finding a load that may or may not be 0.1moa tighter at 100yds.

 

[Cproflow]

jbailey--that is good advice. I think I should take a step back and take heed. I have a bad tendency to be in perpetual load development...for something that I'm going to be doing. Sometimes I may be guilty of not seeing the forest for the trees...

 

[clj94104]

How about whether or not 2.864 chambers in your barrel and is not slammed up against the lands?
Then, if you don't have a chrony, suggest you borrow or get one.

Crude method of testing where the lands is. Cut an X into neck of brass down to start of the neck almost. Put round in, closed bolt slowly until fully chambered, measured OAL to >9.6xx" can't remember exact measurement off the top of my head. Repeated test more than 10 times to be sure. Rounds wouldn't go into magazine. So made loads fit mag with OAL.

I do not have a chrono.

 

[clj94104]

What is your objective for this load?

To squeeze as much accuracy as possible out of what I have, shooting at quote varying distances. A healthy balance. Feeding reliability with my AICS is important to me.

I have two ranges, one that only goes out to 100 yards, and the other that goes out to 1000 yards. I would be playing more on the 500-800 playground, with the goal of ringing steel at 1000 yards and doing it occasionally.

 

[clj94104]

Well, the 44gr of RL-15 was the tightest group. With a constant wind velocity of 3.6mph, and max up to 6.4mph I shot a 0.53moa group at 100 yards. I am happy with that. No signs of over-pressure. I may try 44.2gr and see if that helps at all. I felt I could've had a better group too, my neck was fatiguing a bit. That was my first time shooting prone, usually shoot off the bench.